Chapter 457: Worshipping Taiqing in the Taiqing Temple

He changed into the carefully stored dao robes that Ling'e had sewn herself, tied his long hair with a dao hoop, and flashed a calm smile in the mirror. Then, he adjusted it slightly and reverted to a serious expression.

It's better to be more serious.

"Shixiong!"

Li Changshou turned his head and saw Ling'e holding an incense burner as she floated into the thatched hut, placing the incense burner beside him to fumigate her shixiong.

Li Changshou nodded with a smile, dropping the disguise from his face and the layers of aura that diminished his charm. He put on a carefully selected jade pendant, tied his hair with a band that complemented his cyan dao robes, straightened his sideburns, and habitually trimmed his beard—which he could now control whether it grew or not.

He then smoothed his collar, dusted off his cloth shoes, halted the activities of his various paper daoist avatars, and returned his focus to his true body.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Li Changshou let out a soft sigh.

What was this about? He could have relied on his looks to get by, yet he had chosen the path of cunning calculations and a dark heart to survive in the Great Desolation of cultivation.

Li Changshou never imagined that the first time he seriously dressed up in this life, it wouldn't be to meet some fairy...

While piloting a paper daoist to visit Yu Ding Zhenren, he suddenly received a summons from his Taiqing Teacher, calling him to Taiqing Guan.

When a saint summoned him, what could it be? Teaching the Dao, giving admonitions, formally accepting him as a disciple, or assigning some major task—one of these four options.

It couldn't possibly be to send a bronze mirror for some Heavenly Court entertainment scheme.

That would be far too undignified.

Thinking of this, Li Changshou's lips curved into a faint smile. He tried a few poses—arms crossed in a profound manner, smiling to add a youthful vibe, or raising his sword-like brows for a stern look.

Pfft—

Suddenly, steam rose from the side. Li Changshou turned to see Ling'e slumping awkwardly in a chair, her face flushed red, with white smoke billowing from her head.

Shixiong value severely overloaded.

"All right, I need to head out now."

Li Changshou cleared his throat, summoned the Xuan Huang Pagoda, and sent a voice transmission to Bai Ze to watch over Xiao Qiong Peak. He then turned and walked into the adjacent thatched hut.

He lit three sticks of incense and bowed before his master's memorial tablet.

Qi Yuan, who had passed away early in his immortal years, lived to over a thousand.

"Shixiong!"

Ling'e called from behind, hurrying over with quick steps. She tiptoed and leaned in, gazing joyfully at Li Changshou's rarely revealed true face, and whispered,

"Is this for meeting Yunxiao Jiejie?"

"Of course... not," Li Changshou replied with a laugh. "The teacher has summoned me, probably to give some instructions at Taiqing Guan."

Ling'e paused, then breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were going to meet that Heng'e with your true body."

Li Changshou said, "How do you know about this while staying cooped up at home?"

"It's all over the gossip," Ling'e puffed her cheeks. "The most beautiful woman in the Three Realms, you know."

Li Changshou playfully pinched Ling'e's cheek. She yelped twice as he gently tugged her back and forth, feeling both annoyed and unable to protest.

Li Changshou teased, "I thought you understood that your shixiong never judges by appearances."

With that, he transformed into a wisp of spring breeze, accompanied by the Xuan Huang Pagoda, and vanished from sight.

Ling'e tilted her head, sensing that her shixiong had just "promised" her something, but then caught the teasing in his words. She waved a small fist toward the direction he had disappeared.

She wasn't bad-looking herself... well, to put it steadily, she was quite pleasing to the eye.

Ling'e moved to the mirror and carefully examined her increasingly refined and charming face. Though she knew her shixiong was joking, she fell into thought.

Meanwhile, Li Changshou left Du Xian Men and asked the pagoda master how to reach Taiqing Guan. The pagoda master instructed him to go to Heavenly Court first, then fly beyond the Ninefold Heavenly Gates.

Thus, Li Changshou used a transformation technique to disguise himself as a heavenly general from the Water God Mansion, using his own token to slip through the East Heavenly Gate.

