Chapter 701: Imprisoned in the Holy Mother Palace

Standing before the Lingxiao Hall, Li Changshou paused.

He gazed down at the vast, churning sea of clouds, watched the heavenly soldiers and generals patrolling back and forth, and stared into the distance at the immortal mountains, his mind deep in thought.

That should be enough.

He sensed that the gaze watching him had disappeared, meaning Daozu must have taken action.

A smokescreen...

Li Changshou clasped his hands behind his back and rode a cloud towards his Taibai Palace, carefully considering the possible reactions from Daozu.

Daozu had far too many options—direct intervention in the great calamity, using pawns like Maitreya to stir up trouble behind the scenes, or simply making promises to a few saints to get them to work for him.

Especially that sixth saint, who desperately craved the approval of mere mortals and relied on the unspoken rule that saints cannot die, would undoubtedly cause a stir during the upcoming great calamity.

Yet, in most situations, Li Changshou could only watch helplessly.

It was absurd.

Li Changshou shook his head, a knowing smile playing on his lips, and accelerated his cloud flight.

A surge of poetic inspiration suddenly struck him, and he quietly recited to himself:

Mountains rise endlessly high,I reach up to grasp the heavens.For the sake of thoroughness,I live up to my name for prudence.

Tsk, how sentimental, how sentimental.

Unfortunately, he didn't dare say it aloud; he could only reflect on it silently to reinforce his determination, then clear his mind and Dao heart, suppress his emotions, and review all his plans from this moment until Zhao Gongming's calamity.

Chances of success: ninety-eight percent.

More accurately, this time it was ninety-nine percent.

He had achieved a minor breakthrough within himself, resulting in the highest success rate in history. After all, this plan, born from a sudden insight and a change in perspective, was an unexpected masterstroke. It would be a great boon to the Heavenly Dao and completely put Daozu at ease.

If he could find such breakthroughs at every subsequent stage, he wouldn't have to split things fifty-fifty with the Heavenly Dao anymore.

A win rate below eighty percent was acting foolishly.

A success rate below ninety percent was walking the line between life and death.

Of course, this was merely the Honghuang Survival Guide, not applicable to other environments, and only represented Li Changshou's personal perspective.

"Star Lord! Star Lord!"

A call came from behind him. Li Changshou, on the verge of entering Taibai Hall, paused and turned to see a heavenly general flying towards him as a streak of rainbow light.

After a brief wait, the general knelt on one knee at the base of the white jade steps and declared loudly:

"Star Lord, an immortal from Shengmu Palace has entered the East Heaven Gate. Shengmu Niangniang wishes to invite you to Shengmu Palace for a discussion and to give some instructions."

Li Changshou nodded slowly and said warmly, "Rise. Heaven Court doesn't have so many kneeling rituals. Just have that immortal come here."

"Yes!"

The general responded firmly, stood up, and hurried away.

Shengmu...

Li Changshou narrowed his eyes slightly, his brows knitting tightly as a flicker of light danced in his eyes. Then he sighed softly, his gaze filled with calm resignation.

Well, she was Shengmu Niangniang after all, so he should show respect.

He gently pressed his thumb towards the direction of Xiaoqiong Peak, activating its grand arrays. On Xiaoqiong Peak, the Chaos Bell spirit, who was holding a handful of cards, froze for a moment and pushed the Chaos Bell itself behind Ling'e.

Ling'e tilted her head and frowned. "Sister Zhong, you're being a bit unfair peeking at the cards like that."

"Tch, do I even need to peek? It's about the agreement with your senior brother. He must be heading out now, and with the special circumstances, I need to be ready to take you and run at any time!"

Ling'e blinked, smiling a little guiltily.

Nearby, Xiong Lingli raised her hand and gestured. "What about me?"

The Chaos Bell spirit snorted. "You can just defect on the spot and become some kind of mighty god in Heaven Court. You'll be fine."

Xiong Lingli: ...

So love really does fade, doesn't it?

Meanwhile, Li Changshou waited in Taibai Hall for a while. The immortal from Shengmu Palace arrived on a cloud, escorted by two heavenly generals, and stopped at the hall's entrance.

