Chapter 616: Extinguish the Light Extinguish the Light [Extra Large Cup]

The Immortal Antarctic Elder frowned as he watched the scene unfold before him.

Golden light flickered around Li Changshou, immortal power surged beneath his wide robes, and within him pulsed a force that even made the Elder feel a tremor in his heart.

The aura of the four Jie School masters had already locked onto Randeng, ready to suppress him at any moment.

The surrounding immortals and gods swiftly retreated, orderly and without a hint of disarray, as if they had rehearsed this very moment.

Daoist Randeng gave a faint cold laugh, as if he had anticipated this, or perhaps held some hidden assurance. He turned to face Li Changshou.

“Junior Brother Chang Geng, all junior brothers and sisters,” the Immortal Antarctic Elder asked from the side, “What is the meaning of this?”

Li Changshou calmly replied, “Previously, Vice-Sect Master Randeng repeatedly claimed that I was his sworn enemy. Senior Brother knows my prudent nature; I am unwilling for such a powerful and deadly foe to roam freely outside, threatening the lives of my loved ones and friends. Therefore, I must eliminate him here in the Heavenly Courts to settle the karmic ties.”

“Chang Geng,” the Immortal Antarctic Elder took two steps forward, leaning on his staff, exchanged a glance with Guangchengzi, and immediately said, “Have you fully considered the consequences of this action? Chang Geng, if you forcibly kill Vice-Sect Master Randeng here, you will lose your impartiality before the Heavenly Dao. You are the orchestrator of this Great Tribulation…”

“Senior Brother,” Li Changshou naturally untied his wide robe and slipped it off, leaving him in dark trousers. Two immortal ropes wrapped around his ankles, tying his trouser legs tight. His long hair gradually darkened, and the Profound Yellow Pagoda flew out from his hair, slowly rotating above his head.

Under the sunlight from the Sun Star, Li Changshou’s nearly perfect Dao body, refined by cultivating the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, emanated subtle light. He opened his right hand, and the Qiankun Ruler appeared in his palm. With a slight gesture of his left hand, the Heart-Piercing Lock vanished from sight.

The Coffin Lamp on Randeng’s shoulder flickered with light. Though he appeared to stand still, he was, in fact, fully concentrated on defending against a sneak attack from Li Changshou. Ju Liusun served as a stark warning.

Then, Li Changshou addressed the Immortal Antarctic Elder again: “Whether I have lost my impartiality is for the Heavenly Dao to decide. This Vice-Sect Master Randeng has probed me multiple times. Even if I were to make a single mistake, I would undoubtedly be utterly destroyed by him. What’s more,” Li Changshou chuckled lightly, his face shifting from aged to that of a young Daoist. He used his original appearance, which meant he still retained over a dozen layers of disguise. “Today, it is a Human School disciple who seeks to kill him. What does this have to do with the Heavenly Courts? Even Heavenly Court righteous gods deserve some private life, don’t they?”

“Hmph,” Randeng seemed to be laughing in anger, “I have shown great restraint today, honoring the Saint’s words! You are merely suppressing my Chan School forces because of your close ties with the Jie School, deliberately doing so before the Tribulation of Slaughter arrives! Your intentions are clear, and utterly despicable! You claim repeatedly that I am your mortal enemy, yet I have been bullied by you multiple times. You are merely playing the victim while being the aggressor!”

He was desperate; truly desperate.

From Li Changshou’s sleeve, a recording orb rolled out. The artifact rolled a few times on the mist-shrouded jade slab, revealing a scene. It was the very moment when Randeng had previously accused Li Changshou of taking personal revenge: ‘I implore Your Majesty the Jade Emperor to reconsider, this Star Lord Taibai and I are mortal enemies!’

Seeing this, Randeng remained remarkably calm, wearing an expression that seemed to say, ‘You are merely sophistry.’