As a proper heavenly god with a divine treasure by his yuan shen, the three suspended swords above the heavenly gate showed no reaction. Otherwise, even if Zhao Gongming had come, at least one sword would have fallen.

—After the Fu Yuan Xianweng incident, the Jade Emperor had spared no effort to strengthen the defenses at the heavenly gates, with the three swords targeting immortals, demons, and devils respectively.

Li Changshou employed an escape technique and quietly flew to the Eighth Heaven, then straight toward the deepest part of the azure sky.

The higher he flew, the more he felt a growing pressure from above, yet his form became increasingly light.

Emerging from the Ninefold Heavens, fierce winds began to tear through the drifting mists, turning them into spiritual energy.

Though Li Changshou wouldn't be affected by such surges of spiritual energy, the Xuan Huang Pagoda dutifully released its Xuan Huang aura to envelop him.

The usually carefree pagoda master, who never took worldly treasures seriously, now became earnest. He repeatedly reminded Li Changshou not to be too rigid or too casual later—his lord disliked elaborate formalities; just show the proper respect.

Proper respect? How exactly?

With tears welling up, striding forward, hiking up his dao robes, and kowtowing to the saint upon meeting?

Better to be steady.

He should bow outside Taiqing Guan, bow again upon entering, and if he reached the saint's side, bow once more!

This was the three-kowtow ritual for taking a master, regardless of whether the saint acknowledged it—he'd do it first.

Thus, Li Changshou carefully simulated his behavior upon arriving at Taiqing Guan in his mind. His figure had already flown an immeasurable height, plunging into that shallow blue sky...

Looking up, Li Changshou could clearly see a thin membrane separating the heavens from the outside, with endless stars seemingly hung upon it.

When Pangu created the world, his eyes became the sun and moon, and his hair the stars.

In ancient times, the demon court harvested the essence of the Zhou Heaven stars to refine the Great Zhou Heaven Star Formation, so the starscape after antiquity was no longer the original from primordial times.

Beyond this vast sea of stars, Li Changshou seemed to glimpse the edge of heaven and earth, seeing the vast void beyond the pure energy.

Beyond the void lay chaos.

The Xuan Huang Pagoda gave Li Changshou a direction, and he continued flying forward, not showing off any escape techniques, merely using his immortal power to propel himself.

Soon, a sea of clouds appeared beneath the stars. Li Changshou plunged into it, and his immortal sense was immediately suppressed to within ten zhang of his body.

A vague and ethereal pressure washed over him—it was the familiar Taiqing Dao rhythm.

He flew slowly onward for an unknown time until a small daoist temple emerged from the mists ahead.

Li Changshou had pondered for years what Taiqing Guan might look like, and now, seeing it, he couldn't help but smile slightly.

It was just as it should be.

A small courtyard made of green stone tiles, with the main building a modest two-zhang square temple, lacking even overhanging eaves on the roof.

Perhaps the saint had casually picked a small temple from some mortal village and moved it beyond the nine heavens to serve as his daoist sanctuary.

Li Changshou dared not delay. Holding the Xuan Huang Pagoda, he approached the wooden gate of the small courtyard and was about to kowtow in ritual.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his heart:

"Enter."

It naturally halted Li Changshou's actions.

Li Changshou softly acknowledged and pushed open the gate, taking a deep breath as he stepped inside.

The courtyard was empty, with only a sunken meditation cushion and two potted plants—that must be where the teacher cultivated. In the northern part of the courtyard, inside the green-tiled room, sat that slender daoist. Besides the daoist and the cushion, there was only a long table behind him.

Li Changshou didn't dare look around much. He walked steadily to the low threshold, lifted the hem of his dao robes, knelt before the old daoist, and performed a full ritual kowtow.

Source of the Dao;

Ancestor of all.

"This disciple, Changshou, pays respects to the teacher."

On the old daoist's somewhat gaunt face, a faint smile appeared. A voice transmission entered Li Changshou's heart, saying,

" Rise."

Voice-to-voice transmission—truly a person-teaching tradition!

