Chapter 625: Taiqing Temple's Number One Task

“Changgeng, what did you gain this time?”

In Taibai Palace, Li Changshou’s true body had just returned to Xiaoqiong Peak when the Jade Emperor, in disguise, arrived shortly after, making Li Changshou suspect there was more to it.

He had deliberately let Jin Peng fall behind by half a *shichen* and returned secretly on his own.

Was the Jade Emperor acting on behalf of the Heavenly Dao to warn him—implying that every move he made was under the Heavenly Dao’s watchful eye?

Li Changshou looked at the figure before him, Yuan Shuai, and pondered whether to probe further, but Yuan Shuai asked again:

“Has *Shixiong* Tongtian found the Chaos Bell?”

Li Changshou felt a secret relief in his heart, as if a heavy stone had lifted by about a third.

“We found it, but the Chaos Bell refuses to submit. It knows there are too many karmic burdens in Jiejiao’s fate, making it hard to suppress, so it’s still at a standoff with *Shishu* Tongtian.”

In his heart, he silently apologized for not revealing the full truth.

Fortunately, the outcome wouldn’t make much difference.

Yuan Shuai asked Li Changshou about the interesting events in the Chaos Sea, and Li Changshou mentioned that on his way back, he had used the art of observing *qi* to see the sword of calamity hanging over the Five Parts Continents.

“The great tribulation is on the verge of erupting,” Yuan Shuai said with a smile, patting Li Changshou on the shoulder. “It’s up to you now, Changgeng.

“I know the pressure on you is immense, just maintaining the balance among the three schools of Daoism alone takes all your effort.

“You also have to guard against schemes from Western Cult and select proper gods for the Heavenly Court.

“Ah, every time I think about it, knowing I’ve placed all this burden on you, I feel quite guilty.”

Li Changshou shook his head with a smile.

The Jade Emperor was overthinking it, way overthinking.

“Your Majesty need not worry. This humble god won’t disappoint the Heavenly Court,” Li Changshou said. “The *Feng Shen Bang* is in the Heavenly Court, and so is the *Feng Shen* Golden Pillar. We hold the initiative.

“Among the three schools of Daoism, I… well, I have some friends, but their chances of entering the tribulation aren’t high. They’re all direct disciples of saints, so it’s not that easy for them to end up on the list.”

Yuan Shuai smiled without responding and smoothly changed the topic, leading Li Changshou’s paper effigy to a secluded corner of the great hall.

They barbecued, squatted down, and discussed the grand affairs of heaven and earth.

On Xiaoqiong Peak, Li Changshou’s true body retreated to the underground chamber and suddenly checked on Ling E.

The girl with the maruko head was hugging a pillow of her *shixiong* and sleeping soundly, completely unaware why someone had covered her with a thin blanket…

After all, immortals don’t catch cold.

Li Changshou looked at his junior sister sleeping peacefully within the bed curtains, her delicate face flawless and incredibly adorable at that moment, stirring a deep sense of affection in his heart. He took out a stone tablet and carved a line of large characters on it, using immortal power to suspend the tablet in front of her.

As soon as it detected her eyes opening, the tablet would flash with light, showing the words:

Recite the *Jing* of Stability thirty-six thousand times more!

Then, the tablet would gently tap her on the head to help her wake up quickly.

His care for his junior sister could never be neglected.

Thinking about it carefully, all these years he had been running around outside, leaving Ling E in the Heavenly Court like a hostage of the Heavenly Dao, he did feel a bit guilty.

As for Ling E’s Golden Immortal tribulation, if Daozu didn’t open a back door for it, then…

That would be too much.

At that time in the Lingxiao Hall, Jin Peng was on one knee, presenting the spiritual core of the Tianmo Zunzhe to the Jade Emperor and recounting the little stories of his adventures with the Four Plum Generals in the Chaos Sea.

The Jade Emperor naturally praised Jin Peng and personally ordered the sealing of the Tianmo Zunzhe’s spiritual core, suppressing it beneath the Wheel of Reincarnation Tower in the Youming Realm.

This also set a formal precedent: from now on, whenever the Heavenly Court needed to suppress demons and monsters, they would first consider the Wheel of Reincarnation Tower, overseen by a high-ranking figure in the Heavenly Dao sequence.

The Youming Realm’s Wheel of Reincarnation Tower—certified by the Jade Emperor, trusted by Taibai—is the top choice for suppressing demons and for travel and daily use! Announced by the Heavenly Court and the Underworld.

