Chapter 744: Joint Master

Li Changshou, in the guise of Xu Po Ti, rose and bowed to Lao Jun, simultaneously placing the spiritual herb into a jade box.

Lest you misunderstand, he wasn't claiming ownership of the spiritual herb.

Whether as "Xu Po Ti" or in his true identity, he wouldn't dare compete with Lao Jun for it.

Holding the jade box forward, he sent it toward Lao Jun with his immortal power, a hint of regret on his face, but no genuine hesitation.

This action was perfectly in character for Xu Po Ti.

What kind of divine figure was Lao Jun? The paramount elder of the highest order?

If Lao Jun were to simply take the spiritual herb today, it would be beneath his dignity.

Although there was once a saint who molded dignity as easily as dough, Lao Jun, with his esteemed virtue, would not take advantage of a junior.

Even if this junior had once been an adversary of Ren Jiao and Tian Ting.

Lao Jun had no need to concern himself with such matters.

As expected, Lao Jun slightly raised his hand, letting the jade box hover above the green ox's head, and calmly inquired,

"What kind of elixir do you desire?"

Xu Po Ti lowered his head and replied, "Offering this herb to Lao Jun is far more fitting than letting it go to waste in my hands. Please accept it, Lao Jun, as a means of forging a benevolent karmic connection with me."

"Elixir," Lao Jun stated indifferently.

His implication was that he had no interest in forging such a karmic connection with Xu Po Ti.

A quiet joy stirred in Li Changshou's heart.

His two teachers at home were truly endearing.

Xu Po Ti raised his head, gazing at Lao Jun, a glimmer of "strange" light flickering in his eyes.

Lao Jun's brow furrowed slightly... unable to decipher the meaning behind that gaze.

Xu Po Ti declared solemnly, "Lao Jun, I am indeed in need of a certain elixir. Previously, due to my injuries, my Dao realm was sealed and my Dao foundation was unstable. I seek a precious elixir from you to stabilize it."

"Oh?"

Lao Jun glanced at the jade box before him, then at Xu Po Ti, and dismounted from the ox's back.

"Approach."

The green ox let out a lowing sound, then transformed into a streak of light, becoming... a young attendant.

Xiao Yin!

Indeed, the green ox was not at home! It must have descended the mountain to assume the role of Niu Mo Wang!

Li Changshou's true body couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth, and he raised a hand to cover his eyes as he controlled the false body of Xu Po Ti to move forward.

Xiao Yin carried two meditation cushions, not even sparing Xu Po Ti a glance, and placed them on the nearby grass.

Lao Jun seated himself on one cushion, while Xu Po Ti, with lowered head, approached and, after a slight hesitation, sat opposite him.

Lao Jun said calmly, "Extend your hand."

That expression reminded Li Changshou of the traditional doctors he had seen in his previous life.

Xu Po Ti obediently extended his left hand. Lao Jun pointed a finger at his palm, his face revealing clear disdain. He quickly shook his head slightly and motioned for Xiao Yin to return the jade box to Xu Po Ti.

"No hope of recovery."

"This?"

Xu Po Ti hurriedly said, "Lao Jun, although I have committed many wrongs, it was due to youthful ignorance and the pursuit of fame and gain. Now I understand that all things ultimately lead to emptiness. Please, Lao Jun..."

"The Dao realm is also emptiness."

Lao Jun said indifferently, stood up, pushed the jade box with the spiritual herb back, and walked to the side.

Xiao Yin transformed back into the form of a green ox, then carried Lao Jun away, slowly vanishing into the mist along the path they had come.

Xu Po Ti remained seated in disappointment, stunned for a long time. Only when the cushion in front of him crumbled into dust and scattered did he sigh and reclaim the jade box in his hand.

The entire process appeared perfectly normal.

Lao Jun disdained to act against a remnant of Xi Fang Jiao like Xu Po Ti, and Xu Po Ti treated Lao Jun with great respect. Moreover, everyone knew Lao Jun was the foremost authority in the Hong Huang regarding alchemy and artifact refining, so seeking an elixir with spiritual herbs was entirely reasonable.