"Thank you, teacher," Li Changshou replied softly, rising and holding the Xuan Huang Pagoda to the side.

The Xuan Huang Pagoda vanished soundlessly.

This elder was Taiqing Laozi, his appearance beyond description, for it was born from the dao heart, and a saint's dao heart was no longer of this world.

In Li Changshou's heart, he couldn't form a clear image of Taiqing Laozi—only a vague outline—and he committed the feeling to memory.

It was one of ease, composure, and tranquility.

He was surrounded by the essence of nature, and before him was the embodiment of the Great Dao.

Taiqing Saint slowly raised a finger, and immortal light flowed in the courtyard, condensing into a second meditation cushion beside Xuan Du Master's. The cushion then flew into the room.

"Sit."

The saint's voice transmission reached Li Changshou's heart. Li Changshou bowed his head in acknowledgment and sat on the cushion in the most standard meditation posture.

Chest out, head up, shoulders relaxed, hips lifted, abdomen drawn in—the Dao flows naturally.

At that moment, the atmosphere in Taiqing Guan felt somewhat... stiff.

Li Changshou sat quietly, waiting for the teacher's guidance. He didn't dare think too much, keeping his body and mind relaxed while maintaining full vigilance.

The Taiqing Saint merely sat there with half-closed eyes, the rhythm of the Great Dao circulating around him.

Then... nothing happened.

'Was the lord testing his patience?'

Li Changshou could only think that way, so he meditated quietly, neither seeking enlightenment nor letting too many thoughts arise. His dao heart was clear, ready for the saint to speak.

And so, he sat for three days and nights...

Outside Taiqing Guan, the stars turned and the clouds stirred, but Li Changshou remained still.

Who knew why, but in his heart, he even started humming—

'I should be in the courtyard, not in the room; suddenly, it feels so strange.'

Stay calm, stay calm. Saints see through eons in a glance; he just needed to wait patiently.

Another half-month passed...

Finally, the Taiqing Saint moved! This strongest saint in the heavens casually drew a finger through the void, pulling out a stone tablet from a vortex, and began reading it with his head lowered.

Li Changshou hadn't intended to peek, but his peripheral vision caught two dao wen.

Dao wen were the special "script" created by innate beings in ancient times, fully known as "wen of the Great Dao." They had no fixed characters or grammar, carrying messages through complex patterns for the viewer to comprehend.

Some profound dao wen could make those with insufficient cultivation dizzy or even injured by them.

Later, with the fall of the innate beings' era, dao wen were gradually replaced by the pictorial scripts of later beings.

The two dao wen Li Changshou glimpsed weren't any obscure Dao cultivation methods. Upon careful contemplation in his heart, they turned out to be...

Uh, "A Few Techniques for Communicating with Disciples."

Li Changshou nearly covered his eyes and wept...

Teacher, if you can't find a topic, your disciple can speak up! No need to wait eighteen days and seven hours for a single sentence!

"Teacher," Li Changshou asked in his warm voice, "Did you summon this disciple for some instructions?"

The Taiqing Saint slowly nodded, his voice transmission continuing in Li Changshou's heart:

"The conferring of gods was discussed at Zi Xiao Gong. Do you know?"

"This disciple knows," Li Changshou replied quickly. "Teacher, are you giving instructions regarding this matter?"

"Mm, come with me when the time comes."

"This disciple obeys!"

Li Changshou bowed his head in agreement. The saint nodded slowly, and Taiqing Guan fell into silence once more.

This... what now?

Li Changshou didn't dare speak and sat obediently. If it was just to relay this, he'd leave whenever the saint told him to.

Another half-month later...

The Taiqing Saint's voice echoed in Li Changshou's heart:

"Are you investigating that taboo?"

"This disciple hasn't investigated; Shishu Nüwa has already told this disciple much."

Li Changshou gave his prepared answer in a low voice. "This disciple was probably warned about that taboo by the Heavenly Dao."

"Correct, it was the teacher warning you."

