Chapter 216: Even, We Have Also Prepared the Entrance Music

The young Daoist glanced over briefly and, without a word, casually flung out a streak of golden light.

This golden light contained a short blade that, in an instant, sliced through the seawater and pierced through the fabric of the universe, reaching the forehead of Li Changshou.

In that moment, Li Changshou saw the waves generated as the seawater and the universe were cleaved by this short blade within the golden light...

It gave him no chance to speak at all, as the short blade instantly struck down upon his head...

“Where did this ant jump out from?”

The young Daoist snorted coldly, glanced at the figure that had been split in two, and continued to prepare activating the blood-red treasure orb in his hand.

Before the young Daoist could withdraw his gaze, suddenly, from the left sleeve of the bisected figure, another form flew out—it was still the appearance of the middle-aged Daoist.

“Wait a moment!”

“Hmm?”

The young Daoist frowned slightly, and from behind him, another streak of golden light shot out, instantly severing the newly emerged figure.

“Noisy.”

The young Daoist said coldly, with the blood-red treasure orb floating before him, his hands rapidly forming seals, causing the orb to glow with intensifying blood light.

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out:

“Jin Chan Zi! How dare you!”

The young Daoist was startled and turned his head toward the one shouting, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly.

The Daoist who had been cut twice before had his previous corpse vanish entirely, and now, once again, an identical middle-aged man stood there.

Upon closer inspection, this seemed to be an incarnation...

Jin Chan Zi furrowed his brows lightly, halted his actions, and regarded the other with a hint of wariness, setting aside his earlier underestimation.

Those who knew him would call him Jin Chan;

The name Jin Chan Zi was used only by the two lords of the teachings.

Jin Chan Zi said coldly, “Who are you?”

Finally, he spoke...

Li Changshou felt a twinge in his heart—this past life of the chubby monk was truly ruthless, wasn’t it?

His “Wait a moment” had rarely failed before, but this time, encountering the six-winged Jin Chan, the other didn’t even ask questions and had struck him twice!

See, it’s always useful to carry spare paper effigies on a daily basis.

Preparation prevents peril; I haven’t deceived myself!

Li Changshou sighed, now focused on stalling for time, so naturally, the slower he spoke, the better...

“It doesn’t matter who I am.

What matters is, what do you intend to do, fellow Daoist?

The Dragon Race filling the sea eye is already an immense agony;

The sea eye is the spring of the world’s filth, containing the impurities of all living beings, and those who fill it with themselves have their spirits gradually consumed...

Now, do you still wish to target the remnants of their souls?”

Jin Chan Zi chuckled coldly and said indifferently, “I thought you had some ability, but it turns out you’re just here to preach.”

As he spoke, golden light flickered behind Jin Chan Zi, and six short blades slowly floated into the air.

“This time, I’ll chop you into pieces and see what tricks you can play!”

Li Changshou’s thoughts raced, and he snorted, “Well, Jin Chan Zi, I deliberately waited here for you to give you some advice, but you’re so ungrateful!

I have thousands of such incarnations; go ahead and chop them—what difference does it make?

Pity, you’ll ruin your own future, kowtowing nine times before the platform at Ling Shan, only to end up with nothing but bones and flesh!

How tragic, how laughable!”

Jin Chan Zi narrowed his eyes slightly. “What did you say?”

Li Changshou smirked, though he himself wasn’t sure what he was saying; his only thought was wondering...

Why hadn’t Master Huang Long arrived yet?

Based on Master Huang Long’s flying speed from the last time he took me to the South Sea, he should have been here by now!

Did he get lost?

Or, after so many years away from the Dragon Race lands, has he forgotten about this vital sea eye...

Li Changshou quickly scanned the area and saw various jinzhi lights flashing at the bottom of the sea trench, with a massive, sturdy array below, and wisps of turbid aura present.

But, was the Dragon Race’s defense here too weak?

Though it might be because the Dragon King had transferred the experts stationed here to the Dragon Palace, thinking about it, that didn’t make sense and was completely unreasonable...

The old Dragon King was no simple figure; how could he not distinguish between the importance of the sea eye and the Crystal Palace?

“Why are you silent?”

Jin Chan Zi’s eyes burned with killing intent.

Li Changshou suddenly smiled and made a gesture of invitation, saying, “Very well, I’m not in a hurry; you go ahead and finish your business, then we can chat leisurely.”

The golden light flickering behind Jin Chan Zi paused involuntarily as he glared at the middle-aged Daoist.

Li Changshou smiled faintly, now free of his earlier urgency;

Though not entirely certain, he had about a ninety percent grasp on it.

This was likely a fake sea eye deliberately set up by the Dragon Race!

Even so, Li Changshou urged, “Please, go on!”

Doubt deepened in Jin Chan Zi’s eyes;

He was always ruthless and decisive in his actions, but this mysterious Daoist, whom he had killed twice without success, had left him baffled, yet he didn’t falter in his movements.

