Chapter 601: Chang Geng Confronts Wen Jing, Stubborn Stone Appears in Dongzhou

"Will Wen Jing be too aggressive this time?" Li Changshou wondered, sitting near the entrance of the Grand Hall of Spirit Mountain. His clear Dao heart subtly circulated, suppressing the myriad thoughts swirling in his mind.

He was currently in the presence of Saint Zhunti, so it was best to remain steady and not let his thoughts wander. What if Saint Zhunti possessed mind-reading abilities? *Sigh*, that wasn't realistic. If Saint Zhunti could truly see through a Qi Refiner's Dao heart, Wen Jing would never have survived to this day.

The so-called ability to 'see through a person's heart' usually involves having a very detailed understanding of the target's temperament, character, and past, from which one can deduce their inner thoughts. It was a typical case of "experience suppression." A Saint's power lay in their own realm and level of existence.

When Daoist Wen Jing's abode was exposed, Li Changshou used a paper effigy disguised among the Heavenly Generals to observe secretly. He discovered that Daoist Wen Jing had rather good taste. Her cave dwelling contained mountains and water, simple yet elegant, exuding a subtle personality. However, when surrounded by Golden Winged Dapeng and Heavenly Generals, she appeared somewhat overbearing.

The formidable Peacock King Kong Xuan of the Phoenix Clan, and the ruthless Wen Jing of the Sea of Blood. Li Changshou suddenly realized that while both these influential figures were beautiful and deeply admired the Grand Master, they were inherently "strong-willed." *Sigh*, since things had come to this, he could only offer his blessings to the Grand Master.

After a brief deliberation, Li Changshou quickly devised the safest plan. When Wen Jing arrived, he would make her wait. He would let her stand outside the hall for a while until the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals had nearly finished clearing out the ferocious beasts and demons. Then, he would call Wen Jing inside, giving her a chance to explain herself and saving enough face for the Western Sect. They couldn't eliminate the ferocious beasts and demons only to leave the Western Sect publicly humiliated; wouldn't that provoke the Saints to rage?

Just as he was thinking this, Daoist Wen Jing arrived at the hall entrance, escorted by Golden Winged Dapeng. With her primordial spirit sealed, she appeared even more vulnerable. Golden Winged Dapeng bowed with clasped fists and reported loudly, "Master, this fierce beast belongs to the Black Mosquito tribe from the Sea of Blood, and its power is extraordinary."

Li Changshou, without turning his head, remained seated and said, "Do not be disrespectful in the presence of a Saint. There are large numbers of demons and ferocious beasts lurking around Spirit Mountain, intending to cause mischief. This is an unexpected harvest for us. Capture all these fierce beasts and bring them back to the Heavenly Court for questioning later. Go.""Understood!" Golden Winged Dapeng affirmed, bowed, and quickly withdrew, leaving Wen Jing, the lone mosquito, standing by herself in front of the hall entrance.

She looked into the hall with relative calm, though her expression showed hesitation, unsure whether she should salute the great Saint. The atmosphere in the Grand Hall of Spirit Mountain suddenly turned peculiar. The Saint deep within the hall sat with eyes closed, absorbed in contemplation; the 'old Daoist' sitting inside the entrance remained silent; and the 'representative' of the fierce beasts standing outside looked apprehensive.

This scene could be perfectly named: *Maitreya*. The catalyst for Li Changshou's challenge was Maitreya, who was now hiding and hadn't appeared, even receiving deliberate protection from the Western Sect's great Saints. The Spirit Mountain's senior disciple truly lived up to his reputation.

Li Changshou's immortal sense observed Wen Jing's expression, attempting to fathom her inner thoughts, but no matter how he pondered, he couldn't find a way. If he were Wen Jing, he would likely be thinking about how to protect himself right now. It was truly difficult for her.

In the High Heavens Palace, the white-robed Jade Emperor opened his eyes with a frown, a wise light flickering within them as he pondered deeply. Why, among so many fierce beasts, would his beloved Qing Chang Geng only choose to meet this Daoist Wen Jing? Could it be? A sudden realization, he understood completely, and began planning.

