Chapter 716: Shou Ying Dao Ancestor's Array

Inside the Hunyuan Box, Ling'e carefully asked, "Zhong Jie, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly cover me just now? I wasn't trying to win."

The Chaos Bell trembled slightly, transmitting a wave of somewhat flustered spiritual awareness. "Shh! Don't make a sound! There's a huge problem at Xiaoqiong Peak! Daozu is here... Who said Daozu can't leave Zixiao Palace? This is bad, really bad. If your senior brother can't handle this, I'll have to take you and run. Daozu is the most ruthless figure in the Great Desolation, the ancient winner of everything. Among the Six Sages, besides Taiqing Shengren, the other four have to bow respectfully and call him teacher!"

Ling'e's face showed a feigned expression of shock as she whispered, "Zhong Jie, don't panic. I think it's not that simple. If Daozu is all-knowing, he should know everything about my senior brother. Given my senior brother's personality, if he's not leaving now, he must have some confidence."

"What confidence could there be against Daozu?" Zhong Jie's spiritual awareness continued to tremble. "Do you understand what kind of opponent this is? He can plot you to death with words, or crush you with force! Usually, he manipulates the Three Realms with all sorts of schemes because direct action is just too unchallenging! If your senior brother had ignored Daozu's true power all along, today would really be a disaster."

Ling'e blinked and asked hurriedly, "What's the situation now?"

"Now..." The Chaos Bell maintained its power and glanced outside a few times, falling into thought. It was a bit confusing. "Temporarily, it's calm, but beneath this peace, turbulent waves are hidden!"

"Don't narrate that out loud!"

"Uh, basically, it looks calm but is actually extremely dangerous!"

Zhong Jie pondered for a moment. "How about I take you and escape first?"

"No," Ling'e said nervously, clenching her hands, "At this critical moment, go help my senior brother. Zhong Jie, you're on the same level as Tudayuan, so you must be able to do something."

"Though what you say makes sense... Hehe, leave it to your sister!" Zhong Jie chuckled proudly, and the Chaos Bell's power slowly increased, ready at any moment to swoop in and rescue Li Changshou with Ling'e.

Whoosh—

In the forest tea hut, the tall, sturdy Daoist figure smiled at Li Changshou. Li Changshou leaned forward slightly, his lips curving into a humble smile.

If the Chaos Bell didn't know that one was from the heavenly side and the other from the anti-heaven camp, it would have thought they were a pair of close grandfather and grandson meeting!

Li Changshou brushed away the fallen leaves on the seat in front of him and said with a smile, "Since you like this place, Ancestor, why not stay for a few more days? That way, I can ask you about some cultivation doubts."

"Hahahaha!" Hongjun stroked his beard and laughed lightly, naturally sitting on the tree stump. He said, "You still have doubts? You've almost stolen the entire Heavenly Dao. Your mimetic primordial spirit method is no less impressive than your predecessor's second primordial spirit technique—truly astounding. Before you voluntarily revealed that strand of Hongmeng Qi and gave it to Zhao Gongming, my senses had it hidden in Kunpeng's primordial spirit all along. In the end, you outsmarted me."

Li Changshou replied, "My Dao is far inferior to yours, Ancestor, by more than a hundred thousand li."

"A hundred thousand li—that phrase sounds so familiar." Hongjun sighed lightly. "I thought I'd see traces of that old friend in you, but it turns out you're completely different from him."

Li Changshou said, "Every living being has their unique traits—that's the charm of life. Ancestor, you've been away from Zixiao Palace for too long; is everything alright?"

"No problem," Hongjun Daozu said with a smile. "The rule that I can't leave Zixiao Palace was just something I said casually in ancient times to make schemes easier to push forward. After all, sometimes, to exploit the desires and malice of living beings, you can't give them too much pressure or intimidation. Standing outside the Three Realms, overlooking the heavens and earth, I just need to give a gentle push at key moments to achieve great effects with minimal effort. It's all in good fun—my little hobby."

Li Changshou shook his head with a smile. "Your hobbies are truly a bit... I dare not agree with them."

Hongjun Daozu said warmly, "Let's not dwell on these ideological differences, Changshou. Do you know why I'm here today?"

"I have no idea."