That certain master and servant: …

With the Tianmo Zunzhe’s spiritual core sealed and suppressed, the matter came to a temporary end.

There was no news from Jiejiao, and the matter of the Chaos Bell returning to the world was likely covered up entirely by Jiaozhu Tongtian.

Seizing an opportunity, Li Changshou returned to Taiqing Temple to return the Taiji Map, Kunlun Ruler, and Lidi Flame Light Banner. The tower master had become his essential treasure companion.

Although he knew these things couldn’t be hidden from his teacher, Li Changshou still reported in detail about the events in the Chaos Sea.

The Taqing Shengren didn’t offer any comments on this.

To be precise, the Taqing Shengren rarely commented on worldly affairs. Compared to these major events in the three realms, this emaciated old Daoist seemed more concerned about the marriages of his eldest and youngest disciples.

Thus, this master-disciple pair had a cordial chat that lasted two years, with over thirty sentences exchanged, eighteen of which were about the Grand Mage and Kong Xuan.

From his teacher’s words, Li Changshou learned a key piece of information—why the Grand Mage was so fond of sleeping.

It was related to a mistake the Grand Mage made in his cultivation back then. At that time, he hadn’t gone astray or fallen into *qi* deviation; instead, he had taken a path completely opposite to that.

The key to this path was to abandon the self and merge with the Dao.

Taqing intervened in time, saving the Grand Mage who was on the verge of dissipation. But ever since, the Grand Mage had achieved a realm second only to saints, yet he often felt lethargic and preferred to wander in dreams with the Great Dao.

In other words, the Grand Mage had little interest in anything outside the Dao.

Why did the Taqing Shengren mention this?

It was naturally to give Li Changshou a small task before the *Feng Shen* calamity fully unfolded—to help the Grand Mage regain his interest.

Since his teacher had ordered it, Li Changshou didn’t dare refuse and noted it down.

The Master of Solid Yuan Elixir from Duxian Gate… wait, no!

The Master of Human Teachings’ Emotions was about to tackle a “brand new” topic again.

Li Changshou left Taiqing Temple and headed to Doushuai Palace to get some precious spiritual herbs from Xiao Jin and Xiao Yin, then dove straight into the alchemy room on Xiaoqiong Peak.

This time, he was going all out!

Not only would he develop pills that could influence the seven emotions and six desires of great powers, but he would also stockpile a batch for the *Feng Shen* calamity, just in case.

Things were different now; Li Changshou didn’t need to use spirit stones to gather materials himself anymore.

He could easily go to the Heavenly Palace’s steward, Dongmu Gong, and take whatever he needed from the treasury;

Or, if necessary, directly order the heavenly soldiers and generals, the Immortal Alliance, Lintian Hall, Dragon Palace, and the Underworld to quickly find some rare herbs for him.

Of course, Li Changshou mostly used the former and was very cautious about misusing his authority.

At most, he’d have Bai Ze or Jin Peng run errands to get some herbs for him.

Speaking of alchemy, one had to mention how Li Changshou’s Great Dao of Balance uniquely balanced the properties of pills.

The process of alchemy is about achieving a certain balance in the medicinal properties of the raw herbs;

With his already high alchemy skills, plus the insights from Laojun’s alchemy and the double boost of the Great Dao of Balance, although he couldn’t yet refine Nine-Turn Golden Elixirs due to his current realm, Eight-Turn Spirit Elixirs were producible in large quantities.

This major alchemy session lasted a full thirty-three years.

The set of pills for the Grand Mage was finally complete.

Next was the question of how to use them.

Li Changshou summoned Ao Yi and had him deliver several batches of pills to Yuxu Palace, Biyou Palace, Sanxian Island, Emei Mountain’s Luofu Cave, Qianyuan Mountain, and Yuquan Mountain.

Once Ao Yi returned and reported the reactions from each place, Li Changshou nodded with a smile and said:

“Ao Yi, come with me for a walk this time.”

Ao Yi was startled and immediately replied, “Okay, where are we going?”

“Anshui City.”

Li Changshou stretched lazily, his paper effigy transforming back to its paper form, while his true body emerged from behind the hall, dressed in a cyan-blue robe with a flowing cloud hair tie, just as in the old days.

Half a day later, outside Anshui City on a gentle, scenic slope.