Li Changshou calmly said, “Your provocative words are merely out of fear of Brother Gongming’s Sea-Pacifying Pearls. You truly needn’t worry. I said it’s a private grudge, and a private grudge it shall remain. Should anyone interfere, whether to aid me or you, they will be considered my enemy. Brother Gongming.”

Li Changshou glanced sideways, exchanging a look with Zhao Gongming. A tacit understanding passed between them, and Zhao Gongming immediately understood something.

Zhao Gongming said, “My Jie School disciples will not participate in today’s battle of reckoning between Chang Geng and Vice-Sect Master Randeng.”

“Why not participate?!” The Golden Spirit Holy Mother gnashed her teeth in anger, glaring at Zhao Gongming. “Do you know how many hidden tricks that old scoundrel has? He’s an ancient Grand Being, on par with our Master! And their Chan School hasn’t even said they won’t help Randeng yet!”

“Ahem,” Taiyi True Immortal calmly stated, “As a Chan School disciple, I naturally cannot stand by idly while the Chan School’s Vice-Sect Master faces tribulation. That would only invite ridicule about our Chan School’s disunity, factionalism, and small cliques. However, it might be the heat recently; I’ve been feeling a bit drowsy. I often drift off right in the middle of speaking… *Snore—thump-thump-thump-thump*”

The immortals: …

Beside him, True Immortal Yuding’s lips twitched slightly. After some thought, he simply closed his eyes and concentrated, sitting diagonally in his grand master’s chair, closing his eyes and 'falling asleep' next to Taiyi. Thus, snores rose and fell, making True Immortal Huanglong feel a surge of anxiety.

Li Changshou asked, “Senior Brother Guangchengzi, Senior Brother Immortal Antarctic Elder, what do you two say today?” He was forcing Guangchengzi and the Immortal Antarctic Elder to state their positions. If the Chan School supported Randeng, Li Changshou would directly invite Old Master Laozi to mediate, escalating the matter into a private dispute within the Daoist Sect. If the two de facto leaders of the Chan School, one overt and one covert, stated they would not interfere, then the Chan School would have no excuse to cause trouble over this matter in the future.

Daoist Lu Ya could die, so why couldn’t Randeng? The Investiture of Gods, which he was orchestrating, did not need such a malevolent, unscrupulous, yet seemingly righteous old Daoist causing trouble. Without Randeng, it would be crucial for his subsequent progression of various plans.

Huanglong stood up and quickly walked to Guangchengzi’s side. “Senior Master Brother?”

Guangchengzi frowned in thought, but did not reply.

Huanglong stomped his foot. Just as he was about to step forward to plead with Li Changshou, a figure flashed before his eyes. It was Zhao Gongming, who had suddenly rushed over, blocking True Immortal Huanglong and Guangchengzi. With a stumble, Zhao Gongming suddenly fell forward. True Immortal Huanglong instinctively reached out to help, barely managing to support Zhao Gongming. But then… with a cry, Zhao Gongming spat out blood, his body trembling violently. He raised his hand and gripped True Immortal Huanglong’s, shouting, “Senior Brother Huanglong, quickly, quickly help me heal! My old ailment has flared up again!”

True Immortal Huanglong was instantly flustered, while twenty-four Sea-Pacifying Pearls floated around Zhao Gongming, precisely blocking Guangchengzi and True Immortal Huanglong’s path of entry. This was the 'gentle' version of a hit-and-run scam.

Li Changshou’s voice came again: “If the two Senior Brothers do not speak, I shall assume the Chan School will not interfere, and this will be my private grudge with Vice-Sect Master Randeng.”

Randeng’s eyes narrowed, a hint of ruthlessness flashing within them.

Guangchengzi sighed deeply. “Chang Geng, do not forget the Daoist Sect’s Non-Aggression Pact.”

