Chapter 370: The Renjiao Junior Brother, Online Assist

Whenever a race in the Honghuang era is involved, it's impossible to avoid the three key matters: qi yun, ye zhang, and gong de.

The ancient war between the Feng Clan and the Long Clan is considered the first great calamity after the creation of heaven and earth.

At that time, the world had just formed, and innate beings dominated. The Long and Feng Clans were both supreme rulers, and most creatures didn't even think about lifespan limits. Many beings with mediocre talents simply lived on and gradually achieved immortality.

It was truly an era where Da Luo immortals were everywhere, and Jin Xian were as common as dogs.

However, ninety percent of these powerful beings perished in the Long-Feng War, shattering the Honghuang world and establishing the pattern of the Five Great Continents and the Three Thousand Worlds.

If not for Dao Zu stepping in to turn the tide by eliminating the Mo Zu who was stirring trouble behind the scenes, and if the heavens hadn't accelerated the perfection of the Tian Dao to suppress the final peak of the calamity, the entire world might have returned to chaos...

The war wasn't just a simple conflict among the Long, Feng, and Qilin Clans. The Long Clan was the king of scaled creatures, the Feng Clan the king of feathered ones, and the Qilin the king of walking beasts. The calamity began with the Long and Feng Clans and swept across nearly the entire Honghuang.

The ye zhang borne by the Long and Feng Clans had become nearly boundless.

In the end, the Long Clan emerged victorious, while the Feng Clan and the Qilin, which didn't even deserve to be named in the calamity, were nearly wiped out.

The Long Clan guards the four sea eyes and is entangled in ye zhang, leading to their continuous decline from ancient times to the present. Even after being subjugated by the Heavenly Court, they suffered the tragedy of the East Sea eye being breached.

The ancient third major clan, the Qilin Clan, has become a rare auspicious beast in the Honghuang, nearly extinct by the end of the ancient era...

The Feng Clan fared even worse. Once the proud "feathered king clan," now only a handful of members are active, like Kong Xuan and the Jin Peng Bird.

Other flying creatures claiming Feng Clan bloodline are mostly just the former "followers" of the Feng Clan. The true Feng Clan bloodline, which contains the Nirvana divine ability, has rarely appeared since the ancient era.

The Long Clan is different; they've always been quite proactive in "procreation," striving from ancient times to now and producing a vast number of "close blood relatives" across the world.

The Feng Clan's current issues are twofold: qi yun and bloodline.

The Feng Clan's ye zhang was shouldered by Yuan Feng, who used her Nirvana divine ability to suppress the Undying Volcano single-handedly, ensuring the continuation of the Feng Clan's bloodline. She then passed the responsibility of preserving the clan to...

Kong Xuan.

Upon hearing this, Li Changshou couldn't help but want to grumble a bit.

He felt that Lady Yuan Feng's choice was a bit... misguided.

After all, Kong Xuan still hadn't decided on his yin-yang alignment!

The Feng Clan's problem was now crystal clear: how to ensure the continuation of their bloodline, slightly restore their qi yun, and reestablish themselves in the Honghuang.

Kong Xuan said:

"My clan has wronged the Honghuang in the past, bearing deep ye zhang. Now, we only seek to continue our bloodline.

We don't aim for prosperity again; having just a few dozen clan members would suffice.

We don't even seek immortality for all; as long as the bloodline persists and the Feng Clan's presence remains in the world, that would console my mother."

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, while Zhao Gongming, arms folded, racked his brain to help.

Qiong Xiao pointed at the Feng Clan girl serving tea and asked curiously:

"Then, how did she come about?"

Kong Xuan said:

"My mother once gave me three drops of essence blood, which can grant a similar bloodline to other flying bird clans, transforming them into Feng Clan members."

"Oh," Qiong Xiao said, suddenly enlightened.

Zhao Gongming added:

"The concept of qi yun is quite mysterious, but generally speaking, doing more good deeds and accumulating gong de should help it flourish... right?"

"If it were that simple, I wouldn't be so troubled," Kong Xuan frowned and shook his head. "Gong de and qi yun aren't directly connected."

"I have a plan," Li Changshou said slowly, picking up his tea and taking a sip.

The sages had tasked him with this, so he couldn't stand by idly.

Though he wasn't sure if the Tai Qing sage wanted to draw Kong Xuan closer to Ren Jiao or had a larger scheme in mind...

At that moment, Li Changshou had already thought of a possibility with about a ninety percent chance of success—

The Xuan Niao giving birth to the Shang dynasty.

From what Li Changshou knew, the totem of the Shang kingdom was the "Xuan Niao."

In ancient times, the Long Clan had aided the human race and become their totem, thereby reversing their own qi yun and extending their fate.

If he was now involved in the story of the "Shang dynasty's rise," this matter would indeed attract the sages' attention.

It could also explain why Kong Xuan would later join the Feng Shen calamity to protect the Shang kingdom.

It was simply a matter of mutual interests.

Li Changshou set down his tea and smiled.

"In ancient times, the Long Clan used a certain method—why doesn't the Feng Clan try the same?"

Kong Xuan, no ordinary figure, immediately understood Li Changshou's hint.

