Chapter 759: Actually, Someone Told a Lie

The Junheng Dao had vanished.

In the instant the golden light erupted, Dao Ancestor Hongjun hadn't even reacted before everything was decided.

Li Changshou hadn't lied; the words he said to the Dao Ancestor, "Erasing a fellow Daoist has nothing to do with the fellow Daoist," were the truth.

By sacrificing the Junheng Dao and using the One Qi Transforms into Three Purities to perform Equilibrium four times, he forcibly activated the Three Thousand Great Daos and constructed the Court of Great Daos. Using the Junheng Dao to blur the boundaries between life and death, Dao and spirit, and based on the Illusory Spirit Nails, he condensed the "Spirits of the Great Daos."

The entire process had been simulated countless times, executed without any errors, achieving success in a single attempt.

The beings who had traversed the farthest on their respective Daos each left behind a projection containing only their Dao nature, representing that Dao and speaking on behalf of living beings.

Among them, the deceased beings left behind only a segment of "Dao nature thinking," retaining their capacity for impartial thought free of personal desires.

The still-living beings could perceive everything happening within the Court of Great Daos and make choices supported by "Dao nature thinking."

As the one who established the Court of the Three Thousand Daos, Li Changshou became the first guardian.

He wasted no time and immediately proposed the first motion; if there was no opposition from more than seventy percent, he would use his authority as guardian to pass it immediately.

The shadows of the Three Thousand Great Daos...

Remained completely still!

Li Changshou pressed his palm downwards, and the Three Thousand Great Daos trembled in unison.

The powerful beings whose consciousnesses had been drawn here finally understood what had happened!

Rebuilding the Heavenly Way!

Bypassing the Dao Ancestor to directly rebuild the Heavenly Way!

Most powerful beings were so shocked that their Dao hearts were in disarray, feeling their blood boil, yet unsure of what to say.

At that moment, Li Changshou's voice was filled with authority:

"Crow Dao, immediately rebuild the Heavenly Way and strip the Dao Ancestor of control over the world's origin!

Release the restraints on Taiqing Shengren and Tongtian Shengren.

Crow Dao, protect the world's origin and return it to the Sea of Dao Principles!

Execute swiftly!"

Li Changshou's stern command echoed, and within the grand hall, countless figures simultaneously raised their right hands.

In that instant—whether within the area covered by the Chaos Bell or in the moment experienced by the Dao Ancestor and the attackers of Heaven—the Great Desolation underwent a fundamental change!

The Three Thousand Great Daos shook, and the Sea of Dao Principles revealed itself throughout the Great Desolation, from the Five Divisions Continent to the Three Thousand Worlds and the vast void in between, with multicolored lights flashing everywhere!

The Daos became visible!

Countless grids of various shapes appeared throughout the world, then shattered, reorganized, and faded away.

The multicolored lights were densest over the Five Divisions Continent, where the boundless spiritual energy suddenly raged wildly, then calmed, and countless chaotic omens appeared in the heavens and earth.

These vibrant omens dissipated in an extremely short time!

At that moment, the most basic Dao principles of the Great Desolation remained unchanged, keeping the world incredibly stable, with no alterations to the heavens, earth, or living beings themselves.

What was affected was only the Heavenly Way, such as the cycles of the four seasons, the movement of stars, the monitoring of heavenly rules, and the operation of the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly Way fell into chaos for an instant, and order was restored in the next.

In simple terms, the Three Thousand Great Daos abolished the original Heavenly Way and, through resonance with the Court of Great Daos, rebuilt a brand-new Heavenly Way!

In the Court of Great Daos.

Li Changshou's body trembled slightly, a hint of weariness flashing in his eyes, but his gaze quickly regained its brightness.

Still free from living beings;

Still free from the heavens and earth!

This was the essence of the Junheng Dao!

