Chapter 728: Ehehe

In front of the main hall of the Kunpeng Secret Realm, paper figurines transformed into fairies danced gracefully, while delicious food prepared by auspicious beasts was transported by immortal power to various locations.

Bai Ze, who had been busy all day, looked at the scene with satisfaction. It gave him a strange sense of deja vu, similar to Xiong Lingli feeding the spirit beasts.

At the edge of the main hall, the formation barrier shimmered lightly as Li Changshou emerged with his hands behind his back, several treasures returning to their owners.

The immortals gathered for the meal all stood up at once.

“Xing Jun!”

“Has Changgeng Shidi’s mood improved?”

“Changgeng, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You will eventually go back and settle scores with them. There is spiritual energy here, so cultivation is not an issue.”

“It's just that we can't attain enlightenment anymore since the Dao principles are not manifesting... But that's okay. We can just focus on mastering divine abilities and combat skills at our current Dao realm!”

Li Changshou nodded with a smile, acknowledging them, and walked over to Bai Ze’s side.

He didn’t deliver any long speeches or words of encouragement. He simply smiled and said:

“I will prepare a main dish.”

The more than sixty figures present each showed a knowing smile, eagerly anticipating.

In the end, though, only the female immortals got to eat it.

Ladies first, after all.

After the lively gathering, Li Changshou walked along the edge of the secret realm with Xuandu Dafa Shi and Bai Ze.

Li Changshou handed the Taiji Tu to his senior brother. The spirit of the Taiji Tu exchanged information with Dafa Shi, explaining the causes and consequences of the matter.

Bai Ze sighed slowly, gazing towards the direction of the Honghuang world, and said with a smile, “I feel a bit more at ease now, even though I’ve lost my ability to seek fortune and avoid disaster.”

Li Changshou laughed. “How so? Did Tiandao previously plan to persecute you in some way?”

“Not really,” Bai Ze replied, his eyes showing a hint of hesitation. Eventually, he sighed lightly and whispered, “Shui Shen, I will lay it all out for you.

My ability to seek fortune and avoid disaster was actually granted by Tiandao.

In ancient times, I assisted the myriad spirits in uniting as the Sheng clan and establishing the Yaoting, earning merit for that. After my accomplishments, I withdrew, and Tiandao bestowed this auspicious divine ability upon me, turning me into an auspicious beast.

The price was that I could no longer interfere in Yaozu matters.

When Yaoting went astray, whenever I felt the urge to correct it, I would be warned—great disaster.

Great disaster every time.

I was weak and yielded to Tiandao, choosing to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to Yaoting's decline. That’s why, when Xiwu Niangniang entrusted Lu Ya to me, I felt some guilt and agreed.

That's what led to my later involvement with Lu Ya, and ultimately, being subdued by you, Shui Shen.”

“So that’s how it was,” Li Changshou chuckled. “Bai Xiansheng, do you think that if Daozu were gone from the Honghuang world, there might be new paths?”

Bai Ze furrowed his brow in thought and said slowly, “Daozu is suppressing the Six Saints. If we toppled Daozu, there might be other entities who merge with the Dao.

But the real issue lies with Tiandao itself—Tiandao cannot be interfered with by living beings.”

Li Changshou smiled without responding, glancing at his senior brother, who was deep in thought, and continued walking hand in hand with Bai Ze and his senior brother.

The three of them drew quite a bit of attention.

The Jiejiao immortals, after having a few drinks, got into a lively discussion with several Renjiao disciples from Duxian Men—half of them sighing in regret, the other half looking towards the future.

The female immortals, on the other hand, were much more cheerful. Ling E brought out a few sets of paper cards, helping them temporarily forget the gloom of fleeing into the Chaohai.

“Tsk,” Dafa Shi frowned. “Changshou, did you discuss this with the teacher?”

“Not really,” Li Changshou replied. “I just deduced that Tiandao can’t eliminate the teacher or the two shishus, and the teacher and the second shishu each have their own plans.

Senior brother, there’s no need to worry. I won’t let the teacher be sealed for too long.”

“Do you have a solid grasp on this?” Bai Ze asked quietly.

“Considering everything, I have about an eighty percent chance,” Li Changshou said seriously.

Dafa Shi asked uneasily, “What exactly do you mean by that grasp?”

Li Changshou explained, “Simply put, it’s about handling this incident properly.

To be specific, it’s the chance of eliminating Shizu while avoiding catastrophe for the Honghuang living beings and minimizing unnecessary damage—right now, that’s only eighty percent.

If we consider some level of sacrifice, we could act immediately.”

Dafa Shi: ...

Bai Ze: ...

“No, really,” Bai Ze turned and stared at Li Changshou. “That’s Daozu, the Honghuang Tiandao. Your plan sounds a bit fantastical.”

Dafa Shi also chimed in, “Changgeng, I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but at least be realistic. The teacher has been sealed by Daozu, and we’re just the ones who escaped.”

