Chapter 705: Lifespan Not at Ease

Yu Ding Zhenren said:

"My master is Yuan Shi Tian Zun."

The old Daoist with the lantern, who called himself Ti Deng, snorted coldly and said nothing more. He strode straight into the main tent, where Guang Cheng Zi led him to the seat of honor, and Jiang Shang stood up to yield his place.

Tsk, this unknown Ti Deng had not come to usurp the host's position.

At that moment, Ji Fa was thinking to himself:

'Weren't these immortals just boasting that their Chan Jiao is the greatest teaching in the Three Realms? How come they're so deferential to some wild Daoist?

Oh well, never mind. Without them, the Zhou state would be in grave danger. Even if I have to stand and give up my seat, I can't hesitate today.

Hmm, I should find a way to interject later, so this Daoist knows that I'm the one in charge here.'

Ji Fa then heard...

Beyond the Five Parts of the World, in a small thousand world dominated by the powers of fire and earth elements.

Li Changshou sat on a dim volcanic rock, smiling as he watched Di Ting enthusiastically explaining the current situation of the Zhou army and the Shang army.

"Enough with prying into mortals' minds," Li Changshou waved his hand and said with a laugh, "Now that this Ti Deng Daoist has appeared, I should head back."

Di Ting shuddered at once. The creature, which had been lively just moments before, now looked extremely anxious and whispered:

"Star Lord, it's not that I'm not helping you this time. I truly couldn't pick up any rumors about Mi Le's whereabouts."

Li Changshou nodded with a smile, conjured a white cloud, and carried Di Ting toward the outer heavens.

He said, "It's fine. We should encounter something on the way back."

"Eh?"

Di Ting was taken aback and pondered for a moment, suddenly realizing something. It glanced at Li Changshou with a hint of fear.

To compete with this one, even its own master tied up with Mi Le wouldn't stand a chance...

As a divine beast, Di Ting didn't have the supreme ability of Bai Ze to foresee good and bad fortune, but because it could listen to the thoughts of living beings, it could barely be considered 'clever.'

If this trip wasn't about tracking Mi Le's location and they had come to such a remote small thousand world, then...

Was it luring the dog out to kill it?

Di Ting shivered all over, its large eyes misting with tears.

It knew it—creatures like itself were what scheming old hands like the Star Lord feared the most!

Yet, it rarely ever heard the Star Lord's thoughts!

And as the Star Lord's cultivation grew, even with all its effort, Di Ting couldn't catch a single word!

Through various channels and methods, Di Ting had gathered some information and understood that this human orthodox god was engaged in a grand game of chess with the Dao Ancestor...

What kind of ruthlessness did it take to play against the Dao Ancestor!

This was the end— the more it thought about it, the more it felt the Star Lord had tricked it out here just to spare its master's feelings and avoid causing too much grief.

What to do?

It couldn't fight back, and it couldn't escape.

Even if it cried out for help, who in the Three Realms could stop the Tai Bai Star Lord's blade?

"Hmm?"

Li Changshou turned and glanced at Di Ting, saying calmly, "Why are you lagging behind like that?"

Di Ting trembled as it edged forward, wanting to ask but afraid that speaking would seal its fate. It racked its brains for a way to survive.

Li Changshou rode the cloud out into the void, his mastery of the Door Escape technique making him utterly composed and confident.

In the vast void, the starry rivers shone brightly, with the shadows of countless great thousand worlds resembling spiral star systems in the distance.

He asked, "Di Ting, when were you born? In ancient times? Or the primordial era?"

"During the primordial era, at its very beginning," Di Ting replied hastily.

Li Changshou nodded slowly and smiled. "The more I understand the Heavenly Way, the more interesting theories I come up with.

The Heavenly Way deduced the three thousand great dao that form the foundation of the primordial world and grasps all the rules of heaven and earth, yet it's not omniscient. There are always flaws.

Take the simplest example: the hearts of living beings.

The Heavenly Way can't calculate the hearts of living beings, right?"

Di Ting gulped and whispered, "Could we talk about something else?"

"No."

"This, this," Di Ting was almost in tears, "The Heavenly Way isn't something a creature like me can discuss. You're an escaped one, and I'm just a humble mount. I can't withstand a glance from the Dao Ancestor."

Li Changshou chuckled. "You're surprisingly well-informed."

