Chapter 631: Good Brother, For Life

The wind whispered in his ears, and spiritual energy enveloped his body. Beneath him, a soft cushion seemed to cradle him, as if he were lying on a cloud.

Ling Zhuzi's eyelids fluttered, and the seals around his primordial spirit slowly dissipated. He was, indeed, lying on a cloud.

Beside him, an old Taoist sat quietly, with kind eyes and a benevolent face, white eyebrows and white hair—the familiar appearance of an old immortal.

"Uncle-Master..." Ling Zhuzi called out softly. Immortal power flowed through him, and his fatigue had completely vanished. He slowly sat up.

They seemed to be on the cloud path, returning to the Heavenly Court from Mount Qianyuan, just as it had been when his Uncle-Master first brought him to the Heavenly Court years ago.

"How is your state of mind?" Li Changshou asked gently.

Ling Zhuzi froze for a moment, and a sense of gloom once again pervaded his Dao heart. He sighed in frustration, sat cross-legged, but couldn't muster any energy. With a bitter smile, he whispered, "Uncle-Master, Ling Zhuzi has disappointed you..."

"You haven't disappointed anyone, so there's no need to speak like that," Li Changshou said gently. "The one you feel disappointed by is yourself. Do you remember why I took you to the Heavenly Court?"

Ling Zhuzi thought carefully for a moment before replying, "My master asked you to take me to the Heavenly Court for training, to develop some manly courage."

"Do you still lack manly courage now?" Li Changshou chuckled, asking in return, and Ling Zhuzi fell into thought again.

Li Changshou spoke softly, "A few hundred years can be very long, or very short. Since the beginning of time, countless beings have walked this land, but only a handful have truly left their mark on the Primordial World. People admire those in high positions. However, those in high positions in the Primordial World are all victors from ancient times. Thus, born into this world and overlooked by these ancient victors, living beings often feel stifled. Therefore, this state of mind isn't unique to you; all living beings experience it. This frustration you feel because your Dao realm isn't advancing isn't unique to you; all living beings experience it."

Ling Zhuzi was stunned.

Li Changshou gently swayed his horsetail whisk, slowing down the cloud to give Ling Zhuzi time to absorb his words. If Ling Zhuzi were to be reincarnated as Nezha with regret and disappointment, it would certainly leave a lasting sorrow and even affect his Dao realm advancement and temperament. Li Changshou still hoped that his future nephew, whether called Ling Zhuzi or Nezha, would be optimistic and cheerful.

Meanwhile, inside the cave dwelling on Mount Qianyuan.

The three True Immortals of Chan School sat around a chess table. The cloud mirror art displayed the scene of Li Changshou's paper avatar and Ling Zhuzi returning to the Heavenly Court on a cloud. At this moment, True Immortal Taiyi's expression was exceptionally awkward. No comparison, no harm. True Immortal Yuding had just muttered, "Look, *this* is how you advise a junior!" True Immortal Huanglong, fearing Taiyi would be embarrassed, chuckled and consoled him, "Brother Taiyi, don't take it to heart. You and I both know Chang Geng's abilities; we can't compare, we can't compare."

True Immortal Taiyi spread his hands, sighing, "Truly... different professions are worlds apart."

"Listen," True Immortal Yuding said, "Nephew Ling Zhuzi is speaking."

Taiyi held his breath, leaning forward, in a posture of humble inquiry.

On the cloud, Ling Zhuzi quietly asked, "But Uncle-Master, if one doesn't reach a high position, if others can't see your figure, how can one leave a mark in the world?"

Li Changshou smiled and asked, "Then let me ask you, are you striving to cultivate and become stronger simply to gain fame and be admired?"

"Master said that cultivation is about seeking truth, seeking the Dao, seeking oneself, and understanding the meaning of life..."

"I'm asking *you*, not what Senior Brother Taiyi taught you." Li Changshou said gently, "Why do you cultivate? At this moment, as you eagerly anticipate the Golden Immortal tribulation and entering the Golden Immortal realm, what is your deepest desire?"

Ling Zhuzi's delicate brows furrowed tighter.

Li Changshou was unhurried, continuing to wait, a gentle smile always on his lips, as the cloud drifted slowly across the azure sky.

After a moment, Ling Zhuzi whispered, "Disciple... well... disciple doesn't know either."

"Hahahahaha." Li Changshou burst into hearty laughter, lightly flicking his whisk and gently tapping Ling Zhuzi's forehead. "This is the root of your mental block! You don't even know why you seek immortality or pursue the Grand Dao. You simply thought it was good, it was right, so you embarked on the path of cultivation. When your own cultivation hit a bottleneck, and your friends around you smoothly broke through one by one, you felt a disparity.

"Ling Zhuzi, you're not troubled because you can't break through, nor are you disheartened because you're not as good as your friends. You're just worried that if you're not strong or capable enough, you won't receive the recognition others once gave you. This brings us to a question: what do you truly live for..."