Li Changshou said calmly, “Senior brother, there are some things I can’t reveal right now, but I do have a good handle on dealing with Daozu.

The challenge now is how to minimize the sacrifices.

I’m worried that if we act rashly, Daozu might go all out and cause mutual destruction.

Besides, giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish.

In Honghuang today, complying with Tiandao is the mainstream consciousness among living beings. If heaven is unjust and most choose to endure, how to plant the seeds of resistance is the difficult balance between Tiandao and the living beings.”

Bai Ze exclaimed, “Shui Shen’s strategies have surpassed Tiandao.”

“They’re far from comparable to Tiandao,” Li Changshou laughed. “It's just a clever trick, relying on key information left by that predecessor—it’s not entirely my own scheme.”

“Changshou.”

Dafa Shi stepped forward half a pace, hooked his arm around Li Changshou’s, and transmitted his voice:

“Give me a heads-up, what’s your next move?

The teacher is trapped in Zixiao Gong now. If you have a foolproof plan, let me do my part to show filial piety.

Even if you don’t want to share the full plan yet, at least assign me some tasks so I can try to rescue the teacher. That way, he won’t pressure me as much later.”

“The teacher doesn’t need us to save him,” Li Changshou whispered. “For dealing with Daozu, I have three methods. One is to help the teacher attain Hunyuan, and he could suppress the heavens with one hand.

However, I do need a master expert to return to Honghuang for a few minor tasks afterward.

Senior brother, you can control the Taiji Tu and open a gap in the heavenly barriers, so this is naturally your job.”

“Oh?”

Xuandu Dafa Shi’s eyes lit up. “What task? It’s best if I can set out soon—I’ll give it my all.”

“It’s not possible right away,” Li Changshou glanced at Wen Jing Dao Ren and Kong Xuan Shiniang, who were sitting quietly beside Ling E and Yunxiao, his mouth twitching slightly.

“Not... possible?”

Dafa Shi tightened his grip around Li Changshou’s neck, his ordinary eyes flashing with a blood-red light as he gritted his teeth and said:

“Then explain to me, who made that promise to Wen Jing?”

“The teacher... it was really the teacher.”

“Then it’s fine.”

Dafa Shi suddenly deflated, his whole demeanor collapsing.

Bai Ze smiled and caught up, continuing to chat and laugh with Li Changshou and Xuandu Dafa Shi.

The “three methods against Daozu” that Li Changshou mentioned were not fabrications. Helping Taqing Teacher attain Hunyuan was actually the least desirable option.

Li Changshou didn’t want Honghuang to produce a Hunyuan Wuji Saint, as that would require drawing on Honghuang’s “bloodline,” recollecting the gifts Pangu Shen had given to all beings and concentrating them on this new saint.

If the situation became extremely dire and other paths were blocked, the teacher might follow in Pangu Shen’s footsteps after suppressing Tiandao and eliminating Daozu.

Self-sacrifice to benefit all living beings.

Li Changshou had no doubt about that.

Now that the teacher was sealed, Laojun in Doushuai Gong could still move freely and remain unharmed—this wasn’t a normal situation.

It meant that Laojun had separated from the teacher’s main consciousness.

The teacher had likely been preparing for this path for a long time and was now just observing whether his little variable could find other routes.

What Li Changshou was doing now was pursuing the optimal strategy against Daozu.

—Continuing to comprehend the heavens and earth, connecting with the Great Dao, and reshaping Tiandao.

Achieving this was extremely difficult, but Li Changshou had found a shortcut.

That’s why he had the confidence to tell Shengmu Niangniang that he didn’t need the Renzu’s flame for his rebellion.

“Shui Shen,” Bai Ze said with a smile, “when do you plan to hold your wedding? It would be a great boost for our anti-heaven alliance.”

Li Changshou turned towards Ling E and Yunxiao, thought for a moment, and replied:

“Probably in a thousand years. I’m a bit tied up right now and need to stay fully focused.”

If something like Jiyin Dao Ren or Tiandao suddenly called out “Bodhi” during a key wedding moment, it would be... too unstable.

Dafa Shi laughed. “A thousand years? That’s not far off at all.”

Bai Ze added, “We should start preparing properly now.”

“Hahaha,” Li Changshou chuckled a bit awkwardly, then said seriously, “There’s one more thing that needs you, senior brother, and Bai Xiansheng to handle.”

“Just give the order, Shui Shen.”

“Shidi!” Dafa Shi’s eyes sparkled. “Why didn’t you mention it earlier?”

Li Changshou took out a jade talisman and handed it to Xuandu Dafa Shi, saying with a smile:

“This jade talisman controls the Kunpeng Hao. I want you, senior brother, Bai Xiansheng, Kong Xuan Shiniang, and Wen Jing to search for living beings in the Chaohai.

If you find Honghuang living beings, check if they’ve committed evils. Kill the wicked ones, and for those who left Honghuang out of necessity or to avoid great calamities, ask if they want to join us in rebelling against heaven.

Try your best to convince them.