“Senior Brother, you constantly bring up the Daoist Sect’s Non-Aggression Pact, but you forget that it binds the Chan and Jie Schools. Its content states that if either the Chan or Jie School initiates a conflict, my Human School will support the other school. It does not specify how conflicts between my Human School and either the Chan or Jie School should be handled.” Li Changshou asked, “What I care about now is the Chan School’s stance on this matter. This is because I respect everyone in the Chan School and would not dare to be disrespectful to Second Uncle-Master.”

Guangchengzi remained silent.

The Immortal Antarctic Elder, however, sighed. “Very well, this matter is beyond my control.”

Li Changshou nodded and said, “Since that is the case, and the Chan School does not object to me seeking personal revenge against Vice-Sect Master Randeng, then…”

Stepping forward, Li Changshou’s eyes surged with aquamarine divine light, and the Qiankun Ruler in his hand trembled slightly. Randeng instinctively took half a step back, then immediately sat cross-legged. The green lamp on his shoulder instantly merged into his Dao body, a precious wheel appeared behind him, and hundreds of feet of green light burst forth around him! This battle was now unavoidable!

Within the green light, Randeng appeared solemn and dignified. Layers of light rings emanated around him, and his Daoist charm possessed an indescribable sense of stability. Conversely, Li Changshou did not activate his own Great Dao divine abilities at this moment. Holding the Qiankun Ruler, he took another step forward. Within him, the sound of surging blood waves suddenly erupted. His vital energy was like wolf smoke, his Dao body like divine casting! Surface trump card: Eight-Nine Arcane Art!

At this moment, Randeng’s 108 prayer beads had been taken, the Lapis Lazuli Pagoda was already in Li Changshou’s hands, and the weaker Qiankun Ruler had also been confiscated by the Heavenly Courts. Although his cultivation was fully displayed, radiating divine majesty, he still felt somewhat shabby. In contrast, Li Changshou was bolstered by powerful treasures like the Profound Yellow Pagoda, Qiankun Ruler, and Heart-Piercing Lock. He also had the Flame Light Flag to protect his primordial spirit and could summon the Diagram of Yin-Yang and Taiji at any time.

The difficulty today was not how to kill Randeng, but how to kill him with the smallest cost amidst the clash of various forces! He had given face to the Chan School. He had established the Heavenly Courts’ authority. If he could slay Randeng today and make Randeng’s demise in the Heavenly Courts an undeniable fact, then the Heavenly Courts’ divine authority would be solidified! Killing Randeng could resolve many difficulties that would arise thereafter.

Though there was no master-killing animosity between them like with Lu Ya, they had been at odds and enemies since their first meeting, and today, they were set for a decisive battle.

*Whoosh—* A sharp whooshing sound came from behind Randeng, but he didn’t even look. The green light around him suddenly contracted, retaining only a ten-zhang diameter, yet it layered upon itself, becoming almost solid! The ‘arrowhead’ of the Heart-Piercing Lock appeared out of thin air, but merely stopped at Randeng’s side, still half a zhang from his shoulder; the slender chain behind it appeared foot by foot, gleaming with golden light of merit, but advanced no further!

Randeng sneered, “Mere trick…”

Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from above, and a sharp edge seemed to be right there! Randeng’s spiritual senses surged. He instinctively looked up, only to see another Li Changshou eerily appear directly above him. This Li Changshou’s green robes billowed, his vital energy contained, his body taut like a drawn longbow, and he raised a long spear with both hands, bringing it down on Randeng’s head! The ‘Li Changshou’ in front was now motionless, its vital energy dissipating. The Profound Yellow Pagoda and Qiankun Ruler shot towards Li Changshou’s true body. The one who had just removed his robes to display a perfect Dao body was, surprisingly, a paper avatar…

Randeng’s protective divine ability was directly sliced open by the tip of the God-Slaying Spear. He only had time to raise a palm, directly intercepting the small God-Slaying Spear with his palm! The surrounding green light furiously contracted, and the precious wheel behind his head blazed brightly. Amidst the roar, the cosmos trembled, and clouds and mist surged!