Looking toward the sea, the play of light and clouds was endless; even the ordinary white clouds formed by rising vapor had countless variations, sparking endless imagination.

Looking toward the city, the bustling metropolis remained the same year after year, the joys and sorrows of individual mortals seeming insignificant, yet like a splash of color in this extravagant world.

Ao Yi had a premonition that being called out by his elder brother and brought back to the place where they first met at the Sea God Festival definitely meant something big was afoot.

Sure enough, Li Changshou walked with his hands behind his back and said warmly, “Ao Yi, is the dragon clan stable now?”

Ao Yi laughed. “Thanks to you, elder brother, the dragon clan is stable now.”

Li Changshou turned to size up the current Ao Yi. After passing his Golden Immortal tribulation, Ao Yi had resolved his inner knot about that stern old Daoist, and in human form, he now had a normal, youthful build.

“You used to not grow, and calling me elder brother felt natural, but now it sounds a bit off.”

Li Changshou smiled. “Don’t add ‘elder brother’ or anything else—just call me brother, and I’ll call you by your name.”

“Understood, brother.”

Ao Yi scratched his head and chuckled. “Whatever you say, brother.”

“You said the dragon clan is stable,” Li Changshou continued, “but Ao Yi, while the dragon clan is stable, the world is unstable because of it.”

Ao Yi pondered for a moment and asked, “Are you talking about those incidents the dragon clan has been involved in lately?”

“Yes,” Li Changshou sighed. “I anticipated there might be some backlash; after a long period of peace, the dragon clan’s unresolved old ailments would flare up.

“But I didn’t expect things to get this serious.”

He handed over a jade talisman. Ao Yi furrowed his brows and focused on its contents.

It detailed, one by one, the major and minor sins committed by the dragon clans of the Four Seas and those overseeing waters in Nanzhou over the past hundred years.

It mainly involved toying with human women and men, treating humans as they did sea clans, and acts of cunning theft followed by callous abandonment.

The Heavenly Court had already punished a batch of dragons for these behaviors, but clearly, the measures weren’t enough, as the dragons hadn’t learned their lesson.

Or perhaps, they were deliberately escalating, secretly challenging the Heavenly Court.

Li Changshou sighed and said softly:

“Arrogance, complacency, thinking that as dragons, they’re superior to other beings, bringing the ways they ruled the sea clans to the land, believing that as long as they don’t kill or eat humans, they’ve done no wrong.

“I don’t even need to investigate the dragon clan’s various places to know the current sentiment among them.

“Isn’t there talk among the dragons that the Heavenly Court relies on them to stand? That I, as Taibai Jinxing, couldn’t have risen without the dragon clan’s help back then?

“But Ao Yi, our relationship with the dragon clan was mutual benefit and exchange—what they helped me with, I repaid many times over.

“I owe the dragon clan nothing.”

Ao Yi looked ashamed and bowed his head. “Brother, what you’ve given the dragon clan far exceeds what we could ever repay.

“If not for you, the dragon clan would have been like those ancient great demons or Hongmeng beasts, forcibly suppressed by the Western Cult’s saints and buried under heavenly punishment.

“You’ve been more than fair to the dragon clan.”

“The order the Heavenly Court is building doesn’t need privileges above the heavenly rules.

“The dragon clan’s ancient karma hasn’t dissipated, and now corruption and extravagance are rampant and unchecked, with desires swelling—they will devour the last of your clan’s destiny!”

Li Changshou said firmly: “If the dragon clan doesn’t take action, the axe of the Zhanlong Terrace will fall for real!”

Ao Yi’s face turned pale. He bit his lip in silence, nearly crushing the jade talisman in his hand.

Suddenly, he dropped to his knees, his voice choking: “Brother, it’s my fault!

“I thought if I just set a good example, the dragon clan’s customs could turn around.

“I thought that with the Heavenly Dao’s constraints, they could let go of their old dreams… but, but now I don’t know what to do!”

Li Changshou sighed deeply, his hands behind his back as he gazed at the clouds drifting over the sea, and placed a second jade talisman before Ao Yi.

“Hand this to your father personally and have him prepare for this entry into tribulation and bloodshed.

“This is the only opportunity I see for the dragon clan.

“Reform, without bloodshed, how can it be etched in the heart?”

Ao Yi grasped the jade talisman and looked up, but all he saw was Li Changshou’s fading figure…

He stared at the ground for a while, not daring to look at the contents of the second jade talisman. He transformed into his dragon form and dove into the vast, endless waves, disappearing from sight.