On the cloud, Li Changshou calmly analyzed, bit by bit, guiding Ling Zhuzi out of his predicament.

On Mount Qianyuan, in Golden Light Cave.

True Immortal Taiyi was filled with emotion. He stood up and paced back and forth, then with a wave of his hand, took out a piece of red cloth and wrote a banner. It read:

"Mentor of Lost Youths, Guiding Light of the Cultivation Night."

"How's this?" True Immortal Taiyi exclaimed in admiration, "If Brother Chang Geng's ability to persuade people could balance my mouth's divine powers, how wonderful that would be."

True Immortal Yuding shook his head with a light chuckle, continuing to watch the scene in the cloud mirror, pondering every word Li Changshou said to Ling Zhuzi.

When Li Changshou said: "...Because only when you become strong yourself can you care for others. For instance, if a few mortals are walking and one falls into the water calling for help, you can only go into the water to rescue them if you are a good swimmer; otherwise, it would be a pointless sacrifice. When setting your own life ideals and beliefs, you must pay attention. Be willing to help, but act within your capabilities; be kind to others, but don't take on all their burdens. You don't need to feel guilty for difficulties others face that weren't caused by you, but you can protect some vulnerable individuals in distress when you are able to. Remember, gaining approval from others and achieving mental satisfaction is, in essence, just a way of pleasing yourself."

Ling Zhuzi countered, "So, according to Uncle-Master, do the weak not have the right to help other weak people?"

"That's a different question. What defines the strong, and what defines the weak?"

Ling Zhuzi replied, "In the Primordial World, strength and weakness are naturally determined by divine abilities and magical treasures."

"And that's the most unreasonable aspect of the Primordial World." Li Changshou looked up at the sky, his gaze serene, and asked slowly: "If there is a being who has reached the pinnacle of life's power and skill, yet relies on their magic to bully the weak, oppress mortals, exploit their thoughts, and crave personal fame—are they strong?"

Ling Zhuzi was momentarily unable to answer.

Li Changshou asked again: "And if there is another being, only half-enlightened and living like a savage, but for survival, and to protect a few tribesmen in their cave, dares to fight beasts stronger than themselves—are they weak?"

"This..."

"True strength lies in self-improvement, self-reliance, self-discipline. The flame in one's heart never extinguishes; one fears no difficulties, no hardships; one does not neglect small acts of good, nor commit small acts of evil. Such a person can reach a high position in the world, possess the power to protect the weak, and use their strength to draw boundaries for other powerful beings, preventing them from wantonly bullying the small and weak. This is true strength. Ling Zhuzi, Uncle-Master hopes that you will become a truly strong person in the future."

Li Changshou paused, then raised his hand to gently pat Ling Zhuzi's head, smiling: "Senior Brother Taiyi has already devised a way to resolve your cultivation difficulties. Soon, he will send you to reshape your foundation, helping you ascend step by step. But what you need to strengthen more is your Dao heart, not your Dao realm. At the end of cultivation, one merely cultivates the heart; at the end of Dao attainment, one returns to virtue. This is the true meaning of Grand Pure. I hope you will meditate upon it well."

Ling Zhuzi stood up and bowed deeply to Li Changshou. Li Changshou accepted it calmly, instructed him to bid farewell to his friends in the Heavenly Court, and thoroughly explained the process he would undergo, setting a date for the start of his reincarnation and foundation reshaping.

Three months later.

When Ling Zhuzi stood up, Li Changshou was nowhere to be seen. The Central Heavenly Gate was visible in the distance. Ling Zhuzi kowtowed several times towards the gate, then stood up on the cloud, feeling a little dazed as he processed Li Changshou's words.

"The strong..." Ling Zhuzi murmured softly, his eyes filled with contemplation.

And in the Golden Light Cave on Mount Qianyuan, the three True Immortals also had thoughtful expressions. True Immortal Yuding even gained some insight, entering a state of Dao enlightenment.

'At the end of cultivation, one merely cultivates the heart; at the end of Dao attainment, one returns to virtue.'

True Immortal Taiyi's mouth twitched slightly, unsure what he was thinking, and he sighed inwardly. These two disciples of Grand Master-Uncle Grand Pure... are Dao realm monsters.

On Little Qiong Peak, Li Changshou opened his eyes and gently exhaled. He hoped his eloquent words had helped Ling Zhuzi somewhat. His definition of strong and weak was perhaps a bit narrow, but Li Changshou wouldn't dare casually spread the spirit of selflessness and sacrifice in the Primordial World. These immortals, who pursued cultivation and transcendence, were quite simple-minded compared to the mortals of the mundane world. If he said it, Ling Zhuzi would truly believe it!

