Chapter 419: Young Master Yun Visits

The Gongde Jinshen was just one foot short.

In the northern part of Bei Zhou, at the site of the great battle against the heavenly demons, Li Changshou stood quietly above the mountain of demon beast corpses, sensing the sorrow of living beings flowing through the heavens and earth.

Scattered skirmishes still raged on the horizon, while the heavenly soldiers here had begun rescuing the wounded and gathering the bodies of their fallen comrades.

The ghost messengers from the underworld had completed their task of ambushing the demon clan's hidden forces and were now back to their duties, collecting the souls that hadn't been destroyed in this area.

With a slight sigh, Li Changshou descended from the air and sat cross-legged in midair before the bodies of several heavenly soldiers, reciting the Dao Men Du Ren Jing from his mouth.

Strands of light emerged from the corpses of these heavenly soldiers, forming faint shadows that bowed to Li Changshou in gratitude before flying toward the nearby ghost messengers.

Life and death are no trivial matters; in battle, blood and flesh congeal.

Li Changshou continued his recitation without pause, a water-blue banner appearing behind him. Many scattered demon souls were gathered and then chained by the ghost messengers, who dragged them away.

The sound of chanting gradually grew, as many heavenly soldiers and generals stopped to recite scriptures in various places.

Beyond Heishan, the Wu clan, who had been celebrating their harvest, fell silent, with the four great shamans softly reciting ancient prayers.

Half an hour later, Li Changshou's true body reunited with Bai Ze. He bowed to Bai Ze, and the two—one human and one beast—rode the clouds away from the area, soon vanishing into the depths of the North Sea.

Li Changshou "returned" shortly after, this time with his incarnation. He flew up into the sky and bowed to the four attendants of the Holy Mother Palace, whose expressions were somewhat complex.

"Greetings, esteemed immortals."

"Please don't overwhelm us with such courtesy, Water God."

The four immortals quickly returned the bow, and the leading fox-eared immortal said softly:

"We've often heard from the sisters in the palace about how the Water God plans strategies with great wisdom and foresight. Today, seeing you shatter the enemy lines with such divine bravery, it's truly impressive."

"You're too kind," Li Changshou sighed. "This battle was won by the brave fighting of the Heavenly Court's soldiers. I merely handled the arrangements and formations—it's nothing noteworthy.

"I must also thank you esteemed immortals for your righteousness in coming to persuade the demon clan.

"Once war begins, it brings suffering to all living beings. Fortunately, this is the barren land of Bei Zhou, and the Wu clan was well-prepared, so it didn't affect too many creatures."

The four immortals exchanged glances, their smiles growing warmer.

One of the women said: "The Water God speaks so eloquently. We four sisters are actually descendants of the ancient demon clan, and we came today with our own personal motives, so we don't dare accept such praise from you."

"With the battle over, we should return to the Holy Mother Palace," the leading fox woman laughed. "Does the Water God have anything you need us to take back to the palace?"

Is the Holy Mother urging for updates?

"Recently, I've been occupied with matters in Bei Zhou," Li Changshou said. "Once I settle official business, I'll make sure to visit the Holy Mother Palace to pay my respects."

"Very well."

The four immortals bowed in farewell, summoned their cloud boat, and chatted as they headed toward the outer heavens.

Li Changshou pondered for a moment. From this fox woman immortal, he sensed an aura similar to that of Qingqiu Xiaolan.

Could she be the ancestor of the Qingqiu clan, serving the Holy Mother in the palace?

She looked even younger than Xiaolan, though her cultivation was profoundly unfathomable.

Did the Holy Mother send these four attendants with some deeper intention?

Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back in the air, thinking carefully.

Waves of dragon roars echoed from the distance as the dragon clan returned from pursuing the Hongmong ferocious beasts. They had slain seven or eight beasts at the cost of losing dozens of azure dragons.

Several elderly dragon clan members stepped forward together, bowing with fists clasped to Li Changshou.

