Chapter 691: The First Battle of the Chan and Jie Sects

On the Feng Shen Tai, a magnificent hall was rising straight from the ground.

Here, the power of the Heavenly Dao worked like a 3D printer, perfectly manifesting the construction process from foundation to dome in one seamless motion.

Ao Bing was already seated across from the low table, his posture somewhat stiff and hesitant, not daring to look up at the elder before him…

Tai Bai Jinxing.

As the second-rank upright god most trusted by the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Court, his achievements to date could fill a biography of over three million words. He was also a great benefactor to the Dragon Clan, so Ao Bing had naturally seen various portraits of him.

Earlier, Ao Bing had felt a bit resentful, thinking that as the prince of the Dragon Clan, it was embarrassing to be so easily eliminated from the grand stage of the primordial world. But after quickly coming to terms with reality, he adjusted his position…

His position? Ao Bing’s eyes showed a hint of confusion as he sat there, lost in thought for a moment.

He was neither dragon nor ghost, seeming both dead and alive. The pain of being struck by that spear, the nearly endless and boundless darkness, as if exiled to a desolate void—it was a silence he absolutely never wanted to experience again.

“Are you settling in well here?”

Li Changsheng casually broached a topic.

Ao Bing replied, “Ah, it’s not bad. It’s quite close to the Great Dao, and there’s a lot to gain from contemplation.”

Li Changsheng said, “Are you resenting your father, feeling like you were born as an abandoned child of the Dragon Clan, with some simmering grudge that breeds resentment?”

Ao Bing blinked and whispered, “No, no… it’s not that serious.”

“There’s just you and me here, no need to hide it,” Li Changsheng said warmly. “I know you’re troubled. It’s best to speak it out now. You can think of me as an elder or a close friend—I’ll do my best to guide you.”

Ao Bing’s throat bobbed a few times. “Is this… necessary?”

Li Changsheng smiled warmly. “This can be arranged.”

“Then, well, I guess I do have a bit.”

Ao Bing sighed, lowering his head, and quickly made up a short story.

His life in the Dragon Palace had actually been quite good.

Ever since he gained the ability to produce offspring, he had taken on the duty of expanding the Dragon King’s family line. He’d experienced all sorts of pleasures, living wildly and freely every day, throwing around his status as the son of the East Sea Dragon King, basically dominating the seas.

It was just that his father rarely summoned him, and there had been no celebration ceremony after his birth, so he felt a slight imbalance in his heart.

“So,” Ao Bing asked quietly, “does dying so pointlessly count? Who was that kid anyway, and how did he get so strong? I thought the Human Clan was weak. Even if he’s your great-grandson, shouldn’t he have cultivated? How could he have such power in just two or three years? Is that even reasonable? I charged in and got taken out in an instant—that’s just too frustrating!”

Li Changsheng couldn’t help but stroke his beard and chuckle. “Nezha’s background is quite complicated.

Due to a scheme by a certain saint from the Western Teachings, Nezha was tainted by the aura of the Magic Ancestor. So, I had no choice but to infuse his previous life’s magical power into his spiritual fetus.

Then, I used a grand spiritual energy array to let him absorb endless spiritual energy directly in the womb.

Though he hasn’t yet passed the Golden Immortal tribulation, that’s because his realm isn’t sufficient, but his combat strength and magical power far surpass those of an ordinary Golden Immortal.

You didn’t lose unfairly.”

Ao Bing blinked, furrowed his brow in thought for a while, his expression turning somewhat complex, and then he let out a bitter laugh.

“I must have embarrassed the Dragon Clan—plotting to harm someone and getting killed instead. It’s truly a disgrace to our ancestors.”

Li Changsheng pondered for a moment and said seriously, “You don’t need to dwell on that.”

“Star Lord, I’ve always known that my bloodline is weak, and I’m not an outstanding dragon prince.

You might not know about the Dragon Clan’s rules. By the rules, a dragon egg like mine is considered a waste egg and shouldn’t take up a spot in the clan’s hatching quotas.

Because of the karmic burdens from ancient times, some of our supreme elders refined a set of treasures that can calculate how many dragon offspring we’ll have every ten thousand years, ensuring it doesn’t negatively impact our already thin destiny.

