Chapter 150: Senior Brother Teaches Again, Will Pass on the Stable Middle Method

When the Tuo Bei Dao Ren left, his face was extremely complex, and his expression was deeply gloomy.

Originally, he was a prominent figure in the Western Teach, yet he departed with the dejected steps of one whose life had turned disappointing.

This sight even brought a smile to Zhao Gongming's face.

He had struck the other party and left them speechless, only to end up offering an apology himself...

This feeling was truly unprecedented, quite novel indeed.

Zhao Gongming glanced at the cloth scroll that had been discarded on the ground, subtly beckoning with his finger to draw the oath template toward him, then tucked it into his sleeve.

What a fine treasure...

After handling this minor matter, Zhao Gongming said, "Dao friend, that person has left, so you may come out now."

Li Changshou responded via voice transmission, but after a while, the white-haired, kindly-faced old Daoist finally emerged from the ground.

Earlier, this paper Daoist had burrowed a bit too deep...

The old Daoist raised his hand to set up a layer of immortal power barrier, then bowed to Zhao Gongming with a Daoist salute. "Many thanks to senior for your assistance."

"Hahaha," Zhao Gongming stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "Was it truly I who acted, or were you the one guiding my hand?

Today, we averted a potential disaster, so it is I who should thank you, Dao friend!"

"Senior, you speak too kindly..."

"Do not call me senior like that. I, Zhao Gongming, enjoy making friends, so let us simply address each other as Dao friends!"

Li Changshou thought to himself,

'But I do not wish to become your friend, nor do I want you to enter my story, let alone share in your chivalrous exploits.'

Of course, such thoughts could never be spoken aloud.

Not only that, compelled by the situation, Li Changshou had to muster a sincere smile and respond appropriately, saying to Zhao Gongming, "In that case, this junior will not refuse and will call you Dao friend."

"Hahahaha," Zhao Gongming laughed again. "The Sea God, you are truly a remarkable person.

By the way, what is your Daoist title?"

As he spoke, Zhao Gongming returned the Daoist salute to the paper Daoist and formally introduced himself.

"I am Zhao Gongming, a qi refiner of the Jie Teach."

"I am..." Li Changshou's mind raced. The title "Xuan Du Little Mage" was not something he could claim himself.

Xuan Du Master was a name others had used for years before he adopted it... It would be unreasonable to say it outright...

Shame was beside the point.

"I style myself as Chang Geng Dao Ren."

"Oh? Chang Geng? That is quite a fine Daoist title."

Zhao Gongming pondered inwardly but gained no insights from his calculations. However, he sensed a trace of the Taiji Diagram's aura and confirmed that this was one of their own.

"Dao friend Chang Geng, the method you mentioned earlier is truly ingenious. Now, upon reflection, it seems even more brilliant."

Zhao Gongming pondered for a moment, then spoke directly without hesitation. "May I use such ideas in other situations in the future?"

Li Changshou felt a twinge of unease. Was this future God of Wealth planning to continue extorting others...?

"As long as you do not reveal today's events to anyone else, it has nothing to do with this junior.

In the end, these are just temporary countermeasures.

Senior should consider them carefully, as they could easily damage your reputation."

"Hahaha," Zhao Gongming laughed heartily, his demeanor refreshingly straightforward.

He took out the folding fan again, adding a milky-white treasure pearl, and said with a smile, "This is the treasure you lost when your incarnation fell earlier.

This pearl is my gift to you as thanks.

If you consider me, Zhao Gongming, a friend, please accept it without refusal!"

"This...

Many thanks, Dao friend."

Li Changshou took the paper fan back, but when he received the stone, his heart skipped a beat.

A Chaos Spirit Stone!

This was a rare material found only in the Chaos Sea, which could be used to refine post-heaven spiritual treasures or directly transformed into a 'Primordial Treasure Pearl' for ambushes, sneak attacks, or even cracking spirit roots like walnuts...

One could only say, Zhao Gongming lived up to his reputation— casually gifting post-heaven spiritual treasures.

If he encountered the inner disciple of Jie Teach, Duobao Dao Ren, what would that be like...?

Of course, it was best to avoid that.

"Dao friend," Li Changshou said seriously, "Earlier, I only mentioned part of the secrets behind why the Sea God Teach thrives with incense. There is actually one more important aspect."