"Reporting to the Water God, the Dragon Palace warriors have completed their orders to aid in the Bei Zhou campaign! We await your further commands!"

"What were the losses?"

"Thank you for your concern, Water God," one dragon elder sighed. "Please forgive us, but we could have taken more demon clan experts. However, upon seeing those enemies who broke the sea eyes, we lost our composure."

"This is only natural. If not for the Dragon Palace's aid today, the Heavenly Court would not have had the strength to directly engage the demon clan."

Li Changshou said calmly: "The souls of the dragons who fell in battle may enter the Heavenly Court's merit pool for nurturing over ten years, after which they can reincarnate and return to the Four Seas Dragon Palace.

"For those dragon souls that cannot be gathered, memorials should be erected in their honor, and the wounded must be properly cared for."

"Thank you for your compassion, Water God!"

"Please report this matter to Mu Gong before you leave."

Li Changshou instructed, and the four dragon elders acknowledged in unison, leading their numerous experts to wait in the air.

In this battle, the Heavenly Court lost over thirty thousand soldiers, dozens of generals, the Wu clan suffered over a thousand deaths, and more than half were seriously wounded.

Trapped beasts fight fiercely, and the demon clan experts who couldn't escape went into a frenzy, inflicting significant damage on the Heavenly Court.

During the main battle, the heavenly soldiers maintained perfect defense and offense, maximizing the advantage of distance and leaving the demon soldiers almost no chance to counterattack.

The severe shortage of high-end forces in the Heavenly Court was truly giving Li Changshou headaches.

Strangely, he found himself looking forward to the Heavenly Court after the Fengshen calamity.

While his incarnation, the paper daoist, was busy in Bei Zhou handling post-battle affairs, Li Changshou's true body had already returned with Bai Ze, circling the vast wilderness before hiding back in the Du Xian Men.

Later, he would need to remind Kong Xu, the sect leader, to ensure that the sect leader and the elders strictly guarded the secret of Bai Ze's seclusion in Du Xian Men.

Along the way, Bai Ze and Li Changshou didn't speak. It wasn't until they reached Hei Chi Peak that Bai Ze lay by the water pool, gazing at the clear water, looking utterly dejected.

"Mr. Bai seems quite disheartened."

Li Changshou asked warmly: "Is it because Lu Ya has ultimately chosen to oppose the Heavenly Court?"

"Ah," Bai Ze sighed slowly. "It's not about that. I already know his temperament well.

"It's just a sense of powerlessness.

"What's the use of knowing so much? It's merely seeing the outcomes of people, events, and things in advance, yet being unable to change anything.

"Even if I advise Lu Ya repeatedly, he'll only focus on immediate gains, always thinking fate is on his side. In the end, it's his inner arrogance that dooms everything, just like his father."

Li Changshou thought for a moment and said: "Now that the Western Cult has intervened in demon clan affairs again, what does Mr. Bai think the Heavenly Court should do in response?"

"The Water God is testing me again," Bai Ze perked up a bit, pondered for a moment, and spoke in his beast form: "We can simply ignore it."

"Oh? Why ignore it?"

Bai Ze said: "The Western Cult's actions this time were cautious and clever—they avoided direct combat and only helped those demon clan experts escape.

"This way, they gain the gratitude of those experts without deeply offending the Heavenly Court.

"Following their line of thinking, even if the Heavenly Court wanted to demand justice, it would be difficult. Better to ignore it, first investigate what the Western Cult is plotting, and then address it specifically.

"When dealing with saintly forces, as long as you smash the fruits they're trying to pick in advance, you've already won that round."

Li Changshou nodded slowly, his thoughts aligning closely with Bai Ze's.

Bai Ze sighed again: "I'm just afraid Lu Ya will soon reach a dead end and fully defect to the Western Cult."

Li Changshou asked: "What's wrong with Lu Ya defecting to the Western Cult?"

"It doesn't harm him personally. He's already lost the protection of the Holy Mother, so if he gains the shelter of a Western saint, his life will be secure.