"I'm still hoping to persuade you again," Hongjun Daozu said slowly. "I know all about the cards you hold, and you know my purpose clearly—it's just about the relationship between living beings and heaven. In the words of your homeland, it's how humans and nature can coexist harmoniously. If people destroy nature, nature will retaliate—that's all. If we clash head-on, it won't benefit heaven or living beings. Chang Geng, leave. Take Yun Xiao, Ling'e, and anyone else you want to bring. Later, I'll arrange for Yun Xiao to undergo her tribulation, so she can give an account to Jie Jiao. Then, you two can return together in peace—wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Li Changshou's eyes filled with emotion, and he was about to speak when Daozu raised his hand to stop him. Daozu smiled. "Don't act; let's be sincere with each other."

Li Changshou instantly reverted to a calm expression, his lips still holding a polite smile. "Ancestor, that might not be appropriate. I haven't even played my cards, so why are you trying to kick me out of the game?"

"So, you want to test your skills against me." Hongjun Daozu's eyes held a warm smile, as if discussing something trivial. But as he said this, Li Changshou felt no sarcasm or disdain—in fact, he sensed that... he was being fully respected by Daozu. In his heart, Li Changshou secretly warned himself. "Ancestor, you're joking. How could I dare to compete with you?"

"Chang Geng, I do fear you. Just the Heavenly Dao secrets you hold can put me at a great disadvantage. And yet, you've become one who has escaped it. I have my miscalculations too. I thought you were timid, extremely afraid of death, but... hahaha! Wonderful, truly wonderful. You're the first living being since ancient times to make me misjudge."

Li Changshou said, "Ancestor, I really am afraid of death."

After a moment of thought, Li Changshou continued, "But the education I received from a young age doesn't allow me to stand by when I can easily save lives. Cultivation seeks transcendence, but in the Great Desolation, only one living being can fully transcend and reach the Hunyuan Wuji Shengren realm. I do have aspirations for that position."

"Hahahaha! Transcendence is nothing but a lie!" Hongjun Daoist stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "I've always felt that you're not that eager for transcendence. In fact, your original goal was probably just to achieve Daluo and then find a quiet spot in the Chaos Sea to hide away, unnoticed and unremarked, until you grew bored and ended your life."

"You know me well, Ancestor. There was a time when I thought that way." Li Changshou said seriously, "What about you, Ancestor? Now, you're bound to the Heavenly Dao and fused with the essence of heaven and earth. You've become the embodiment of this realm, with even the Heavenly Dao obeying your will. Are you still seeking transcendence?"

"Transcendence is just a beautiful dream left by Pangu God for us followers." Hongjun's face showed infinite emotion. "Everyone says I'm the winner, but the true winner is and can only be your teacher. Your teacher is the transformation of Pangu God's primordial spirit, mastering the Yin Yang Wuji Great Dao, the first of the Three Pure Ones. Back then, if not for my suppression, your teacher would have already reached the Taiqing Wuji realm. And now, with a disciple like you slipping out of my control... After countless ages since the creation of heaven and earth, all my schemes and vigilance are about to be undone by a young upstart like you with a few bluffing words. How can I accept that in my heart?"

Li Changshou smiled. "Ancestor, you're overestimating me. I'm just standing on the shoulders of philosophical giants."

Hongjun fell silent, gazing quietly at Li Changshou. Suddenly, he took a jade plaque from his sleeve. "A Great Tribulation Immunity Token, with the highest Heavenly Dao authority—it can save Yun Xiao from death." Hongjun said, "Let's make this the stake. If you win our impromptu contest today, this will be yours, and I won't go back on my word."

Li Changshou pondered for a moment and asked, "What kind of impromptu contest?"

"Just play one of your cards—say it out loud; you don't have to act it out." Hongjun smiled. "If you can make me feel extremely uncomfortable and put me in a completely passive position, I'll admit defeat and have another impromptu gamble with you."

Li Changshou: ...

"I imagine Senior Lang hasn't played cards with you in a long time."

Hongjun: ...

"Forget it then."

"Ah, Ancestor," Li Changshou said, reaching out to take the jade plaque. Feeling the Heavenly Dao rules within it, he smiled and put it into his treasure pouch.

Hongjun laughed. "So confident?"

"Since you want to test my cards, if I back down now, it won't just be about one jade plaque." Li Changshou said seriously, "I want Ancestor to know that I'm not just bluffing."