Di Ting raised a paw and lightly slapped itself twice, sighing softly: "Star Lord, if you want to kill me, could you at least give me a chance to defend myself?"

Li Changshou clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. "Then guess what I was just thinking."

Di Ting said bitterly, "If I guess right, you'll think I can hear your thoughts and kill me with one strike..."

"Just guess," Li Changshou said seriously. "If I wanted to kill you, I have a thousand ways to do it without bringing you here.

I came to this place only because it's far enough from the Five Parts of the World."

"You're trying to draw out Mi Le this way?"

"It's worth a try," Li Changshou said. "Mi Le is working for the Heavenly Way now, and the Heavenly Way doesn't want me involved in the upcoming Feng Shen matters, so it will block my return to the Five Parts of the World.

If Mi Le wants to hide, the Heavenly Way will protect him, making it hard for me to find him.

But when the Heavenly Way needs a tool or person, it will think of Mi Le."

Di Ting: ...

Then why did you bring me out here?!

Of course, it didn't dare voice that question. Although the Tai Bai Star Lord claimed not to be a malevolent god, the reality was clear.

Li Changshou continued, "While we're at it, I have something to ask you. If you don't answer truthfully, you won't need to return to the Wheel of Reincarnation Tower."

Di Ting perked up immediately, every hair on its body attuned to Li Changshou's words.

Li Changshou asked, "Where do divine beasts truly come from? And why were they born?"

Di Ting: Stunned.

It, how would it know why it was born?

The auspicious cloud that gave birth to it wasn't even a living being—just a mass of pure spiritual energy.

"Not bad, Star Lord," Di Ting said, raising a front paw in a thumbs-up gesture, "That question really gets to the essence of life and the core of divine beasts!

Um... well!"

Li Changshou glanced at it. "No nonsense. I still remember every grievance between you and me, one by one."

Di Ting was on the verge of tears: "I really don't know. You should ask Bai Ze. Bai Ze is an innate great power who became an auspicious beast and is also called a divine beast."

Li Changshou said, "Throughout the primordial world, anything related to 'god' is connected to the Heavenly Way's order.

Even the ancestral witches are no exception—the Water God Gong Gong and the Fire God Zhu Rong once left their marks on the Heavenly Way because they mastered the forces of rules.

You seem to have had the title of divine beast since the primordial era, haven't you?"

Di Ting replied quickly, "Are you suspecting that I'm connected to the Heavenly Way?"

"Otherwise," Li Changshou said calmly, "how do you achieve your divine ability to listen to the thoughts of all things?"

Di Ting: ...

This was the second time it was stunned.

Di Ting suddenly felt that the one who understood it best wasn't itself, but this human youth whose dao realm was profoundly deep.

"Star Lord, I truly don't know about this," Di Ting sighed. "When I first became aware, I was in a cloud of mist, drifting slowly in a great thousand world. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered toward me, and from that moment, I could hear the thoughts of living beings within tens of thousands of miles.

When I left the mist, I was just a small beast, about a foot long, wandering through the world.

The problem is, I can't turn off my divine ability—it's like it's part of me. I have to listen to those thoughts.

Whenever I hear malice directed at me, I instinctively stay away. That's how I gradually learned about the dangers of human nature and the complexity of living beings. By the time I realized it, I was already at the edge of the three thousand worlds.

I wanted to go into the Chaos Sea because I didn't like hearing the thoughts of all creatures.

There are so many dark things there, so much evil, so much like sludge...

But the Chaos energy made me hesitate. We beings who rely on the primordial world's heaven and earth can resist it, but without something like Kong Xuan's Five-Color Divine Light, venturing into the Chaos Sea is like self-exile.

I'm afraid of death, so I stayed in a small thousand world, far from other beings, and fell into a cold, quiet slumber.

When I woke up, I met my master..."

Li Changshou listened as Di Ting spoke slowly, analyzing any potential logical flaws in its story.

Di Ting was drawn to Di Zang's flawless dao heart, finding rare peace by his side.

At first, Di Zang hadn't thought about having a mount, but he sensed Di Ting's suffering from listening to the thoughts of all beings. Using all his wisdom, he helped Di Ting create a way to shut off its ability.

When Di Zang continued his trials and cultivation, Di Ting hopped along, biting at Di Zang's pant leg and offering an immortal pact of its own accord.

