Chapter 687: Stable Teaching

When the Dragon Clan arrived, they brought with them a deluge that covered the heavens.

As the Dragon Clan departed, they gathered nearly a hundred of their fallen comrades' bodies, like a weary elder on the brink of old age, letting out soft sighs with every step.

In a way, comparing the Dragon Clan to an elder was fitting.

The Dragon Clan's physical forms were already decrepit, their vital energy long depleted, yet their hearts refused to accept aging. They yearned to roam freely and seized every chance to revel wildly.

They truly didn't fear breaking themselves apart and ending up buried in the vast graveyard of ancient beings.

That graveyard already held countless spirits.

Li Changshou sighed inwardly. Compared to the Dragon Clan, the Phoenix Clan, though now reduced to just a few members, lived in relative peace.

His sister-in-law, Kong Xuan, had nearly escaped the great calamity and was a key figure in the Human Teachings. She was the ideal that Wen Jing Dao Ren aspired to, living a happy and fulfilling life.

The two young phoenixes nurtured from the original phoenix essence blood had not appeared in the ancient world, but they were thriving in secret, quietly continuing the Phoenix Clan's bloodline.

As for Jin Peng, no need to mention him. After being stunned by a slap from the Taiyin Star Lord and then thoroughly swayed by Li Changshou, he had become the Heavenly Court's premier enforcer.

He fought from the South Heaven Gate to the Three Thousand Worlds, and from the Three Thousand Worlds to the Chaos Sea.

As long as his teacher, Li Changshou, did not openly defy the Heavenly Way, Jin Peng could live quite comfortably.

The Dragon Clan, however...

Ao Yi's shoulders, still somewhat immature, could not bear the weight of this half-sunken ship.

Yet, so many fearless dragons aboard it continued to indulge in revelry and sing through the nights.

The dragon maidens remained oblivious to their clan's peril, still performing songs of fading splendor amid the waves.

Hmm, later he would need to have a heart-to-heart with Ao Yi to help ease any inner turmoil.

Whether the Dragon Clan gained or lost depended on the perspective.

In their current situation, they had traded the lives of over a hundred experts for the chance to avoid a catastrophic downfall caused by their own arrogance in the future.

A temporary humiliation for eternal survival.

The Dragon Clan had managed to endure from the end of ancient times to today through a kind of self-regulating mechanism.

After the Dragon Clan left, Li Changshou left behind the heavenly general unit where Youqin Xuanya was stationed, tasking them with cleaning up the aftermath and resettling the mortals who had fled to the mountains.

The matter of subduing the dragons had proceeded smoothly enough.

At this point, Li Changshou wasn't sure if he was rejoicing because Nezha didn't have to take his own life, or because the Dragon Clan had been successfully integrated into the Heavenly Way's system, planting a future hidden threat.

Either way, his prior plans regarding the Dragon Clan and Nezha were now about ninety-eight percent complete, with just a minor regret.

Originally, Li Changshou had wanted to eliminate all the dragons who chose to "teach the human race a profound lesson," but most of them had stayed toward the back during the battle.

He would have to rely on the Dragon King to handle that internally.

Li Changshou's true form did not leave immediately. He first bowed to the immortals of Chan School, then flew openly to the four Jie School immortals, including Zhao Gongming.

The surrounding beings all quietly pretended not to notice anything.

Li Changshou still appeared as an elderly immortal and did not change his form in public. Once he approached, he earnestly advised:

"Miss Yun, this treasure is for your protection. Please don't reveal it often, or your future enemies might anticipate it, greatly reducing its effectiveness."

Yun Xiao smiled and nodded, putting away the jade statue, her gaze lingering on Li Changshou's face.

Li Changshou blinked, and she quickly looked away, a faint blush crossing her cheeks, though she soon returned to her usual serene demeanor, standing quietly on the clouds.

Qiong Xiao gave a thumbs-up and laughed. "Brother-in-law, you're so heroic!"

"You're too kind, third sister," Li Changshou replied with a bow, openly accepting the title.

—For Yun Xiao was his second sister.

Holy Mother Jin Ling asked, "You clearly had the Dragon Clan under control earlier. Why didn't you eliminate their experts or make them swear oaths to the Heavenly Way? Why let them go so easily?"

Li Changshou pondered for a moment and sent a mental message: "There are some schemes at play here. The Dragon Clan wasn't entirely at fault, and killing dozens of them today is enough to demonstrate heavenly authority. The great calamity is already in motion, so reducing unstable elements is for the best. Those Dragon Clan experts have essentially fed the calamity clouds."

Jin Ling showed an expression as if she had expected as much and didn't press further.

