Chapter 362: Worshipping the Holy Mother in the Holy Mother Palace

On the Tianting Cloud Road, Bian Zhuang maintained a warm smile on his face, using his magnetic baritone voice to endlessly chatter about various anecdotes from Tianting to the xianzi who, though clearly uninterested, still listened patiently.

In reality, Bian Zhuang was inwardly frantic, filled with anxiety and nearly trembling with fear.

He was just a human who had cultivated for a few thousand years to become a minor immortal—how had he gotten dragged into such a major affair?

When the female immortal directly mentioned the name of a shengren, a faint trace of shengren Dao rhythm appeared around her.

Bian Zhuang seemed to see a red embroidered ball gently swaying before his eyes...

In that instant, he realized that this female immortal was an "envoy" acting on behalf of the shengren!

According to Tianting rules, one could casually stop disciples of shengren, but an "envoy" transmitting orders from a shengren must not be obstructed, as they directly represented the shengren!

The moment he confirmed the xianzi's identity, Bian Zhuang's smile froze as various thoughts raced through his mind...

Half a month earlier, the Water God had dealt a blow to the Yaozu, wiping out hundreds of thousands of yao creatures and slaying a group of ancient surviving yao experts.

It was well-known throughout the Honghuang that Nuwa Niangniang, in ancient times, had traveled with her brother Fuxi through the Honghuang and was invited by the Yao Emperor, who had just established the Yaozu Tianting, to join as a guest official of the Yaozu.

After the Yaozu was overthrown by the Renzu, the Yaozu's supreme treasure, the Zhaoyao Banner, fell into Nuwa Niangniang's hands, and she had intervened to protect the Yaozu, making her revered as their greatest backer!

At this timing, with everything unfolding this way, Nuwa Niangniang sending someone to summon the Water God...

"The Water God might not return from this trip!"

All of Bian Zhuang's current status came from the Water God—how could he forget that?

As an immortal, one must repay kindness, so at this critical moment, Bian Zhuang could only do his best to help the Water God.

But how?

What else could he do...

Bian Zhuang laughed and said, "Xianzi, look at this bean field—it's the very place I once cultivated. It's growing quite well now."

The female immortal frowned and asked, "General, is this really the road to the Water God Mansion?"

Bian Zhuang replied, "Of course. Once we pass that spot up ahead and fly a bit further, we'll reach the Water God Mansion...

Xianzi, do you know what lies ahead?"

The female immortal said seriously, "General, I can read. This place is Doushuai Gong, the residence of Taiqing Shengren's incarnation, Taishang Laojun.

Today, I have a mission from the shengren, so it's not convenient for me to go pay respects."

"Xianzi, what keen insight!"

Bian Zhuang gave a thumbs-up in admiration and declared loudly:

"The shengren summoning the Water God is a major matter! We can't afford any delays!

Xianzi, please, we'll reach the Water God Mansion soon."

With that, Bian Zhuang deliberately steered his cloud in a circle around Doushuai Gong before turning and heading toward the Water God Mansion.

This was the only clever plan he could come up with on the spot.

The heavenly general who had been guarding the gate with him must have already rushed to Lingxiao Baodian...

By deliberately circling Doushuai Gong, he could alert the Great Mage or other Renjiao experts, while also buying enough time for the other heavenly generals to report the matter to Yudi.

This was his little bit of wit as the deputy commander of the Tianhe Water Army.

After a short while, the Water God Mansion came into view.

The female immortal from Shengmu Palace said lightly, "General, is this Water God so highly regarded in Tianting?"

Bian Zhuang paused, then laughed, "The Water God is naturally..."

The female immortal said softly, "General, you're overthinking it. My lady sent me to invite the Water God—how could that escape Taiqing Shengren's notice?"

"This..."

The female immortal continued with a smile, "General, your loyalty is admirable, but please hurry and take me to see the Water God.

If we delay the task assigned by my lady, that would be disrespecting the shengren."

"Ah, yes, yes, we're going right now—it's just ahead."

Bian Zhuang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and didn't dare cause any more trouble, steering the cloud straight toward the Water God Mansion.

At the same time...

Outside the alchemy room on Xiaoqiong Peak.

A slight ripple appeared in the Qiankun, and a faint shadow of the Taiji Tu slowly materialized as Xuan Du Dashi strolled over.

"Asleep?"

The Great Mage frowned at Li Changshou lying in the rocking chair, feeling a bit troubled.

The Great Mage naturally knew that Li Changshou had been exhausted from the recent events involving the explosion at Yaosheng Mountain.

—After all, he had watched the Tianting's battle against the Yaozu through the Taiji Tu for several days.

Li Changshou was still resting, but the xianzi sent by the shengren was already nearing the Water God Mansion...

Making the shengren's envoy wait for Li Changshou to wake up would be too rude.

"Changgeng... Changshou?"

The sleeping figure showed no response.

The Great Mage smiled slightly, initially planning to call out a few more times, but then he thought of something and flicked a small three-inch sword from his sleeve, gently pricking toward Li Changshou's hand.