The High Heavens Palace glittered with golden light, layers of golden radiance completely enveloping it. The priceless jade slab in front of the palace had been shattered by Randeng’s body. Li Changshou’s figure followed closely, wielding the Qiankun Ruler in his left hand and the small God-Slaying Spear in his right, creating streaks of afterimages, seemingly intent on crushing Randeng into paste. Where clouds and mist churned, the Heavenly Wall had been smashed, leaving a shallow pit a hundred zhang in diameter.

Randeng’s left forearm was severed at the root, bleeding profusely. At this moment, he was relying entirely on his own treasure’s light to withstand Li Changshou’s assault. The Qiankun Ruler was edgeless, yet possessed the sharpness to sever the cosmos; though the God-Slaying Spear was damaged, its origin was that of a Primordial Chaos Spirit Treasure, and its offensive and defensive capabilities were comparable to the Qiankun Ruler. Li Changshou circulated the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, wielding the two powerful treasures. With the Profound Yellow Pagoda protecting him, he completely disregarded Randeng’s sporadic attacks. Each time the ruler and spear shadows fell, they added a bit more injury to Randeng. Once on the back foot, he was on the back foot in all aspects.

Randeng truly hadn’t anticipated that Li Changshou would employ such tactics, with such deep foresight, having prepared this wave of sneak attack and ambush from the very beginning. Deception and covert maneuvers! Three powerful treasures were empowering the paper avatar, while his true body lay hidden in the shadows, waiting for Randeng’s attention to be drawn away before launching a full-force fatal blow!

At this instant, a hint of regret flickered in Randeng’s eyes. His lips trembled but he made no sound, able only to fully resist Li Changshou’s onslaught. Even if he had no bottom line left, at this moment, he could not utter the words ‘beg for mercy’… Before his divine abilities were completely breached, he had to find a way to survive.

Amidst the shadows of spear and ruler, Randeng suddenly saw Li Changshou’s eyes. “No, he was still scheming!” Randeng suddenly realized that he had greatly underestimated the strength of this young Human School disciple. Being able to completely suppress him indicated that his Dao realm was not far from his own. And according to his secret investigations, this child’s Balance Dao could be used against masters whose Dao realm was a notch higher than his own. At this moment, Randeng was already unable to resist. If the Balance Dao were unleashed, even if it only weakened his cultivation by 30%, it would be enough to leave him battered and severely wounded in an instant.

He was waiting… he was still waiting! Waiting for the person behind him to appear!

“Li Chang Geng!” Randeng roared, and suddenly a green flame appeared on his forehead. The Daoist charm around him instantly surged, his severed arm was enveloped in immortal light, and his figure seemed poised to send Li Changshou flying. Burning his primordial spirit! Burning the oil of his spiritual lamp!

Within Li Changshou’s body, sudden rumbling sounds erupted. Ancient blood patterns crawled from his neck to his cheeks, his strength surged by 30%, and the Qiankun Ruler in his hand smashed down, instantly nullifying Randeng’s counterattack! Shallow trump card: A secret technique scroll of Witch Tribe combat gifted by Lady Houtu.

Randeng roared repeatedly, while Li Changshou appeared furious but was inwardly calm, clearly analyzing every movement of Randeng’s immortal power and every surge of his divine abilities. To be safe, he would only wait for half an hour. If, after half an hour, no true master appeared to save Randeng, he would unleash the Balance Dao and leave Randeng’s corpse here.

In the Taibai Palace, Bai Ze maintained his auspicious beast form, with three long feathers tied to the arm of Li Changshou’s paper avatar. Using Li Changshou’s primordial spirit power, he sensed Li Changshou’s fortune and misfortune. As soon as Bai Ze detected any change in fortune, no matter how slight, he would immediately warn Li Changshou.