This immortal was an acquaintance—the one who had stayed at the Jiang residence for years, witnessing the first half of Jiang Ziya's rise to glory. She was dressed like a lotus emerging from water and bowed gracefully.

"Greetings, Star Lord."

Li Changshou smiled. "Is it Shengmu Niangniang who wants me to go to Shengmu Palace?"

"Yes," the immortal said softly. "With the human race in the midst of the great calamity, Shengmu Niangniang is quite worried and wishes to discuss a few matters with you in Shengmu Palace."

Li Changshou replied, "In that case, let's set off now."

With that, he stood up and took a couple of steps forward.

The immortal hadn't expected him to agree so readily and blinked in surprise, whispering a reminder: "Star Lord, it's best if you go in your true form..."

Li Changshou chuckled and rolled up his sleeve. He touched a finger to his wrist, and a drop of blood glowing with faint golden light emerged, only to be reabsorbed into the wound.

The aura of the perfected Bajiu Mysterious Art, mixed with various Dao rhymes, brewed a calm yet violent power beneath the rules, surging with endless strength.

That single drop of blood seemed capable of tearing apart the universe, suppressing Jinxian and Daluo.

The immortal from Shengmu Palace was momentarily speechless, lowering her head to summon a cloud boat. Li Changshou smiled and shook his head, casually drawing a circle in front of him. The circle slowly expanded, revealing the familiar void beyond.

It led directly outside Shengmu Palace.

"This way is faster," Li Changshou gestured invitingly.

The immortal hurried over, stepping carefully into the circle and crossing Heaven Court's grand array, the borders of the Five Divisions Continent, and entering the void beyond.

Li Changshou followed, waving his sleeve gently. The universe flowed like water, and the circle vanished smoothly, like footprints on the beach washed away by gentle waves.

Door Escape—simplified version.

The immortal couldn't help but ask quietly, "What realm are you in now?"

"Ordinary Daluo," Li Changshou said with a smile. "The Dao realm is just an illusion, a kind of constraint. The true path to strength is to sense the Great Dao, to resonate with it.

Once you gain the Great Dao's recognition, you can turn it into your own divine ability.

Let's go pay our respects to Shengmu."

"Ah, please wait a moment." The immortal quickly summoned a cloud boat to carry Li Changshou towards the gates of Shengmu Palace.

Li Changshou's expression remained unchanged, as if he had no idea what was coming next.

The void revealed the gatehouse, with "Shengmu Palace" inscribed above.

They sailed the boat into it, and that peaceful paradise reappeared before them.

The cloud boat transformed on a clear river, with shores lined with exotic flowers and trees. Abundant, pure spiritual energy wafted everywhere, and groups of beautiful, pure immortals flitted about.

From one hall came the sound of young attendants reciting scriptures, clear and resonant;

From another, the laughter of immortals playing in the water, evoking endless daydreams.

Shengmu Palace was mostly filled with female immortals of the human race, including many experts, forming a force that couldn't be ignored, though it lacked the kind of top-tier masters who could stand alone like the great disciples of the sage sects.

The boat glided to a serene lake, where the pavilion in the center still exuded waves of subtle aura.

Li Changshou was quite familiar with the place by now. He stepped off the boat and walked up the path, bowing at the door and saying, "Your disciple Changshou has come as summoned. I pay my respects to Niangniang."

"Come in."

A slightly lazy voice called from inside.

Li Changshou answered softly and pushed open the door, stepping once more into that vast, misty "universe."

Ah, back into Shengmu Niangniang's divine ability.

Looking up, Shengmu Niangniang was as usual, lounging by the pool and flipping through a picture book from Li Changshou's hand. Her slightly curly long hair was casually draped, and her loose dress emphasized a sense of ease.

Li Changshou sat in his usual spot, mixing ink and laying out the paperboard, and asked with a smile:

"What kind of story would Niangniang like this time?

Time is short, so I can only draw one in your divine ability. I'll deliver the rest I owe after the great calamity. How about that?"

Shengmu Niangniang smirked slightly. "Just make it something good. The genre doesn't matter, but the characters have to be beautiful."

"Alright," Li Changshou agreed, pausing to think before slowly picking up the brush.

The pavilion fell silent.