If this sword struck, he'd have the perfect opportunity to lecture this prospective junior brother!

The sword emitted a sharp edge, enough to cause a sting, but as it reached within three feet of Li Changshou...

"Who!"

Li Changshou's eyes snapped open, and his figure vanished in a flash!

Xiaoqiong Peak began to tremble violently as vast Five Elements spiritual energy surged within the mountain, activating numerous array bases in an instant. Eighteen killing arrays and three trapping arrays activated simultaneously!

Around the Great Mage, a wave of Dao rhythm flowed, halting the objects shooting from all directions.

These objects included dozens of poisoned blades, several dark purple supreme-grade lightning talismans, three explosive golden pills flying in a triangular formation, over a dozen miniature array bases...

And even, from the top of the alchemy room, a three-zhang-long, three-chi-wide black cylinder appeared out of nowhere!

The cylinder was covered in densely packed talismans that activated one after another, its internal lightning storm power surging as the dark barrel aimed at the figure standing with hands behind his back in front of the alchemy room...

"This?"

The Great Mage's eyes widened in surprise.

The restrictions on the black cylinder halted, and the trembling Xiaoqiong Peak quickly returned to calm, the vast spiritual energy within settling smoothly.

Clearly, Li Changshou had awakened.

He poked his head out from a tree hollow over ten li away, looking helplessly toward the Great Mage at the alchemy room, then hurried back on a cloud.

Li Changshou bowed and said in a low voice, "Great Mage, this... I overreacted. Please don't take offense."

The Great Mage pondered for a moment and said, "It's my fault for testing you without reason, and now I'll make you reset everything."

"It's no trouble, it's no trouble—most of it can be reused..."

"But, Changshou—um, junior brother."

"Yes? Go ahead."

The Great Mage furrowed his brow and gazed at Li Changshou, asking the doubt deep in his yuan shen:

"What kind of formidable enemies have you imagined for yourself?"

Li Changshou replied seriously, "I simply arranged everything I could at this stage with care. Preparation prevents panic, allowing for peaceful cultivation."

The Great Mage shook his head with a smile, "Truly... well, come with me for now."

From the direction of the gaming room, Jiu Jiu and Ling E were rushing over;

The Great Mage directly enveloped Li Changshou with immortal power and used the power of the Taiji Tu to leave the area.

They walked through the void, strolling the Qiankun.

The Great Mage was about to discuss the matter when he suddenly came to his senses and glared at Li Changshou.

Did that remark imply that if this guy were strong enough, even shengren and Tiandao might be considered hypothetical enemies?

Li Changshou asked quietly, "Great Mage, what is it?"

"Nothing...

Nuwa Niangniang has sent someone to summon you to Shengmu Palace. I'm here to remind you, so you don't offend the shengren."

Li Changshou frowned slightly and murmured under his breath, "Nuwa Niangniang is getting involved this early? That seems unreasonable..."

"Don't speculate wildly about a shengren's intentions."

Li Changshou thought for a moment, took a couple of steps forward, and asked, "Great Mage—um, senior brother—are you one of the earliest Renzu from the beginning of the world?"

The Great Mage was about to nod, but in Li Changshou's calm eyes, he detected a hint of...

Strategy.

A short while later, in front of the Water God Mansion.

As Bian Zhuang arrived with the female immortal from Shengmu Palace, the mansion's gates opened, and two figures in Dao robes emerged.

The younger Daoist on the left was naturally the Great Mage, while the white-robed, white-haired elder on the right was Li Changshou's appearance after using his true form with transformation techniques and physical disguises.

Li Changshou's thinking was clear—if he used an incarnation to meet Nuwa Niangniang or layered his true form within an incarnation, it wouldn't be secure. This method was better.

If Nuwa Niangniang took issue with this, Li Changshou could immediately undo the transformation and eye-obscuring techniques, reverting to the appearance of a minor Renjiao disciple.

The xianzi stepped forward, bowed to the Great Mage as her senior brother, and smiled at Li Changshou:

"Is this the Water God?

My lady has summoned you. I wonder if you're available to come with me to Shengmu Palace."

"Of course, I must comply with the lady's summons," Li Changshou bowed his hands. "Please lead the way, xianzi."

"Please follow me," the female immortal removed a jade hairpin from her cloud-like hair and gently waved it to the side, creating a delicate cloud boat. She bowed, inviting Li Changshou aboard.

The Great Mage spoke up: "I've cultivated for many years and never visited Shengmu Palace to pay respects to the lady. This is a good opportunity—may I join you?"

With that, he stepped onto the wooden boat.

The female immortal blinked and smiled, "Senior Brother Xuan Du is certainly attentive to the Water God."

She said nothing more, standing at the front of the cloud boat with a palace lamp in hand, steering it toward the East Tianting Gate.

Before leaving, Li Changshou said warmly to Bian Zhuang, "Thank you for your hard work, General."

Bian Zhuang quickly bowed in return, not daring to breathe loudly in front of the Great Mage...

