Chapter 646: The West Temporarily Rests

Although the death of an ordinary saint's disciple was insignificant compared to the scale of today's great battle, for some reason, all the immortals present felt a lingering unease. Perhaps it was because Taibai Jinxing had acted with such effortless ease, or maybe because the kill had been so sudden, without any warning or chance for reprieve. That heart-piercing lock, granted by Tongtian Jiaozhu, possessed such formidable power.

Li Changshou acted as if nothing had happened, maintaining a faint smile as he continued, "Everyone, what do you think of my earlier proposal?"

The immortals of the Western Cult were furious but dared not speak out. Several saintly disciples glanced at Guangchengzi, but he had already closed his eyes in meditation, saying no more. From the perspective of an informal alliance between the sides, the Chan School had already done more than enough by stepping in to protect them today. And their survival now was merely due to the two saints standing behind them...

No, not quite. The real reason the Jie School wasn't killing them was that they would be bound by heavenly oaths, posing no further threat to the Jie School. In the future, if the Western Cult sought revenge, it would require the saints to act personally. Of course, heavenly oaths couldn't bind saints, otherwise today's events might have unfolded differently.

"How about it?" Li Changshou asked with a smile, "Have all of you lost your resolve? Why is no one answering?"

"Ah..." The Western Cult disciple Jiye, a direct disciple of Jieyin, let out a slow sigh, suppressing his injuries as he stood and took two steps forward. He cupped his hands toward Li Changshou, a faint smile still on his lips, though it was tinged with bitterness. He spoke slowly, "Today's calamity upon our Spirit Mountain is not the fault of others; it is a disaster that Spirit Mountain was fated to endure. Today's hardship upon our Spirit Mountain is not imposed by outsiders; it is a trial that Spirit Mountain was destined to face. Today's suffering upon our Spirit Mountain is not given by anyone else; it is a pain inherent in Spirit Mountain's fate. Our teacher and grand-teacher have toiled endlessly to prosper the West, their actions blameless and their deeds without error. The fault lies only in the ancient wilderness, where strength ruled supreme, and the exploitation of the weak by the strong went unchallenged. Now, with the heavenly way promoting the Heavenly Court and establishing order under the guise of protecting the weak, it diminishes the strength of all beings. Today's invasion by the Daoist schools is merely the strong oppressing the weak once more. In ancient times, the great schools and clans like the dragons, phoenixes, witches, and demons all upheld the hierarchy of strength. Our Western Cult was not as savage as the witches or as arrogant as the dragons and phoenixes; our defeat stems solely from our lack of strength. Does the Daoist schools not also defy the heavenly way's intent? Will the Daoist schools truly survive this great calamity unscathed? The Jie School's destiny lacks a treasure to anchor it— is that because of their excessive karma, or because they are not favored by the heavenly way?"

After speaking, Jiye's smile grew even more pronounced as he gazed at Li Changshou.

Amid the swirling mists and ethereal heavens, many Daoist immortals wanted to refute Jiye's words, but upon reflection, they found some truth in what he said. The Jie School immortals, who had just moments ago felt triumphant after destroying the Western Cult, now found themselves entangled in doubts, their brows furrowed deeply.

Li Changshou sighed inwardly. The Western Cult did have its capable individuals; even Jieyin's direct disciples were no push-overs. Unfortunately, Jiye's mindset was now chaotic and lacking balance, leading him in circles to the conclusion that the Daoist schools would also be buried by the heavenly way. To the ears of the Daoist disciples, this held little persuasiveness— it sounded more like venting frustration and resentment. It only added to the sense of tragedy.

Jiye said, "Taibai Jinxing, do you have any rebuttal?"

"None at all; what you said is quite reasonable." Li Changshou nodded slowly. "Your theory serves as a good reminder for our Heavenly Court's future work. Does the Western Cult have anything else to say?"

Jiye's expression turned somewhat stern, and the Western Cult disciples' faces remained ashen. Li Changshou waited patiently for a while, then smiled. "In that case, why don't you all begin making your oaths?"

