Chapter 372: Some People, Walking and Walking... The Road Narrowed

The figures gathered here were no ordinary individuals, the most notable among them being a handsome young Daoist riding a green-haired divine beast, the Qingmao Shen Shou.

Lingshan, Dizang.

Before he could speak, a precious banner slowly rose behind him. This banner had a cyan-blue base, embroidered with blooming lotuses. As it ascended into the air, it burst into brilliant golden light, with white mist descending to transform this desolate, uninhabited land into a scene straight out of a celestial realm.

Qinglian Baose Qi!

"Everyone," Dizang said with a slight smile, skipping any pleasantries altogether, "are you willing to continue being oppressed by the Tianting, by the Renjiao?"

The shadowy figures around him fell silent, each remaining wordless.

Diting, the divine beast, slowly lay down, its green light flowing as it monitored the surrounding tens of thousands of li.

Seated on Diting's back, Dizang continued, "You are all ancient titans, yet now you are schemed against so miserably by the Tianting, with your subordinates and even descendants perishing at Yaosheng Shan, serving as mere stepping stones for the Tianting's prestige. Are you truly content to endure this?

"As I understand it, the Demon Clan's Crown Prince was severely wounded at Yaosheng Shan, and the clan's fortunes for revival have waned like the setting sun in the west. Do you feel any regret?

"I have no desire for endless twists and turns. I invited you here today to discuss matters openly, all for the purpose of countering the Tianting.

"If you have conditions, state them directly.

"My Lingshan needs a karmic connection, needs to borrow the Demon Clan's banner to settle the grudge against the three schools of Daoism from before. Otherwise, it would lead to a great sage war, which would be most undesirable."

From the shadows, a lion spirit enveloped in thick black flames spoke first, its voice rough and feminine: "We risk being targeted by the sages—what can Lingshan offer us in return?"

"A lotus seed," Dizang replied, opening his left hand to reveal an irregularly shaped seed shimmering with golden light.

The moment the seed appeared, it emitted a faint, obscure Dao rhythm.

An old monkey demon squatting on the ground quickly calculated with his fingers and said gravely, "What a treasure—this is from a twelve-grade golden lotus. It can help the Crown Prince heal swiftly and even advance his cultivation."

"Not enough," retorted a Demon Clan expert covered in black rocks, his voice cold.

Dizang nodded with a smile and produced a scroll, handing it to the old monkey demon.

The old monkey demon carefully unrolled it, revealing beams of golden light—it was a cultivation manual.

Dizang said calmly, "The ancient Demon Court's lost 'Hualing Bu Xin Lu'. With this, the Demon Clan need no longer worry about their troops. How does that sound?"

The old demons present still hesitated, but the old monkey demon spoke up: "These two treasures are sufficient for our Demon Clan to ally with your Lingshan."

"Ally?" Dizang turned his head slightly, as if he had misheard, then chuckled softly and produced a speck of golden light from his sleeve.

This light rapidly expanded into a large square seal, which Dizang held in his palm.

The seal was carved with a host of great demons, divided into six layers: at the top, two golden crows spread their wings in cry; on the second layer from the top, a Kunpeng supported the base, with ten giant demons roaring upward.

The great demons around him immediately stood up, their faces tense, breaths labored, and eyes flickering uncertainly.

Dizang said leisurely, "What I want is, in this scheme, for your Demon Clan to follow my orders without question, with absolute obedience and no defiance.

"As long as we reach the final step of the plan, whether it succeeds or fails, the Demon Court Emperor's Seal will be returned to the Demon Clan.

"What do you say?"

Amid the golden light of the treasure flag, the old demons slowly bowed their heads, saying nothing more.

Dizang sat down, and Diting, seeing this, yawned boredly. In its heart, it couldn't help but grumble to Dizang: "We went through so much trouble to recover those two treasures, and now you're just gambling them away, you wasteful master. What if we lose everything?"

"Quiet," Dizang hummed in his heart. "This time, we're borrowing a knife to kill—I've got seventeen layers of schemes. Let's see how that Water God can outmaneuver me!

"From now on, maintain an air of dignity!"

Diting grinned broadly.

Duxian Men, Xiaoqiong Peak.

Li Changshou returned swiftly under the stars, carrying a touch of regret. Back at Xiaoqiong Peak, he evaporated the alcohol from his body and cleared the drunken haze from his primordial spirit.

Wasn't it said that Yunxiao gets playful and likes to dance when she's had too much to drink?