It’s through considerations like these that the Dragon Clan has managed to survive step by step to this day.”

Ao Bing let out a light sigh, looking somewhat dejected at the table before him.

“Especially for the Dragon King’s descendants, each one carries a significant amount of the clan’s destiny. So, although my mother laid many dragon eggs, only the carefully selected ones were used for hatching.

Take my second brother, for example—his Dragon King bloodline is a hundred times, even several hundred times, stronger than mine.

I still can’t figure out why I was born into this world. Was it just to be killed by that brat Nezha?”

“That’s right—your existence is exactly for that purpose.”

Li Changsheng stated it bluntly.

Ao Bing clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at the old immortal in front of him.

Li Changsheng continued, “The Dragon Clan needed a catalyst, a sacrificial figure of sufficient status to stir up emotions across the entire clan. Then, they could face a setback, which would help curb the swelling private ambitions of the clan’s elite.

You were the chosen sacrifice, and Nezha was the wall they hit.

I’m one of the ones behind it, so that’s why I’m sitting here today, wanting to offer you some compensation.”

“Is all of that true?”

“Yes,” Li Changsheng said. “There’s no benefit in lying to you.”

Ao Bing was stunned for a few moments, then burst into laughter. “So, I had that kind of significance after all. Not bad, pretty good.”

Li Changsheng felt a bit disoriented, looking at Ao Bing and starting to question if his own thoughts were too complicated.

Ao Bing stood up, performed a daoist bow, and sat back down, saying joyfully, “Thank you for the guidance, Star Lord. I feel much better now. Turns out I had a mission all along.

Finally!

All these years, I thought I was just an accident—a mistake my father hatched by error—and since he couldn’t just kill me off, he let me run wild and cause trouble.

So, I just kept running wild.

Who knew I had such a mission waiting for me?”

Li Changsheng: …

Indeed, one cannot truly understand another living being.

Well, if Ao Bing could think that way, it saved him a lot of effort.

“You are now a candidate for a Heavenly Court upright god. I’ll arrange a fifth-rank god position for you, which can also indirectly help the Dragon Clan.”

Li Changsheng said seriously, “Now, because of your incident, the Dragon Clan has hit a wall and is under the Heavenly Dao’s control.”

Ao Bing frowned. “Star Lord, I’m still a bit unclear—why does my father insist on using the Heavenly Court to suppress the Dragon Clan?”

Li Changsheng replied, “At this point, only the Heavenly Court and the great saintly teachings can suppress the Dragon Clan.”

“Is that so… Ah!

I do know about some of the elders’ ideas in the clan, and I think they’re pretty dangerous.

They still believe the Dragon Clan should dominate the primordial world. They think if we just unleash our hidden strength, we can turn the primordial world back into a realm of scales and armor, ruling the four seas while the Human Clan rules the land.

But that would just be repeating the mistakes of the Wu and Yao Clans, wouldn’t it?

The Human Clan is spread everywhere now, even if they seem scattered, with enough pressure, they’d definitely unite. Then the Dragon Clan would be done for.

Plus, the Heavenly Court is mostly Human Clan—they’d probably side with them… It just feels like these elders don’t know when to be content. Things are going pretty well for us right now.

Anyway, it’s really risky.”

Li Changsheng laughed. “The private desires of living beings have no end.

The fact that you’re thinking about these things means you’re not just a simple hedonist.”

“Heh,” Ao Bing rubbed his nose tip sheepishly, “You’re too kind. Everyone says I’m useless and unlearned, but that’s just how dragon brains work—who wouldn’t understand this stuff?

But with my thin bloodline, there’s no point in trying harder in the clan; I wouldn’t have any say anyway. Might as well enjoy life while I can.

Look, even now, I haven’t lost out. I’ve experienced everything, enjoyed all the blessings, and in the end, I can still land a position as an upright god.”

Li Changsheng was at a loss for words.

This guy was truly full of himself—if you gave him three thousand, he’d probably brag enough to start a chain of internet cafes.

At that moment, Li Changsheng began to explain the mission of immortals and gods, and what Ao Bing needed to pay attention to.

From now on, Ao Bing would represent the Dragon Clan in serving the Heavenly Court, and he had to correct all his bad habits.