He sighed:

"With the human race now in full prosperity, there's no opportunity to protect them anymore. This is just talk."

"It's not that straightforward," Li Changshou said calmly, while staying vigilant, sensing for any heavenly punishment or sage intervention.

Soon, he confirmed that Kong Xuan's situation was deeply linked to the rise of the Shang kingdom.

Li Changshou continued:

"The human race's qi yun is concentrated in the Nan Zan Continent, where nations are numerous, wars are constant, and as the saying goes, periods of unity lead to division, and division to unity. The human race has lacked a common ruler for ages, so one is due to rise.

This is the Feng Clan's opportunity.

If we foresee where destiny lies and protect the future common ruler in advance, making them adopt the Feng Clan's divine bird as their totem, how could the Feng Clan not thrive?"

Kong Xuan, a great expert, showed joy on his face. He stood up and bowed with fists clasped.

"If you can assist in this, my friend, the Feng Clan will owe you a karmic debt, and I, Kong Xuan, will owe you a personal favor!"

Li Changshou laughed:

"There's no need for that. If my senior brother were here, how could he not help you?

His affairs are my affairs. We in Ren Jiao are united as one and will fully support you in this.

However, there are two things you should understand."

"Please speak."

Li Changshou said seriously:

"First, in the mortal world, the rise and fall of dynasties is normal. If the Feng Clan achieves its wish, please refrain from intervening when a dynasty falls."

—This was purely to counter the Western Cult.

In the Feng Shen calamity, Kong Xuan had entered the battle, defeated Ran Deng, and injured several Chan Jiao immortals, only for Jun Ti sage to appear with the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree to counter the Five Colors Divine Light.

Though that battle enhanced Kong Xuan's reputation, his fate was tragic. After being defeated by Jun Ti, he was forcibly converted to the Western Cult.

Later, during the Hu Hua into Buddha event at the end of the Feng Shen calamity, Kong Xuan was arranged to create a tribulation for the Buddha Ancestor, swallowing him into his belly, only to be broken out from within and become the Buddha Mother of the Buddhist sect, losing his innate perfected form involuntarily...

The Hu Hua into Buddha was a major scheme at the end of the Feng Shen calamity, and Li Changshou only knew of it in passing, unaware of the complex entanglements or the ultimate winner.

But what happened to Kong Xuan didn't align with Ren Jiao's style at all; it lacked the romantic spirit of the Honghuang.

The ideal scenario shouldn't be...

Kong Xuan voluntarily giving up his innate perfected form for the Grand Mage, embracing yin, transforming into a woman, adorning herself with phoenix crown and robes in the flames, and striding into the Doushuai Palace backyard to point at the Grand Mage dozing off and say:

"Xuan Du! I want to marry you!"

Then, a mosquito on the nearby tree would burst into tears, thinking, It was me who flew here first...

Ahem, back to the point.

Li Changshou continued:

"Second, I can't guarantee complete success. I'll need to report this to His Majesty the Jade Emperor when I return.

Frankly, the Heavenly Court has its own plans regarding human race incense matters.

If we allocate the totem qi yun to the Feng Clan, it won't harm the Heavenly Court much, but you'll need to show some goodwill toward them. In the future, if you encounter heavenly soldiers or generals in crisis while traveling, please lend a hand."

"Agreed! I will do so!"

Kong Xuan responded promptly.

"Let's discuss the general direction today," Li Changshou said. "When the winds of change blow in the Nan Zan Continent, I'll invite you to act."

Kong Xuan said it wasn't urgent, but Li Changshou insisted, using the excuse that "my senior brother would blame me for any neglect," steering the conversation back to business.

At the nearby table, Zhao Gongming and Qiong Xiao exchanged glances.

Zhao Gongming sent a voice transmission with a sigh:

"Third sister, do you think Chang Geng had this plan all along? He explained it so smoothly and settled the Feng Clan's affairs in no time."

"It doesn't seem like it," Qiong Xiao murmured.

"If he had it all figured out, he'd have laid it out in one go.

He's thinking on the spot now—many of his words leave room for adjustment, and there's a lot of hesitation. That's because he hasn't finalized his thoughts.

Still, being able to consider the Western Cult, Heavenly Court, human race, and even plan for the aftermath in such a short time is impressive."

Zhao Gongming sighed with emotion:

"Ah, I feel like I've lived all these years in vain..."

"That's different, big brother. You're not good at these twists and turns. You're like the wind—you won't turn unless you hit a wall."

Qiong Xiao said casually:

"Big brother, if his cultivation surpasses yours one day, you'll really be in trouble."

"What about you? Won't you be surpassed too?"

"I'm not worried, and neither is my little sister. We're the favored ones, after all. Hmph!"

Zhao Gongming chuckled a few times, feeling quite relaxed.

It was always pressure-free hanging out with his brother-in-law and sisters.

They stayed on Peacock Island for half a day. When they left, Kong Xuan saw Li Changshou and the others off.

He handed Li Changshou a jade talisman for communication, saying he could repay the favor anytime.

In other words, he was giving Li Changshou a chance to call on him.