It seemed Shengmu Niangniang had summoned him just to draw comics.

Time seemed cut off from the river of ages. Shengmu Niangniang slowly turned the pages, occasionally picking up an immortal fruit to eat, her colorful tail swaying gently now and then.

Li Changshou quickly immersed himself, focusing intently.

Shengmu Niangniang glanced at him a few times, her delicate brows furrowed in thought, sensing that...

Something was off.

This guy wasn't simple; he might have already seen through her arrangements. So why was he going along with it now?

"You..."

"Niangniang, your disciple has always had a question, one I've wanted to ask but felt too embarrassed to."

Shengmu said, "Ask away. The flame of civilization has fallen into your hands, and as the Holy Mother of the human race, I should listen to some of your opinions."

Li Changshou said softly, "In ancient times, when the human race faced calamity and ninety-nine percent were slaughtered, why didn't Niangniang appear to stop it?"

Shengmu's expression turned cold and indifferent. "I was schemed against and trapped outside at the time. You've asked this before.

If I could have saved them, I wouldn't have let the demon race act so barbarically."

"Specifically," Li Changshou continued without looking up, "what exactly delayed you, and who was responsible?"

"I don't want to discuss this."

"Niangniang, is it that you don't want to talk, or you can't?"

Li Changshou set down his brush and looked at the goddess by the pool, saying calmly:

"Back then, when that predecessor tried to shatter Honghuang, what was Niangniang's stance?"

Shengmu Niangniang closed her eyes, her figure drifting gently as she slowly emerged from the pool.

In a flash of golden light, she transformed from a human torso with a serpentine tail into a pure human form, dressed in a magnificent golden gown, walking barefoot on the carpet to sit on the soft couch.

With a light wave of her jade arm, her skirt fell gracefully, naturally exuding an air of majesty.

"Changshou, why don't you just speak your mind?"

Li Changshou sighed softly and met Shengmu Niangniang's gaze.

He said quietly, "Niangniang, the accounts of ancient events circulating in Honghuang today have the timeline a bit wrong, don't they?"

"Why would you have such a ridiculous idea?"

"It's just a feeling," Li Changshou said with a somewhat bitter smile. "That predecessor left me many messages, and I've gradually pieced together what really happened."

Shengmu Niangniang frowned slightly and sighed. "So you've been influenced by him.

You have no real connection to him, so why won't you believe what you've seen, heard, and known, and instead trust the words of a being who once tried to destroy Honghuang?"

"Niangniang, is that truly what you think in your heart?"

Li Changshou's voice was very calm as he sat behind the low table, meeting her gaze.

Shengmu's eyes were equally calm, as if her heart held no ripples.

This was another contest.

But this time, Li Changshou took the initiative to lower his head, avoiding Shengmu Niangniang's gaze.

In the end, he didn't want to do anything that might harm the Holy Mother of the human race.

Li Changshou said slowly, "Niangniang, I'll just mention three things. You don't have to answer or deny them.

First, that predecessor... I think he was just too reckless. I've always called him that in my heart."

A soft chuckle escaped, and Shengmu Niangniang couldn't hold back her laugh. "That nickname suits him. He was indeed too reckless and not exactly a virtuous sort."

Li Changshou smiled and continued seriously: "For the first point, when that predecessor was secretly battling the Heavenly Dao and Daozu, Niangniang must have held a crucial bargaining chip.

You chose the Heavenly Dao and Daozu, didn't you?"

Shengmu Niangniang's smile faded instantly, and she couldn't help asking, "Where did you learn these secrets?"

Li Changshou tapped his head. "Reasonable deductions based on the information I have. You don't need to answer. I completely understand—you couldn't bear to see living beings suffer or Honghuang shattered.

If I were in your position back then, I would have made the same choice, protecting Honghuang and stopping that predecessor.

He just picked the most irresponsible option out of all."

"Ah..."

Shengmu sighed lightly, saying no more.

Li Changshou continued: "Second, when the ancient human race was massacred, the one who stopped you from going to their aid wasn't anyone else—it was Shizu, wasn't it?

His reasoning must have been something like, 'This is the human race's trial before their great prosperity,' or 'As long as the spark doesn't die, the human race will thrive.'

Right?"