In front of the high platform, Mu Gong, who had been observing the Jade Emperor's movements, immediately asked: "Your Majesty, do you have any concerns?"The Jade Emperor smiled and asked, "Mu Gong, have you seen the scene at Spirit Mountain?""Yes, I have."

The Jade Emperor slowly said, "Hmm, go to the Matchmaker's office and check on the marital fate of this fierce beast woman.""Your... Your Majesty," Mu Gong was startled and whispered, "This matter, Your Majesty, do you think we should consult the Empress first?""Consult her for what?" The Jade Emperor glared at Mu Gong. "I'm just asking you to investigate, not to do anything else!""Yes, your old servant will go now."East Mu Gong turned and walked two steps, then couldn't help but look back and ask, "But most such fierce beasts are primordial beings; the Marriage Hall might not have any records.""Then you and the Matchmaker figure something out," the Jade Emperor waved his hand. "Go quickly and return quickly.""Alright, your old servant accepts the command." Mu Gong affirmed, bowed his head, and hurried away, riding a cloud straight to the Marriage Hall after exiting the High Heavens Palace.

The Jade Emperor sat on the high platform, nodding with a smile, contemplating future arrangements. Yuqin Xuanya and Chang Geng clearly had something going on; they were even fellow disciples. However, General Yuqin was a bit rigid, lacking adaptability, and clearly not compatible with Chang Geng's personality. The Jade Emperor had already checked with the Matchmaker; their destiny indicated that the woman was proactive, but the red string only intertwined, never forming a knot. This, in the Matchmaker's words, meant a lack of ability to conclude an ambiguous relationship. The Jade Emperor found it difficult to meddle too much in this matter.

As for Fairy Chang'e, the Jade Emperor had also investigated thoroughly. Chang'e's marriage to the ancient Great Witch Hou Yi of the Witch Tribe was an alliance forged on the eve of the decisive battle with the Demon Court, intended to stabilize morale. After destroying the Demon Court, the main forces of the Human and Witch tribes began their own decisive battle, leaving Chang'e in an awkward position. She was forced by the Human generals into the Guanghan Palace, swearing never to leave the Lunar Star. However, Fairy Chang'e seemed to be connected to a certain taboo within the Heavenly Dao, which made it difficult for the Jade Emperor to intervene and arrange things for his beloved Qing Chang Geng. He couldn't possibly harm his trusted and cherished general. Being the Heavenly Emperor, one should be benevolent. As for why he had so much free time to arrange these matters, there wasn't much specific work for him to do in the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Emperor was different from a Human Emperor; he merely needed to sit in the High Heavens Palace, nod at crucial moments, and subtly influence the power of the Heavenly Dao, with no specific matters he absolutely had to handle.

"Your Majesty?"The Jade Emperor snapped back to reality and said, "What is it?"Below, the old minister, who was the righteous god on duty in the Tongming Palace and temporarily handling all matters of the Thunder Department, smiled and said: "Your Majesty, after this battle, your servants are truly amazed and greatly admire Lord Taibai.""Oh?" The Jade Emperor grew interested. "Why so?"

The old immortal smiled and said: "Previously, when your old servant observed Chang Geng, I only felt that he was meticulous in his work, mature in his dealings, and could make three calculations for every step while ensuring foolproof outcomes, never delaying opportunities due to overthinking. For thorny issues, he could often quickly provide different solutions from various angles. However, Lord Taibai was sometimes too reserved, lacking boldness in certain major matters. When attending discussions in the High Heavens Palace on weekdays, he was reluctant to even send his true form. Your old servant sometimes wanted to ask Lord Taibai, 'What dangers could there possibly be within the Heavenly Court? A dignified righteous god of the Heavenly Court, Your Majesty's most trusted Heavenly God, could he really be ambushed within the Heavenly Court and be forced into reincarnation?'"