Under the watchful eyes of Yunxiao, Ling'e, the Jade Emperor, Queen Mother, Zhao Gongming, Zhen Yuan Daxian, several Shengren, Jinling Shengmu...

Under the gaze of these powerful beings standing in this place!

Under the gaze of the countless powerhouses of the Great Desolation from ancient times!

Li Changshou grasped his jade brush once more and wielded it in the air.

From this day forth, the Court of Great Daos stands above the Three Realms of the Great Desolation, not entering the Three Realms but overseeing them. If living beings are indignant about injustice in the heavens and earth, or if the heavens and earth are wantonly destroyed by living beings, it may manifest!

From this day forth, the Heavenly Court remains the Heavenly Court, with the Heavenly Way sequence removing the Six Shengren and adding the positions of the Four Sovereigns of the Heavenly Court, mutually checking and balancing with the Heavenly Emperor.

From this day forth, the heavens and earth have no scripts, and the future has no fixed outcomes!

Boom—

The Court of Great Daos suddenly trembled—that was the old Heavenly Way struggling.

Li Changshou bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of heart blood onto the jade brush, instantly suppressing the tremors and writing out the schemes he had prepared for years in full.

His plan was actually quite simple, with the key lying in establishing the Court of Great Daos.

From the time of Tai Bai suppressing the dragon, Li Changshou had been increasing his chances of success, not by gathering the power of many living beings to rebel against Heaven.

The reason his chances improved was that these "living beings" who could represent the Great Daos and enter the Court of Great Daos would be dissatisfied with the existing Heavenly Way.

Although they could only make judgments based on "Dao nature," the foundation of those judgments still came from living beings!

Thus, the choices of living beings were extremely important.

Li Changshou's calculations were correct; in the current Court of Great Daos, the dragon race and phoenix race occupied a significant proportion.

The matter of Tai Bai suppressing the dragon confirmed the dragon race's dissatisfaction with the Heavenly Way, greatly increasing his chances against the Dao Ancestor...

Li Changshou continued to explore, scheming time and again, finally reaching this day.

Separating the world's origin from the Dao Ancestor, exposing the Dao Ancestor's vulnerabilities!

The matter of the subsequent battle could be left to his unbound master and uncles; he still had work to do.

Having destroyed the old order, he needed to provide a new one for the heavens and earth.

The Three Thousand Great Daos rejected the old Heavenly Way and, under the intervention of the Junheng Dao, evolved a new Heavenly Way—this was only the first step; he had to outline the order and development direction of the new Heavenly Way.

The Thirty-Six Spiritual Treasures monitor the Heavenly Way;

The Heavenly Emperor, Human Emperor, and Houtu Niangniang govern the three realms of heaven, humanity, and earth...

Even if he recopied the divine positions of the old Heavenly Way, this process was necessary.

Li Changshou wielded his brush like lightning, the characters before him transforming into large symbols that flew to various places, with the Three Thousand Great Daos resonating continuously.

The Years Great Dao trembled slightly, and the "residual shadow of Nüwa Niangniang" standing on the Years Great Dao scattered immortal light, plunging the entire Court of Great Daos into a state of absolute stillness.

With the enhancement of the Chaos Bell and the Years Great Dao of Nüwa Shengren, Li Changshou wrote the rules more smoothly.

After an unknown amount of time in the hall...

"Everyone, do not approach the Dao Ancestor later."

Li Changshou said in a low voice, "Please protect those who dared to rebel against Heaven today; they are the seeds of the Great Desolation's living beings, to prevent the Dao Ancestor from going mad and causing harm in his final moments.

Leave the battle to my master and the two uncles.

The Dao Ancestor has lost the world's origin and is no longer a Hunyuan Wuji Shengren; the Three Pure Ones can certainly eliminate him.

Remember, do not get carried away; Your Majesty and my elder brother, keep an eye on them.

Do not let my efforts go to waste."

With those words, Li Changshou stopped writing.

It was done.