Shengmu Niangniang had a slight pursing of her lips.

Li Changshou sighed softly, knowing in his heart that it was true, but he still didn't want to tear away that thin veil and embarrass Shengmu Niangniang.

Li Changshou added: "Third, the divine ability I entered this time seems different. Niangniang, you've slowed down the flow of time here, haven't you?"

Surprise flashed in Shengmu's eyes, followed by a light smile. "You can actually tell."

"To be honest," Li Changshou said with a smile, taking out two treasures from his sleeve and placing them on the low table, "after the first time I entered your divine ability, I made these little gadgets."

They were two hourglasses. The sand in the one on the left flowed evenly, but the one on the right, wrapped in yin-yang energy, flowed incredibly fast.

Li Changshou explained: "Niangniang can control the flow of time in a certain area, speeding it up so that a moment outside becomes a hundred years here.

Or slowing it down, so that months outside become a moment here.

Based on the speed of the sand, in the short time I've been inside, half a year must have passed outside."

Shengmu fell silent, slowly closing her eyes.

Li Changshou went on: "If I'm not mistaken, Niangniang wants to keep me here, letting Zhao Gongming's calamity pass, to avoid a direct confrontation between me and Daozu."

"That's right," Shengmu sighed lightly. "Changshou, you can't win against the teacher."

Li Changshou replied, "Niangniang, I won't destroy Honghuang."

"If you use the flame of civilization to oppose the Heavenly Dao, it's the same as dragging the human race into an endless abyss."

"I have no intention of using the flame for anything. It's a legacy from Suirenshi, and my plans don't involve it at all!"

"But now, you represent the human race."

A sharp light gleamed in Shengmu's eyes. "That guy accumulated power for half of ancient times and still lost to Daozu and the Heavenly Dao. How much have you accumulated, and what cards do you have?

I know you're thorough, I know you're cautious, and I know you're even better than my brother by a bit, but how many years have you cultivated?

I can't let you gamble with the human race's fate."

Li Changshou clenched his fist unconsciously, looking up at Shengmu Niangniang. He set down his brush, braced against the low table, and stood up.

He said quietly:

"Niangniang, do you want to see the world fall into utter silence?

Do you want to watch the Buddhist rise, with three thousand Buddha realms replacing three thousand worlds, where all living beings only cultivate forbearance, for the afterlife, bowing to authority, fearing the heavens and nature?

Do you truly want the Heavenly Dao to complete its final plan, extending the world's lifespan indefinitely by stripping living beings of their selves, leaving only shells to bear true spirits!"

But Shengmu Niangniang didn't back down, saying firmly:

"Do you want to see the human race slaughtered again, enduring another dark age like ancient times?"

Li Changshou fell silent, smiling bitterly. "Niangniang, you've been cowed by Shizu."

"Cowed?"

Shengmu Niangniang's smile was full of bitterness. She raised her hand to her chest, as if struggling to breathe. "When the human race was slaughtered, I resisted, I struggled.

They were my children, created from my own essence.

What do you know? What do you understand?

You look at the distorted history of Honghuang shaped by Daozu and arrogantly guess what happened back then. What you see is only what Daozu wants you to see; what you hear is only what he wants you to hear.

Who hasn't wanted to protect living beings?

Who hasn't thought they could triumph over the heavens, outsmart the grand design?

But in the end...

In the end.

In the end..."

A hum of energy—

A faint blue halo rippled from Shengmu's body, and the once misty universe turned gray and dim, revealing the sky, the earth, the lake, and a massive figure.

The sky was shattered, opening to the endless void;

The earth was pocked with craters, and that huge figure—a human torso with a serpentine tail—was pierced by seven massive spears, pinning it to the ground.

Countless black chains wrapped around her weakened body, densely covering her dull scales.

Her hands were bound by chains and pulled high toward the sky, but she hung her head powerlessly.

Heaven locked, earth bound.

Around her lay the remains of white bones, mostly shattered.

They were the human race.

"In the end...

Give up, child. I'm begging you.

It was my failure; I couldn't protect you.

Using the power of a saint to ignite the flame of the human race's will was the last gift I could leave you.

I truly have nothing left to trade with the Heavenly Dao for your fate."