Chapter 361: Taking Advantage of Shou's Crisis

Exhausted energy, weary spirit...

*Shen* depletion often occurred after a series of major spirit explosions, leaving one feeling utterly drained, with the whole body in a haze of drowsiness.

From deep within, the voice of *Ta Ye* rang out with concern: "What's wrong? Is your *shen* overdrawn?"

Li Changshou sighed.

He couldn't relax yet; it wasn't safe out here, even with the *Xuan Huang Ta* protecting him, so he had to stay vigilant.

Li Changshou silently recited the *Qing Xin Jue*, squeezing out a bit more energy, and barely managed to open his eyes...

Ah, that flowing mane of long hair.

And those two figures, striking poses from some classic movie of a past life—one with arms spread wide, the other steadying the waist of the one in front, both savoring the rushing wind.

In the dim light and shadows, it evoked such nostalgia...

"Ma, your mane's getting in my mouth! Moo!"

"Cow, keep quiet, it's about the vibe, the atmosphere! Finally getting to ride a dragon! Neigh!"

Li Changshou jolted awake, feeling much more alert. He quietly stood up, walked to the edge of the dragon's back, and calmly lifted his foot to kick Niu Tou and Ma Mian overboard.

"Ao Yi, where are we now?"

"We're already in *Bei Hai*, Big Brother. Why not rest a bit more?"

The voice of Ao Yi, transformed into a blue dragon, echoed in transmission.

Li Changshou slowly shook his head, clasped his hands behind his back, and made his way to the dragon's head, standing beside Ao Yi's horns as he gazed out at the vast expanse, a faint smile creeping onto his face.

The battle at *Yao Sheng Shan* had yielded rich rewards, but he had taken enormous risks.

For at least the next two centuries, he needed to stop actively scheming and let any "fortune" tied to him dissipate...

Though being bound by the Heavenly Dao brought massive merit, it also meant bearing the corresponding risks.

In this operation against the demon clan, most of the karma had been shouldered by *Yu Di*, but the uneliminated Lu Ya remained a minor threat to Li Changshou...

Better to lie low and focus on cultivation.

Thinking it over, the biggest gain wasn't those two batches of merit, but...

The Tai Qing Saint had personally imparted the Dao to him!

In the *Hong Huang* world, hearing a saint lecture once allowed one to claim the title of the saint's registered disciple. But this was a direct transmission, tailored instruction in the *Tai Qing Shui De Pian*!

If Li Changshou wished, he could already acknowledge the saint as his teacher and call himself a saint's disciple.

Since he hadn't been formally accepted as a disciple, it meant he hadn't done enough yet.

Better to play it safe.

Question the true heart, refine the innate nature, understand the self, seek tranquility...

The dragon clan's matters were settled, the demon clan's arrogance curbed, and the underworld's affairs could be planned gradually.

Next, he just needed to secretly move *Xiao Qiong Peak* next to *Dou Shuai Palace*, then settle in and ponder the *Wu Wei* Dao in peace.

That was the true path to strength!

"Big Brother," Ao Yi asked, "should we pick up the soul-reaping messengers?"

Li Changshou glanced at Niu Tou and Ma Mian, who were sprinting wildly across the sea surface but falling further behind the young blue dragon, and shook his head, signaling the dragon to circle back...

After the chaos at *Yao Sheng Shan*, seizing the *Mie Ren Sword*, and dealing with several busy days, Li Changshou successfully resolved the Wu clan's infertility issues. Overall, it had been a perilous and challenging ordeal!

Upon reaching *Bei Ju Lu Zhou*, he met all four great Wu shamans. Li Changshou produced a memory orb, vividly illustrating the demon clan's schemes, and presented the now-useless *Mie Ren Sword*...

The shamans took turns holding the *Mie Ren Sword*, sensing the lingering traces of true spirits that had perished upon it, and each one erupted in fury!

The Wu clan expressed endless gratitude to Li Changshou, but given their impoverished state, they had no substantial gifts to offer. Moreover, they had sworn not to leave *Bei Ju Lu Zhou*, so they couldn't serve or assist him.

For a moment, the shamans felt quite awkward...

Li Changshou chuckled: "The Wu clan are descendants of Pan Gu's bloodline. Though they've erred, they don't deserve extermination.

I was merely going with the flow, acting on *Yu Di's* orders. In the future, as the Wu clan thrives and stabilizes the northern border of *Bei Ju Lu Zhou*, that alone will spare Heaven much worry. There's no need to dwell on giving me thanks."

The four great shamans bowed repeatedly in gratitude. Li Changshou waved it off and departed with ease.

One should know contentment.

The Wu clan was already struggling so much; pressing them further would be utterly lacking in propriety...

Due to his extreme mental fatigue, Li Changshou sent Niu Tou, Ma Mian, and the other six Wu experts who had played minor roles back to the *You Ming* underworld on their own.

He then asked Ao Yi to return to Heaven and request leave from *Dong Mu Gong* on his behalf, explaining that he had expended too much mental energy and needed to rest quietly for a month or two...