"Oh?" Zhao Gongming clasped his hands behind his back and teased, "So, you were holding back."

Li Changshou replied, "We were not familiar before, so I dared not say more..."

"True," Zhao Gongming waved his hand and quickly added, "Now, we've been through events together and shared hardships, so our bond is quite deep!"

Li Changshou thought,

It was indeed the same style as that troublesome junior sister;

But while she liked to imagine things on her own, this senior had cultivation and treasures to back up his words.

Enough— he couldn't say more, or he might end up swearing brotherhood in a temple, which would be troublesome.

With that, Li Changshou produced the deluxe edition of the "Sea God Teach Canons" that he had once given to the Jade Emperor and presented it to Zhao Gongming.

The content of the canons covered how to encourage mortals to do good and how to motivate followers to live actively.

If the immortals of Jie Teach could draw from this when gathering incense, Li Changshou would gain a bit of merit.

This was a good deed, free of karma, and Jie Teach mostly gathered incense in the Three Thousand Worlds.

Zhao Gongming held the canons and read them carefully for a while, soon gaining enlightenment. He sighed,

"Indeed, it is our duty as Daoists to protect the Human Teach, something we qi refiners often overlook.

Many thanks for your guidance, Dao friend. I understand now.

Incense and merit are trivial matters. I'll tell them when I return— just focus on steady cultivation."

Li Changshou was taken aback.

He truly could not predict Zhao Gongming's way of thinking...

When Zhao Gongming left the Sea God temple, he was full of vigor, his face beaming with satisfaction, exuding an air of excitement.

Li Changshou carefully calculated the aftermath in his mind.

That Tuo Bei Dao Ren was bound by the Great Dao oath, and for now, Zhao Gongming and the Dragon Clan would help shield him...

The hidden dangers could not be entirely avoided, as they had existed before, so he still needed to prepare for the possibility of self-destructing his incarnation at any time.

Zhao Gongming's bold involvement had introduced many variables.

First, the Western Teach would likely assume a connection between the Dragon Clan and Jie Teach. If they investigated thoroughly, they would discover Ao Yi cultivating on Jin'ao Island.

This could alleviate some pressure on the Dragon Clan.

But the downside was that if the Western Teach targeted the Dragon Clan, they would plan and scheme even more cautiously.

Overall, this was a good thing for him.

' I was worrying about how to handle the Western Teach coming after me this time, but now I don't need to.'

Using this to temporarily free the Sea God Teach from the Western Teach's plot against the Dragon Clan was not bad...

Li Changshou summoned the temple attendant and gave him some gold and silver to soothe the followers in the city later.

Then, through divine sense transmission, he explained the events to Ao Yi, advising him to seize the opportunity to build good karma with this senior, which might help the Dragon Clan in critical moments.

He was quite attentive to his second young master.

He also gave Ao Yi two keywords to win Zhao Gongming's favor— loyalty and boosting face.

To befriend Zhao Gongming, one must start by lowering oneself and giving him full respect;

Then, step back halfway, and when Zhao Gongming suggests treating each other as equals, claim your cultivation is low and skills shallow, making it unworthy.

At that point, Zhao Gongming would wave it off, saying something like, "I never judge friends by their cultivation."

Beyond that, Li Changshou instructed Ao Yi... hundreds of sentences, ensuring he handled the follow-up properly.

After dealing with this, Li Changshou observed from the shadows for three months, confirming no further issues, before putting his paper Daoist into standby mode.

"Time to send another batch of paper figures."

In the underground chamber of Xiao Qiong Peak, Li Changshou opened his eyes.

With a sweep of his sleeve over the desk, several paper figures tumbled out, saluting him in unison.

Li Changshou chuckled lightly but quickly composed himself, using the Wind Speech Incantation to send a message to Ling E that he was going into seclusion. He then stood up and walked to a corner.

The year-long plan for the Dragon Clan's ascent to Heaven Court now seemed less secure.

After some self-reflection, Li Changshou realized why his mindset had fluctuated and solidified his Dao heart once more.

'Next, I need to account for scenarios where the master won't appear, or experts from the other two teaches get involved, and how the situation might develop differently...'

Taking a breath, Li Changshou organized his thoughts and began to ponder unhurriedly.