He looked up at the newly formed "Monument of Great Daos," where the new order of the heavens and earth had been fully established, and let out a light breath.

With a sweep of his sleeve, he said,

"Go, and witness this epic battle well."

The manifested Illusory Spirits of the Three Thousand Great Daos bowed to Li Changshou in unison, then transformed into faint points of light and dispersed.

The Court of Great Daos suddenly became vast and empty.

Li Changshou looked up at his creation, a slight smile on his lips, and bowed toward the empty hall.

As he raised his head, a drop of blood suddenly fell, landing in his palm.

He reached up to touch his nose, evaporated the blood, let out a soft breath, tried to step forward, but his footing wavered, and he sat down weakly.

Forget it, rest for a while.

There was nothing more for him to do.

Dong—

The second toll of the Chaos Bell rang outside Zixiao Gong, only an instant after the first.

The Dao Ancestor raised his finger to point forward, but suddenly froze, looking down at his chest in astonishment.

There, his Dao body, merged with the Heavenly Way, had inexplicably opened a large hole, and the constantly beating "sphere" inside had vanished!

Heavenly Way, Heavenly Way...

Where is my Heavenly Way?

No, it is still there, right beside me, so why can I not grasp it...

Hongjun suddenly looked up ahead, but Li Changshou's figure was already enclosed by the Chaos Bell.

Behind Hongjun, the distant Zixiao Gong was crumbling, and the countless gray-robed old Dao figures that had just appeared exploded into pieces!

Streams of pure spiritual energy returned to the Great Desolation.

The new Heavenly Way held no will.

"Li Changshou! What have you done!"

Buzz—

The void trembled, and the space before Hongjun distorted slightly. The emaciated old Daoist sitting on the meditation mat once again blocked his path, his gaze colder than ever.

Taiqing!

"Hongjun!"

A thunderous roar, laced with suppressed anger, erupted from behind the Dao Ancestor.

Several sword lights streaked across tens of thousands of li, severing the universe and shattering the remnants of the old Heavenly Way's barriers!

Following the sword lights, a figure flashed into existence behind Hongjun.

Holding a broken sword and standing on a tattered formation diagram, this young Daoist had his long hair standing on end, eyes wide and teeth gritted.

Tongtian!

The Taiji Diagram returned to position, casually lifted by the emaciated old Daoist, completely sealing the space around Hongjun.

Tongtian Jiaozhu advanced with gritted teeth, his eyes burning with fury toward his former teacher!

Yuan Shi Tianzun appeared on Hongjun's other side, a banner manifesting behind him, and he said calmly,

"Teacher, forgive our disrespect."

"Ha, ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!"

Hongjun suddenly threw his head back in laughter, clapping his hands repeatedly, and looked toward the Chaos Bell:

"Three Thousand Great Daos, Court of Great Daos, linking living beings with the Great Daos, rebuilding the Heavenly Way.

Changshou, it's remarkable that you came up with such a method; it's truly ingenious.

You are indeed different from that person; I have lost this round to you. But in the end, I do not wish to exit the stage so easily.

Come, let us decide the victor in battle."

Hongjun's towering form suddenly withered, and a figure stepped out from behind him.

This figure was enveloped in boundless murderous aura, with various demonic treasures floating around.

Mo Zu Luohou!

The Dao and Demon Ancestors opened their eyes simultaneously, their auras merging perfectly.

At that moment, Hongjun returned to his normal form and spoke with Luohou, their voices—a mix of chilling cold and gentle warmth—blending into a strange laughter:

"A battle outside the heavens, so as not to destroy this world."

"No need for that."

Taiqing Laozi's eyes emitted a black and white aura, and the Taiji Diagram condensed beneath them once more, blocking that heavenly path.

Tongtian Jiaozhu's broken sword radiated light as he lunged at Hongjun!

Yuan Shi Tianzun grasped the Pangu Banner and threw the Jade Ruyi, his chaotic sword energy slashing toward Luohou's body!