"But if Lu Ya joins the Western Cult, the demon clan's destiny will be completely drained by them, and the entire demon clan will become their puppets.

"If this batch of the demon clan dies, I might feel more at ease, but in the future, all newly born spirits in the world will be classified as the demon clan by the Western Cult and then exploited and enslaved.

"It's truly a misfortune for all spirits."

"What Mr. Bai said is something I hadn't considered before," Li Changshou resumed his original appearance and pondered with his head lowered.

Bai Ze laughed: "The Water God prioritizes the human race over all spirits, which is understandable, but since you can influence Heavenly Court affairs and even the decisions of the Jade Emperor, you should be more impartial."

Li Changshou nodded slowly, then looked at Bai Ze with a playful gaze and smiled: "Did Mr. Bai come to my side with the intention of offering such advice?"

"Don't overthink it," Bai Ze said dejectedly, lying down. "I came to improve the Human Teachings' meals."

"I believe Mr. Bai's words," Li Changshou bowed. "Please rest for a while, and once I handle the Bei Zhou aftermath, I'll come to drink and chat with you."

Bai Ze sighed dejectedly and continued to lie there in melancholy.

In the northern part of Bei Zhou, the heavenly soldiers and generals departed in an orderly manner, flying back to the high heavens.

The underworld's forces also regrouped and retreated, riding the yin winds back to the Netherworld.

Dongmu Gong and Li Changshou patrolled various areas together, representing the Heavenly Court to console the Bei Zhou Wu clan and deliver the court's warm regards.

Niutou and Matou, leading a group of underworld Wu clan members who hadn't gotten a chance to fight and were now full of resentment, hesitated before approaching Li Changshou and Dongmu Gong, bowing respectfully.

"Water God, sir, we brothers didn't get to fight! We were supposed to handle the toughest battles."

Li Changshou's forehead twitched with a few black lines.

These guys were like Wu Dalang asking for more medicine from Pan Jinlian—recklessly eager, weren't they?

"Those Hongmong ferocious beasts didn't directly join the battle, which was a miscalculation on my part," Li Changshou laughed. "But because of your patient ambush, it created a strong deterrent for the enemy and gave me more confidence in managing the situation.

"Though you didn't fight directly, your role was no smaller than those on the front lines—in fact, it was even more significant."

Niutou and Matou looked at each other, puzzled.

Matou said: "Water God, sir, please don't say that. It doesn't align with our Wu clan's values."

Dongmu Gong chuckled, making his presence felt, and said: "Everyone who participated in this battle will be rewarded based on merit. You all have accomplished a great deed."

Niutou muttered: "Lord Dongmu Gong is here too."

Matou said seriously: "Lord Dongmu Gong, please don't insult our Wu souls like this! We didn't fight, so what merit is there?"

Niutou swatted Matou with a hoof and rubbed his hands, grinning at Li Changshou:

"Of course, if the Heavenly Court insists on rewarding us, we can't go against fate, right?

"Just a hundred years' worth of Wu clan seasonings would do. Please don't give too much—we'd just reluctantly accept it, since we can't defy fate."

"Seasonings?" Dongmu Gong gave Li Changshou a puzzled look, and after a brief sound transmission, he couldn't help but laugh.

Dongmu Gong said: "Since the Wu clan enjoys them, that's easy to arrange. Later, I'll have the Water God provide the recipes, and have the heavenly palace's female immortals prepare some to send to the underworld. How about that?"

Niutou nodded eagerly: "Thank you, Water God! Thank you, Dongmu Gong!"

Matou stood by, rolling his eyes in exasperation, but didn't interrupt.

After sending Niutou and Matou away, Li Changshou and Dongmu Gong led dozens of heavenly generals back to the Heavenly Court on clouds.

The immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court gathered at the North Heaven Gate, offering congratulations as the two ministers returned.

After more bustle for half a day, Li Changshou finally returned to his Water God mansion. With no time to rest, he continued to monitor the movements of the demon clans on the Bei Zhou borders with his divine sense.