With that done, Li Changshou used *Tu Dun* to hurry back to *Du Xian Men*.

The closer he got to *Du Xian Men*, the more fatigue washed over him, like a tidal wave crashing into his spirit.

This was the aftermath of those two consecutive *Di Sha Ling Bao* Arrays; though they were executed with flair, the backlash was immense.

The best way to recover was to completely relax his mind and get a good sleep.

"*Ta Ye*, could you make an exception and watch over me while I rest?"

"No problem!"

The *Xuan Huang Ta* sent waves of spiritual thoughts: "Go ahead and sleep soundly, little disciple. Even if you napped in the demon clan's lair, we'd handle it!

That spirit explosion trick of yours is getting smoother and smoother!

Though it can't harm the real heavyweights yet, it's just so spectacular!"

Li Changshou: ...

Well, that was probably meant as praise.

Relying on his still-resilient willpower, Li Changshou made it back to *Du Xian Men*'s gates and quietly returned to *Xiao Qiong Peak*.

The saying went, "Covering a hundred *li*, the last ninety is the hardest." The closer to the "final stretch," the tougher it was to hold on mentally.

Li Changshou had planned to find a secluded spot, use his transformation technique to hide, and then rest.

But when he saw his rocking chair, his spirit could no longer hold out. He dismissed his paper avatar and simply leaned back, lying down right there.

Consecutive five spirit explosions had hit his mind too hard; he shouldn't pull stunts like that again...

The *Xuan Huang Ta* flickered gently, appearing above Li Changshou's *yuan shen* and scattering streams of cool energy to ease his weariness.

His *yuan shen* figure was already drowsy, about to thank *Ta Ye* and check on Ling E's cultivation, but as thoughts swirled, the figure toppled over...

Having a congenital treasure guard him while he slept made Li Changshou feel a bit extravagant.

He drifted into a deep slumber, his snores soft and steady.

A moment later, Ling E, who had been meditating at the door, was drawn by the rare sound of snoring—she'd only heard it twice before—and slowly opened her eyes.

Senior Brother... is asleep?!

Shock filled Ling E's delicate face. She quietly stood up and approached the figure in the rocking chair.

Listening closely, the snores were indeed coming from his mouth and nose!

"Senior Brother?"

Ling E reached out and gently poked Li Changshou's hand, nearly tearing up with joy, her heart overflowing with emotion!

After all these years, she had finally touched his real, physical body again!

Wait...

What an opportunity!

A mischievous glint lit up Ling E's eyes. She dashed to the pill room, grabbed some ink and a brush, and studied her senior brother intently.

Hmph, you smug senior brother, I'll cover your face with the characters from the Steady Scripture!

Punishment for punishment, and making me write it too!

Giggling, Ling E's eyes curved into crescents as she dipped the brush in ink and tilted her head, admiring her senior brother's sleeping face, wondering where to start.

Li Changshou's illusion spell had dissipated upon returning to the mountain, but the layers of charm-reducing disguise he always maintained were still in place...

Even so, she found herself a bit entranced, brush in hand, standing there in a daze.

Gradually, Ling E's cheeks flushed, her lips glistening as she bit her lower lip lightly, whispering:

"Senior Brother..."

Li Changshou, of course, showed no reaction, his subconscious long familiar with her presence.

If it were something like this... senior brother probably wouldn't scold me, right...

Ling E placed her left hand on the rocking chair's armrest and slowly leaned down, her face growing warm.

Her eyes sparkled gently as her view filled with her senior brother's features, growing larger and larger...

Just... just once...

In the warm afternoon sunlight, strands of her hair, like beaded curtains, fell slowly, caught by a slightly trembling hand and tucked behind her ear.

Perhaps with a sound, perhaps without, that gentle touch froze time, and the breeze halted.

Fallen petals, a lone figure; light rain, swallows in pairs.

A moment later, the slender figure sprang back in panic, her neck and forehead instantly turning red.

Then, with a soft "poof," a tiny mushroom cloud puffed from Ling E's head. She turned and cast *Feng Dun*, vanishing in a flash...

In Heaven, at the *Ling Xiao Bao Dian*.

*Dong Mu Gong* hurried inside, glancing at *Yu Di* on the high platform, chuckling over the memorials, and quickly bowed.

"Your Majesty! The Water God sent Ao Yi to find this old minister, requesting leave for a period. He said his mental energy is depleted and he needs to rest."

"Long Geng is unwell?"

*Yu Di* shot to his feet. "What exactly is the issue? Has he been injured?"

"Your Majesty, please don't worry," *Dong Mu Gong* said with a smile. "This old minister asked in detail. According to Ao Yi, the Water God exhausted his mind by... overexerting his spells and forcibly detonating *Yao Sheng Shan*."

*Yu Di*'s expression eased considerably. "Ah..."

"This time, in striking down the vile demons and enhancing Heaven's prestige, Heaven suffered no losses whatsoever, all thanks to Long Geng's exhaustive planning and schemes."