Zhao Gongming laughed. "That Li Jing is quite a man. Bring him around to visit more often."

"I ended up adopting him as my godson in a rather muddled way," Li Changshou sighed. "I thought it was just a joke from the elders of Du Xian Men, but it turned out to be real."

Holy Mother Jin Ling said, "His cultivation is a bit weak, and he's even lost some of his Dao progress this time."

"Ah, we can't say it like that," Zhao Gongming replied. "From what I see, Li Jing has great destiny and will surely advance further. He's likely a child of the great calamity."

Li Changshou nodded slowly but didn't elaborate, saying only, "Later, I'll give him a few treasures. As long as he reaches the Golden Immortal realm, the rest won't be a big issue."

Holy Mother Jin Ling seemed about to say something but held back, glancing at the group of Chan School immortals near the Li residence, and just huffed lightly.

Li Changshou smiled. "Senior sister, don't worry. Even though Li Jing's three sons are Chan School disciples, it won't affect my stance in the great calamity. I'm always on the side of the Heavenly Court, Human Teachings, and the Dao School."

"Alright, it's tough on you," Holy Mother Jin Ling shook her head. "Don't think we hold back when dealing with the Western Teachings, but if it comes to facing the Heavenly Way or Chan School, it's still hard to strike."

"This matter, we'll take it one step at a time."

Zhao Gongming sighed with his hands behind his back. "We're not in conflict with them yet. If we can get through the great calamity, that would be ideal."

"I'm afraid the Heavenly Way won't allow it," Yun Xiao said softly, and the immortals fell silent.

"Let's head back," Qiong Xiao suggested. "There's nothing more here. We'll go back to the island for tea. Brother-in-law, are you coming?"

"I still have official duties, so I won't join you."

Li Changshou bowed and smiled. "Thank you all for your support, but in the great calamity, self-preservation is key. Traveling like this is too dangerous, so please be more cautious in the future."

"Understood," Yun Xiao replied gently.

The two exchanged a few glances, as if sharing unspoken words.

Yun Xiao nodded lightly, summoned a cloud to shroud the four of them, and they vanished together as mist...

Li Changshou stood there quietly for a while, then looked down to see Youqin Xuanya gazing silently from the mountain toward the scene.

As if sensing his gaze, Youqin Xuanya quickly turned and busied herself with the mortals nearby.

Soon after, the Chan School immortals returned to Kunlun Mountain, and the floodwaters of Chentang Pass were sent back to the East Sea.

Li Changshou specifically assigned Youqin Xuanya's unit to handle the subsequent repairs, while his true form headed back to the Heavenly Court first, shifting his mind to the paper effigy on site.

This act of suppressing the dragons also served as a deterrent to other forces.

For example, Maitreya and the like.

Upon reflection, Li Changshou realized he might have become a inner demon for many in the Dragon Clan, with some likely harboring resentment toward him.

But this wouldn't affect his thousand-year plan at all, and it wasn't worth paying attention to.

Better to think about... Bi Yun Boy under Shi Ji's seat.

That boy's fate was even more important than Maitreya's.

Li Changshou had a vague feeling that Maitreya would appear again, reaching out his chubby hand toward Nezha once more.

Now, he was the Heavenly Way's overt sword, while Maitreya was its hidden poison.

What's more intriguing was that the two of them were directly opposed; neither would show mercy if given the chance to eliminate the other.

The Heavenly Way—or more precisely, the Dao Ancestor—would naturally be pleased to see Maitreya diverting some of his attention.

The Human Emperor's rebellion against heaven had undoubtedly shaken the Heavenly Way's will.

The Heavenly Way couldn't directly interfere in the great calamity or influence spirits' minds—that was the baseline for all beings.

Even if it used calamity luck to exert influence, the essence was the same, though the form differed, which beings could barely tolerate.

Senior Suiren wouldn't have turned to ashes in vain, but everything needed to unfold gradually.

Challenging the Heavenly Way with only a fifty percent chance would be following the path of those who courted death recklessly—what's the difference?

"Facing the heavens is truly exhausting."

Li Changshou's true form transformed into a streak of light, entering the East Heaven Gate to report to His Majesty the Jade Emperor, while the heavenly soldiers and generals quickly returned to their posts.

Throughout the Heavenly Court, beings discussed in private the average combat strength of its civil officials.

Most heavenly soldiers then realized dejectedly that, based on results, the civil officials' average strength far surpassed that of the military ones.

It was quite disheartening.

At Chentang Pass, the two groups of paper effigies that Li Changshou had secretly arranged dove back into the earth's depths to hide.

"Wang Chang'an," who had been staying by Yin Shi's side, immediately led her back to the Li residence after the waters receded, to see Li Jing and his sons, who were now unconscious on their beds.