This time, he had gone hoping to see her dance, but after downing two large jars of immortal brew, she only blushed slightly, while his own primordial spirit was nearly overwhelmed!

Oh well, maybe the atmosphere wasn't right, and their relationship isn't quite that close yet.

He flashed back to the alchemy room, where his main body found a perfect hiding spot. The paper effigy that had been tending the pill furnace suddenly gained a spark of liveliness in its eyes.

His mind shifted over.

With his immortal sense, he scanned the thatched hut by the lake, where Linge was in seclusion, cultivating.

Clearly, reciting the 'Wen Zi Jing' six thousand times had greatly benefited her, advancing her significantly on the path of stability!

As her senior brother, he felt deeply moved and gained a bit of a sense of accomplishment.

Thinking about the upcoming decades or even centuries of cultivation in the mountains, where he might not see Yunxiao for over a hundred or eighty years, a faint sense of reluctance stirred in his heart.

Maybe he could write her a letter every ten years.

Sending letters might be troublesome, but he could save them up and give them all to her next time they meet.

In the coming century, he'd put more effort into studying the Qiankun Escape Technique and the Qiankun Grand Array, and perhaps craft some Qiankun-related treasures that could help with sending letters.

Preliminary idea for a 'Honghuang Mailbox':

Li Changshou planned to use a Qiankun array to open a stable small space, purely for storage, without needing the five elements of spiritual energy.

Then, within this storage Qiankun, create two connection points linked to the main Honghuang world—one to the left and one to the right—to achieve a 'shared storage space' and the function of a 'mailbox'.

Such storage treasures would be incredibly important for his paper effigy system, allowing resource utilization to reach near perfection.

Li Changshou wasn't just daydreaming or inventing techniques out of thin air; he was building on existing foundations with reasonable extensions.

In Honghuang, storage treasures generally fall into two categories. The more common one relies on the 'Jiezi Qiankun Technique', using several complex restrictions to create treasures that can automatically enlarge or shrink items.

—Truth be told, even if you gathered the three openly acknowledged Golden Immortal experts in Duxian Men and had them research it for a hundred years, they probably couldn't grasp the underlying principles of those restrictions.

Yet, any random Returning Void Realm disciple in the sect could inscribe those restrictions and refine a simple storage pouch.

From what Li Changshou had read in ancient texts, those restrictions were supposedly derived by the ancestor of earth immortals, Zhen Yuan Daxian, along with a few unnamed great powers of Honghuang, and they gradually spread in ancient times, benefiting all cultivators.

The other, more advanced type of storage treasure involves opening 'Qiankun bubbles' from the void to store items.

These latter treasures often have greater capacity and higher limits, but they're hard to refine, requiring experts skilled in Qiankun techniques—specifically, Golden Immortals of the sixth grade or above.

Li Changshou's idea was to build on this type by adding multiple 'link pathways'.

Through this research, he could deepen his understanding of the Qiankun concept, touch upon the Qiankun Great Dao earlier, and enhance the power of his Qiankun Escape Technique!

After waiting two hours, he finished refining this batch of pills. Li Changshou stretched in front of the pill furnace, pondering what other pills to make next.

These days of not scheming about the grand trends of the world, just quietly waiting for whatever might happen, spending each day idly enough to want to go into seclusion, while casually refining pills—this dull routine was perfect.

"Since it's so rare to be this relaxed, maybe I should expand my spirit beast collection?"

Suddenly.

"Teachermain brother!"

Li Changshou: Sorry, the deity you're trying to reach is not available.

Ah oh ya yi hou, hou hou lo lo ke ku da.

"Teachermain brother."

Aoyi's second call came more cautiously, with a soft mutter: "Are you in cultivation?"

Li Changshou smiled slightly, connected his divine sense, created a dream realm, and pulled Aoyi in.

At the sight of Li Changshou, the young dragon's eyes lit up, and he jumped forward, shouting:

"Brother, the Dragon Palace has finalized the first batch of water gods for the southern continent! They're about to be delivered to Anshui City!"

"Oh?" Li Changshou's eyes brightened, and he laughed. "Finally here—this merit I've been waiting for ages."

Aoyi chuckled. "Brother, you're joking. If you were after such merit, where would the Dragon Clan be today?"

Li Changshou laughed too— these days, no one believes the truth.

He chatted with Aoyi for a bit, then reminded him to return to his post in the Tianting soon.

"...Later, I'll promote you to deputy commander of the Tianhe Water Army, same rank as Bian Zhuang.

"The Tianhe Water Army will continue training with sea demons, not limited to the four seas.