Li Changsheng said this was the true mission the Dragon Clan had given Ao Bing, and also a key reason why the Dragon King had selected him.

Ao Bing was deeply moved, his entire body radiating a strong sense of glory.

He finally had a place to shine!

As Li Changsheng was earnestly advising Ao Bing, he suddenly felt a stir in his heart. Nearby, Bai Jian, who was planning the hall’s corridors, also paused slightly and turned to look at Li Changsheng.

The main instigator of the Feng Shen calamity and the guardian of the Feng Shen Tai exchanged glances, their expressions turning grave as they both stood up.

A new god had arrived.

Wafts of mist rose at the edge of the Feng Shen Tai, and a streak of light shot in from the void, transforming into the ethereal form of a female immortal, which was rapidly filled by the power of the Heavenly Dao.

She looked angry, yet also fearful and shaken, her eyes unfocused for a long time as she stood motionless at the edge of the Feng Shen Tai’s universe.

Shi Ji.

She had arrived quite quickly.

Li Changsheng sensed in his heart that Shi Ji had died under the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover.

“Bai Jian,” Li Changsheng called out. Bai Jian set aside his tasks and hurried to the female immortal, bowing to her.

Bai Jian declared loudly:

“Once you enter this divine realm, you are no longer as before!

The heavens condense righteous energy, granting deep blessings!

Greetings, fellow daoist. I am Bai Jian, the guardian of the Feng Shen Tai. By the decree of Tai Bai Jinxing, the overseer of the Feng Shen list, I am here to guide you into the Feng Shen Tai.

When the great calamity recedes and the Feng Shen is complete, there will be the grand Feng Shen ceremony.

I congratulate you in advance on joining the ranks of immortals and achieving a divine position.”

Shi Ji finally came to her senses, staring blankly at Bai Jian, then at the distant hall, and at Li Changsheng and Ao Bing behind it.

She took half a step forward, then weakly clutched her head with both hands and crouched down in pain.

“Taiyi, oh Taiyi! How could you be so heartless!”

A wisp of Heavenly Dao power passed over, and Shi Ji fell silent at once. Her trembling body quickly calmed.

She slowly rose, stood in thought for a while, and returned the bow to Bai Jian.

“Thank you for guiding me, fellow daoist. Please take care of me in the future.”

She was completely different from before.

Seeing this from afar, Li Changsheng couldn’t help but fall silent.

Although entering the Feng Shen Tai allowed one to live again, what was lost was far more than just freedom.

Still, compared to those spirits turned to ashes and unable to join the list, making it onto the Feng Shen list was already quite fortunate.

Bai Jian led Shi Ji forward. When she saw Li Changsheng, she bowed from a distance.

“Star Lord.”

Li Changsheng smiled warmly and said gently, “How did you end up here, fellow daoist?”

Shi Ji sighed lightly, her brows full of sorrow, a far cry from her earlier anger.

She said, “It was truly an unforeseen disaster; I have no idea why it happened.

My disciple was killed by a stray arrow. I took the arrow and chased it in the direction it came from, and halfway, I found a child looking for it.

I asked him, ‘Was this arrow shot by you?’

He was overjoyed and said it was an arrow he shot while practicing, and he wanted to retrieve it to enshrine it.

I pointed to my disciple’s body and demanded an explanation. He hemmed and hawed without answering. Then his master appeared. I asked who he was, and it turned out this child was Li Jing’s third son—the one who killed the Dragon King’s prince half a year ago…”

Shi Ji paused, looking at Li Changsheng. “Your great-grandson.”

Li Changsheng said, “Continue; don’t worry about those details.”

“Yes,” Shi Ji seemed quite compliant. She sighed softly and continued in a low voice, “His master, Taiyi Zhenren, is notorious for his sharp tongue. He speaks in a way that’s completely unreasonable, full of sarcasm that stirs up resentment.

After a few words from him, I couldn’t hold back and…”

“Fought back?” Li Changsheng asked quietly.

“Ah,” Shi Ji raised her hand to her forehead, “I don’t know what got into me—I forgot that Taiyi Zhenren is one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Jiao and has been a disciple for a long time.

I used my treasure to strike at his face, but he caught it easily.

He then activated his Divine Fire Cover, and I had no way to escape.