"Go on."

After carefully considering his words, Li Changshou said, "The first card I can use against the Heavenly Dao is precisely the Nine Filth Springs."

Hongjun fell silent, listening as Li Changshou spoke methodically, word by word: "The legend of the Nine Filth Springs can't be confirmed as starting from ancient times or suddenly appearing in the primordial era, but all great powers and divine beings know of it and can sometimes even sense its power. It's said that the Nine Filth Springs absorb the filth of living beings' private desires. The greater the private desires of living beings, the harder it is to suppress the springs, so the Heavenly Dao sends down great tribulations to restrain the power of living beings; otherwise, the Nine Filth Springs would overturn the entire realm. This is common knowledge in the Great Desolation. But it's actually just a smokescreen you put out, Ancestor, to confuse everyone."

Li Changshou casually summoned a wisp of water vapor, dipped his finger in it, and drew a line on the stone slab in front of him. Below it, he sketched nine small circles, and above, a larger one. "The legend of the Nine Filth Springs has many flaws, but most cultivators think it's because their realm isn't high enough or they haven't comprehended it fully. One fatal flaw is that after the great war that shattered the Great Desolation in ancient times, the overall power of living beings has been declining. So, if the Nine Filth Springs exist by drawing on the power of private desires, why are they growing more and more?"

Daozu said gravely, "That's because the resentment in the Nine Filth Springs hasn't dissipated; it's been accumulating."

"If that's true, then since you're standing on the side of heaven, Ancestor, you would have let the Nine Filth Springs overflow and release once before its power could destroy the realm. You've already admitted that living beings are just projections of true spirits to you—one batch fades, and another can be reborn. Time means nothing to you; you see only the waves on the river of ages." Li Changshou ruthlessly exposed Daozu's words. "Ancestor, let's be open today, so hear me out."

"Very well," Daozu said, closing his eyes and composing himself, his face expressionless as he listened to Li Changshou continue.

Li Changshou said, "So, I started comparing and contrasting, using the few pieces of confirmed information to try to uncover the truth. Soon, I discovered that there is indeed a saying about private desires and malice gathering into filthy springs, but that place is well-known in the Great Desolation—the Blood Sea. The Blood Sea once flourished in ancient times because the filthy power corresponding to the strength of living beings gathered deep in the earth. By the end of ancient times, the power of living beings had peaked, exceeding what heaven could bear. In the battle with Ming He Lao Zu, the Blood Sea was evaporated by heavenly punishment, but it couldn't expand further and could only maintain its state because the power of living beings was far less than in ancient times, unable to produce such a vast Blood Sea. The filthy springs formed by the private desires and malice of living beings are the Blood Sea. So, the question becomes: Is the Blood Sea the Nine Filth Springs? Clearly not—the Blood Sea is just one of the Nine Filth Springs or a small part of it. How could the Blood Sea alone threaten to destroy the Great Desolation? It's just a part of it."

Li Changshou paused, glanced toward the alchemy room, and pointed at the simple diagram on the stone table. "Another clue to the Nine Filth Springs is the four sea eyes. The Dragon Clan obviously knows something, but they never mention it and have burned all related texts. What is suppressed under the sea eyes? Why do the Nine Filth Springs only have these four outlets in the four seas? These questions troubled me until my Dao realm entered Daluo and I gained a deeper understanding of heaven and earth, when it suddenly became clear. The sea eyes are a decoy. If the Nine Filth Springs could destroy the Great Desolation, even just half of the Five Continents, the power they contain would be far beyond what the Dragon Clan could suppress. There's a difference in scale here. The four sea eyes are just something you set up, Ancestor, to constantly remind living beings of the Nine Filth Springs hanging over them, explaining the necessity of heavenly tribulations. Conveniently, the sea eyes also handle your ancient followers—the Canglong Clan. What really made me understand the true nature of the Nine Filth Springs was when the East Sea eye was broken and Yu Di's meritorious golden body made that leap. That time, you arranged it brilliantly, Ancestor, turning Yu Di, me, Di Zang, and Western Sect into your pawns. Back then, I was weak, so you didn't pay me much mind. You guided Yu Di's incarnation to the right place at the right time, leaping in with his meritorious golden body to seal the sea eye, thus gaining the Dragon Clan's loyalty. Little did you know that I, who witnessed it that day, would use it as a clue to reveal the true face of the Nine Filth Springs."