"Your Majesty," *Dong Mu Gong* continued, "this old minister dares to suggest that you issue a decree for the Water God to provide strategies from afar, while leaving the battles to the heavenly soldiers and generals.

It's far too taxing for him to handle everything personally."

*Yu Di* nodded. "We can only advise on this; I cannot issue a decree.

Long Geng sees that Heaven is just starting to flourish and doesn't want the heavenly soldiers to suffer losses, but this approach also hinders their training.

Mu Gong, what do you think we should reward Long Geng with this time?"

"This..." *Dong Mu Gong* pondered. "Your Majesty, the Water God's merits are sufficient for advancing his divine rank, but the formal edict to enfeoff him as Water God hasn't even been finalized yet. Promoting him further might stir discontent among the immortals."

*Yu Di* thought for a moment and smiled. "Long Geng values merit the most, so let's grant him... double merit salary for a millennium, and access to mounts and vehicles across Heaven.

Add some other rewards too—allow the Water God Manor to summon the fairies of *Yue Gong* at will."

"Understood," *Dong Mu Gong* bowed in acceptance, inwardly admiring the generosity.

Summoning the fairies of *Yue Gong* at will...

That was practically like being *Yu Di*'s own brother!

But then again, the Water God was always in avatar form in Heaven and never indulged in songs, dances, or banquets, so such rewards were more symbolic than practical.

*Dong Mu Gong* couldn't help but recall the scene of *Yao Sheng Shan* being shattered, sighing silently to himself.

Immortals and immortals—just incomparable.

More than half a month after the *Yao Sheng Shan* battle, discussions about that massive explosion echoed throughout Heaven.

By now, the heavenly generals and soldiers had pieced it together, and many generals had reviewed and analyzed the battle.

—That heavenly general "Ke Zhen E" who never appeared again was actually the Water God's avatar. The Water God had used a brilliant scheme to lure the demon clan's "radicals" to *Yao Sheng Shan* and wipe them out in one go.

What was a master schemer?

In just a few days, starting from a small design, he exploited the demon clan's contempt for Heaven, drawing a swarm of demon experts to *Yao Sheng Shan*.

Until the spirit explosion hit, those demons realized...

They had been tricked!

The process seemed full of risks, but upon closer examination, it was driven by a powerful "momentum."

When Heaven was repeatedly losing and the demon clan was riding high, even if someone warned them it was a Heaven trap, how many demons would believe it?

Of course, this kind of scheme from the Water God worked best the first time.

Now that the demon clan was absolutely wary of Heaven, such a smooth ploy was unlikely to succeed again...

During this period, as the heavenly generals chatted and discussed, they began pondering how to outmaneuver the demon clan and trap enemies, shifting from mere troop deployments to devious tactics.

Heaven's atmosphere grew "warmer" as a result.

"Ke... Zhen E?"

At *Zhong Tian Men*, Bian Zhuang, on duty guarding the gate, murmured the name softly.

He was increasingly feeling that from the very beginning, he had been part of the Water God's grand plan!

"If Ke Zhen E is the Water God, then Ke Le Er is..."

A call suddenly came from beside him: "Bian Commander, someone's approaching!"

Bian Zhuang snapped to attention, looked ahead, and his eyes lit up, his breath catching.

It was a fairy he had never seen before, drifting slowly on a cloud.

She had a refined face, exquisite features, luminous skin that outshone ordinary fairies, and her flowing immortal skirt with light veils created an indescribable allure.

Bian Zhuang stepped forward at once, straightening his posture, clearing his throat, tossing back a lock of hair from his forehead, his silver armor gleaming as he said in his most gentle, resonant voice:

"Heaven is a restricted area; please halt, Fairy."

The fairy descended from her cloud and gazed at Bian Zhuang. "This heavenly general, I come on orders and wish to see the Water God of Heaven. Please do not obstruct me."

Bian Zhuang frowned slightly. Though he felt an instant attraction to this fairy...

He had been smitten by fairies in *Yao Chi* before, so he wasn't as foolish as in the past.

That dark history of pining for the Dragon Palace was just too embarrassing!

"Fairy," Bian Zhuang said with a smile, "the Water God is a high-ranking deity in Heaven and not someone you can see on a whim.

Why not state your background, and I'll send someone to inform the Water God Manor. If he wishes to meet, he will."

The fairy furrowed her brow slightly, seeming displeased, but still spoke softly: "In my view, General, it's better if you let me enter first, then send word to the Water God Manor."

"Oh?"

Bian Zhuang smiled faintly. "The fairy seems quite confident. May I ask where you come from and on whose orders?"

"I come from *Sheng Mu Palace*, on the orders of Nu Wa, to invite the Water God for a discussion."

Bian Zhuang's smile froze, his throat tightening as he said firmly:

"Fairy, please proceed. This humble general will escort you to the Water God Manor!"

The fairy offered a word of thanks and said no more.