Chapter 415: Bai Ze First Shows Its Might, the West Schemes Again

On Qianyuan Shan, a white cloud emerged from the Jinguang Dazhen and slowly ascended toward the xingkong.

On the cloud, Li Changshou looked down at his seated shizhi, taking in the poor expression on his face as he struggled to hold back tears, his eyes reddening, his shoulders trembling lightly, and his Dao hoop swaying gently.

Suddenly, Li Changshou felt a pang of guilt, as if he had done something wrong.

What a peculiar Lingzhuzi.

"Shizhi," Li Changshou called warmly.

Lingzhuzi lifted his head weakly, his eyes showing a hint of helplessness. "Changgeng Shishu, I'm fine."

Li Changshou's Dao heart nearly melted on the spot. He quickly said, "Don't worry, I'll take you to Tianting. The beings there are quite interesting and gentle. How about we make a bet?"

Lingzhuzi replied crisply, "Shishu, how should we bet? Master said that gambling is a bad habit. We need a firm Dao heart and a solid grasp on handling things."

Li Changshou: ...

He had actually been lectured by Lingzhuzi in return!

"Let me rephrase it," Li Changshou said with a laugh. "Once we get to Tianting, everyone you meet will give you a kind smile. If that's the case, will you agree to make a friend in Tianting, as your shishu suggests?"

"Um," Lingzhuzi nodded in agreement. "Disciple will follow Shishu's arrangements."

Li Changshou smiled gently and said no more, steering the cloud toward the Zhongtian Gate.

On the way there, Li Changshou had deliberately flown a half-circle along the edge of the area controlled by the Yaozu. But on the return, fearing an ambush by Yaozu experts, he took a detour to the Xitian Gate above Xiniu Hezhou.

After all, Ling Shan wouldn't dare openly trouble a Renjiao disciple or let anything happen to him near their territory.

The journey passed with little conversation as Li Changshou quietly observed Lingzhuzi's reactions, eager to understand his full temperament.

Lingzhuzi's emotions were mostly anxious, as this was his first time venturing far from Qianyuan Shan since taking human form.

"Changgeng Shishu..."

"Hmm?" Li Changshou looked down at the sound.

Lingzhuzi was gazing up at him, his bright, spirited eyes filled with a touch of helplessness.

"Is there something wrong with me like this? Master seems really troubled and keeps telling me to be more manly. And Yuding Shishu often looks at me with a sympathetic gaze."

Li Changshou burst out laughing.

Lingzhuzi frowned in confusion, watching Li Changshou. "Changgeng Shishu, what's so funny?"

"It's nothing, nothing," Li Changshou waved it off and sat down cross-legged on the cloud. His appearance, with white hair and white brows, made him seem quite approachable.

Li Changshou explained with a smile, "Your master keeps saying you need more manly spirit because he thinks you're too soft-natured. Yuding Shidi isn't sympathizing out of pity; he just feels you're too gentle. Generally speaking, men represent yang energy, and women symbolize yin energy, but that's not absolute—it's just how most people are. Taiyi Shixiong is a bit rough around the edges and didn't explain this to you properly; he just kept pushing you to be a real man. In heaven and earth, yin and yang aren't absolutely opposed or clearly divided."

Lingzhuzi pursed his lips in thought.

Li Changshou added, "To make your master happy, you can just adjust a few small habits."

Lingzhuzi quickly said, "Please teach me, Shishu!"

"It's not convenient to say more today," Li Changshou laughed. "Once we get to Tianting, I'll introduce you to a couple of friends. Spend some time with them, and you'll figure out for yourself what your master wants you to become."

Lingzhuzi hesitated, as if wanting to say more but holding back.

Li Changshou didn't continue and handed Lingzhuzi a scripture book to pass the time.

Lingzhuzi was an ancient lingzhu, born from Yuxu Palace, starting his cultivation at the Zhenxian realm and now at the late Tianxian stage, still some distance from Jin Xian.

But Lingzhuzi's foundation was deep, and his greatest asset was his Qingfu Yuan Shen. Once he achieved Jin Xian and gained some experience over a few yuan hui, he could become a Qingfu Jin Xian like Yunzhongzi, bringing fortune to Chan Jiao.

Li Changshou's mind wandered with these thoughts...

In the original Feng Shen calamity story, the Jiejiao side was known for its second-generation disciples' strength, while Chan Jiao was famous for its third-generation disciples battling the Jiejiao second-generation ones.