Arranging things for a junior nephew was truly troublesome... Soon he could conveniently use the excuse of helping Ling Zhuzi refine his magic power to stay on Three Immortals Island for a few days. 'Wonder how Brother Gongming is progressing with his understanding of the Qiankun Ruler.'

Stretching, Li Changshou rose from his rocking chair, changed into an indigo blue robe, tied up his Taoist topknot, disguised his face, and quietly left Little Qiong Peak. Before leaving, Li Changshou thought carefully and decided to ask his teacher to bestow the Flame-Light Flag of Leaving Earth to protect Ling'e. There was no helping it; although Ling'e outwardly seemed to be the Dao Ancestor's favorite, and no one would dare scheme against her even if she flew around lying down in the Primordial World, it was still safer to take protective measures.

'Or perhaps, should I take her out for a stroll?' Li Changshou mused for a few moments. Previously, he had always been unwilling for Ling'e to get involved in the Investiture of the Gods, even slightly, feeling it was too dangerous for her. This was a calamity she could have perfectly avoided; once entangled, it would be an unwarranted disaster. However, since the Dao Ancestor had recently staged the 'caring grandpa looking after his favorite granddaughter' act, Ling'e now had a faint connection to the Investiture of the Gods calamity, making it impossible for her to remain completely detached. Li Changshou naturally knew that Ling'e was one with him. Hiding Ling'e again would be less effective than boldly taking her out for a walk. This might even dispel some of the Dao Ancestor's suspicions about him.

In that case, His Majesty the Jade Emperor would just have to wait a little longer. Fortunately, he hadn't mentioned going out to the Jade Emperor earlier, otherwise, the one in the High Heavens Palace might already be impatient.

So, Li Changshou lay back down, his mind shifting between heaven and earth. As soon as the thought arose, his spirit had already roamed beyond the heavens and earth; his heart stirred, and he went to play two games of Go with Baize. In these current times, with the calamity's footsteps growing more urgent, he genuinely managed to steal a moment of leisure from his busy schedule.

And so, three more months passed.

'Ling Zhuzi, this method is indeed feasible, but it has a few drawbacks. After you transform into a fetal spirit, you won't be able to retain your current memories. Your memories, like your magic power, will need to be stored in a separate treasure pearl, and this memory will be returned to you once your primordial spirit stabilizes after reincarnation. Furthermore, there will definitely be other risks involved; something could go wrong at any step. Overall, there's only about an 85-86% chance that you can safely reshape your foundation. However, at minimum, there will be no life-threatening danger.'

By the Heavenly River, Ling Zhuzi's mind drifted slightly as he recalled Uncle-Master Chang Geng's previous words. Not far behind him, Ao Yi, who had specifically rushed from the Dragon Palace to see him off, and Bian Zhuang, who was confined and couldn't leave the vicinity of the Heavenly River, were sighing deeply.

Bian Zhuang wiped the corner of his eye, forcing a slight smile, and whispered, "Third Brother, don't worry. You'll slowly regain your memories after reincarnation, so you'll still be you, nothing will change." After speaking, Bian Zhuang secretly kicked Ao Yi, who was somewhat distracted and staring at the bonfire. Ao Yi understood, and chuckled, "He's right. It's just transforming your current body into a true Human Race congenital Dao body. It's a good thing."

"Yes, I know." Ling Zhuzi turned around, his expression quite relaxed, and smiled, "Thank you, both brothers, for your care over the years. No matter what, Ling Zhuzi will always be Ling Zhuzi. Even if I lose some memories, I'll still be your sworn brother!"

"Look at you talking," Bian Zhuang wiped away tears, muttering as he turned his head, "You're making me sad."

"Come, let's drink." Ao Yi took out three jars of Dragon Palace special liquor from his sleeve, tossing one to each of them. The three exchanged smiles, opened their jars, and drank heartily, tilting their heads back.

Soon, there were three sounds: "Ha—"

"Alas," Ao Yi sighed with a smile, "A good man should have the ambition to set the heavens right. When we three brothers reunite in the Heavenly Court in the future, who knows what it will be like."

Bian Zhuang said, "Didn't they say that reshaping your foundation and reincarnating would only take about a hundred years? A hundred years is very fast; it'll pass in the blink of an eye."

Ling Zhuzi smiled, "With Uncle-Master's help, nothing should go wrong. You two brothers needn't worry."

"Third Brother, are you really not going to bid farewell at the Moon Palace?" Ao Yi asked softly, "A fairy from the Moon Palace said earlier that the Jade Rabbit's eyes are all swollen from crying, but she's been confined by the Lunar Star Lord and can't come to bid you farewell..."

"Well," Ling Zhuzi scratched his head, "I don't know..." Suddenly, he felt the Dao rhythm flowing in his heart and sensed the shadow of the Yin-Yang Taiji diagram, finding the aura of his Uncle-Master Chang Geng, which coalesced into a single large character in his Dao heart.