In the end, Lao Jun displayed displeasure, realizing that the seal on Xu Po Ti's Dao realm was imposed by the Heavenly Dao and could not be resolved with elixirs, hence his straightforward declaration, "No hope of recovery."

Naturally, Lao Jun would not mock Xu Po Ti. After stating that there was no hope and bidding farewell without the need for escort, he rode away on the ox, quite elegantly.

But in reality...

When Lao Jun pointed his finger at Xu Po Ti's palm, a faint spiritual awareness arose in his Dao heart, akin to the communication between a spiritual treasure and a living being.

At that moment, as the green ox stepped through the void, Lao Jun carefully pondered that spiritual awareness, his expression unchanged.

What had Li Changshou conveyed?

He had immediately recited the formula for Heart Fire Burn to verify his identity and then outlined his plan.

"Lao Jun, I am borrowing the body of Xu Po Ti to contend with Dao Zu.

There is something I need your assistance with... that spiritual monkey, Sun Wukong. He is my disciple and also a pawn of Dao Zu. I wish to grant him more advantages so he possesses greater strength to resist Dao Zu's schemes.

You need not worry about his character; though arrogant, the monkey holds a compassionate heart towards living beings.

Soon, he will cause a drunken disruption in Tian Ting and eventually disturb Dou Shuai Gong. Please prepare some elixirs to augment his strength.

I have embedded a powerful array within him to protect him at critical moments; the more spiritual power, the stronger the array."

Lao Jun's mouth twitched slightly as he rode the green ox—Xiao Yin's form—towards the next herb-gathering spot.

And as those spiritual awarenesses arose in Lao Jun's heart, a faint transmission echoed in the depths of Li Changshou's Dao heart before slowly fading away.

That was the spiritual message Lao Jun had actively sent to Li Changshou when he touched his palm.

Compared to Li Changshou's lengthy explanation, this message was concise, but the words within it caused a slight tingling sensation in Li Changshou's nose, a wave of emotion.

"Tai Qing is safe, my incarnation shares the same heart, I knew of your return early.

Do not overexert yourself; if matters cannot be resolved, break and then rebuild."

This...

Li Changshou's heart trembled.

This brief contact and exchange brought him immense peace of mind.

Lao Jun was likely a hidden move left by his teacher, appearing on the surface to have no connection with his teacher, merely an incarnation upholding the will of the Tai Qing Saint to protect Tian Ting.

Even the Heavenly Dao was deceived, believing Lao Jun's existence was beneficial and harmless to Tian Ting and the Heavenly Dao.

Yet in truth, Lao Jun and Tai Qing shared the same heart and virtue... their relationship was profound and mysterious.

Li Changshou suddenly had a realization, and in his heart, a Tai Ji Tu emerged; as it slowly rotated, the eyes of the yin and yang fish figures revealed two silhouettes.

His teacher and Lao Jun.

Ah—

Indeed, the Yin Yang Great Dao!

His teacher and Lao Jun must be two sides of the same entity, with his teacher having divided his Dao heart into two, each pursuing the paths of yin and yang, then merging them to form the supreme great dao!

His teacher and Lao Jun were indeed two distinct beings, perfectly divided by the opposition of yin and yang, unable to interfere with each other.

But because of the principles of yin and yang coexisting and supporting each other, these two beings were essentially one—the Tai Qing!

Only by splitting himself, with one side representing yin and the other yang, allowing them to mutually generate, merge, and separate, could the Yin Yang Great Dao be pushed to its ultimate extreme!

In the great battle at Zi Xiao Gong, Lao Jun had participated, but it was not Lao Jun himself—it was his great dao!

The Tai Qing teacher had suppressed the other five saints and even surpassed Dao Zu in combat because, when Tai Qing and Lao Jun's great dao merged, he could briefly enter the state of yin-yang unity and Hun Yuan Wu Ji!

The teacher's combat prowess was on par with that of a Hun Yuan Wu Ji Saint!