Like Yang Jian, who cultivated the Jiujiu Xuan Gong and held a Tianting divine position as the Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun before the calamity;

Or the former Lingzhuzi, who, after entering the calamity, combined his Yuan Shen with the Lianhua Bao Shen to become the San Tan Haihui Dashi Nezha;

Or Yin Jiao and Yin Hong, who received treasures from Guangchengzi and Chijingzi but were swayed by Shen Gongbao's words—"Dao friend, please stay"—leading to erratic actions and nearly turning against their master...

These were the rising stars of Daoism.

To be fair, Jiejiao also had its share of rising stars, like Huoling Shengmu, Wen Zhong, and Yu Yuan, but they weren't as renowned as Yang Jian, Nezha, and Leizhenzi.

Did their own Sage choose to side with Chan Jiao in the Feng Shen calamity partly because of this?

Li Changshou pondered carefully, feeling a bit helpless.

Why had he already accepted that the Feng Shen calamity would turn into a bloody feud between Chan Jiao and Jiejiao?

The Ten Absolutes Array, the Nine Bends of the Yellow River Array, the Wanxian Array—these were the iconic arrays marking the escalation of the great battles...

Then, Li Changshou thought of something else.

All these years, he'd been focused on the romantic developments in Jiejiao, like Jin Guang Shengmu and Qin Wan, Qin Tianjun, and their research on the Ten Absolutes Linked Array—who knew how that was going?

Could this become a small foreshadowing in the Feng Shen calamity?

Li Changshou thought it over and chuckled to himself.

He, the butterfly, had flapped his wings so many times, yet everything was still heading toward the Feng Shen calamity.

The corrective force of the Heavenly Dao, or rather, the convergence of this world's timeline, was truly formidable.

The last predecessor who tried to change mythological history had become just a small patch on the wheel of history.

For himself, survival had to come first—after all, once you're dead, everything is gone...

"Changgeng Shishu," Lingzhuzi suddenly asked softly, "Are there many beings in this world like me?"

Li Changshou thought for a moment and said warmly, "Every being is a unique individual. Don't think about changing yourself just to fit in—focus on improving yourself to become more perfect. Beings don't need too many sharp edges, but they shouldn't be overly smooth either. After all, being slick is something for us old folks."

Lingzhuzi blinked. "Lingzhuzi doesn't understand."

"From now on, when referring to yourself, use 'I' instead of your name—that's exposing your origins directly," Li Changshou said seriously. "That's the first small habit you need to correct."

"Yes, Lingzhuzi understands."

"Hmm?"

"I understand..."

"That's a good boy," Li Changshou said with a smile, narrowing his eyes as the Xitian Gate came into view. "Do you remember our earlier agreement? You can look around and see if they're all smiling at you."

At once, Lingzhuzi perked up. Though usually shy, he now actively observed the Tianbing and Tianjiang.

The crowd of Tianbing and Tianjiang: ...

To be honest, with the Water God bringing back such a handsome young xianzi, and the xianzi looking at them with such clear, curious eyes, what else could they do but smile in various ways?

Halfway there, Lingzhuzi couldn't help tugging at Li Changshou's robe, his eyes sparkling like stars.

"Shishu, Shishu, it's true! Everyone's smiling at me!"

Li Changshou just smiled without replying, holding his fuchen as he led Lingzhuzi toward his Shuishen Fu.

After competing with Bai Ze for so long, tricking a kid like this felt quite refreshing...

Back at the Shuishen Fu, Li Changshou had the Tianbing prepare a residence for Lingzhuzi and settled him in.

"Lingzhuzi, stay here for now. If you need anything, just ask the Tianbing and Tianjiang in the compound. As your shishu, I'm a civil official in Tianting, so they’ll give me some face. You're free to go out and explore if you want. In a few days, I'll arrange for some Tianbing and Tianjiang to spar with you in techniques and shentong. Make sure you're prepared, and remember to hold back so you don't hurt anyone."

"Yes!"

Lingzhuzi was full of energy now, a complete change from how he was on Qianyuan Shan.

He—er, he—bowed to Li Changshou. "Disciple understands. For this cultivation path, please feel free to discipline me as you see fit, Shishu!"

Li Changshou nearly blushed...

What on earth had Taiyi Zhenren, that old yin-yang master, taught Lingzhuzi?