On the shore, Li Changshou’s figure reappeared, shaking his head slightly.

Helping the dragon clan one last time was the first layer.

Consolidating the Heavenly Court’s divine authority and ensuring the dragon clan couldn’t threaten it were the second and third layers.

Proactively controlling the variables from the dragon clan and eliminating them, keeping everything under his control, was the more important fourth layer.

As for the fifth layer…

The *Feng Shen* script, Nezha chapter, was already arranged.

Since his true body was in Nanzhou, Li Changshou wouldn’t just handle this one thing.

His paper effigy hidden in the East Sea detected Ao Yi hurrying back to the Dragon Palace, so Li Changshou headed into the Shang Kingdom’s territory, searching around until he found her—transformed into a little girl, skipping down the street and eating candy…

The reincarnation of the Seven Emotions incarnation of Dade Houtu—Xiao Le.

Li Changshou strolled over, blending naturally into the street scene.

Xiao Le looked up and spotted Li Changshou, trembling slightly. She instinctively hid the candy behind her back and glared at him:

“Why are you here? Hmph, you must be up to no good!”

Li Changshou smiled with narrowed eyes and made a inviting gesture.

Though Xiao Le was overly cute and Li Changshou wasn’t hiding his presence, making his behavior seem odd among mortals, the surrounding people acted as if they didn’t see him at all.

This wasn’t a divine ability; it was a matter of realm.

“This time, I do have a favor to ask. Let’s talk somewhere else.”

“Fine,” Xiao Le made a face and turned, skipping toward her residence in the city.

A moment later, in a small courtyard shaded by bamboo, the Seven Emotions, now back in her maiden form, walked over in a proper outfit.

Since Xiao Ai was most familiar with Li Changshou, it was Xiao Ai who came to receive him now.

No need to guess; Xiao Ai just sighed softly, and Li Changshou felt a sting in his nose…

“It’s truly hard to see you, Great Authority God.”

Li Changshou smiled with narrowed eyes and said, “With the *Feng Shen* great tribulation imminent, I’m stretched thin. You wouldn’t want to go to the Heavenly Court anyway.”

Xiao Ai managed a weak smile, which looked even more… pained than a frown.

She sighed: “Getting too close to the Heavenly Dao always feels restrictive. We’re already burdens on the original body; going there would just deepen the Heavenly Dao’s influence on her…

“The original body has it tough.”

“Well, let’s get to the point, shall we?”

Seizing the moment while Xiao Ai could still control her sadness, Li Changshou quickly explained his purpose.

This time, he wanted the Seven Emotions incarnations to stir the Grand Mage’s emotions and help him regain his interest.

Since the main actors were Xiao Ai and Dayu Jie, and Xiao Ai couldn’t decide alone, Li Changshou had to negotiate separately with each of the Seven Emotions incarnations, promising seven portions of benefits.

Of course, he just divided the original benefits into seven parts.

“The Grand Mage is the senior brother of Daoism, with an incredibly profound realm. I can’t guarantee any of this, you know.”

“Of course, it’s all just an attempt,” Li Changshou said with a smile. “We plan the efforts, but success depends on heaven. Though… Predecessor Desire, could you step aside? This junior hasn’t reached the level of staying composed in your embrace yet.”

“Mhm.”

The Seven Emotions’ Desire narrowed her eyes and smiled, not lingering. Her finger brushed Li Changshou’s chin as she stood up gracefully.

The grass ring on the Seven Emotions’ head turned slightly, and Xiao Ai reappeared.

Xiao Ai fumbled to fix the collar that the Desire incarnation had loosened, her face flushed red. She stammered for a bit before sighing softly.

“Even when I’m being frivolous, it’s not under my control. I’m really too pitiful.”

Li Changshou raised an eyebrow at the sight.

It seemed the seven personalities of the Seven Emotions were gradually breaking free from their single labels—this was a good thing.

Well, let’s skip that part to avoid misunderstandings.

“No time like the present; let’s start arranging it.”

Xiao Ai said, “Are we going to Xuandu City?”

“No, right in the mundane world,” Li Changshou said with a calm smile, already confident with a ninety-five percent grasp.

Wait, better play it safe.

I should prepare Kong Xuan’s mindset as the big sister first. As long as she’s proactive enough, and I set the right atmosphere, how could it not work out!