Inside the High Heavens Palace, the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother sat on their thrones. All the righteous gods of the Heavenly Courts had just been brought back into the palace by the Jade Emperor’s methods. The immortals, gods, and heavenly generals all peered out near the palace gates, their mouths filled with ceaseless exclamations of admiration. Long Ji was naturally the most nervous, standing at the very front, her fingers clasped before her, fearing that her master might be countered by an ancient Grand Being like Randeng. Duke Mu’s expression was the most filled with emotion, as he had, after all, personally witnessed Li Changshou’s rise; to see Chang Geng, from that small wild god who met the Jade Emperor and him in the Sea God Temple all those years ago, to now being able to continuously suppress an ancient Grand Being and truly be the Heavenly Courts’ most reliable pillar… Duke Mu, however, remained unchanged, merely having a ‘former’ added before his title as the Heavenly Courts’ second-in-command…

The Jade Emperor sat on his throne, eyes closed and silent, his consciousness fully with his avatar, in case of any need. At this moment, the Jade Emperor also felt a bit confused… 'Since Chang Geng intends to kill Randeng, why is he deliberately delaying?' Quan Dong pondered for a while, then quickly shook his head. For this matter, Chang Geng surely has his own plans. Just wait and see.

Li Changshou divided his plans into two types. The first type consisted of systematic, normally executed plans, with clear annotations for when they would start and what their objectives were, to be implemented step by step. The second type involved preparing the plan itself in advance, but without setting a specific start time, instead waiting for the opportune moment to implement it. For example, this scheme against Randeng. Li Changshou had long prepared the Youqin clan case, the stratagems and arguments to be used today, and had conducted a full-scale simulation. This wasn't a pre-meditated conspiracy, but rather a complete prior arrangement of all preparations. The decisive factor that triggered this ‘Blow Out the Lamp Plan’ was, in fact, only one thing—Randeng entering the Heavenly Courts.

If the Youqin clan case couldn’t bring Randeng to justice, Li Changshou would directly use the pretext of a personal grudge to initiate a unilateral challenge against Randeng. In the Heavenly Courts, his teacher was right above him, and the Jade Emperor was on his side. Even if the Heavenly Dao wanted to protect Randeng and let him cause trouble in the final Tribulation of Investiture of Gods, Li Changshou had nearly a ninety percent certainty of snatching Randeng’s life from the hands of the Heavenly Dao.

However, his plan was not just about this. The primary target of the plan was Randeng, but the secondary target was actually the Western Sect. Randeng was the Vice-Sect Master of the Chan School, but his position within the Chan School was awkward; few of the Chan School’s Saint disciples truly regarded him highly. Why would Second Uncle-Master Yuanshi Tianzun allow Randeng to continuously cause trouble? There was the factor of Yuanshi Tianzun himself wanting to use Randeng as a pair of scissors to prune the branches and leaves of the Jie School, and there should also be mutual calculations between Saints.

Assuming that Second Uncle-Master knew Randeng was a hidden piece of the Western Sect, then Second Uncle-Master deliberately calculated against the West, intentionally reused Randeng, and even allowed the Twelve Golden Immortals to call Randeng their teacher. Could Second Uncle-Master have been unaware? Yes, but the possibility was extremely slight…

However, in the original script of the Investiture of Gods, as the conflict between the Chan and Jie Schools continuously escalated, while the Chan School indeed relied on the intervention of the two Western Saints, Zhunti and Jieyin, to cripple the Jie School, the Chan School itself gained no real benefit. Randeng obtained the twenty-four Sea-Pacifying Pearls, defected to the Western Sect, and with guidance from the Heavenly Dao, evolved the Twenty-Four Heavens, filling the Nine Heavens of the Heavenly Courts to complete the Thirty-Three Heavenly Realms, thereby gaining immeasurable merit. What was this? This meant Randeng brought luck and the cornerstone of merit to the Western Sect.