"From then on, I kept telling my master not to come back, not to come back—the Western Teachings have hardly any good people.

But my master wouldn't listen..."

Di Ting sighed deeply, its eyes full of memories.

"I'm sorry, Star Lord, I talked too much. But I really don't know what you want to ask."

Li Changshou nodded and said, "I used to think you might be a mechanism of the Heavenly Way, meant to monitor the thoughts of all things.

Now, I can judge that while you're connected to the Heavenly Way, you're probably not some hidden pawn."

Di Ting asked in confusion, "How did you believe me so easily?"

Li Changshou: ...

"I could choose not to."

As he spoke, Li Changshou silently drew a long sword from his sleeve. Di Ting quickly said it was unnecessary and slapped its mouth with its paws.

Li Changshou said, "Keep listening to the thoughts of the Zhou state's officials and see what's happening there. I'll try to lure Mi Le out again."

"Yes," Di Ting replied promptly.

In truth, Di Ting found the situation a bit baffling.

It had sharply detected a flash of killing intent in Li Changshou's eyes earlier and thought its end was near.

But unexpectedly...

The Star Lord was surprisingly reasonable, not like some malevolent god at all.

"Star Lord, how about I carry you back?"

"No need," Li Changshou shook his head. "I should still respect your master."

"Ah, you're too kind!

He's just immature, hasn't been beaten down enough," Di Ting said with a fawning smile, while continuing to monitor the situation in the Five Parts of the World at the Zhou army's camp.

Soon, its words poured out like a rapid monologue:

"That Ti Deng Daoist is incredibly capable. He's already provided a way to break the Ten Absolutes Linked Array. First, Chan Jiao should select ten immortals to enter the array and use their lives to satisfy its killing intent.

This is called 'feeding the array.'

Then, they can send ten experts to break it. This Ti Deng Daoist will directly sever the connections between the arrays, allowing those ten experts to slay the Ten Heavenly Lords.

Hiss—

This Ti Deng Daoist is so sinister, making Chan Jiao pick ten sacrificial lambs to enter the tribulation and block disaster for those ten experts!"

Li Changshou nodded slowly and said, "That's how the Sixth Saint operates—ruthless and using any means necessary."

"What? This is a Saint?" Di Ting blurted out in shock.

Li Changshou didn't even glance at Di Ting's stunned expression. He gripped the Kunlun Ruler in his left hand, and the white cloud accelerated rapidly, with the void of Qian Kun receding quickly.

Di Ting was dazed for a moment before continuing its commentary.

This was the proper use of Di Ting's ability—though it couldn't eavesdrop on experts like the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Jiao, it could easily monitor any ordinary person in the camp.

That Ti Deng Daoist, who was actually the Quasi-Ti Saint, was about to deal with the Ten Absolutes Array directly.

This was truly...

A bit beyond Li Changshou's expectations.

But overall, it still fit within his plans.

Next would be the main act unfolding, and while Li Changshou could only control one direction of it, he would try to steer the outcome that way.

All for ensuring enough leverage when it came time to flip the table.

"Di Ting."

"I'm here!"

"From now on, stay quietly by your master's side. If you ever hear something you shouldn't..."

"I'll go deaf and hear nothing! Don't worry!"

"Good."

Li Changshou nodded slowly, reviewing the plan deep in his dao heart once more.

When he finally confronted the Dao Ancestor, Di Ting would be a necessary tool or person, so it wasn't wise to eliminate it directly. However, keeping Di Ting around carried a slight risk.

Thus, Li Changshou had chosen to take it out this time, subtly planting a shadow in its dao heart.

Moreover, his unease about Di Ting was just a 'just in case' part of the plan—something optional.

It was just steadying his hand even further.

"Let's go back," Li Changshou said calmly. "It seems Mi Le won't show up."

Di Ting was about to respond when it felt the surrounding Qian Kun shifting rapidly.

Li Changshou held the Kunlun Ruler, moving freely through the void without any hindrance.

His profound understanding of the Qian Kun great dao left Di Ting wide-eyed and secretly on guard.

Can't mess with him, can't mess with him.

Better hurry back and stay with its master, bickering a bit and spacing out—that was the life.

Now, as for Ti Deng Daoist arriving at the Zhou camp, the entire Zhou army shook off its previous gloom, and immortals like Guang Cheng Zi became full of confidence.

