Chapter 268: Honghuang's First Match... Talent Show

Ao Yi had only been gone for half a day when the gift-sending procession from Long Gong arrived at Hai Shen Miao, carrying box after box of treasures.

This was due to Long Gong's immense wealth, accumulated over countless years across the four seas, so they gave these gifts without a second thought.

But...

With his left hand accepting gifts and his right hand offering them to the divine altar...

Li Changshou couldn't help but feel that he had somehow turned himself into a scheming courtier, corruptly selling official positions and lining his pockets in Tian Ting.

He was supposed to be an upright minister!

In the rear hall of Hai Shen Miao, Li Changshou's paper effigy, disguised as an old immortal, waved his duster, making most of the treasure chests vanish. He kept only the pearls, agates, corals, and luminous pearls—items considered precious in the mortal world—to reward his subordinates.

Afterward, this paper effigy tidied his appearance and rode the clouds toward Dong Hai, beginning the plan he had previously discussed with Ao Yi—

The first Hong Huang talent selection, er, deity selection competition!

This event featured the Four Seas Dragon Kings as special guests, thirty-nine Long Clan elders as judges, and the great god Xuan Shang Wu Que of the four seas, along with Ao Yi, the Long Clan's pioneer in ascending to Tian Ting, as the "senior panel."

As long as you were outstanding enough, the "seniors" would turn for you, granting you a divine position in Tian Ting!

This way, it showed that Long Gong valued the matter highly, giving face to Tian Ting;

It also made the process an internal Long Clan selection, reducing any resistance from the clan;

Additionally, it allowed for some fun with the dragons, easing internal Long Clan conflicts and adding some entertainment to their monotonous daily lives... and so on.

Li Changshou had even come up with the slogan: "All Dragons in Battle, Charge for Divine Positions!"

Of course, this deity selection was far from transparent; the initial candidates were already decided, so most dragons were just there for the spectacle.

The sixteen divine positions had also been mostly assigned; it was just a formality to save face for both Tian Ting and Long Gong.

As Li Changshou recalled from his previous life...

Ahem, back to the main point.

Upon arriving at Dong Hai, before even reaching Long Gong, Ao Yi came out with a large group of shrimp soldiers and crab generals to welcome him.

As per Li Changshou's instructions, the venue was fully prepared in a side hall of the Crystal Palace, complete with all the necessary arrangements.

The Four Seas Dragon Kings would gather the next day, and it would take about a dozen hours to assemble the Long Clan elders...

Seizing this window, Li Changshou and Ao Yi began finalizing various details.

For instance, the selected dragon princes and princesses had to possess genuine skills and abilities, not just superficial talents like singing and dancing; they needed a sense of responsibility and genuine affection for the Long Clan and the four seas.

Touching sob stories were unnecessary—everyone was from a second-generation dragon background, so claims of hardship would likely be unconvincing.

Following Li Changshou's requirements, several Long Clan craftsmen on site built six rotatable treasure thrones, which would later be used by the Four Seas Dragon Kings and their Hai Shen Jiao duo...

Li Changshou also summoned the Long Gong musicians he had worked with before and discussed some details for the background music.

After finishing all that, Li Changshou looked at this magnificent yet somewhat empty grand hall and pondered for a moment.

It still felt like something was missing...

The song and dance performances were already arranged—after all, the Long Clan had plenty of that.

The event host was selected as a graceful Long Clan princess named Sha Rui, who spoke clearly and wouldn't mispronounce the contestants' names.

So, what was still missing?

Li Changshou thought for a while, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

The audience! They needed a group of spectators who could freely laugh or cry!

This was easy to fix. Although the Long Clan's overall acting skills weren't great, they ruled over many sea clans, so picking some attractive and expressive sea clan members to watch wouldn't be a problem.

Li Changshou made the request, and Ao Yi immediately carried it out, soon bringing in hundreds of Long Clan and sea clan "audience members." Li Changshou then guided them on the spot, teaching them to match the music with various expressions.

How to show emotion without overacting, and how to cheer without being grating—there was a lot to it.

In this way, after achieving the Golden Immortal realm, Li Changshou gave it a small test, organizing the Long Clan's deity selection as the chief director and "instructor."

Although it was just a formality, they made it quite unique.

Li Changshou also took this opportunity to formally meet the Four Seas Dragon Kings...

Before the event began, in the main hall of the Crystal Palace;

The four dragon-headed elders sat together on the high platform, while Li Changshou and Ao Yi were seated off to the side.

These four elders had similar appearances, differing only in height, build, and weight.

Dong Hai Dragon King appeared the most dignified but also the most laid-back;

Bei Hai Dragon King was relatively slender, Xi Hai Dragon King a bit plump, and Nan Hai Dragon King the most honest-looking.