Li Changshou had gained clear insights when he previously scrutinized the entire Investiture of Gods Tribulation and the many major events before and after it. Especially in the last two hundred years, as his Dao realm deepened, his understanding of the Heavenly Dao grew more profound. And by indirectly connecting with the Heavenly Dao through Kunpeng’s Grandmist Violet Qi, he gained much information he had not seen before. Firstly, the Heavenly Dao possessed a powerful script convergence ability. Although the situation of the Investiture of Gods had greatly changed, and the Western Sect had formally entered the Tribulation, unable to observe from the sidelines as before, what about the story after the Tribulation?

Here was a storyline Li Changshou had ‘seen,’ which was also the original script’s storyline for the later stages of the Investiture of Gods Tribulation. Daoist Wenjing was secretly instigated by the Human School. When Jieyin and Zhunti rushed to help the Chan School, she absorbed a portion of the Twelve-Grade Golden Lotus of Merit, causing the lotus to drop to Nine Grades, and the foundation of the Western Sect’s luck was on the verge of collapse. Coincidentally, the Western Sect Saints had converted ‘three thousand’ Jie School immortals. The Western Sect no longer had anything to suppress its luck, and its luck could collapse at any time, putting it in the same awkward position the Jie School had been in. This provided the possibility for ‘converting barbarians into Buddhas,’ where Buddhism would replace the Western Sect and flourish in the West, thereby fulfilling the Dao Ancestor’s prophecy of ‘the West flourishing.’

Later, the Human School’s Sect Master Taiqing descended to wander the world, imparted the Dao De Jing, and then left Hangu Pass, enacting the scheme of converting barbarians into Buddhas. He established Daoist Duobao, whom he had captured during the Investiture of Gods, as the master of Buddhism. At this point, though the Western Sect was a step behind, it quickly counteracted. Randeng, who had obtained the twenty-four Sea-Pacifying Pearls during the Investiture of Gods, stepped forward, deduced the Twenty-Four Heavens, and defected to the Western Sect. The Western Sect’s luck greatly increased. Using this countermeasure, they established Mahayana Buddhism. Zhunti transformed into the present Buddha Tathagata, demoting the Buddhism established by Daoist Duobao to Hinayana Buddhism, thus firmly establishing themselves in the West. Randeng was granted the title of Past Buddha. Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Ju Liusun, and Cihang, who were taken to the Western Sect by Randeng and profited immensely during the Investiture of Gods, each received rewards and became powerful figures in Buddhism. Duobao transformed into Duobao Buddha, but lost his intended purpose, instead bringing boundless spiritual treasure luck to Buddhism. There might have been Yuanshi Tianzun’s calculations within this, allowing his disciples to obtain the destiny of the Western Sect’s rise. From then on, Buddhism greatly flourished, protected by the Heavenly Dao, assisting the Heavenly Courts in stabilizing the Three Realms. The Daoist Sect lost the Jie School, and the Chan School suffered a loss of vitality, becoming unable to contend with Buddhism. From then on, Buddhism prospered while Daoism declined, leading to the subsequent Journey to the West tribulations.

This was the original script of the Heavenly Dao. From the results, the Chan School was the loser. Therefore, at this point, no matter how Second Uncle-Master Yuanshi Tianzun calculated, Li Changshou could not just let it be. He had to make his own plans. Randeng played too many roles in the subsequent series of major events. Although at this time, Grand Uncle Zhao’s fated bane – the Treasure-Dropping Copper Coin – had been taken by Li Changshou, and Li Changshou had repeatedly reminded Zhao Gongming to meditate more on his Sea-Pacifying Pearls, as long as Randeng was alive, Li Changshou felt unsettled.

Although he preferred caution, he was also a grateful person. Almost everything he had was given by his teacher Taiqing. Without the Human School’s protection, he would likely have been erased by the Heavenly Dao long ago. Therefore, he didn’t want to disappoint his teacher, let alone make him disheartened. Even if the Daoist Sect was to decline, it had to drag the Western Sect along, first destroying the Western Sect’s foundation before anything else. Furthermore, as long as the Daoist Sect had no competitors, if the Heavenly Dao asked Li Changshou to help the Chan School, weakening both the Chan and Jie Schools simultaneously, Li Changshou would be willing to play the villain.