Taiqing Laozi pointed forward, his gray hair and robes fluttering as he suppressed the forms of the Dao and Demon Ancestors!

The Three Pure Ones battled the Two Ancestors!

This was no ordinary duel, beyond the scope of divine abilities or treasures; even Daluo Jinxian could only see several figures rapidly shifting positions within the Taiji Diagram's aura.

Taiqing controlled the overall situation, leaving Hongjun no path to escape;

Tongtian Jiaozhu and Yuan Shi Tianzun led the assault, but for the moment, they could not gain the upper hand.

The surrounding living beings mostly stared in a daze.

They could not comprehend it, but it felt profoundly shocking, with their own Daos and Dao hearts trembling lightly.

They still did not know exactly what had happened.

They did not understand why a hole had appeared in the Dao Ancestor's chest;

Why those gray-robed old Daoists, who exuded immense pressure, had suddenly dissipated;

Why Taiqing Shengren and Tongtian Shengren, who were rumored to be suppressed, had suddenly arrived.

And why a figure like Mo Zu had emerged from the Dao Ancestor's towering form, when Mo Zu's corpse was said to be at the deepest part of the Nine Filthy Springs...

Most living beings were bewildered.

They had come with burning passion, but now could only watch from afar.

Only a very few beings who had just entered the Court of Great Daos understood the general cause and effect.

Taiqing's disciple Li Changshou, Tai Bai Jinxing Li Changgeng, had accomplished an unprecedented feat!

This approach was truly unique—rebuilding the Heavenly Way, establishing new Dao principles, directly...

"Senior Brother..."

Ling'e, blocked behind Yunxiao, suddenly froze.

Her beautiful eyes trembled slightly, and her Dao heart twinged.

Disregarding everything, she rushed out from behind Yunxiao and, while all living beings watched the Shengren's battle, dashed straight toward the Chaos Bell.

Sacrifice my Junheng Dao, sacrifice my Junheng Dao!

Cultivators often delved into multiple paths, cultivating various Daos and techniques, such as the common Five Elements techniques, which touched upon the Five Elements Dao.

But each being achieves immortality and enlightenment through a single Dao.

Their own Dao.

This was the foundation of enlightenment, the root of longevity, the life soul Dao of cultivators.

The Junheng Dao was Senior Brother's Dao...

Senior Brother had relied on this Dao to cultivate to Tianxian, Jinxian, and beyond...

"Ling'e!"

Yunxiao hurriedly tried to follow, but her face suddenly paled, and she looked up at the Chaos Bell.

No, it couldn't be.

He established the Court of Great Daos under the old Heavenly Way's order!

Without external aid, only using his own Junheng Dao to balance the Shengren's Dao realm, then relying on that false realm to summon the Three Thousand Great Daos.

The backlash, the resistance of creation, the loss of his own Dao...

Yunxiao's face turned deathly pale.

"Ah..."

The spirit of the Chaos Bell echoed in the hearts of all living beings, and the great bell slowly rose half a zhang, revealing the seated figure beneath.

Strands of withered white hair scattered down.

His nearly desiccated body sat there quietly.

Like an ordinary mortal.

Like one asleep, head bowed and eyes closed, as if murmuring in a dream.

How should one balance the Heavenly Way?

Yes, how should one balance the Heavenly Way?

Changing the order is easy to say, and slogans are stirring, but how to actually do it?

On that immortal island's beach, in the years after Master was burned away by the Golden Crow flames, sitting quietly in the warm Hunyuan Jindou, Li Changshou pondered, reflected, and deliberated.

He tested many ideas.

For example, he could find the Chaos Bell and use it to activate the Years Dao, extending the fiftieth axe mark from Pangu God's creation of the world to today, shattering Zixiao Gong.

Or, he could research the poisons of the Great Daos and infect the Heavenly Way with a "virus," thereby affecting Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Or again, he could figure out how to make the Six Shengren join forces against Hongjun...