"His Majesty intends to turn this force into the Tianting's elite troops, and soon we'll recruit more experts. You and Bian Zhuang might face a lot of pressure."

Aoyi cupped his fists and bowed, saying firmly:

"I will not disappoint the teacher's expectations! I'll head back right away and use the Dragon-Suppressing Stone to temper myself, striving to enter the Golden Immortal Realm soon!"

Hearing this, Li Changshou felt a twinge of envy.

The Ancestral Dragon bloodline, free from karmic burdens, spoke with such boldness—longevity was just their normal growth in youth.

He patted Aoyi's shoulder, looking at the boy who never seemed to grow taller in human form, and the guilt in his heart had faded considerably.

"Go on, and remember to remind your father not to be careless.

"The west won't stay quiet—they're likely gathering strength in secret, plotting something wicked, and you can assume they've fully allied with the Demon Clan.

"The Dragon Clan is now affiliated with the Tianting, and once the water god positions are set, your clan will be tightly bound to the Tianting.

"They might try to weaken the Dragon Clan to strike at the Tianting's fortunes, so stay vigilant."

"Yes! I'll go see Father right away!"

Aoyi replied solemnly and gradually faded from the dream realm.

Li Changshou prepared himself, having his paper effigy wait in the back hall of the Anshui City shrine. Soon, he witnessed the grand sight of dozens of azure dragons speeding in from the horizon.

The city's mortals mostly glanced up before continuing their own business, showing little reaction.

It was just familiar.

Before long, several ancient war dragons escorted a water-blue scroll, respectfully presenting it for Li Changshou to review.

Li Changshou unrolled the scroll and carefully examined it. It listed hundreds of titles, corresponding to water god positions across various regions.

This was the first and most crucial batch.

Once these water gods were in place, Li Changshou could submit a memorial, assigning the Dragon Clan to handle 'cloud and rain' duties, and allow the Tianting to establish its first incense network in the southern continent.

With this move secured, his plans for the Tianting could be solidified in just five hundred years!

"Good," Li Changshou stood up, and the elder dragons watched him excitedly.

The Dragon Clan's chance to stand firmly in Honghuang and gain heavenly recognition was at hand.

Li Changshou smiled. "Everyone... did you make backups?"

The group of Dragon Clan experts stumbled slightly and quickly shook their heads.

"For something this important, you must make at least two backups in the future—three copies total!"

Li Changshou summoned a desk, slowly spread out the scroll, and had two Dragon Clan experts copy it on the spot.

Only then did he nod in satisfaction and leave with these Dragon Clan experts for the Donghai Longgong.

The Donghai Dragon King had originally planned to host a feast for this paper effigy lasting three days and nights, but Li Changshou politely declined, inviting the Dragon King to ascend to heaven together and present the memorial to the Jade Emperor.

The follow-up proceeded without a hitch.

It was also thanks to the Dragon Clan's restraint—they hadn't appointed river or stream dragon kings, avoiding a lot of trouble.

Now, the major rivers classified as 'first-tier' in the southern continent had all been assigned to the Dragon Clan.

Li Changshou had thought about this for a long time and saw some potential risks, so he took the opportunity to discuss it with the Donghai Dragon King. He suggested reserving the 'second-tier' tributary water god positions in the most prosperous central areas for rewarding virtuous humans with merit.

The Donghai Dragon King readily agreed.

Incidentally, Li Changshou seized this moment to report the request from the Feng Clan, Kong Xuan, directly to the Jade Emperor.

"The totem for the next human sovereign of the southern continent?"

The Jade Emperor in white robes laughed. "Why not? I hadn't realized the Feng Clan still had bloodlines active outside.

"By the way, Ao Guang, my dear minister, do you have any reservations about this?"

"Your Majesty!" Ao Guang bowed and sighed. "In ancient times, the Feng Clan and my Dragon Clan were incited by demonic forces, leading to battles that shattered the Honghuang land.

"Now, after countless ages, the enemies from those battles have long perished. How many ancient races remain in this world? Why hold onto old grudges?

"Please, Your Majesty, grant this to the Feng Clan!"

"What broad-mindedness, my dear minister," the Jade Emperor praised, then winked lightly at Li Changshou.

Li Changshou smiled with narrowed eyes and sensed that heavenly fate had shifted.

It seemed the heavenly script of the mystic bird giving birth to the Shang dynasty had officially begun.

But exactly when it would happen remained unclear.

It wouldn't be far off.

From this matter of the southern continent's water gods, Li Changshou gained a share of merit.