The Western Cult immortals fell silent. Li Changshou waited a bit longer, his smile fading as he frowned at these Western Cult members who seemed intent on stalling. He flicked his dust whisk slightly.

A flash of jade light flew from his sleeve, transforming behind him into a massive jade statue hundreds of zhang high. The statue raised its arm, aiming directly at the Spirit Mountain grand hall. Li Changshou's voice came, still leisurely, "Will you make the heavenly oaths?"

The heavens fell silent. Li Changshou nodded, and the jade statue's lifeless eyes suddenly glowed with a purple-red light. Spiritual energy surged once more, and colorful rivers of energy appeared again on the statue's back...

The immortal Yunxiao watched Li Changshou's paper effigy, hesitating as if she wanted to say something. These matters should have been hers to handle.

"Very well..." Jiye closed his eyes in pain. "We will make the great dao oaths!"

Li Changshou flicked his dust whisk, and the jade statue immediately stopped gathering spiritual power. A piece of silk cloth flew from Li Changshou's paper effigy's sleeve toward the Spirit Mountain grand hall.

Li Changshou resumed his squinting smile, standing among the immortals as if he were intangible, unseen, and unknowable. He quietly sensed that the great calamity's power in the heavens had receded by about twenty percent. Meanwhile, a paper effigy stationed far beyond the edge of the world used the qi observation technique to gaze upon the five continents of the great wilderness, seeing that the sword of great calamity had shrunk by two circles. This was the outstanding contribution of the Western Cult.

Li Changshou's paper effigy jotted notes in a small book, calculating continuously, and arrived at a number he could somewhat accept. Based on the number of experts lost in today's Spirit Mountain battle and the corresponding reduction in calamity power, for the calamity power to dissipate completely, the Jie School and Chan School would need to lose about sixty percent of their 'total strength' directly. This so-called total strength was a vague figure, meaning that the death of one peak Daluo immortal equated to ten Golden Immortals; each being represented different levels of vital force. Sixty percent was still acceptable. Originally, this figure had been close to eighty percent, implying near-total annihilation for the Jie School or the Chan School, with the other suffering heavy losses. Tracing back further, it was all because of the Western Cult's Zhunti saint, who couldn't hold back that palm strike when killing Lupai, giving Li Changshou the opportunity to drag the Western Cult into the Investiture of the Gods calamity.

This heavenly oath was unusually brief. After all, if it took too long, Zhunti or Jieyin might return, undoing all their efforts. As a muffled thunder rumbled in the sky, the recitation of oaths from within the Spirit Mountain grand hall gradually ceased.

Li Changshou retrieved the silk cloth and bowed toward the grand hall, speaking seriously, "Thank you all for giving me this courtesy. From today onward, as long as the Western Cult abides by the oaths and does not act against our Daoist schools, I, Li Changgeng, a disciple of the Ren School, will not scheme against you. Of course, I ask that you all adhere to the heavenly order and refrain from any wicked deeds. The heavenly way watches over us all."

With that, the jade statue behind Li Changshou turned into a beam of light and shrank back into Yunxiao's palm. Amid the envious gazes of the Jie School immortals, she tucked it into her sleeve. The Western Cult disciples in the hall remained silent, activating a simple array as if they wished to say no more.

"Refreshing," Lü Yue said with his hands behind his back, his aged face full of ease. "Today was truly refreshing!"

The Jie School immortals chimed in with their post-battle declarations, their spirits high and unity strong. The Chan School immortals were ready to leave, and Guangchengzi bowed to Li Changshou before turning to go...

"Guangchengzi, senior brother." Li Changshou called out warmly, and the Chan School immortals paused. The focus returned to Li Changshou's paper effigy.

Guangchengzi smiled. "Junior brother Changgeng, do you have any further advice?"