Unfortunately, the teacher was not a true Hun Yuan Wu Ji Saint and could not bear to extract half of Hong Huang's spiritual energy to achieve his own saintly fruit.

—Extracting half of Hong Huang's spiritual energy to become a saint was a definitive conclusion reached by ancient great powers and divine beings through joint calculations.

But here, "spiritual energy" did not just mean the various attributes of energy drifting in Hong Huang's heavens and earth; it also included the energy transformed into magical power and stored within living beings.

In the era when living beings' power was at its peak, to achieve true sainthood required slaughtering the experts among living beings and releasing the energy they occupied.

The Tai Qing teacher could have done it at any time, but he never did.

Alas...

Without becoming a true saint, he could not sever Dao Zu's connection to the heavens' origin.

If he became a true saint, it would cause devastating losses to Hong Huang's heavens and earth, plunging the power of living beings into a deep valley from which they could never rise.

If the teacher initiated such a great tribulation to achieve sainthood, some experts would escape, and in the end, the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth would still be controlled by a few great beings, leading to the downfall of Hong Huang's Qi Shi.

Li Changshou suddenly understood why his teacher had always been reluctant to take on more disciples.

Lao Jun must have come to see him today on purpose.

To reassure him, to prevent him from overworking, and to let him know that his teacher had his back, so he could pursue another path with peace of mind.

Hmm...

His teacher was incredibly impressive.

"Ah."

Xu Po Ti sighed as if in disappointment, but it was actually releasing the emotions in his heart.

He looked towards the direction of Wu Bu Zhou, his expression slightly gloomy.

Next stop, continue planting the hidden agents.

So as not to disappoint his teacher, and for the Pangu legacy that his teacher carried.

The final battle.

It was drawing near.

"Sister, it's time for tea."

In the Kun Peng secret realm, within the soundproof array in the corner of the great hall.

Ling E wore a grass-green short skirt, her long hair tied in a youthful style, with jade pendants jingling at her waist. The necklace on her snow-white neck emitted a faint immortal light.

In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed, yet Ling E remained unchanged.

After all, she was now a Jin Xian, and her days here were quite leisurely.

Her senior brother sat meditating in the center of the great hall, plotting the great rebellion in Hong Huang and shouldering everything himself.

She felt heartbroken watching him, but she could do little to help, so she just stayed quietly by his side, waiting and preparing.

If her senior brother lost, she would gently comfort him and help dispel his frustrations.

If he won, she would cheer and encourage him, letting him feel the joy of victory.

With a couple of clinks, she placed the teacups on the low table in front of the soft couch and sat down, resting her chin in her hands as she gazed at Yun Xiao, who smiled and thanked her.

Yun Xiao was fiddling with a miniature array disk, pondering ways to improve it while Li Changshou was occupied.

Compared to Ling E, Yun Xiao's changes were even more subtle, as she was an innate great power, and less than a thousand years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Yun Xiao finally understood the frustration of having her beloved nearby but unable to converse.

Yet every day, she maintained a light makeup, wanting him to see her at her best, just like now.

Her long hair was styled in a cloud chignon, her cheeks fair and radiant; from her slender fingers to her eyebrows, everything exuded a natural, gentle elegance.

Not to mention male immortals—even Ling E could gaze at Yun Xiao endlessly, never growing tired over millennia.

Yun Xiao's fingers paused slightly, and she smiled gently at Ling E, asking softly, "Was that earlier disturbance because Xuan Du senior brother returned?"

"Mm," Ling E sighed, slowly lying down on the low table with her forehead against the surface, "This time, he went out and eliminated some old villains in Hong Huang, gathering a lot of true spirit power.

Everyone is full of energy now, thinking that if they keep accumulating like this, one day they can return to Hong Huang."

Yun Xiao put away the miniature array disk, and two jade slips written by Li Changshou appeared in her hand. She asked softly,

"What do you think about it?"

"Oh, senior brother will definitely win..." Ling E said listlessly.

Yun Xiao smiled faintly and continued, "He has already reached this level in contending with Dao Zu, which is enough to make us proud. Let's just wait quietly for him to finish these matters, then we can retire together here, and everything will be fine."