“Are you trying to bluff me?” Jin Chan Zi said coldly. “In that case, I’ll summon the remnant souls here right in front of you and turn them into a demonic plague for the Dragon Race.

Let’s see what you can do to me!”

With that, six golden short blades flew out from behind Jin Chan Zi, circling him rapidly to form a defensive layer.

Within the encirclement of the short blades, as Jin Chan Zi continued to activate it, the blood-red treasure orb shone with beams of light, emitting a shrill wind-like sound...

In the seawater, a few shadowy remnants flew in from the array’s exit, transforming into blood light and entering the orb.

And then... nothing more.

Jin Chan Zi first frowned, then his brows knitted tightly, his handsome face showing confusion.

Why wasn’t there an influx of thousands of Dragon Race remnant souls?

His side’s saint disciples had calculated this many times; as long as they reached the East Sea sea eye, they could gather the myriad Dragon Race remnant souls to form blood demons and attack the Dragon Palace!

This was meant as a warning to the Dragon Race—if they didn’t submit, the next step would be to break the sea eye seal.

But all these schemes and plans had no effect?!

Li Changshou let out a soft sigh...

Jin Chan Zi whipped his head around and snarled, “What tricks are you playing!”

Seeing this, Li Changshou confirmed it completely in his heart, clasping his hands behind his back as wisps of fire light surged around him.

“Is it me playing tricks, or do you have ghosts in your heart?”

Jin Chan Zi’s expression grew even more grave, and just as he was about to speak, Li Changshou’s figure was suddenly engulfed by San Mei Zhen Yan, vanishing almost instantly in the seawater.

Only waves of spiritual energy rippled through the surroundings.

A faint voice transmission entered Jin Chan Zi’s ear...

“Jin Chan Zi, you still don’t know who you truly are. Wait until you meet the one with three moles on the sole of their foot, and then you’ll understand your true identity.”

Jin Chan Zi was taken aback, a thoughtful look crossing his face;

But then he raged, and the six streaks of golden light crisscrossed, only managing to cut through a wisp of ashes.

“Hmph! Mystifying nonsense!”

Jin Chan Zi muttered under his breath, looking down at the sealed array below, a hint of hesitation in his eyes, but he refrained from breaking it.

However, Li Changshou’s casually fabricated words lingered in his mind like a haunting echo.

“Until you meet the one with three moles on the sole of their foot...”

“Get out!”

In the vast seabed array, the young Daoist shouted in anger, activating the treasure orb in his hand once more, but to no effect.

In fact, he had used too much power, attracting some remnant souls of fish and shrimp, which infuriated him to the point of nearly crushing the orb...

Meanwhile, thirty thousand li away, in an unassuming small sea trench.

Master Huang Long, who had arrived there some time ago, was bending at the waist and bowing his head, respectfully answering questions to an old crone before him.

Behind the old crone, a large cauldron hovered slowly.

If one looked closely, figures could be seen meditating in various parts of the sea trench, most with dragon heads and Daoist forms, as if turned to stone.

A heavy, great defeat!

Beside the Great Mage, Li Changshou opened his eyes and couldn’t help covering his face with his hand, sighing softly.

There had been a major intelligence oversight; he, like the Western Teach, had gotten the location of the sea eye wrong!

Even the most cautious person has oversights;

Upon returning, he’d have to write a self-critique—perhaps find an excuse to make Ling E join him in copying the newly compiled “Wen” Character Scripture thousands of times...

On second thought, the Dragon Race must have hidden the true location of the sea eye long ago.

In that case, Li Changshou didn’t need to worry about it anymore;

One should never underestimate the Dragon Race.

The Great Mage laughed and asked, “What happened?”

Li Changshou detailed his earlier interference with Jin Chan Zi, and the Great Mage couldn’t help but smile lightly, encouraging him:

“Don’t let such minor matters discourage you; what you did was already very thorough.

These are Dragon Race secrets, not something you could easily uncover.”

Li Changshou frowned slightly and whispered, “I asked Master Huang Long to guard the sea eye, and as an elder of the Dragon Race, he should know the East Sea sea eye’s location.

Will this expose the sea eye’s true whereabouts?”

The Great Mage pondered for a moment, then continued his calculations with his fingers.

Once, to fulfill his teacher’s tasks, the Great Mage had racked his brains and thought deeply; later, with higher cultivation and stronger divine abilities, his connection to the Heavenly Dao grew clearer, and he grew accustomed to using divination...

“The heavenly secrets show that the sea eye is safe.”

Li Changshou felt a weight lift from his heart, though a slight hidden worry lingered.

He was familiar with divination techniques and had made many arrangements to guard against divination and calculation; now, with the help of a saint, his own heavenly secrets were obscured.

‘I wonder if the Great Mage has considered that heavenly secrets can be hidden, deceived, or even misled through manipulation...’