Li Changshou tapped the table with his finger, but Daozu showed no sign of opening his eyes.

Li Changshou's voice grew clearer and more emphatic: "There are four questions—sort of equations I was thinking about back then. First, why did you absolutely have to stop me from condensing a meritorious golden body? Second, why can a meritorious golden body seal a sea eye? After it was sealed, the East Sea eye became part of the Great Desolation water cycle, replenishing the evaporated sea water with water-element spiritual power and restoring its original state. That proves the sea eye was previously contaminated by some force. How could a gap in the Nine Filth Springs be plugged so easily? Third, why could the Heavenly Dao directly make the two saints of Western Sect? Why does Heavenly Dao merit have so many uses, like upgrading treasures? Fourth, what's the essential difference between incense merit and Heavenly Dao merit? When I connected these questions, I quickly arrived at an absurd conclusion: Heavenly Dao merit is essentially pure incense merit. Incense merit is the power of living beings' prayers—in other words, the faint light produced when true spirits' beliefs burn! This touches on the essence of Heavenly Dao saints and the Heavenly Dao's control over them. Let me just state the conclusion."

Li Changshou pointed toward the alchemy room, shrouding it with a great array so it couldn't hear their conversation. Then, he stared at Daozu, who had slightly opened his eyes, and said firmly, "To maintain your transcendent status and prevent any Hunyuan Wuji Shengren from emerging, you've not only been directing the script of heaven and earth but also established a system. A system of merit and karma as heavenly rewards and punishments. Based on the foundational Great Dao of the Heavenly Dao—yin and yang mutually generating, pure and turbid mutually destroying, with overall balance between yin and yang. If merit and karma can offset each other, then the total merit and total karma in heaven and earth should be balanced. But in reality? Ignoring the Six Sages, the merit existing in this realm—excluding incense merit—far exceeds the existing karma! Why is incense merit mottled? Because it's mixed with living beings' prayers and their resentment. Why is Heavenly Dao merit pure? Because this merit is directly produced by the Heavenly Dao, and the cost is that for every portion of Heavenly Dao merit created, a corresponding portion of Heavenly Dao karma must be created! The Heavenly Dao uses Heavenly Dao merit to create the Six Sages, to create the Heavenly Court, and to proclaim its own majesty. In reality, every time a Heavenly Dao saint is created, a massive amount of Heavenly Dao karma is generated! But Heavenly Dao merit plus Hongmeng Qi can lock down saints like your teacher! The main body of the Nine Filth Springs isn't the private desires of living beings—it's the private desires of the Heavenly Dao! The Heavenly Dao burns the endless true spirits drawn into the Great Desolation realm, decomposes their power, and divides it into Heavenly Dao merit and Heavenly Dao karma. Of course the Nine Filth Springs keep expanding—because you're constantly distributing Heavenly Dao merit. When the Nine Filth Springs must be suppressed, you'll unleash a great tribulation, release the Heavenly Dao karma as tribulation energy, and then resolve that karma through the death of living beings. So, the death of the Sixth Sage released a huge amount of Heavenly Dao merit, which could fill the corresponding Heavenly Dao karma. That's why the power of the great tribulation receded! You didn't give me a meritorious golden body because you're afraid I'd leap into the remaining three sea eyes and expose the secret of the Nine Filth Springs. Of course, these are just speculations—I need evidence. So, I went to explore how to create Heavenly Dao merit."

Li Changshou paused, and Daozu's eyes half-opened. Li Changshou flicked his left hand lightly, and a flame appeared in his palm. He drew a symbol in the air, and specks of firefly-like lights flew over, swallowed by the somewhat eerie flame in his palm. Soon, it transformed into a wisp of golden light, a wisp of black energy, and a faint gray mist. The golden light was Heavenly Dao merit.

"This is my card—the Nine Filth Springs." Li Changshou let out a light breath. "Now, I can accumulate Heavenly Dao karma and summon the power of the Nine Filth Springs to descend upon the world. This power won't harm any innocent living beings, but it will destroy the current Heavenly Court system. Anyone with Heavenly Dao merit will suffer the Five Decays of Heaven and Man and endure the hatred of true spirits. What do you think of this card, Ancestor?"