When his own water god decree was formally established, and he officially took up this third-tier divine position in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall as a certified Tianting official, the speed at which the Dragon Clan's water god decrees condensed multiplied several times over!

In the twelfth year after ascending to heaven with the Donghai Dragon King, the decrees for sealing the southern continent's water gods were officially issued. Projections of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall appeared across the southern continent.

Countless mortals were terrified yet heard the name of the Jade Emperor for the first time.

Hundreds of carefully selected azure dragons, all of upright character and fine appearance, revealed themselves in various places, assuming their water god roles and spreading tales of the Tianting and Dragon Clan far and wide.

These were the foundations of the Tianting's authority.

As the Jade Emperor said, the Tianting's fortunes grew even deeper.

Li Changshou, newly appointed as a water god, found himself with free time and began a vacation-like life.

Apart from attending court in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall every so often and designing reforms for the underworld, he didn't actively scheme about anything.

And so, another seven years passed in a flash.

Li Changshou cultivated and refined pills in the mountains, and when he felt bored or a bit restless, he'd drift to the gaming hall for a few rounds of four-player strategy games, deliberately losing some spirit stones and pills.

He'd occasionally punish his junior sister or tease his master, delve into Qiankun Dao techniques, or write a letter to Yunxiao that he couldn't send yet.

These leisurely mountain days were uniquely fulfilling.

But lately, Li Changshou had grown increasingly uneasy; he couldn't tell what the west was plotting, feeling as if he were in the calm before a storm.

He couldn't contact Wen Jing at the moment and had no idea what dirty tricks the west was up to.

He strongly suspected it was Dizang stirring in the shadows, building up for a big move to chip away at the Daoism schools.

The most likely trouble spot was the Demon Clan.

Li Changshou appeared relaxed but never stopped replenishing his paper effigy army, even replacing the lost Golden Immortal-level ones with his 'Pseudo Jindan Dadao'.

Always ready for battle, always preparing—that's how to face it fearlessly.

During this time, he also began planning to rename the Sea God temples to Water God temples and expand them to the three thousand worlds.

This wasn't just for accumulating merit—though that was the main goal.

Once the Sea God temples could take root in the three thousand worlds, they could help the Tianting find more sources of troops; this was a small part of his Tianting revival plan.

However, his current divine messengers were clearly insufficient.

The Wu people weren't prolific breeders, and without flight, they were already stretched thin managing the shrines around Anshui City for thousands of li.

Next, he needed to select and train a group of clever ones—ideally strong, loyal, and without ulterior motives.

The Wu Clan? That could be considered, but their inability to leave Beijulu Continent was an issue, and their cleverness was questionable.

While pondering this, Li Changshou unlocked a new skill for his Wu messengers and demonstrated it at a recent Sea God festival—

Dozens of burly men with arms like tree trunks performed a song and dance to the tune of 'Great River Flows East', singing 'I Want a Hug'.

The effect was explosive, with many attending immortals from the three schools later saying their primordial spirits nearly shattered.

And so, twenty years passed leisurely since his meeting with Yunxiao.

During this period, Li Changshou thought of Li Jing and secretly sketched a few 'youth comics' emphasizing family and growth, circulating them in the sect for Li Jing to see.

As the saying goes, read three hundred Tang poems, and you'll recite even if you can't compose.

Thanks to the blessing of Nüwa the Saint, Li Changshou's grasp of framing, scripting, and emotional peaks had reached an 'amateur master' level, so creating a couple of works wasn't difficult.

But strangely, after Li Jing read those two thick volumes and they circulated in the sect for a few months, they mysteriously vanished!

His self-set self-destruct restrictions didn't even activate!

The female disciple who had just borrowed them was so frightened she burst into tears, as those thick illustrated books were already sect treasures.

Did the Saint, Holy Mother Nüwa, intervene?

Li Changshou figured that was the only possibility.

When he found a small pile of Nine Heavens Breath Soil on his underground chamber's desk, he decided not to pry further.

One day, as Li Changshou was pondering how to write his second letter to Yunxiao, his spiritual awareness twitched, and his divine sense rippled.

He closed his eyes and heard countless mortals weeping and crying out. His divine sense shot forth, revealing border cities in the southern continent engulfed in flames and demonic aura!

It had come.

Li Changshou narrowed his eyes slightly, dispatching his underground paper effigy army to save people and eliminate demons.

At the Nantian Gate of the Tianting, war drums boomed!

Well, play it safe;

He'd go visit the black panther, share a drink, and have him pray for the Demon Clan once more.