When Li Changshou entered from the side hall, the Four Seas Dragon Kings all stood up to greet him;

Once he was seated, they raised their golden goblets in unison to toast him, giving full respect to this Hai Shen...

Not only that, the Four Seas Dragon Kings spoke very flatteringly, constantly showering Li Changshou with praise:

Xi Hai Dragon King said:

“Our Long Gong can form a good alliance with Tian Ting and receive divine positions to resolve our current difficulties, all thanks to your mediation, Dao You!”

Bei Hai Dragon King said:

“Throughout the heavens and earth, from ancient times to now, the only one whose wisdom and strategy can compare to Hai Shen's is that ancient Yao Ting's Kun Peng demon master!”

Nan Hai Dragon King simply said:

“Let us drink this cup to the full!”

Li Changshou lifted his goblet in response and began returning the compliments with a few well-chosen words, flattering the four Dragon Kings until they smiled, nodded repeatedly, and secretly praised Hai Shen's astuteness...

After the banquet, they were about to proceed with the dragon selection for divine positions;

Li Changshou had already arranged everything, so it would just be a routine process to grant the Long Clan these low-level divine positions;

But at this critical moment, Bei Hai Dragon King suddenly spoke up:

“This selection of Long Clan members for Tian Ting divine positions is a cause for celebration.

I see that Hai Shen has made thorough preparations, so there shouldn't be any issues. Why not invite fellow Daoists from across Hong Huang to come as witnesses?”

Li Changshou thought:

This is a bit... too embarrassing!

Seeing the other three Dragon Kings about to nod in agreement, Li Changshou quickly said:

“Esteemed Dragon Kings, in my humble opinion, these are just positions for patrolling sea guardians, not high-level divine roles. Making such a grand spectacle might actually diminish the Long Clan's prestige.”

Nan Hai Dragon King replied:

“No, it won't. It's best to make it grand.”

Bei Hai Dragon King laughed and said:

“The entire Hong Huang knows of our Long Clan's predicament, so let's use this opportunity to show that we have allied with Tian Ting.”

Dong Hai Dragon King slowly nodded and said:

“Agreed.”

Li Changshou furrowed his brow, weighing the pros and cons.

Long Gong taking the initiative to publicize this was essentially promoting Tian Ting's authority and declaring their allegiance, which boosted Tian Ting's presence;

For him, this was a good thing, as he could gain merit just by sitting back.

Ahem, by sitting there.

It was just that his playful designs would now be exposed to experts outside the Long Clan, especially since he had to sit on that treasure throne that spewed white mist and kept turning...

The embarrassment was overwhelming.

Thus, the Long Gong event was postponed by half a month as they began sending out invitations widely, inviting experts from all sides to attend.

Li Changshou worried that Western Sect spies might sneak in, so he made some arrangements to prevent any disruptions...

But what he didn't expect was that this turned into a major Long Clan affair!

Half a month later, the main hall of the Crystal Palace was packed, with countless figures gathered outside.

When Li Changshou pressed the red button in front of him and turned for a dragon prince amid the swirling white mist...

His own "big leg," the great mage Xuan Du, and Zhao Gongming were hiding in secret and burst out laughing. Experts like Huang Long Zhenren and the Ten Heavenly Monarchs of Jin'ao Island, who were invited as honored guests, also smiled with narrowed eyes.

Hua Ri Tian, the heavenly general among the imperial guards, sat in the VIP section holding the decree, along with Dong Mu Gong;

Fu De Jin Xian Yun Zhong Zi, who came with Huang Long Zhenren, and the many Jie Jiao immortals from Yu Xu Gong who had previously spread Hai Shen's name;

As well as dozens of idle Jie Jiao immortals from Jin'ao Island...

They all showed expressions of admiration.

From then on, the name "Hai Shen knows how to have fun" spread throughout Hong Huang, becoming a topic of endless discussion.

Although the process was somewhat embarrassing, under Li Changshou's full orchestration, the sixteen low-level divine positions were successfully granted;

The selected Long Clan members were half the nephews of the Four Seas Dragon Kings and half talented young dragons with clean backgrounds and exceptional abilities.

Once the divine positions were bestowed, the karmic burdens from the Heavenly Dao were offset, and these sixteen dragon princes and princesses all made breakthroughs.

Later, they would patrol the four seas, and Li Changshou gave them some advice: to accumulate good deeds, save those in distress, promote Tian Ting's authority, and avoid actions that would increase karma.

These sixteen dragons were now under Li Changshou's command, and he could revoke their divine positions at any time.

After the decree was read, Li Changshou and Dong Mu Gong left with the Tian Ting soldiers; the festivities in the sea had nothing more to do with them.