"Hee hee hee," Ling E suddenly burst into a silly laugh.

Yun Xiao said gently, "Don't laugh like that; we should always maintain some composure."

"Sister!" Ling E sat up, blinking her bright eyes, "Let's prepare everything for the wedding in advance!"

"This... might make people laugh," Yun Xiao said with a smile, "They'd say we're eager to get married."

"Who cares about them," Ling E said, "Based on senior brother's previous plans, and from his expressions of light smiles and teasing in recent years, he's clearly very close to success.

From my long-term observations and accumulated experience, senior brother's chances of winning are absolutely over ninety-five percent. Otherwise, he wouldn't occasionally show a relaxed expression.

Sister, let's get ready now. When senior brother wakes up, we can just start the celebration with drums and gongs. How about it?"

Yun Xiao thought for a moment and said softly, "It's not entirely impossible, but be careful when setting up the array, so no one sees it."

Ling E said excitedly, "Should we ask Jiu Shi senior uncle and the others to help?"

Yun Xiao pondered briefly and shook her head. "No, in this hall, only you and I can enter—not even Qiong Xiao or Bi Xiao. We don't want to cause him any trouble.

As he mentioned before, this Kun Peng secret realm might have spies from Dao Zu. After careful thought, I believe it's true.

Dao Zu would certainly do something like that; otherwise, he wouldn't feel at ease with so many anti-heaven beings gathered here."

Ling E whispered, "Sister, who do you think is the most suspicious?"

"The senior brothers and sisters," Yun Xiao glanced towards where Li Changshou was, saying softly, "But let's not conclude yet; wait until he wakes up to discuss it.

We only have these experts left; if we cause panic over this, it would be unwise.

He probably doesn't want to investigate it and is using these spies to make Dao Zu complacent."

Ling E looked thoughtful, recalled carefully, and whispered, "There are a few who have asked me about senior brother's condition, and they seemed a bit too interested."

Yun Xiao smiled gently and continued studying the jade slip in her hand, saying softly, "Don't think too much about it; just follow his decisions."

"Mm," Ling E sighed lightly, resting her chin in her hands as she gazed at Yun Xiao's profile, "Sister, why don't you go play cards with them for a while? You're always in the hall—don't you get bored?"

Yun Xiao laughed softly and said, "After all, I'm an innate being who has endured endless years."

As she spoke, she looked towards Li Changshou's figure, and a hint of worry finally appeared in her eyes.

"What's wrong, sister?"

"I'm just afraid that over time, the novelty will fade, and he might lose that sense of endless fascination, leaving him feeling down."

"Sister, you're overthinking it," Ling E said with a giggle, "He'll never tire of looking at you!"

Yun Xiao smiled without replying, adding, "It's just this worry; lately, I've had these random thoughts."

Her words were soft, her breath gentle.

The two continued chatting in the soundproof array, sharing their inner thoughts and easing each other's anxieties.

In the center of the great hall, Li Changshou remained seated in meditation, his form unchanged, though a faint smile occasionally crossed his lips, and his brows were no longer furrowed.

In Tian Ting, at the Imperial Stable Bureau.

The monkey changed into a large red official robe, hands behind his back, looking around left and right, then strutted proudly to the main hall.

Not bad, not bad—the heavenly horses today are full of spirit too.

Later, he'd continue herding them by the Tian He!

Tian Ting gave him this minor position as Bi Ma Wen, thinking he knew nothing; an official in charge of horses for the Jade Emperor—that's just like raising an old horse monkey for himself!

Hmph, this great king will scout things out first, find a good spot in Tian Ting, and tomorrow, after defeating them, bring the monkeys and their descendants here to enjoy it.

The monkey flexed his hands, his wide sleeves falling back to reveal his furry paws, and he declared loudly,

"Attendants, open the stables for this official!"

No sooner had the monkey spoken than a shout came from outside the Imperial Stable Bureau.

"Come on! Prepare a horse for this marshal!"