"Advice is too strong a word; I just have a few words to remind you, senior brother, and of course, for senior sister Jinling as well." Li Changshou deliberately showed a hint of bitterness, bowing to both Guangchengzi and Jinling Shengmu before speaking earnestly, "Senior brother, senior sister, if something like this happens again next time, please don't call on me. I'm now an immortal official of the Heavenly Court, too close to the heavenly way, and a key figure in the great calamity. According to the heavenly way's intent, I should treat the Western Cult, Jie School, and Chan School impartially. Targeting the Western Cult directly today was already showing favoritism, mainly because they were vulnerable and full of flaws. But in the future... The great calamity is an internal matter for the Daoist schools, and I can't favor one side over the other. I'll have to prioritize my stance as a Heavenly Court immortal over that of a Daoist disciple. I ask that you all understand and be patient with me."

Li Changshou bowed repeatedly in all directions. The immortals of the Chan and Jie Schools mostly returned the courtesy, with some assuring him not to worry. Jinling Shengmu's fierce yet beautiful face finally softened into a slight smile as she said, "Junior brother Changgeng, you don't need to worry. From today on, the Jie School immortals won't roam the great wilderness freely and will actively avoid conflicts with the Chan School's 'fellow daoists.'"

The word "fellow daoists" was emphasized heavily.

Guangchengzi added, "In the great calamity, everything is variable; the path ahead isn't necessarily filled only with killing."

With that, Guangchengzi bowed to Jinling Shengmu. The Chan School immortals exchanged glances and, following the twelve golden immortals' lead, bowed to the Jie School immortals. Yunxiao returned the courtesy first, and most of the Jie School immortals followed suit, though their responses were scattered and unorganized.

Li Changshou chuckled at the sight, then raised his hand to summon the green-furred dog hiding beneath the Spirit Mountain grand hall. He mounted it and said, "This humble god departs."

Diting perked up, shaking off its earlier fear, holding its head high with pride as azure flames appeared under its feet, carrying Li Changshou toward the horizon. The old immortal's figure looked light and ethereal, illusory and indistinct, as if enveloped in countless dao rhythms, yet also like an ordinary elder.

Jinling Shengmu gestured, and the Jie School immortals transformed into streams of light, forming a river across the sky as they headed toward the southern Jambudvipa. Guangchengzi said, "Let's go," and the Chan School immortals returned the way they came, their trip ultimately in vain.

Once all the immortals had dispersed, a surge of azure-blue true flames suddenly ignited across the remains of Spirit Mountain, specifically burning the lingering souls and corpses—even the fragments of Daluo immortal bodies were swiftly consumed. The flames spread, and cries of grief echoed through the heavens, turning a radius of ten thousand li into a scene of desolation. Witnessing this, experts from across the great wilderness sighed deeply.

Thus, Spirit Mountain, which had harbored countless evils since ancient times and served as a refuge for fierce beasts and demons under the protection of its two saints, was leveled. The two Western Cult saints had yet to return, their whereabouts unknown. One wondered if, upon seeing this, they would lose their composure and ignite a saintly war. Probably not.

Looking back at the Western Cult's past glory, it was obscure in ancient times. After the demon clan's fall and the rise of humanity, they gained methods to harvest incense merit as human society expanded. They began taking in fierce beasts and demons, cleansing their karma for their own use; they established one incense god kingdom after another through their doctrines, consolidating their destiny. By the time they decided to absorb the dragon clan, they had reached the peak of their power. Though they dared not openly clash with the Daoist schools, their hidden forces were terrifying.

So, how did they decline? Examining the timeline, a clear turning point emerges: the breaking of the East Sea eye. Li Changshou's slight miscalculation led to the Jade Emperor's pure merit golden body diving into the sea eye to seal it, winning the dragon clan's loyalty to the Heavenly Court and pitting the Western Cult against it. The Western Cult's arrogance and the Heavenly Court's early weakness prompted a series of fatal decisions— The rise of the Heavenly Court conflicted with their own, so it had to be suppressed. Their prior mindset was: if the Daoist schools don't make way, how can the Western Cult rise and gain great destiny? And the deepest drive: the Western Cult saints achieved sainthood through great vows; if the West doesn't prosper, they might be suppressed by the heavenly way.