Before the cloud boat had even left Tianting, Dongmu Gong hurried over, presenting two gift boxes to Li Changshou. He explained that these were gifts from Yudi for Nuwa Niangniang and asked Li Changshou to take them along.

How could the female immortal from Shengmu Palace not understand?

The Great Mage accompanying them and Dongmu Gong's arrival were both statements of support from Renjiao and Tianting for the Water God...

She simply smiled without a word.

The cloud boat smoothly passed through the East Tianting Gate, its speed increasing rapidly; yet it remained perfectly steady, without a hint of wind.

Li Changshou and Xuan Du Dashi closed their eyes to rest along the way, not exchanging any voice transmissions; they had already discussed their approach when heading to the Water God Mansion.

Logically, since Nuwa Niangniang had "invited" him, she probably wouldn't cause trouble—perhaps just a verbal warning.

But Li Changshou worried she might not follow the norm.

To be safe, having the Great Mage accompany him added an extra layer of protection.

The cloud boat flew swiftly to the east of the East Sea, then ascended along the Tianzhu, plunging into the misty clouds.

In the blink of an eye, they left this realm, entering the endless void; the boat sped in a certain direction for half a shichen before gradually slowing.

In that half a shichen, they had traveled unknown millions of li from the Five Parts Continent.

The palace lamp in the female immortal's hand now glowed;

Suddenly, a star twinkled in the night sky, and the cloud boat headed straight for it.

Upon approaching, the star turned out to be a grand portal, which directly "swallowed" the cloud boat...

"Senior Brother Xuan Du, Water God, we have arrived at Shengmu Palace."

The female immortal said softly. Li Changshou and Xuan Du Dashi opened their eyes to see a sea of clouds shimmering with rainbow hues, with magnificent palace complexes floating throughout.

The female immortal continued steering the cloud boat, weaving through the palaces and towers.

This place was like a small world, complete with the Five Elements and balanced yin and yang. Divine birds soared in the cloud sea, and various buildings bustled with xianzi cultivating or playing.

The Great Mage and Li Changshou stood up, admiring the scenery of Shengmu Palace;

Naturally, they avoided lingering on the treasure pools enveloped in immortal light.

As the cloud boat passed the most grand and radiant golden hall, the Great Mage transmitted: "It should be fine. If the lady wanted to rebuke you over the Yaozu matter, she would summon you in that hall."

The string of tension in Li Changshou's heart relaxed slightly, though he remained highly alert...

Soon, faint sounds of water reached them.

The mist gradually faded, and the cloud boat had unknowingly glided onto a serene pond, creating gentle ripples.

The lake was boundless and of unknown depth, like a precious mirror reflecting a brilliant starry river, bringing peace to the dao heart.

A small island appeared ahead. Li Changshou looked up to see a pavilion on the island exuding a subtle, profound, and ethereal Dao rhythm, tempting him to contemplate it...

The residence of a shengren was truly extraordinary.

The cloud boat stopped, and the female immortal led them onto the island, where winding jade stairs led to the pavilion.

The Great Mage walked ahead, with Li Changshou following, eyes straight ahead and breathing steady. He suddenly noticed that the entire island was carved from a single piece of top-grade immortal spirit jade...

Finally, they reached the elegant pavilion. The female immortal said gently:

"I announce to the lady that the Water God has arrived."

The Great Mage immediately bowed and said loudly, "This disciple pays respects to my shishu!"

Li Changshou followed with a bow, saying, "This disciple pays respects to my shishu."

A light laugh came from within the door, followed by a voice indescribable in its ethereal quality—both otherworldly and kindly compassionate, gentle at first listen yet carrying boundless authority.

The voice of Nuwa Niangniang said:

"Xuan Du, go play elsewhere. I will see the Water God alone."

Play... elsewhere...

The Great Mage had no retort, simply smiling, "This disciple obeys."

The female immortal gestured invitingly and led the Great Mage back down the island and onto the cloud boat, which quickly drifted away.

Li Changshou thought to himself: ...

What could Nuwa Niangniang mean by this?

Could she really stoop to discuss the Yaozu matter with him directly? That didn't make sense and was illogical.

As if seeing through his thoughts, the ethereal voice from the pavilion spoke again:

"Don't worry. I didn't invite you here today because of the Yaozu.

The Yaozu was formed by the union of myriad spirits, and my true lineage is from the ancient innate beings. Now, those among the Yaozu with deep ties to me have long vanished."

Li Changshou's brows relaxed slightly, though his heart grew even more puzzled.

Why would a shengren explain this to him unprompted?

Could there be a deeper scheme? But what could a shengren possibly scheme for from him?

"Thank you, my lord, for clarifying my doubts."

The voice continued: "Water God, I have three questions I wish you to answer."

Li Changshou maintained his bowing posture and said, "Please, my lord, present them."

The ethereal voice returned, now with a touch of amusement:

"Ke Zhen'e's sister shouldn't be named Han Xiaoying. Why is she called Ke Le'er?"