"Alright," Ling Zhuzi sighed, whispering, "I'll go see the Jade Rabbit and bid her farewell."

Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang's eyes lit up, quite astonished.

A certain ordinary Heavenly Court official, who was trying Dao rhythm telepathy for the first time, revealed a faint smile. Hmm... It was indeed quite satisfying.

So, two hours later.

Ao Yi transformed into a green dragon, carrying Ling Zhuzi to the front of the Guanghan Palace. In front of Guanghan Palace, on the fairy island-like leaves of the laurel tree, hundreds of Chang'e immortals were scattered, each awaiting the situation. A few female immortals picked up their bronze mirrors, and news of what was happening spread throughout the Heavenly Court.

Ling Zhuzi leaped off the green dragon's back, cupped his hands to Ao Yi in thanks, then quickly walked to the gate of Guanghan Palace. A blue and white Taoist robe concealed his muscular physique, but the specially chosen hairband made his face appear even more delicate. Truth be told, many fairies' beautiful eyes sparkled.

Ling Zhuzi reached the palace gate steps, took a step forward, then his movement faltered slightly. Behind him, Bian Zhuang, hidden in Ao Yi's mane, quietly called out: "Don't hesitate, go! Just go for it!"

Ling Zhuzi pursed his lips, stomped his foot, and directly jumped to the palace gate. He raised his hand, knocked, and called softly: "Is... is there an immortal inside?"

From various spots on the laurel tree, most of the hundreds of Chang'e immortals covered their mouths, chuckling.

In Guanghan Palace, on the pavilion by the pond where Li Changshou had once taken Ling Zhuzi, the Jade Rabbit was kneeling on a soft cushion. Hearing the soft call, her shoulders trembled lightly, and she immediately sprang up. "Master, Ling Zhuzi is here!"

"Sit down," Immortal Chang'e said unhurriedly from beside her, "Have you forgotten what I told you earlier, sister?"

"But... but, oh." The Jade Rabbit pouted, and reluctantly knelt back in her original spot.

"You're just too foolish," Chang'e nibbled on melon seeds, her slender feet crossed under her thin dress, and sighed, "This Ling Zhuzi is an unawakened pearl, and you're a timid little rabbit. Do you really want to stay 'good brothers' with him forever?"

"Um... well... Master, we have a lot of fun together."

Chang'e said, "Then think about it: if Ling Zhuzi undergoes this reincarnation and foundation reshaping, and develops feelings for some Butterfly Fairy or Hundred Flowers Fairy, if someone awakens his heart and takes his body, how would you feel? Either settle things now and establish a title. Or break off the relationship now, to save yourself future suffering."

The Jade Rabbit froze, then sat kneeling in thought for a while, tears unconsciously welling in her eyes.

Just then, a loud shout from Ling Zhuzi suddenly came from outside Guanghan Palace:

"Jade Rabbit! Are you in there! I've come to say goodbye to you! I'm going to cultivate anew, and I won't be back for over a hundred years! I'm also going to reincarnate, and I don't know if I'll still be the Ling Zhuzi I am now! I! I... I don't even know what I'm saying. I want to become strong, a truly strong person! I want to protect the weak and set boundaries for wanton beings! I want to be recognized by all living beings! Thank you for all your care these many years! My time in the Heavenly Court has been very happy, very happy! I will definitely preserve our memories, and I'll carry them as I become stronger! I will..."

Ling Zhuzi's voice caught, and he felt a bit bewildered by his own emotions, rubbing away tears from his face with his arm. The great gates of Guanghan Palace remained tightly shut, the light of the grand formation flowing silently. Ling Zhuzi took a breath, forced his previous smile, made a Taoist salute towards the gate, and turned to leap back onto the green dragon's back.

"Big Brother, let's go back. I've said my goodbyes."

Bian Zhuang said, "Wait a little longer..."

"Let's go." Ling Zhuzi lowered his head and said, "She must be angry with me."

The green dragon's body swayed slowly, and its figure slowly moved away from under the laurel tree, in the blink of an eye about to fly out of the range of the Lunar Star.

"Ao Yi! Ao Yi, stop!" Bian Zhuang suddenly shouted, "She's out! The Jade Rabbit is out!"

"Ling Zhuzi——"

In front of Guanghan Palace, the girl who had forgotten to wear her rabbit ear headpiece shouted loudly, "I won't forget you! We! We'll be good brothers for life!"

Ling Zhuzi turned around and raised his left fist in the direction of Guanghan Palace. The girl, holding back tears, gently waved her small fist at Ling Zhuzi...

In the Marriage Hall, one of Li Changshou's paper avatars, holding a horsetail whisk, calmly arrived on a white cloud, engaging in a friendly work guidance meeting with the Old Man Under the Moon.