(A certain Pure Yang Sword Immortal of the future would express his displeasure.) The old immortal's tone shifted, and he declared loudly: "But I never expected Lord Taibai to have such a firm side! Step by step, he surrounded Spirit Mountain, directly confronting a Saint. First, he used rhetorical tactics, then turned his sword on the fierce beasts and demonic creatures hidden within Spirit Mountain, catching them completely off guard! He commanded the situation in front of the Spirit Mountain Hall, his expression unchanged even before a Saint. Lord Taibai is truly a mighty warrior! *Cough*, your old servant is speaking nonsense, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Ah, how can this be considered nonsense? It's a reasonable analysis, though your words are mistaken." The Jade Emperor waved his hand and smiled, "He is a mighty warrior? If he were a mighty warrior, he would have directly stormed Spirit Mountain, leaving no room for the West, capturing all the monstrous entities within Spirit Mountain in one swoop, perhaps even confronting the Saints with a few strong words, thereby causing the Western Sect to crumble. Those two Saints dare not act because everything they do is constrained by the Heavenly Dao; their Sainthood was also granted by the Heavenly Dao. If the situation were different, and Senior Brother Taiqing were seated in Spirit Mountain, at this moment, it would likely be nothing more than a simple 'get out,' and who would dare provoke him? Ultimately, Chang Geng is still playing it safe; his nature is such, unchanging for ten thousand years."

The old immortals exchanged glances, then each bowed their heads in salute, admitting they hadn't considered so much.The Jade Emperor smiled and said, "Look, Chang Geng is about to speak."The immortals quickly looked towards their palms, while the Jade Emperor closed his eyes, personally observing the scene.

In the Spirit Mountain Hall, Li Changshou remained silent for a long time before finally asking: "Senior Uncle, is this ferocious demon outside connected to Spirit Mountain?"Outside the hall, Daoist Wen Jing let out a genuine sigh of relief. A moment ago, her Dao heart had almost suffered a mental block, with all sorts of good and bad thoughts rising within her, making it impossible to discern what Lord Star God intended.

Deep within the hall, Saint Zhunti's eyes were half-open, and he slowly said, "She is a protector of Spirit Mountain."Li Changshou frowned and asked, "Why does Spirit Mountain use demons as protectors?"A halo of treasure light appeared behind Zhunti, his voice ethereal and indistinct, resonating with the Great Dao: "All beings, without self-form, be they fierce beasts, witches, demons, or humans, if they possess a heart inclined towards goodness, can all enter my sect."

Li Changshou chuckled, "The true meaning of the Saint, a mere mortal like this humble god truly cannot comprehend it." At this point, he had begun referring to himself as "this humble god."

Saint Zhunti gently said, "Wen Jing, come inside. Whatever you wish to say to Lord Taibai Jinxing, speak freely.""Yes," Daoist Wen Jing bowed her head in acceptance, taking graceful steps, maintaining a dignified posture, and softly entered the main hall. She specifically walked past Li Changshou, took a dozen steps towards the Saint, then bowed her head in salute.Treasure light blossomed from Saint Zhunti's fingertips, and the seal on Daoist Wen Jing's primordial spirit instantly dissipated."Thank you, sect leader, for your care." Daoist Wen Jing said softly, then turned around and bowed slightly to Li Changshou. "Wen Jing, protector of Spirit Mountain, greets Lord Taibai Star God of the Heavenly Court."

Li Changshou offered a slight smile and said, "It seems you once harassed my Human Sect's Duxian Gate."Wen Jing remained composed and softly replied, "This humble Daoist does not know what Duxian Gate is. I merely cultivated in the mountains, assisting the two sect leaders with some internal affairs of the sect. Instead, why did Lord Taibai Star God, without a word, begin arresting disciples of my Western Sect?"