The Taiqing Saint paused, glanced at Li Changshou, and suddenly said something that chilled him to the core:

"You know too much."

Li Changshou was startled, nearly jumping up to kneel.

Fortunately, the saint realized the words were too alarming and added, "This isn't a bad thing."

Only then did Li Changshou's dao heart relax.

"Teacher, this disciple's path is one of balance. I won't oppose the Heavenly Dao outright and will strive to do what needs to be done for the Daoist school."

"Good."

A slight smile appeared at the corners of the Taiqing Saint's mouth, and his voice transmission became a bit smoother.

"The rise of Heavenly Court is your greatest merit. The path of balance should be used wisely."

"This disciple will remember the teacher's teachings."

"Don't worry about Junti's matter; the West still has its destined fate to follow."

Li Changshou pondered these words, nodding solemnly, then asked,

"Teacher, this disciple has always been unsure about scheming against the West—how far should I go? Please guide me."

The Taiqing Saint said indifferently, "Saints cannot die."

"This disciple understands," Li Changshou replied, feeling a surge of emotion.

His own saint teacher was truly domineering.

It was as if he could take on the other saints single-handedly!

In Taiqing Guan, the conversation quieted again, as the Taiqing Saint seemed to have exhausted his words, waiting for them to replenish.

Li Changshou didn't dare say more and waited patiently.

Though he felt a sense of safety and stability beside his teacher, there was also a helplessness from not being in control.

Who knew if the next thing the Taiqing Teacher said would be about how things were going with Yunxiao!

Another half-month later...

"Yunxiao—does she suit your heart?"

He really asked!

"She does," Li Changshou replied quickly. "Yunxiao Xianzi is pure in nature, profound in cultivation, deeply principled, and wise. Every conversation with her gives this disciple a sense of sudden enlightenment."

"If Wen Jing can destroy the golden lotus, she may enter my Person Teaching.

If you can scheme the peacock from the West's hands, it too may enter my Person Teaching."

"Yes, this disciple obeys. I'll arrange it for Shixiong right away, though he seems... not very interested in such things."

Li Changshou added uncertainly, "Is that what you mean, teacher?"

The smile at the corners of the Taiqing Saint's mouth grew thicker. He drew his finger through the void and pulled a jade talisman from the vortex, handing it to Li Changshou.

Li Changshou hurriedly accepted it with both hands. Glancing at the contents of the jade talisman, it turned out to be a technique for...

An escape method!

What did the teacher mean by this?

Learn this escape method so Xuan Du Shixiong couldn't catch him, then go ahead with the matter?

"Thank you for granting this technique, teacher. This disciple will do everything in his power to contribute to the prosperity of Person Teaching!"

The Taiqing Saint smiled in satisfaction and entered another cycle of...

Silence.

Three years later, Li Changshou left Taiqing Guan and quietly returned to Xiao Qiong Peak. He lay down on the rocking chair in front of his pill room and let out a light sigh.

Finally back...

"Shixiong!"

Ling'e called softly, stepping on a white cloud as she flew over. She curtsied gracefully before Li Changshou and said with delight,

"Shixiong must have gained a lot from listening to the saint's teachings for so long!"

"Here," Li Changshou took a fine-mouthed jade bottle from his sleeve, "If you encounter a strong enemy in the future, just point this bottle at them. If they speak, they'll be drawn inside.

The saint teacher granted this and has taken you as a nominal disciple."

Ling'e blinked, took the bottle, and didn't think much of being a nominal disciple of the Taiqing Saint. She pestered her shixiong with questions, full of curiosity.

When she asked, "What did the saint teacher say to you, shixiong?"

Li Changshou closed his eyes and sighed. Saying he just chatted casually with the Taiqing Teacher wouldn't be believed.

But this time, he really had been called for a casual chat. If the Taiqing Teacher hadn't run out of topics, he probably wouldn't have been sent back!

Li Changshou said wearily,

"Three kowtows before the saint's gate, imparting to me the Taiqing path of non-action."

Ling'e blinked, her eyes full of contentment, as if feeling, 'The child I raised has finally made something of himself.'