If you encounter Chaohai Shenmo, make sure to kill them and collect their scattered true spirits... There’s a formation on the Kunpeng Hao for collecting true spirits; once you study it, you’ll understand how to operate it.”

“Very well,” Dafa Shi agreed with a frown. “But Wen Jing...”

Li Changshou said seriously, “She’s of Hongmong Xiongshou origin and was quite famous in ancient times as the queen of the Black-Winged Blood Mosquito clan. Bring her along.

First, it shows goodwill to those Honghuang living beings who fled to the Chaohai, proving we’re sincere in cooperating with them.

Second, she can identify many ancient and prehistoric villains with heinous crimes.”

Dafa Shi muttered, “I always feel like you’re scheming against me.”

“How could I dare? Without your help, senior brother, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Li Changshou said firmly, glancing secretly at the Yunling Dan given by Laojun, thinking of finding a chance to give some to Wen Jing.

It was just a task from the teacher, after all.

Thus, half a year later.

The Kunpeng Hao, carrying over twenty experts, slowly flew into the Chaohai. After Li Changshou set up several more layers of spiritual energy conversion arrays, he announced he was going into seclusion and stayed shut in the grand hall.

The immortals had initially transformed the secret realm, creating many caves and pavilions, and even casually created some spirit boys and girls.

Xiaoqiong Peak was situated beside the grand hall, and its spirit beasts and spirit fish had been forced to reproduce, adding vitality to this secret realm floating in the Chaohai.

And providing ingredients.

The thousand-year period Li Changshou mentioned wasn’t just casual talk; the next thousand years were crucial for his various plans.

Comprehending the heavens and earth required time, playing the role of Xu Bodhi required time, and deceiving Tiandao to gain control of the monkey required time.

If Li Changshou had to choose, he’d prefer to marry after the decisive battle. But considering how inauspicious that would be and how it might jinx things, he set the thousand-year deadline.

He didn’t know if it was his senior brother’s loose lips or Bai Ze’s big mouth that couldn’t keep a secret, but word got out.

Ling E and Yunxiao simply moved to Xiaoqiong Peak, saying they couldn’t see each other every day for the few centuries before the wedding.

This rule...

It was very Honghuang.

Li Changshou didn’t interfere and began focusing on the growth journey of Bodhi Laozu.

In just a few years, due to his Dao realm advancing slowly yet steadily, he caught Jiyin Sheng Ren’s attention and was appointed as the first deputy leader of the Western Teach.

But this “Xu Bodhi” fully demonstrated his unyielding integrity, refusing to handle the Western Teach’s affairs and only holding an idle position, devoting himself daily to his own Dao.

When Jiyin Sheng Ren ordered him to lecture the disciples, he expounded on the Dao of Emptiness, using principles of all things being illusory and ultimately returning to stillness, which convinced the disciples up and down.

He had truly taken on the demeanor of a senior brother.

Once Li Changshou had solidified his position in the Western Teach, he quietly began his plan.

Reforming the Western Teach’s doctrines!

Although he couldn’t touch the core parts, or it would attract Tiandao’s scrutiny, he could still trim and lay some groundwork, making the doctrines encourage more goodness and less passive endurance.

As Western Teach disciples became more active in the Three Realms, Bodhi Shixiong’s reputation gradually grew.

Although in the current Three Realms, the main figures were the heavenly immortals like the rising star Yang Jian, the great god Nezha, Lei Gong and Dian Mu, and Tota Li Tianwang.

The Western Teach was still just a “supplement,” an unimportant side character.

One day, Jiyin Sheng Ren summoned “Xu Bodhi” alone to his residence. Li Changshou was on high alert, fully prepared for any necessary responses.

“Bodhi,” Jiyin Sheng Ren said, “I have a task for you.”

Li Changshou bowed his head. “Please give your instructions, teacher.”

“In the past, your shishu had several disciples secretly sent to cultivate in the Chan Jiao. Although Yuan Shi Dao You knew about it, he didn’t expose it, giving me some face.”

Jiyin continued softly, “Now it’s time. Have them return to the Western Teach to spread the doctrines, make vows for cultivation, and increase our Western luck.”

Li Changshou frowned slightly and said lowly, “Teacher, going directly to Chan Jiao to claim them might not be appropriate.”

“Of course, we can’t discuss this directly with Chan Jiao,” Jiyin Sheng Ren summoned a jade pendant and a medicine pot, saying warmly, “Wear this jade pendant and go deliver some precious medicines.

Guangcheng Zi was previously struck by the Hunyuan Golden Bowl, losing his three flowers and five energies. This elixir can help stabilize his Dao foundation and speed his recovery.

Just go and deliver the elixir; make sure one of them sees the jade pendant.”

“Teacher, who are those shixiong?”

“Ju Li Sun, Wenshu, Puxian, Cihang.”

Li Changshou nodded slowly. “I will not fail this mission.”

Jiyin Sheng Ren was actually sending this double agent to Chan Jiao to retrieve other double agents.

This clearly left room for maneuvering!