Of course, he couldn’t say that aloud;

Presumably, the Great Mage had thought about such matters.

With the sea eye secure for now, Li Changshou turned his attention to the chaos around the Crystal Palace.

The wedding had to be paused; after all, enemies were at the doorstep, and even if the Dragon Race remained composed, they had to consider the guests’ feelings.

By now, many guests were eager to fight, declaring their intent to join the battle;

But the old Dragon King remained unmoved, sitting steadily, while the turtle ministers kept urging everyone to stay calm, assuring them the intruders would be repelled soon.

Through his network of paper effigies, Li Changshou continuously assessed the battles in various areas.

It wasn’t yet time for the Heavenly Court or himself to act; the more chaotic the fight, the more crucial it was to stay calm and analyze carefully.

The perfect opportunity could slip away in an instant...

A moment later, the Great Mage suddenly chuckled, closed his eyes in concentration, and pointed at the crystal mirror before him, changing the scene from the undersea battle and seafood chaos to a leisurely white cloud.

On the cloud, six old Daoists arrived together.

Li Changshou immediately recognized the hunchbacked old Daoist among them as the one Zhao Gongming had targeted when he set out on that path.

“Zhao Shidi has made his move.”

The Great Mage said warmly, and in the scene, the blue sky and white clouds suddenly darkened.

The six Western Teach saint disciples, who had been chatting idly, changed their expressions.

This aura...

This situation!

“The Ding Hai Shen Zhu!”

One of them cried out, and the six instantly stood up, each looking in a different direction, with treasure lights flashing in their hands; two even broke into a cold sweat on their foreheads.

“It’s an ambush!”

“Zhao Gongming! What more do you want?”

“Today, we six brothers are here; are you still afraid of us?”

Li Changshou heard the shouts from the crystal mirror and felt a wave of emotion...

This was like the primordial version of a broadcast—wait, no, not that.

Zhao Gongming’s deterrent power was truly evident!

“Hey?”

A sudden call made the six turn together toward the path they had come from.

In the sealed universe around them, a rift appeared, and a handsome, mighty head poked in. “So, you’re the ones who injured me?”

As he spoke, Zhao Gongming’s figure landed in this forbidden space, his fall so natural, effortless, and satisfying...

When he spat blood next, the arc of his lips, the pain in his expression, and the dullness in his eyes were all so vivid, realistic, and convincingly fake.

“Pah—

Ah, you six ganging up on poor me! This injury won’t heal for several yuan hui!

Come with me to the Bi You Palace and explain this to my teacher!”

The six clenched their fists, veins bulging on their foreheads.

Beside Li Changshou’s true form, the Great Mage, seeing this, was first stunned, then burst into laughter, nearly choking on his breath.

Li Changshou smiled along, pondering in his heart.

The time was ripe.

The battle at the Dragon Palace had reached a fever pitch, with heavy casualties on both sides, though the enemy was also suffering;

The experts on both sides had mutual losses, and the battlefield had shifted slightly away from the Dragon Palace—this was deliberate by the Dragon Race experts to avoid damaging the Crystal Palace.

With the six Western Teach saint disciples held back by Zhao Gongming, when else would the Heavenly Court make its entrance!?

Thus, in the main hall of the Dragon Palace.

Li Changshou’s paper effigy in the form of a young cultivator, standing beside Yue Lao, took out a jade talisman and, in full view of Yue Lao and the Jade Emperor’s incarnation, gently crushed it.

Then, Li Changshou said, “Yue Lao, please have the two Golden Immortal realm generals join the fight later and await Duke Dongmu’s command.”

“Understood!” Yue Lao nodded immediately, showing no panic at all, fully embodying the composure of a Heavenly Court expert.

After giving the instructions, Li Changshou rose quickly, drawing a few glances, and walked briskly to a corner of the hall, near the sea maidens playing music, where he casually deployed several paper effigies.

Two paper effigies held suonas, and two guarded the large drums.

Li Changshou said with a smile, “Everyone, please play as we rehearsed before.”

The sea maiden musicians nodded gently, and the music suddenly became intense and tense;

The stirring suona sounds rose, startling all the guests in the main hall.

Right at that moment!

From above the sea, deep in the sky, a beam of silver-white light pillar descended straight down!

Just before it hit the sea surface, the beam split into countless silver lights, each wrapping a silver-armored heavenly soldier, hurling directly toward the Crystal Palace!

In the Dragon Race main hall, the large drums thundered, and the music soared, perfectly harmonizing with the majestic shout from outside.

“By the decree of His Majesty the Jade Emperor!

Slay demons and eliminate evil to protect the four seas!

Heavenly soldiers and generals, heed the order! Any evildoers shall be executed without mercy!”

The forty thousand elite Heavenly Court soldiers roared in unison, their voices echoing for a hundred thousand li, shaking the mountains and rivers!

“Yes, sir!”