In his Investiture of Gods plan, regarding the ‘converting barbarians into Buddhas’ scheme, he had a complete set of calculations and various backup plans. The contention between Great Sects was, in essence, a struggle for luck. Without the luck to stand upon, decline would be a matter of moments. Even Heavenly Dao Saints ultimately couldn’t contend with the Heavenly Dao itself.

Li Changshou’s plan was actually quite simple: two obstructions and two promotions. The first obstruction was to block Randeng’s path, preventing him from obtaining the Sea-Pacifying Pearls, which overlapped somewhat with his plan to protect Grand Uncle Zhao and the Three Xiao Maidens. The second obstruction was to block all opportunities for the Western Sect to receive ‘luck replenishment.’ The two promotions were: promoting antagonism between the Chan School and the Western Sect; and promoting Daoist Duobao to establish Mahayana Buddhism and become the future Tathagata Buddha. To contribute his meager strength to his teacher’s grand scheme of converting barbarians into Buddhas!

Therefore, today, Li Changshou had to kill Randeng, yet he couldn’t directly kill him. He had fully considered all possibilities of ‘delays causing complications’ and chosen the most secure option. It must be admitted, Li Changshou was gambling this time. He was gambling on whether Saint Jieyin truly knew that Randeng would, in the future, have the ability to deduce the Twenty-Four Heavens and complete the Heavenly Courts and Heavenly Dao. This presented the Western Sect with a choice.

If they chose to save Randeng, Li Changshou would completely expose the relationship between Randeng and the Western Sect. The news that the Western Sect had secretly planted spies in the Chan School for many years and deliberately instigated the Chan-Jie conflict would spread throughout the Five Continents within hours. The Jie School could then launch an early punitive expedition against the Western Sect, and the Chan School would be unable to interfere. Furthermore, the Chan School, for the sake of its reputation, or rather, Second Uncle-Master Yuanshi Tianzun for his reputation, might even join forces with the Jie School to besiege Mount Ling. If Jieyin and Zhunti chose not to save Randeng, Li Changshou would directly kill Randeng, which would also have the effect of thwarting the Western Sect’s great rise. Stability.

The choice lay with the Western Sect. This would depend on how much Randeng’s life was worth in the eyes of the two Saints of the Western Sect. By this point, Li Changshou’s calculations were no longer relevant to Guangchengzi or the Immortal Antarctic Elder. As for these calculations of Li Changshou, no one present, among all living beings, could fully comprehend them—primarily because they possessed too little information; there was a severe asymmetry in intelligence.

“Li Chang Geng! Today, I will fight you to the death!” Daoist Randeng roared. The flame on his forehead was somewhat dazzling. His body was now covered in dents, and a good portion of his bones were shattered, making him look quite terrifying.

Just then, Randeng’s left hand, which had just recovered a moment ago, was raised high. Behind Li Changshou, the cosmos trembled slightly, and a stone coffin made of green stone appeared out of thin air, pressing down on Li Changshou from behind! The moment this coffin appeared, the entire Heavenly Courts dimmed by three parts. It contained faint, extremely obscure Daoist charms.

Li Changshou didn’t even turn his head. The Qiankun Ruler in his left hand flew out, directly colliding with the green stone coffin! The Qiankun Ruler was swift, the stone coffin slower. The moment they collided, layers of ripples appeared in the cosmos, and streaks of shockwaves scattered in all directions. Fortunately, by this time, the immortals and gods of the Heavenly Courts had retreated hundreds of li. If they had been within a hundred li, countless Heavenly Soldiers would have been shaken to death. It was only because the Heavenly Courts were protected by the Heavenly Dao that every flower and blade of grass was indestructible, and the cosmos