The Dragon Clan's entry into Heaven Court might seem like a move to block the schemes of 'Orchid' and 'Sling,' but it could also draw the attention of the 'Night Light Cup' and 'Bamboo Basket' seniors...

All these possibilities had to be considered.

A few months later...

"The drawing board is running out of space."

"Has Changshou senior brother not come out of seclusion yet?"

"Yes, he told me three years ago that he was going into seclusion, and he hasn't emerged since."

On the now peaceful Xiao Qiong Peak, Ling E and You Qin Xuan Ya strolled through the spirit beast enclosure, chatting lightly.

You Qin Xuan Ya nodded gently, her eyes showing a hint of joy.

Ling E smiled and asked, "Senior sister, do you have some good news?"

"Not at all," You Qin Xuan Ya replied. "It's just that Changshou senior brother has been in seclusion for so long; he must have gained some insights and made significant progress."

A certain Shou, who was about to step out of the alchemy room, silently adjusted his outer cultivation level up by one stage.

Return to Dao Realm, second stage;

Breakthroughs were indeed not easy.

Then, Li Changshou stepped out of the alchemy room, stifling a yawn and glancing at the detection stones hanging around. He dispelled the outer array of the alchemy room.

Li Changshou had thought his junior sister would detect his presence as soon as he emerged.

To his surprise, even as he flew on a cloud to the edge of the spirit beast enclosure, the two beauties—busy examining which spirit beast had overheated—hadn't noticed him at all.

Had he activated a stealth technique?

Li Changshou checked his state and shook his head, mentally noting that his junior sister needed to copy the 'Stability Scripture' three hundred times;

Later, she would recite it with him!

As Li Changshou entered the spirit beast enclosure, the two finally sensed his presence.

"Senior brother!"

"Changshou senior brother!"

They both called out and hurried over, but their expressions changed upon seeing him.

"Senior brother, you've overexerted yourself again? How did you end up like this?"

"Changshou senior brother, why are your eyes sunken and dark-circled, your face so haggard?"

Li Changshou smiled helplessly and said, "Cultivation is too taxing. Forcing a breakthrough really isn't worth it...

I'll rest in the alchemy room for a bit. I just came to check on things first."

You Qin Xuan Ya quickly said, "Changshou senior brother, you should rest immediately. I'll take my leave now."

With that, You Qin Xuan Ya bowed hastily and flew off toward Po Tian Peak with a worried look, without glancing back.

Li Changshou blinked, realizing he might have acquired a new... skill?

Ling E sidled up and whispered, "Senior brother, are you really tired, or is this on purpose?"

Li Changshou tapped her smooth forehead and sighed, "This is genuine fatigue. There are many things you can't grasp yet with your current cultivation. When you do...

Forget it. Just focus on your practice and stay out of trouble."

"Mm!" Ling E beamed with a smile.

Li Changshou added, "Bring your stone board to the alchemy room tomorrow. Now that your cultivation is catching up, in another ten or twenty years, you might enter the Return to Dao Realm.

I'll teach you some combat techniques and how to resolve karma after battles.

Study well— these are secrets I've painstakingly developed."

Ling E blinked and agreed obediently.

Li Changshou yawned again and turned to fly back to the alchemy room; he really did need some rest.

But sleeping was out of the question— he could only meditate in a light trance, allowing parts of his mind to recover in shifts.

Meanwhile, in a remote corner of Xi Niu He Continent, within several layers of advanced arrays,

A raggedly dressed old Daoist lay on the ground, bruised and battered, tears and snot streaming down his face, suppressed by twenty-four Sea Calming Divine Pearls.

'Humph, you injured my sworn sister's friend ages ago, and now that I've learned this clever method, how could I not avenge my old friend?'

Zhao Gongming mused to himself, reviewing the next steps with confidence. He retracted the Sea Calming Divine Pearls, prepared several recording treasures, and readied the cloth scroll with the oath template.

Gritting his teeth, he cursed,

"Take that! You've bullied me terribly today!"

The person on the ground jumped up at once, glaring at Zhao Gongming with a dazed look, while Zhao Gongming retreated a few steps and spat out a spray of blood.

"You've shaken my Dao foundation— it will take tens of thousands of years to recover!

Come with me to Spirit Mountain! This isn't over!"