Li Changshou frowned and said, "Daoist friend, you should still be cautious with your words. Are those fierce beasts and demons truly connected to the Western Sect?"Wen Jing paused, frowned slightly, then quickly smiled, sighing as she relayed the words the Second Sect Leader had instructed her with earlier: "Lord Taibai Star God probably doesn't know the tenets of our Western Sect. Our sect delivers from suffering, from being lost, from wickedness. We persuade them to do good and grant them blessings; this is also a contribution to heaven and earth. Take this humble Daoist for example: when I was first in the Sea of Blood, I was ignorant and created many karmic killings. In the Sea of Blood, one achieves Dao through killing; how can one speak of right or wrong there? After leaving the Sea of Blood, this humble Daoist was fortunate to receive guidance from the two sect leaders, understood the true meaning of the Great Dao, discerned right from wrong, found my way back from being lost, accumulated virtue, and have now cleansed my karma. Lord Taibai Star God, the Heavenly Dao imposes Heavenly Punishment on those with deep karma. My karma has been reduced to zero, yet am I still to suffer Heavenly Punishment?"

Li Changshou's brows furrowed deeply, and he calmly said: "According to your meaning, Daoist friend, if one commits karma, performing many good deeds can offset their culpability?"Wen Jing, however, said, "This statement needs to be interpreted from different angles, and Lord Star God's generalization might be inappropriate. The tenets of my Western Sect are to persuade the wicked to do good, to consider the well-being of all living beings, and to consider the stability of heaven and earth. It does not mean offsetting crimes with good deeds. This humble Daoist dares to ask Lord Star God a question. Are all your actions good deeds, without ever having evil thoughts? Or, having done some not-so-good deeds, do you simply say 'my conscience is clear' and dismiss it?"

A sharp light flickered in Li Changshou's eyes, and his authority suddenly manifested, empowered by the divine authority of the Heavenly Dao. Daoist Wen Jing instinctively took half a step back, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes, and a faint smile playing on her lips. Behind her, the Saint's oppressive aura reappeared, effortlessly nullifying Li Changshou's divine authority. Wen Jing naturally felt a bit triumphant. Although it was a "task" given by the Second Sect Leader based on Western Sect tenets, being able to win a direct confrontation against her revered Sea God truly felt satisfying. However, Daoist Wen Jing saw the thoughtful expression flash in Li Changshou's eyes, and she inexplicably felt a slight lack of confidence.

Li Changshou quickly adjusted his mindset and chuckled: "I never thought, I never thought, Spirit Mountain actually hid such an eloquent talent. My two Senior Uncles truly found a treasure."Saint Zhunti slowly said, "Does Lord Star God feel there is anything inappropriate in her words?"

"No, nothing inappropriate, on the contrary, it's quite reasonable," Li Changshou sighed lightly and chuckled. "In fact, this humble god has also been contemplating this very issue. Within the Three Realms, the Heavenly Court serves as the central hub, with the Underworld, Dragon Palace, and others as auxiliaries. The order of the Three Realms has already taken shape. Without rules, there is no order. The Heavenly Rules of the Heavenly Court are also designed to restrain the conduct of Qi Refiners, preventing the strong from acting recklessly and allowing the weak to live in peace and recuperation. The eighteen layers of Purgatory in the Underworld thus became a Heavenly Dao prison, a place to suppress the wicked."

He paused, then looked at Daoist Wen Jing and smiled: "Then let me ask Daoist friend Wen Jing a question: if the tenets of the Western Sect were to spread throughout heaven and earth, and a wicked individual, after slaughtering living beings, was pursued by the Heavenly Dao and sought refuge in the Western Sect, asking for protection—if he claimed to be extremely sinful but genuinely inclined towards goodness, would the Western Sect accept him, or not?"Daoist Wen Jing's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she showed an expression of contemplation. She realized that no matter how she answered, it would be met with refutation from Lord Taibai, and she would immediately become incredibly passive.Daoist Wen Jing: "Specific matters require specific...""In other words, it depends on the individual, right?"

Li Changshou narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice light, yet to Wen Jing's ears, it resonated like a great bell, deafening. "This humble god has no intention of presumptuously discussing the tenets of the Western Sect; these were composed by Saints, and this humble god cannot fully comprehend them. However, this humble god knows that if the Heavenly Court is to establish order in the Three Realms, the fundamental basis is that wickedness must be punished and fierce beings must be pursued. Of course, Heavenly Rules also have a human touch. If someone was formerly a wicked individual but made immense contributions to heaven and earth, the Heavenly Court is not entirely without leniency, but they must be restrained. It is not advisable to say too much today. This time, we discovered many demons and fierce beasts on Spirit Mountain; quite a few are inherently wicked and have no inclination towards goodness. At this moment, most of these fierce beasts have already been suppressed by the Heavenly Dao. They are still alive, and what they have done will be clear upon questioning. Both Senior Uncles are esteemed Saints. Although there might be oversight and negligence regarding your disciples, Saints have their own considerations, which mere mortals like us cannot fathom. Senior Uncle, how does this arrangement seem to you?"