And so on.

At that time, Li Changshou's understanding of the Heavenly Way was limited, his thoughts not fully comprehensive, the information he had incomplete, and his ideas somewhat fanciful.

But each idea he foresaw would lead to countless deaths among living beings.

Li Changshou could only reject these ideas one by one.

To eliminate the Dao Ancestor and the Heavenly Way was his own obsession, born of his hatred, and he should not use other living beings' lives as stakes.

One person should bear the consequences of their own actions.

So, in reality, he had only one path: to balance the Heavenly Way, to understand it, to rebuild it.

How should one balance the Heavenly Way?

How...

"Senior Brother!"

A call jolted the groggy Li Changshou awake.

He sensed Ling'e rushing toward him and felt the Chaos Bell's spiritual power holding her back.

"Be gentle," the spirit of the bell manifested beside them and whispered, "He cannot withstand your impact now."

Ling'e could not help but burst into tears. She knelt beside Li Changshou, pouring out bottles of pills from her treasure pouch, holding his white hair, looking at his aged face, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Senior Brother, don't scare me!

Weren't you certain you would be fine?

Weren't you always cautious? Weren't you..."

"Crying so ugly, I'll make you copy scriptures as punishment."

Li Changshou struggled to lift his left hand, wanting to touch Ling'e's head, but saw his palm withered like dead wood, covered in wrinkles.

"I'm fine, just exhausted."

He tried to lower his hand, but Ling'e quickly leaned forward, grasping it and placing it on her cheek.

Yunxiao's figure flashed behind Li Changshou. She silently knelt, her hands supporting his shoulders as she carefully channeled strands of spiritual power into his body, her eyes reddening slightly.

His Dao body was like a cracked, dried riverbed.

Streams of light flickered...

"Changgeng!"

"Star Lord!"

"Senior Brother!"

"Uncle Chang'an!"

"What's happened?"

Zhao Gongming's lips quivered as he squatted in front of Li Changshou, wanting to help but afraid to move recklessly. "Why go so far? Don't you always leave some leeway in everything?"

"Really, I won't die."

Li Changshou said softly, "I've just lost my cultivation; I can rebuild it."

Yunxiao was about to speak, but Li Changshou gently patted her hand.

"Changgeng," the Jade Emperor's voice was slightly choked.

Li Changshou immediately put on a helpless expression and sighed, "Your Majesty, I'm truly just exhausted, temporarily without cultivation."

"Lao Jun has arrived!"

"Quick, make way for Lao Jun!"

The surrounding immortals and gods scattered, and Lao Jun floated down from the ox's back, furrowing his brow as he grasped Li Changshou's wrist.

Soon, Lao Jun said,

"His life is not in danger."

The immortals and gods breathed a sigh of relief.

Lao Jun took a pill from his sleeve, thought for a moment, ground it into powder, and carefully fed a bit into Li Changshou's mouth.

Li Changshou's complexion improved slightly, his withered white hair gaining a touch of gray, and his face looking a bit younger.

"Thank you, Lao Jun."

His voice carried more strength.

"Hmm," Lao Jun nodded, pondering for a moment. "First, go to Tushita Palace to recuperate."

"Wait until the fight here is over," Li Changshou said, looking toward the void. Without cultivation, he relied solely on a breath of spiritual power to sustain himself and could only see vague shadows of light.

"Then wait a bit."

Lao Jun responded softly, his figure turning into a white light rushing toward the battleground.

Soon, Taishang Laojun merged with Taiqing Shengren, reciting profound incantations without pause or effort, summoning a massive millstone of heaven and earth yin-yang.

The momentum was indescribably fierce.

Li Changshou let out a light breath...

He knew his own condition well; choosing this path, he had considered many scenarios and prepared a couple of contingencies.

Where has there ever been a bloodless revolution?

Reaching this point was already more than satisfactory for him.