Li Changshou switched to another paper effigy to return to Tian Ting, while the one he had used slipped away from Dong Hai Long Gong in secret and waited on a small island.

Suddenly, a cloud of mist appeared in the sea, and a figure that could barely be called slender stepped out, walking across the sea surface with a profound and natural aura...

It was Xuan Du Da Fa Shi.

The great mage smiled and said:

“How is your realm consolidation going?”

Li Changshou bowed in greeting and replied with a smile:

“It’s stable now. Thank you for protecting me, Great Mage.”

The great mage smiled mischievously and asked:

“Is your thanks for me protecting you, or for arranging a protector for you?”

Li Changshou said:

“Great Mage, the matter with Yun Xiao Xian Zi... it truly caught me off guard.”

Xuan Du Da Fa Shi just smiled without saying more, then added:

“It’s rare for me to come down here. Let’s take a walk together. I might need to enter seclusion in Dou Shuai Gong for a while soon.”

Li Changshou replied:

“Please go ahead, Great Mage. I assure you, I won’t cause any trouble for Ren Jiao.”

The great mage laughed and said:

“You’re mistaken. What is trouble? Only things I can’t handle are trouble.

The time for the Long Clan to ascend is ripening. Don’t hesitate when you need to act.

Since Lao Jun has passed down the Dao of Alchemy, you’re now half a disciple of the teacher. If anyone bullies you, it’s a slight against the teacher’s face.

Being cautious is good, but excessive prudence might make the teacher think you’re timid, which wouldn’t be ideal.”

Li Changshou bowed deeply and said:

“I will heed your teachings, Great Mage!”

The great mage nodded with a smile and gestured lightly, then walked with Li Changshou along Dong Hai, imparting the teachings of Tai Qing Dao and the wonders of nature.

Unknowingly, half a day passed, and the great mage prepared to leave, offering a few more words of advice...

Just then, a surge of emotion rose in Li Changshou’s heart. His divine sense swept over the main Hai Shen Miao in An Shui City, and he frowned slightly.

The great mage smiled and said:

“Is there some unspoken issue? Feel free to speak.”

Li Changshou replied:

“Great Mage, my true body should be fine.

There’s a boy riding an immortal crane who has arrived at my Hai Shen Miao...”

The great mage said with a smile:

“Oh? A boy on an immortal crane? What does he want?

Very well, I’ll send your effigy over and watch the show.”

As he spoke, the great mage took Li Changshou’s wrist and stepped forward.

Li Changshou felt the surroundings blur with light and shadow, and when they reappeared, they were in the skies above An Shui City in Nan Hai.

This was the Qian Kun Escape technique!

Looking down, Li Changshou saw a boy sitting on an immortal crane, floating in front of the Hai Shen main hall.

The boy was handsome and refined, sitting cross-legged on the crane’s back with his arms folded and eyes closed, a hint of arrogance on his brow.

Many worshippers gathered around, with some aunties commenting things like, “What a handsome child,” which made the boy grow impatient.

Li Changshou said with a smile:

“Great Mage, I’ll handle this.”

The great mage replied:

“Very well.”

As the great mage calculated with his fingers, he already knew the boy’s background and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Li Changshou’s paper effigy concealed itself, rode the clouds down to the rear hall of Hai Shen Miao, then circled around to the front hall with his duster in hand, smiling as he approached.

The worshippers recognized this as Hai Shen’s incarnation and knelt in reverence...

The boy opened his eyes, his gaze cold and indifferent, and said:

“Are you the Hai Shen, Dao You?”

Li Changshou replied with a smile:

“That’s right. May I ask who you are and what brings you here?”

The boy continued:

“My master wants to see you. He asks that you show your true form and come with me at once.”

Hearing this, the mortal worshippers and over a dozen Hai Shen Jiao divine envoys below showed unfriendly expressions.

How could this child speak to their Hai Shen like that?

Li Changshou frowned and, to be safe, first asked about the boy’s master before waving his duster to send this rude boy away.

—For the boy was already tarnishing Ren Jiao’s reputation, so he had to respond accordingly.

Li Changshou said coldly:

“I don’t know who your master is, or why he wants me to meet him.”

The boy said:

“Hmph, listen carefully, and I won’t repeat it!

My master—

Attained the Dao and revealed his divinity in ancient times, his generation equal to the Six Saints.

He debates the Dao with saints to show true insight, now residing in Yu Xu Gong.

The Twelve Golden Immortals call him their teacher, his Dao encompasses the universe with great powers.

In Yuan Jue Cave, the Dao fire burns; on Ling Jiu Mountain, a bright lamp shines!”

Li Changshou suddenly realized and waved his duster, saying:

“Please go ahead. No need to see you out.”