Li Changshou lifted the hem of his Daoist robe, stood up, performed a Daoist bow to Zhunti, and smiled: "After this humble god returns to the Heavenly Court, I will report to His Majesty the Jade Emperor and declare publicly that Spirit Mountain was besieged by ancient fierce beasts and demons, and the Heavenly Court dispatched troops to reinforce and prevent these monsters from disturbing the esteemed Saints. How does that sound?"

Saint Zhunti frowned slightly, closing his eyes without speaking.Li Changshou said no more, performed another Daoist bow to the Saint, glanced at Wen Jing, and chuckled: "Daoist friend, take care of yourself."Daoist Wen Jing pressed her lips together, her Dao heart trembling slightly, but she bravely managed a polite remark: "Regarding today's events, our Western Sect will certainly take it as a warning. We will remember the Heavenly Court's goodwill."

"That's good then," Li Changshou nodded with a smile, took a few steps back, then turned around and leisurely walked away, holding his horsetail whisk. In this wave, he was on the fifth layer.

*Phew...* After Li Changshou had walked far away, Daoist Wen Jing gently let out a breath, her eyes filled with lingering fear. Suddenly, she heard a voice from behind: "Wen Jing, move your cave dwelling to the mountain." Daoist Wen Jing was startled, then immediately showed joy. She turned to look deep into the hall, only to find that the Saint's figure was gone, leaving it empty.

"The Western Sect is really too disappointing; I thought I'd get to see a good show." In the Saintess Palace, within Nuwa's small pavilion, a certain Saintess comfortably reclined in a pool, watching the floating cloud mirror before her, feeling somewhat unenthusiastic. This Little Shou was good at everything, but he was too cautious. Why give the Western Sect any face in this matter? The demons and fierce beasts of the Western Sect had committed many evil deeds, and using incense merit to cleanse their karma was equivalent to exploiting a loophole in the Heavenly Dao. Today, the Heavenly Dao had patched this loophole. Young people nowadays, if they don't seize the opportunity to be assertive when they have the upper hand, they'll still be targeted when they lose power later.

Nuwa chuckled softly, then casually dispersed the cloud mirror. With delicate fingers, she summoned a "picture book" from which related memories had been cleared, and let out a yawn. It was time to have him come up with something new. Just then, wind chimes jingled by the side of the pavilion. Saint Nuwa's lips twitched slightly, and she calmly asked, "Master, why have you come to my place?"Outside the window, a faint gray silhouette slowly formed, revealing the outline of an old Daoist.Saint Nuwa smiled and said, "I thought it was Master himself."

The gray silhouette spoke: "The West has suffered damage, its sect's fortune is broken, and in line with the previous great prosperity, the opportunity for the Western Sect's revival should have arrived."Having spoken, the gray silhouette quietly dissipated, leaving no trace.Saint Nuwa frowned in thought, then sighed softly, her figure vanishing.

On this day, while Li Changshou was busy with matters concerning the Western Sect, layers of mist began to appear in the coastal region of East Divine Continent, near the border of South Jambudvipa. An immortal mountain seemed to fly in from the sea, settling within this mist. It was covered in dense trees and abundant spiritual energy, like a blessed land of grotto-heavens. Within this mountain were numerous natural formations and cave dwellings, hiding many spiritual roots, wondrous medicines, precious materials, and spiritual veins. In an inconspicuous corner, a ten-foot-tall spiritual stone stood quietly, its seven-colored light subtly receding, with what seemed like spiritual fluctuations emanating from within. Flower Fruit Mountain, in the East Continent, had appeared.