It was truly my own lack of skill that disgraced Jie Jiao. In just a few exchanges, his treasure burned my dao body, and a wisp of my soul was protected by the Heavenly Dao, bringing me here.”

Li Changsheng said, “Since you’ve come, make the best of it. Don’t dwell on it—since this calamity was fated for you, it’s also driven by the great tribulation.

Now that you’re here, calm your mind and think about how to face the path ahead.

After all, this isn’t the worst outcome in the great tribulation.”

Shi Ji gave a bitter smile, sensing her current body, which seemed almost the same as before but still felt somewhat illusory and unreal.

“Thank you for the guidance, Star Lord. I’ll go to the side and meditate to adjust my dao heart.”

Li Changsheng returned the bow, and Shi Ji turned and left, finding a corner in the hall to sit cross-legged, pondering and reflecting.

“Ao Bing, I’m assigning you a task.”

Ao Bing replied quickly, “What are your orders, Star Lord?”

“Follow Bai Jian’s commands and lend a hand,” Li Changsheng said, turning to Bai Jian. “We should also think carefully about how to comfort the souls who have just entered the Feng Shen Tai.

They’re already victims of the great tribulation, which is tragic enough, and they’re bound to feel downhearted when they arrive here.

That won’t be good for their service in the Heavenly Court.”

“What do you mean, Star Lord?”

“We need to make good use of banners as an effective way to promote a sense of belonging,” Li Changsheng said, waving his sleeve to materialize several large red banners with slogans written on them:

Entering the Feng Shen Tai means you’re not truly defeated; though freedom is distant, immortality is at hand.

View the primordial world from a new angle, and it will change because of you. The Heavenly Court needs your participation.

Welcome to the Heavenly Court family.

As long as you join the Heavenly Court, you’re one of our brothers.

Of course, the last one has a second part: the granting and revocation of the ‘brother’ title belongs to the Heavenly Court, which can always say, ‘We don’t have a brother like you.’

“Hang these up.”

Li Changsheng smiled. “We can come up with more similar ideas to help everyone feel a sense of belonging.”

“Yes!”

Bai Jian bowed in agreement and called Ao Bing over to get to work immediately.

Li Changsheng chuckled lightly.

With Shi Ji’s death, the opposition between Chan Jiao and Jie Jiao was now unavoidable, fulfilling the Dao Ancestor’s expectations. He could continue to intervene in the Feng Shen matters.

Just as he turned to leave, he felt a sudden unease in his heart.

Right then!

Golden light flashed across the Feng Shen Tai, and clusters of lotus flowers drifted in from the edges. The Feng Shen Tai opened a gap, and streaks of light flew in one after another, arriving in quick succession.

In an instant, over a dozen figures materialized.

What was this?

Li Changsheng was startled, his mind instantly reaching out to his various incarnations to investigate what had happened.

This didn’t make sense.

Shi Ji’s death by Taiyi Zhenren shouldn’t have involved other immortals from the two teachings. Why had over a dozen immortals suddenly entered the Feng Shen list?

And entering the Feng Shen list was always for a select few ‘fated for tribulation’—having over a dozen immortals on it likely meant over a hundred had perished!

Soon, Li Changsheng’s face darkened slightly.

In the thatched hut on Xiao Qiong Peak, his true body opened its eyes and frowned toward the nine heavens beyond the clouds.

Why had the Dao Ancestor changed the script himself?

The first war between Chan Jiao and Jie Jiao had erupted so abruptly.

This was truly beyond Li Changsheng’s expectations. He had been focused on Shi Ji, thinking her involvement wouldn’t spark a full war.

But unexpectedly, the two teachings had clashed!

Fortunately, the situation was now under control, with both sides’ chief disciples having arrived.

Was the Dao Ancestor afraid of delays leading to interference, or did he need to push things along for his own agenda?

If the Dao Ancestor had abandoned the script and let everything evolve toward the broader direction, Li Changsheng would lose his advantage of foreknowledge, making the situation even more unpredictable.

Li Changsheng rubbed his brow, already beginning to carefully calculate and piece together the messages from his paper incarnations.

In the Feng Shen Tai, those over a dozen immortals split into two groups. The three from Chan Jiao were at a disadvantage and seemed ready to continue their previous fight.