Uh, or maybe he was just overthinking it...

Now things were set.

Li Jing was at Duxian Gate, Nezha was at the Shuishen Fu, and if he found Yin Furen now, the main cast for the "Chentang Pass" scene would be complete.

Nezha was essentially joining with his own backing, as the destined lead in this scene.

Ao Bing wasn't even an egg yet, and Muzha and Jinzha had no roles here.

As for Shiji Niangniang, should he probe her situation in advance?

In the Dan room, Li Changshou stared at the simplified map of the Five Parts Continent, lost in thought.

He was multitasking—one part figuring out how to direct this major scene, the other selecting a few Tianjiang with strong yang energy and an aura of bold heroism from the Shuishen Fu's guards to interact more with Lingzhuzi.

Li Changshou gradually realized that in scheming about the Feng Shen calamity, the key was to gauge the Heavenly Dao's trends accurately.

Take Nezha as an example: in the Heavenly Dao's script for the Feng Shen calamity, what trials Nezha would face and the consequences that followed—how much would they impact the calamity and the Heavenly Dao?

Once he analyzed that clearly, he could act with precision...

Overall, he needed to ensure Nezha's combat strength and make sure Nezha became a core member of Chan Jiao's main forces.

The conflict between Taiyi and Shiji could also spark the flames that ignite the war between the two sects...

From his recent interactions with Taiyi Zhenren, Li Changshou had no doubts about Taiyi's readiness to strike first or his mastery of skills like "mouth cannon" and "taunting."

Unfortunately, he couldn't target Taiyi Zhenren directly.

Li Changshou knew he couldn't stand with Chan Jiao or Jiejiao—he was a Renjiao disciple and had to align with what his Taqing Teacher wanted: the Daoist path.

"The big picture..."

After thinking for a while, Li Changshou stood up, a hint of worry on his face, and paced quietly in the Dan room.

With a slight stir of his mind, he sensed that Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang had arrived at the Shuishen Fu.

Ao Yi had a broad smile on his lips, while Bian Zhuang looked dejected, with bloodshot eyes, but he was forcing a cheerful appearance.

The two reached the study and were about to bow when Li Changshou waved his finger, opening the door and deactivating the array.

"Come in."

"Yes," Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang replied in unison, entering the study with their heads bowed and saluting Li Changshou at the desk.

"Teach Lord Brother, we've found a suitable Yaozu woman," Ao Yi said with a smile. "Should Bian Zhuang make his move now?"

Li Changshou asked, "Which woman did you find?"

"It's from Yue Lao's search," Ao Yi explained. "She's a major ye zhang demon at the Tianxian realm, near the border of Nanzhanbuzhou and Xiniu Hezhou. We checked her background in the Wanling Hall—her bloodline traces back to ancient great demons, and she has some influence among the Yaozu. This demon often wanders around with her mud puppet, dragging red ropes everywhere, living a nomadic and flirtatious life. If a Tianjiang has a romantic fling with her, it won't raise suspicions. The rest depends on Bian Zhuang's skills."

Bian Zhuang's legs trembled as he said bitterly, "This lowly one is willing to risk life and limb, but Water God... I'm still pure..."

Li Changshou laughed. "It's just about showing affection in a dream; you're not actually offering yourself. What's there to fear?"

"Ah, this lowly one obeys."

Ao Yi feigned surprise. "Vice Commander Bian is so virtuous?"

Bian Zhuang immediately put on a face of utter despair.

"Enough," Li Changshou said. "Have the Yinyuan Hall fully assist you on this. If it doesn't work out, that's fine. And remember, it's not about you descending to the mortal world—it's just meeting the Yaozu woman in a dream through the Shenwei Hall. We want to use this to show the outside world that Tianting isn't just a puppet of the Heavenly Dao, that Tianjiang have real emotions and are living beings of flesh and blood. It's not about you actually getting involved with a Yaozu woman, especially not a ye zhang demon."

"This lowly one understands!"

Bian Zhuang answered loudly, though his face remained troubled.

Was his first romantic experience going to be like this?

Li Changshou suddenly frowned. "You two wait a moment; I have something else to attend to."

With that, he closed his eyes and focused.

At Xiao Qiong Peak, Li Changshou stepped out of the Dan room and saw faint auroras rising from Hei Chi Peak. He quickly rode a cloud over on this paper Daoist body.