Through his immortal sense, Li Changshou saw:

Nezha had reverted to a child's form, a bit larger than before, with a bubble of snot at his nose tip, sleeping deeply and carefree.

Li Jing had been meditating, but after taking supplements for his primordial spirit, he couldn't hold out and had dozed off with his head down.

Sleep was, after all, the most effective way for cultivators to recover their spirits.

Li Jing had overexerted his primordial spirit this time, severely impacting his own Dao progress and adding to his already unstable Dao realm.

He would just have to keep pushing forward.

Taiyi Zhenren was quite injured, but at that moment, he wasn't exactly full of energy either.

His face was pale as he sat at the stone table outside the house, laughing heartily, his fingers tapping his thigh rhythmically, as if he were about to burst into song.

Nezha had fully mastered his malevolent energy, merging his past and present lives, so he was both Nezha and, in a sense, Ling Zhuzi.

This was certainly something for Taiyi Zhenren to rejoice over.

As soon as Li Changshou's paper effigy arrived with Yin Shi, Taiyi Zhenren stood up and called out, "Chang Geng! Thank you! Ha ha ha!"

Li Changshou thought to himself: ...This was so abrupt.

He hadn't planned to reveal this incarnation publicly yet, so later he'd have to follow His Majesty the Jade Emperor's example and adopt a new identity and perspective.

Taiyi was far too careless.

Two young men emerged from the room—one looking a bit more mature, the other still a teenager—Jin Zha and Mu Zha, of course.

Jin Zha was the first to call out, "This disciple, Jin Zha, pays respects to Uncle Chang Geng."

Mu Zha, however, hurried to Yin Shi's side to support her. "Mother, are you hurt?"

"Mother is fine, Mother is fine," the still-youthful Yin Shi patted Mu Zha's hand, not even bothering to bow to Taiyi Zhenren and Yuding Zhenren, and rushed into the room to check on her husband and youngest son.

Li Changshou nodded to Jin Zha, who wisely bowed and retreated inside to join the family reunion.

Yuding Zhenren, Taiyi Zhenren, and Li Changshou exchanged glances, then all threw back their heads and laughed heartily.

Taiyi Zhenren said, "When it comes to schemes and strategies, no one can outplay you."

"You could find a more sincere way to praise me, senior brother," Li Changshou replied. "A simple gesture would suffice."

Yuding Zhenren asked, "Chang Geng, are you injured?"

"Just a minor internal injury, nothing serious."

Li Changshou grimaced and took a sharp breath, then switched to mental transmission: "The Dragon King's cultivation is truly formidable. I only exchanged a few moves with him and nearly couldn't hold my ground. It was probably the old Dragon King deliberately losing, or today might not have ended well."

Yuding Zhenren nodded slowly and sent back: "The Dragon Clan's foundations are indeed terrifying. That's still with the ancient dragons guarding the sea eyes unmoved. We were in real danger this time."

Li Changshou smiled and transmitted: "Actually, there wasn't much danger. I, Chan School, the Dragon King, the human race, and the Heavenly Court—all got what we needed. As the clan leader and king, the East Sea Dragon King may seem to hold absolute power, but he can't decide everything alone. He must first consolidate his authority to use it effectively, or it could backfire. The old Dragon King understands this better than anyone, so he chose to use this opportunity to suppress the unrest within his clan, letting me take the blame. After all, he's the most ancient ruler in the world today—absolutely no simple figure."

Taiyi Zhenren smirked. "Hearing you say that, I feel a bit unsatisfied. I want to pay another visit to the Dragon Palace."

Yuding Zhenren quietly pulled out a familiar treasure, the Spirit Pearl;

Li Changshou shifted his feet slightly, blocking any possible escape for Taiyi Zhenren, and said seriously: "This matter ends here. The Dragon Clan doesn't need to be drawn into the calamity anymore."

Taiyi Zhenren chuckled awkwardly and shook his head, saying no more.

"Ah—"

In the East Sea, at the Crystal Palace.

The seawater seemed to have grown murkier, and the atmosphere inside and outside the Crystal Palace was oppressively somber.

The Dragon Kings of the other three seas said little, returning to the Crystal Palace before taking their elders and heading back to their own domains.

They had been defeated.

Defeated without any dignity, their spirits crushed, as if the Dragon Clan would now only serve as laborers for the Heavenly Court, spending their remaining years in the four seas.

The East Sea Dragon King leaned on the armrest of his throne and slowly sat back down, his broken horn gradually regrowing.

He waved his hand, and the dragon elders below bowed and withdrew; a few elderly dragons hesitated, wanting to stay, but he waved again, and they too bowed and left.