That was just Kong Xuan's temperament—even when repaying a favor, he wanted Li Changshou to make the request.

And he had the right to be proud, as not every expert below the sages could force Jun Ti sage into such a predicament.

On the way back, Li Changshou kept his eyes closed in thought.

If he was now being "used" by the Tian Dao lord in the matter of the Xuan Niao giving birth to the Shang dynasty, then signs would soon appear in the Heavenly Court and Nan Zan Continent...

If the Shang kingdom rose successfully, the Feng Shen calamity would truly be near.

Incidentally, Li Changshou had long noticed that the time scale in Nan Zan Continent differed completely from what he knew.

If counting from when Emperor Yu returned to the Huo Yun Cave, this was right in the "end of Xia chaos," with the entire era of turmoil lasting at least several millennia...

This also raised an interesting question: What was the connection between the Honghuang and the later world?

Li Changshou had no interest in investigating that, as he still lacked the most crucial thing—his own means of self-protection.

Besides, if he facilitated the unification of Nan Zan Continent from chaos, how much gong de could he gain?

If the gong de from the underworld's ascension and reformation, plus ending the chaos in Nan Zan, wasn't enough to cultivate a golden body of gong de...

Li Changshou had a feeling he might get stuck at an awkward point.

Oh well, he'd handle the major tasks first, see how much he was short, and if it was a lot, he'd wait for incense gong de and Heavenly Court wages; if not, he'd just hunt some ye zhang-laden demons to make up the difference.

Exterminating demons and protecting the dao—for the people and for heaven!

"Ah!"

Zhao Gongming suddenly sighed loudly:

"I've made up my mind!"

Li Changshou and Qiong Xiao were startled. Zhao Gongming patted his chest and declared:

"I'm going to find Jin Guang right now.

Since Jin Guang shimei has feelings for me and I don't want to reject her, we'll start as dao companions!

If after a hundred or a thousand years, her feelings don't change and I develop affection for her, becoming a couple is fine!"

"Wow," Qiong Xiao exclaimed, jumping over and shaking Zhao Gongming's arm. "Big brother, how did you suddenly wise up!"

Li Changshou also gave a warm smile.

Zhao Gongming smiled awkwardly, nodding toward Li Changshou, and sighed:

"Seeing how much effort Chang Shou put in back there, constantly speaking for Senior Brother Xuan Du, it really moved me, big brother.

I can't drag this out anymore—it's unsettling everyone's dao hearts and causing unrest in the sect.

Kid, do you have anything urgent?"

"Old brother's matters are the priority."

"Let's go!" Zhao Gongming waved his hand. "We're heading straight to Jin Ao Island!"

"Don't rush, big brother," Qiong Xiao said quickly. "This isn't something you can decide alone. You and him go slowly; I'll go ahead and test Jin Guang shimei's feelings!"

"That works..."

Zhao Gongming's enthusiasm deflated, and Qiong Xiao summoned her Golden Jiao Scissors, speeding toward Jin Ao Island on a dragon.

Li Changshou, standing by, hesitated but then shook his head and followed Zhao Gongming, answering the old man's questions about romance.

"Chang Geng, should I change my armor?"

"Chang Geng, should I shave my beard?"

"Chang Geng, what should I talk about when I'm alone with Jin Guang shimei?"

Li Changshou quietly pulled out a scroll and smiled:

"I prepared this for you long ago!"

Zhao Gongming was overjoyed, unrolled the scroll, and studied it like a treasure, soon feeling confident and ready.

After waiting an hour, they received Qiong Xiao's voice transmission.

Zhao Gongming then took Li Changshou to Jin Ao Island, meeting at a scenic treasure pool.

—It happened to be where Ao Yi was cultivating.

Li Changshou didn't approach. Once Zhao Gongming went to the island, he turned to leave.

But after flying just a few yards without using his immortal power, a small vortex appeared in the clouds ahead, and a slightly plump hand reached out, beckoning him...

Li Changshou smiled and leaned closer, only to be grabbed by the collar and pulled into a familiar earth cave.

"Shh!"

A group of people ahead turned and made shushing gestures. Duobao chuckled and pulled Li Changshou's arm to another pit.

The familiar earth pit, the familiar audience, but a different scene and main characters.

Outside the earth cave, Zhao Gongming squatted by the pool, touching his face as his beard hairs slowly fell.

Not far away, Jin Guang Sheng Mu stood with her hands behind her back, waiting quietly, her face flushed and her heart aflutter.

Around the treasure pool, there were earth caves created by Duobao's unique divine ability, packed with enthusiastic Jie Jiao immortals...

That was a big reason for Jie Jiao's strong cohesion!

Li Changshou was led to the best viewing spot, sharing it with Qiong Xiao, Jin Ling Sheng Mu, and other sage disciples.

However, after watching for a while, Li Changshou felt a twinge of worry...

If Yun Xiao heard about this and came, wouldn't it remind her of the Peach Blossom Forest incident?

Li Changshou's dao heart shook, and he was about to self-immolate this paper effigy to escape, but as soon as the thought arose and before the Samadhi True Flame could ignite, a soft hum echoed through the cave...

Many Jie Jiao immortals instinctively went weak in the knees.