Arriving at Hei Chi Peak and entering the array, he saw Bai Ze in his true form, lying by the pond with three colorful feathers on his forehead glowing, surrounded by strands of seven-colored xian light.

"Water God," Bai Ze's xian light grew brighter as he transformed into human form and bowed.

Li Changshou said, "Mr. Bai, what urgent matter called me here?"

Bai Ze said seriously, "It's not a big deal for you, Water God, but while I was sensing the heavenly secrets earlier, I had a sudden premonition. A disaster is brewing in the northern part of Beiju Luzhou. It seems the Yaozu is about to attack the Wuzu there, forcing Tianting to send troops and engage directly."

Li Changshou bowed and said earnestly, "Thank you for the warning, sir."

Bai Ze smiled. "Water God, did you already anticipate this? Then I must have worried unnecessarily."

"No, I didn't anticipate it," Li Changshou replied. "And truthfully, my cultivation is still shallow compared to yours. As for calculation methods, I'm just starting out and can't deduce many external matters. If something like this happens again, please let me know right away."

Bai Ze frowned. "In that case, Water God, how have you intervened in Heavenly Dao affairs before, stood against the West, and made so many decisions?"

Li Changshou sighed helplessly. "Nothing special—just thorough preparation, considering all possible scenarios. You don't need to worry about it, Mr. Bai. When the Yaozu issues their declaration of war, I've already secretly informed the Wuzu in Beiju Luzhou. They're prepared and won't be caught off guard."

Bai Ze bowed to Li Changshou and praised, "The more I learn about you, Water God, the more I admire you. With the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother away from Tianting, and Daoist experts unlikely to interfere in the Wuzu-Yaozu conflict, if you need any help, please consult me anytime!"

Li Changshou nodded and bowed in return. "I'll keep that in mind." With that, he rode his cloud away from Hei Chi Peak to arrange the Beiju Luzhou matters.

His mind returned to Tianting, where Li Changshou instructed Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang to set aside the earlier matter and prepare the Tianhe Water Army, stocking up on resources like xian beans.

Bian Zhuang was nearly in tears with joy.

Then, Li Changshou extended his mind's power to its limit, opening windows in his awareness to monitor the Wuzu gatherings in Beiju Luzhou and the Yaozu assemblies at the borders.

As he had said, the Wuzu had already retreated to safe areas; the recent harassment of the Yaozu by some Wuzu warriors was at his instigation.

He wanted to avoid another tragedy like the one at the East Sea Eye.

But the Yaozu territories...

They were eerily quiet.

There were no signs of movement among the experts or Yaozu soldiers.

Still, Bai Ze had given the warning, and attacking the northern Wuzu was a smart move for the Yaozu—this made it highly likely.

Li Changshou waited patiently, but for several days, the Yaozu showed no reaction.

He was puzzled but kept most of his mind monitoring the Yaozu areas, using the rest for daily affairs.

With his mind's power stretched thin, his efficiency dropped, but by handling everything steadily, he avoided any mishaps.

What he didn't expect was that this wait would last a full half-year!

In that half-year, Lingzhuzi had a few encounters with the Tianjiang at the Shuishen Fu, but he was too shy each time. Beyond sparring, he just watched them fool around and couldn't join in.

This couldn't be rushed; it had to be done gradually.

Tianting was fully prepared for battle, with hundreds of thousands of elite Tianbing equipped with millions of xian beans, ready to support Beiju Luzhou at any moment.

Just as Li Changshou began to wonder if Bai Ze's definition of disaster was off, a familiar aura appeared in the Yaozu territory.

Wen Jing!

Li Changshou's xian shi spread like a net, quickly tracing the aura and revealing three vague figures entering layers of Yaozu arrays underground.

Wen Jing was deliberately exposing this aura—it was a prearranged signal between them.

To protect their undercover agent, Wen Jing couldn't contact him directly, but this was enough to confirm his loyalty hadn't wavered.

The three figures: Wen Jing on the left, a silver-haired girl with a long sword on the right, and a tall, slender figure in a cloak in the center.

Li Changshou calculated with his fingers and confirmed he didn't know this Daoist.

Was the West plotting something again?

Or perhaps the West was coming to offer advice to Lu Ya, providing help and guiding the Yaozu—attacking the Wuzu to force Tianting into open war?

If that was the case, then...

Bai Ze's ability to sense fortune and avoid misfortune was incredibly accurate!