With a creak, the great hall's stone doors slowly closed, and the old Dragon King narrowed his eyes, his complex gaze lost in thought.

He must have been recalling the early days of the Heavenly Court's rise, when the Dragon Clan, despite the disaster of the sea eyes being broken, had found hope and a future.

A stagnant pool had regained vitality, which delighted him as clan leader more than gaining more territory.

He also thought back to that day when Ao Yi had returned with a heavy expression, kneeling in the great hall and whispering two words.

Bloodshed.

Back then, the great calamity loomed like a blade about to fall, and though the Dragon Clan wasn't involved, their kin serving as water gods everywhere had committed one disgraceful act after another.

They had no choice but to execute a few as a warning, temporarily suppressing the growing arrogance and restlessness within the clan.

But the Dragon Clan hadn't gone far on that seemingly bright path before they began to stray...

As clan leader, he felt powerless against this, for it was a deep-seated pride ingrained in their bones from countless ages past.

They scorned evil but didn't actively seek virtue;

They were meant to roam freely across the heavens and earth, yet they could never escape the word "calamity."

As clan leader, he represented the will of his people. When his people veered onto another road, he could only rush ahead to lead them, using that to slow their reckless pace.

What happened today...

Ah, what happened today...

The old Dragon King took a jade talisman from his sleeve, his dragon hand trembling slightly as he recalled that day's events.

"Father, this is a letter from the Teaching Master brother. The jade talisman seems to have multiple layers of seals; I didn't open it."

The first time he saw this jade talisman, the old Dragon King had been moved by its contents.

On the outermost layer, it outlined the Dragon Clan's current problems and detailed solutions.

It was so thorough, even scripting each step and key lines.

When the Dragon King opened the second seal and read what was inside, he fell into hesitation.

It contained five clauses, exactly what Taiyi Jinxing had announced that day: surrendering the Dragon Clan's authority, reducing their divine powers, binding them to the Heavenly Way, and ensuring their rain-making was precise to the millimeter.

This was essentially placing shackles on the Dragon Clan.

The Dragon King hadn't wanted to agree at first, but the explanations that followed plunged him into deep uncertainty.

"The Dragon Clan's troubles don't stem from clinging to the protagonist role in the world or from outdated mindsets, but from the natural cycle of beings and the principles the Heavenly Way follows.

After submitting to the Heavenly Court, the Dragon Clan may seem stable, but swelling private desires will gradually bring them disaster.

The order established by the Heavenly Court cannot tolerate any being trampling it, or heavenly authority will collapse. The Dragon Clan, as a core part of this system, is the most likely to overstep and be caught.

The tighter the Heavenly Way binds the Dragon Clan, the lower their ambitions, and the safer their position. A little bloodshed can extend the Dragon Clan's future fortunes.

If the Dragon King himself harbors thoughts of rivalry, the clan may be doomed.

Please think carefully, Dragon King."

The Dragon King knew these truths well; they were old adages.

What truly resolved him to take this path was the third seal, which he unlocked after examining the jade talisman thirty-six times.

It was row after row of tiny characters that appeared and faded quickly, but he had read them and remembered every word.

How could he forget?

How could he forget what was written inside?

Why there were no four sea eyes in ancient times, why the Blood Sea was once so prosperous, gathering the world's yin and malevolent energies, and when the Nine Foul Springs legend truly began?

If the sea eyes were outlets for the Nine Foul Springs, why could they be completely sealed by heavenly merit? If the Heavenly Way had such power, why was the threat of the Nine Foul Springs still present?

Why did Ancestral Dragon and Original Phoenix, as Pangu's left and right arms, wage such relentless war in ancient times, even shattering the ancient world?

You, as a senior who has cultivated from ancient times, hold the answers in your heart; no need to reply to me.

There is another calamity after the great one, and the Dragon Clan's choices then will be crucial for all beings.

If you trust me, please follow the arrangements in the first layer. If I survive by chance, I promise the Dragon Clan will endure beyond the calamity. If I fall, the Dragon Clan can still secure their place in the world through loyalty to the Heavenly Court.

The Dragon Clan need only add to success, not aid in crisis.

Also, Ao Yi is like a brother to me; I don't want him involved.

Respectfully, Li Changshou of the Taiqing Teachings.

"Ah..."

The old Dragon King watched as the jade talisman in his hand turned to dust and scattered, with Ao Yi's report from that day still echoing in his ears.

"Father, this is the path the Teaching Master sees as our clan's only opportunity."

The only opportunity...

A calamity after the calamity...

"Young people are formidable, tsk, young people are formidable."