These three factors propelled the Western Cult toward irreversible decline. But looking further back, one can see a string of obstacles along their path, each marked with a prominent name: Haishen, Shuishen, Taibai Jinxing, Ren School disciple Li Changgeng. Dizang's schemes were foiled by him; Xu Puti's hidden tricks crumbled before him; Maitreya, who preached about finding joy, was driven into hiding during the Spirit Mountain's downfall, not even showing his face. Smashing the Western Cult's mountain gate, disrupting their destiny of prosperity, repeatedly forcing their saints to abandon dignity—eventually, the saints' prestige became a joke, their authority gone...

If everything could be redone, some old daoist from the Western Cult would surely stand up, shouting desperately at the ambitious Dizang back then, "Why did you provoke him!"

Half a day later, in the Netherworld Reincarnation Tower. Diting lay curled under the screen, Dizang sat with a gloomy expression by the window, and Li Changshou's paper effigy stood by the bookshelf on the top floor, engrossed in reading a Western Cult scripture.

Diting's large eyes glanced back and forth, and a strange thought crossed its mind: "Ah, if only the master were an immortal maiden."

"Why didn't you punish me?" Dizang murmured, "Spirit Mountain is now nine-tenths destroyed, and the West has no chance of rising again. Li Changshou, you've truly won."

Li Changshou's paper effigy replied without looking up, "Talking about winning and losing is premature; your two teachers might have foreseen this."

Dizang fell silent, closing his eyes and sighing slowly.

"Then why not take this opportunity to strip me of my title as lord of the Reincarnation Tower? That would cut off the Western Cult's destiny at its root."

"You're a supplement to the six paths of reincarnation. If I moved against you for this, it would be personal vendetta disguised as justice." Li Changshou chuckled, placing the scripture back on the shelf and 'sticking' to another one for reading. He continued, "Besides, your trip to Spirit Mountain was within my expectations; you have some conscience, far better than your senior brother. Let this matter slide. It's just human nature; I'll put in a good word for you with His Majesty the Jade Emperor, and you'll be spared punishment this time."

Dizang said nothing, a flicker of thought in his eyes. After a while, he asked softly, "Is the conflict between the Chan and Jie Schools truly irreversible?"

"Mm," Li Changshou's smile faded as he put the scripture back and strolled over to sit casually beside Dizang.

He said with his eyes slightly closed, "No matter what I do, I can't resist the heavenly way's power. The Daoist schools have reached their peak; all that follows is decline. The tragedy is that, across the great wilderness, the heavenly way has no external enemy to assign to the Daoist schools, so it forces them to tear each other apart internally. The Western Cult, Ran Deng, and even you and I— we're all just pawns the heavenly way uses to weaken the vital forces of beings."

"You still have the Great Dao of Balance."

"That's for later," Li Changshou asked. "A being's own dao is part of themselves; can beings truly contend against heaven and earth?"

Dizang thought for a moment and replied, "They cannot."

"Exactly, they cannot." Li Changshou murmured, leaning against the wall by the window and closing his eyes as if asleep. Dizang turned to gaze at Li Changshou's figure and sighed slowly, the hatred in his eyes gradually dissipating. Everyone had their own positions; there was no real grudge. If one set aside their rivalry, this fellow's path had been quite challenging.

Dizang zoned out for a bit. A moment later, he composed himself and asked coldly, "Are you planning to nap here? Or cultivate? This Reincarnation Tower doesn't welcome you!"

"Keep it down; I can hear you just fine!" Li Changshou shot back through gritted teeth, opening his eyes. "I'm chatting with my Yun; you just ruined the atmosphere— what's your problem?"

Dizang...

"Hmph! Drowning in romance!"

"I'm willing." Li Changshou smirked. "Diting, turn into a maiden and dance for your master."

Diting's dog face flushed red, stammering for a while before performing a transformation technique...

"Oh, right," Li Changshou frowned at Diting. Was this creature male or female?