In this battle, the demon clan suffered heavy losses in the northern part of Bei Zhou, severely depleting their vitality.

When the demon clan was defeated by the Wu clan, the demon forces guarding the southern Bei Zhou borders made a show of mobilizing to provide support.

However, first, their remaining elites would need at least seven or eight hours to cross the thick miasma barrier;

Second, in the northern part of Zhongshen Continent, immortal lights swirled above numerous immortal sects, with countless human cultivators seemingly under orders, forming battle arrays at their sect gates.

The demon clan's main base felt immense pressure and quickly decided to abandon the demon soldiers in northern Bei Zhou.

This, of course, was one of Li Changshou's prior arrangements.

He had simply used his connections to send assistance requests to a few sects, asking them to put on a show of pressuring the demon clan, and these sects were happy to do such favors.

With the Bei Zhou defeat, the experts fled in disarray, and over eighty percent of the dispatched demon soldiers were wiped out, naturally stirring fury among the demon clan.

But after carefully listening, Li Changshou found that few in the demon clan cursed him as the Water God; most railed against the dragon clan for currying favor with the Heavenly Court or accused the heavenly soldiers of "using magical treasures as shields" and hiding behind them without fighting.

When mentioning "Water God," most demon clan members expressed some admiration, and quite a few even praised the "Water God's bravery," claiming their ancestors were also connected to the "Way of Water."

The demon clan's culture was truly baffling to Li Changshou.

Unfortunately, he couldn't locate Lu Ya's hiding spot or know the extent of his injuries.

If the Qiankun Ruler had severely wounded Lu Ya, he could arrange an ambush to finish him off while he was vulnerable.

The demon clans on the Bei Zhou borders showed no signs of further mobilization, so Li Changshou tentatively relaxed.

In the coming years, these demon clans would likely stay quiet for decades.

He and Dongmu Gong needed to focus on expanding the Heavenly Court's strength, waiting for the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother to return, which would be the true time to eliminate the demons.

Today's battle was just to make the demon clan behave.

The Yuan Tu Sword.

That silver-haired girl.

Li Changshou felt quite exasperated by the Western saints' habitual deceit, but what could mere ants like them do? They had to endure it.

In the secret chamber of Xiao Qiong Peak, Li Changshou placed the Qiankun Ruler and the Xuanhuang Pagoda before the portrait of the Ta Qing Saint, bowed three times, and the two treasures vanished from the table.

A familiar dao rhythm slowly unfolded in Li Changshou's heart, forming two large characters before dissipating into nothingness.

Li Changshou paused, then bowed to the saint's portrait again before exiting the chamber.

Back in the pill room for meditation, Li Changshou began summarizing the Bei Zhou campaign, reflecting on his shortcomings and oversights, and considering the developments that would follow.

If his cultivation could match or surpass Lu Ya's, he might have had a real chance to kill him today.

"Ah."

Cultivation requires long-term accumulation, and there's no rushing it.

After all, since achieving immortality, his path of enlightenment had slowed noticeably. His previous clever schemes and wild ideas were mostly exhausted, and now cultivation came down to steady accumulation and insight.

'Later, I should go to Dou Shuai Palace and report this to the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord.'

Also, in this Bei Zhou battle, Li Changshou had several heavenly generals record everything with shadow orbs. He could take these to the ancient human warriors, let them see the Heavenly Court's current power, and put their minds at ease.

As he thought of this, Li Changshou was about to shift his divine sense to the Water God mansion in the Heavenly Court when his heart stirred. His immortal sense, spread throughout the sect, converged toward the mountain gate.

There, a dashing young man arrived on clouds, gently opening a fan in his hand to reveal the character "yun."

This "young man" reached the mountain gate and bowed to the several elderly gatekeepers with a warm smile: "I am Xiao Yun, here to visit a friend. Could you kindly call for them?"

One of the elderly gatekeepers asked amiably: "What is the dao title of the friend you're seeking?"

"The Li Changshou on Xiao Qiong Peak. No need to trouble yourselves—he's already here."