The battle to overthrow the Dao Ancestor dragged on for a long time.

The Three Pure Ones unleashed their full power, and the Dao Ancestor played all his cards.

They were all unbound by the Heavenly Way and could not draw from the new Heavenly Way, fighting purely with their own magical powers.

This battle was even more grueling than when Taiqing had fought Hongjun in Zixiao Gong.

Nüwa Niangniang guarded beside Li Changshou for a while, confirming his life was not in danger, then went to assist the Three Pure Ones.

But Nüwa Niangniang had no opportunity to act, only wandering on the periphery.

The Dao Ancestor's strength was fully displayed; after devouring the will of the old Heavenly Way, it was terrifying.

Unfortunately, he still fell short of the Hunyuan Wuji realm.

It was not until the Chaos Bell joined the fray, and the Three Pure Ones simultaneously activated their creation treasures, with Taiqing Shengren holding the shadow of the Heaven-Opening Axe, that they finally suppressed Hongjun in this state.

The Qiankun Cauldron was immensely powerful, and the Creation Jade Disc endlessly transformative.

The Dao and Demon Ancestors, as one, seemed to have more avatars ready to join the battle.

But Hongjun's gaze often turned to Li Changshou, surrounded by many living beings, looking at his mottled white hair, with a bitter smile on his lips.

He was probably envious.

The feeling of being cared for was something he had long forgotten.

In his distant memories, there was mostly endless grayness, endless loneliness and isolation.

Back then, memories from his previous life were the best antidote, replayed over and over.

Until those memories gradually faded, until he could no longer recall them, even forgetting his own name.

Ridiculously, his main personality was unaware of all this.

Because those negative emotions and feelings had been taken away during the true spirit's split.

When he came to his senses, he was already in the vibrant ancient world, "everyone" bustling and scheming for their ideal heavens and earth, every moment filled with fulfillment.

When he came to his senses again, he stood before his "last companion," throttling the other and reclaiming them.

Why? He was just a derivative of that mediocre man!

And why must his ultimate fate be to return to that bastard, completing the so-called main personality!

He had already stood at the pinnacle of all beings, sitting in Zixiao Gong, taking the Three Pure Ones as disciples!

He was Hongjun!

The lord of Xuanmen, the source of Daomen!

Ah... it was probably just unwillingness.

In the battle, Mo Zu's head was shattered by Tongtian Jiaozhu's sword light, and Mo Zu's form could no longer hold.

Hongjun waved his sleeve, and the remnants of Mo Zu turned into a stream of light entering his body. Hongjun grasped the tripod foot of the Qiankun Cauldron and fought the Three Pure Ones alone!

He remained silent, merely channeling his vast, sea-like magical power;

Though his form was no longer towering, he still exuded immense dignity.

Taiqing furrowed his brow, and the shadow of the great axe in his hand shone brightly.

"Combine forces!"

Taiqing Shengren shouted lightly, and Tongtian Jiaozhu and Yuan Shi Tianzun appeared on his left and right, pushing their palms forward together.

The figure of a giant manifested before the Three Pure Ones, its massive hand grasping toward Hongjun.

Hongjun was stunned, a light flashing in his eyes.

"Elder brother..."

Hongjun murmured, then furrowed his brow in confusion, looking down at his palm.

Why?

Why!

That massive hand grasped Hongjun's body without resistance, and his expression became incredibly complex—with bewilderment, regret, guilt, nostalgia, resignation...

And a touch of excitement.

Hongjun even raised his movable right hand, instinctively reaching toward the giant's face.

Not minding that the giant was just a shadow;

Not minding the Heaven-Opening Axe raised high by the giant;

Not minding the giant's cold, expressionless face.

"Elder brother," Hongjun whispered, his lips trembling, his face strangely transforming into a clean, beardless one, filled with loss, a smile, and a plea.

"Shall we not open the heavens and create the earth?

The Chaos Sea is quite carefree too."

The axe blade fell.