This Ti Deng Daoist seemed impatient. He explained the method to break the array and had Chan Jiao select ten fodders to enter first and 'block disaster,' then directly break the array.

The reactions of the Twelve Golden Immortals to choosing the fodders varied.

Yu Ding and Tai Yi immediately stated they wouldn't participate in the upcoming battle.

But Guang Cheng Zi named Yang Jian, making him one of the ten experts to break the array and face the relatively weaker Golden Light Array's master, Golden Light Holy Mother.

Yang Jian glanced at his master, then at his uncle Tai Yi, and finally stepped forward with a cupped-hand salute, agreeing.

After all, he was a Chan Jiao disciple and didn't want to put his master in a difficult spot.

Soon after, the selection for the ten fodders was made.

Tai Yi Zhenren wanted to mock the situation but was quietly stopped by Yu Ding Zhenren.

Huang Long Daoist frowned and muttered that this approach seemed unethical, but he was advised by Chi Jing Zi to let it go.

Wen Shu said, "If we're to break the Ten Absolutes Linked Array, there must be sacrifices."

Ci Hang said softly, "Even so, we shouldn't say it so bluntly. How do we explain this to our fellow disciples?"

Ti Deng old Daoist just smiled without speaking, waiting quietly for the Chan Jiao immortals to decide.

This feeling was truly satisfying.

Before long, Guang Cheng Zi's hesitation faded, and he said calmly, "I'll go to the camp and ask. Whether it's our Jade Void immortals or the scattered cultivators who joined the Zhou camp,

whoever dares to probe the Ten Absolutes Array will be handsomely rewarded by Chan Jiao."

The immortals fell silent.

Chi Jing Zi sighed, stood up, and walked out of the tent, sending messages to the dozens of immortals in the camp.

The ten fodders were quickly decided.

The ten experts to break the array were also swiftly chosen.

Among the Twelve Golden Immortals, Ju Liu Sun was absent, Yu Ding and Tai Yi weren't participating, and Yang Jian was added as a supplement—just enough for ten experts to enter and resolve the situation.

Guang Cheng Zi looked at Ti Deng Daoist, a smile in his eyes, and asked quietly:

"Senior, do you have full confidence in stabilizing the linked array?"

"Of course," Ti Deng Daoist laughed. "But if outsiders interfere, do you have preparations?"

Guang Cheng Zi replied, "Chan Jiao should still have that much influence."

"Then breaking the array today is straightforward."

Guang Cheng Zi bowed to Ti Deng Daoist and said, "Thank you, senior."

Ti Deng Daoist closed his eyes and said no more, his dao rhythm serene and peaceful.

Half an hour later,

The Zhou army removed their exemption-from-battle sign, and war drums thundered. Ten streaks of light shot out from the Zhou camp!

They flew toward the Ten Absolutes Array with a mix of trepidation and determination.

In the Ten Absolutes Array, Qin Wan shouted lightly, and the Ten Heavenly Lords were fully alert!

As the ten streaks of light stopped at the array gates, the Ten Heavenly Lords were slightly stunned to see these ten immortals were obscure figures with unremarkable cultivation.

Such opponents didn't even require the array.

They could personally engage and slay them on the spot.

"Don't be careless," Qin Wan warned. "They're probably testing us. Just hold your ground—we only need to hold back against the Twelve Golden Immortals."

The Ten Heavenly Lords agreed, and as the ten immortals announced their names and entered the array, they fully activated it.

Soon, cries of agony echoed one after another, and ten lonely souls fled toward the Feng Shen Platform.

In the Zhou army camp, ten figures rode clouds forward, each heading to their designated array gate.

Ti Deng old Daoist smiled faintly, stood at the camp gate, and with a wave of his sleeve, thunder rumbled within the Ten Absolutes Array, and the spiritual energy exchanges inside froze solid.

The Ten Heavenly Lords were horrified—the previously unbreakable linked array had suddenly failed!

As they tried to discuss countermeasures, the nine members of the Twelve Golden Immortals, plus the outstanding third-generation disciple Yang Jian, had already charged into the array gates!

"Don't fear!" Qin Wan gritted his teeth and shouted. "Each face your opponent and support one another!"

The other nine Heavenly Lords' hearts sank instantly.