Chapter 487: Immortal Alliance Leader

Yuxu Palace was in complete disarray.

Zhen Ting Shou dodged out of the way as the Twelve Golden Immortals hurried to break up the fight.

Lingzhuzi tried to intervene, while Taiyi Zhenren shouted about retribution.

Li Changshou spent a good while sending voice transmissions to explain the situation, finally calming Taiyi Zhenren for the moment. He then pulled Taiyi Zhenren to sit beside him and continued to explain the misunderstanding in detail through voice messages.

Lingzhuzi had simply become a bit more combative, which wasn't a major issue.

The Chan Jiao immortals were puzzled but saw that Li Changshou, the Ren Jiao disciple, was quite close to their own Taiyi Zhenren, so they were content to let it be.

Li Changshou, the main figure in this great calamity, was a fact personally stated by Yuan Shi Tianzun, the Chan Jiao leader, so there was no doubt about it.

What worried Chan Jiao the most was that Li Changshou might favor Jie Jiao due to his relationship with Yunxiao Xianzi and end up undermining Chan Jiao while protecting Jie Jiao in the upcoming calamity, whose details were still unclear.

But now, seeing things...

Jie Jiao had Yunxiao Xianzi, and they had Taiyi Zhenren.

Though the two couldn't really be compared.

Thus, as Li Changshou, Taiyi Zhenren, and Lingzhuzi huddled together exchanging voice messages, the Chan Jiao immortals, led by Guangchengzi, chose not to interrupt. Instead, they watched with a gaze full of... tolerance.

Taiyi Zhenren sent a voice message to Lingzhuzi,

"My dear disciple, tell me the truth—exactly what kind of dao companion are you looking for?"

Lingzhuzi gave a bitter laugh and replied through voice transmission,

"This disciple is focused solely on the Dao and has no thoughts of a dao companion.

Master, why is it that so many of our sect's uncles and elders have no dao companions, but when it comes to me, it's insisted that I must have one?"

"Hmm, that makes sense," Taiyi Zhenren said calmly, nodding and giving Li Changshou a rather serious look.

Li Changshou sent a puzzled voice message,

"Senior brother, hasn't this all been cleared up?"

"My disciple only said he's not interested in a dao companion right now—he didn't specify whether it's male or female. Isn't that fifty-fifty?" Taiyi Zhenren replied.

Li Changshou pondered this for a moment.

There was some logic to it... though it felt off.

Li Changshou sent another voice message,

"Rest assured, senior brother, I'll arrange to verify this later. But I'm here at Yuxu Palace today for an important matter, so I hope you'll lend me a hand."

Taiyi Zhenren raised an eyebrow and muttered through voice transmission,

"You're never one to visit without a reason. Go on, what's it about? I'll do my best, just like you, and handle it carefully."

Li Changshou chuckled lightly and explained the details to Taiyi Zhenren through voice transmission.

After outlining the plan, Taiyi Zhenren quickly agreed, then led Lingzhuzi to a side cushion to sit down and chatted with him about his experiences in the Heavenly Court over the years.

Lingzhuzi spoke with shining eyes, and Taiyi Zhenren nodded in satisfaction repeatedly.

Li Changshou smiled and said,

"Guangchengzi senior brother, have you heard about the Western Teachings establishing their incense fire divine kingdoms?"

Guangchengzi replied with a smile,

"Of course I've heard. These incense fire divine kingdoms deceive mortals and cause harm, which is something refiners of the Dao should despise."

"Ah," Li Changshou sighed, then continued, "The two Western sages turn a blind eye to this. The divine kingdoms help them gather merit and boost their luck, but...

Thinking carefully, our teacher has already made it clear that in this great calamity, the Western Teachings and the two major Daoist sects will face tribulation. If the Western Teachings escape it, our Daoist sects will suffer even greater losses.

I've been troubled by this incense fire divine kingdom issue lately and haven't had a moment's peace.

These divine kingdoms are like a sharp sword piercing the human race's luck, so we must deal with them preemptively."

Chijingzi stroked his beard and laughed,

"What's so difficult about that?

Why not have you, Longgeng, initiate a campaign in the name of the Heavenly Court and rally Jie Jiao to join in?

Jie Jiao boasts ten thousand immortals, and we Chan Jiao have our own immortals to call upon. With your strategic planning, we can destroy those divine kingdoms one by one. What's impossible about that?"

Li Changshou said seriously,

"Thank you for the advice, senior brother, but there are many complications.

Just one point: we're in the prelude to the great calamity, and at any moment, we could be influenced by the calamity's fate. Yet the details of the calamity aren't set.

If we launch a full-scale attack and any of our fellow disciples are killed, they'll just turn to dust.

This calamity is called the Investiture of the Gods, aimed at the rise of the Heavenly Court. All of you senior brothers and sisters, think deeply about that..."

Guangchengzi pondered for a moment,

"Does that mean if someone perishes in the calamity, there's a chance for rebirth as a god in the Heavenly Court?"

Li Changshou laughed,

"That's my guess as well."

Huanglong Zhenren said,

"If that's the case, then the Heavenly Court in this calamity..."

He paused, looking at Li Changshou, and suddenly laughed, praising,

"Our grand teacher truly has unparalleled wisdom! He arranged for you to enter the Heavenly Court early and serve there!"

Li Changshou replied,

"Our teacher didn't want to see the Daoist sects decline, so he sent me to the Heavenly Court long ago.

At first, I didn't understand his intent. I thought the Heavenly Court lacked soldiers and generals, and even our teacher's incarnation went there to oversee it. As a Ren Jiao disciple, my duty was to support the Heavenly Court.

So, I worked diligently for the Jade Emperor and accomplished a few minor tasks.

But when this calamity began, I realized our teacher had foreseen this back in ancient times. By supporting the Heavenly Court, Ren Jiao ensures the Daoist sects remain connected to it, adding a layer of protection in this calamity.

You all should know: this calamity originates from the human race and ends with the Heavenly Court."

He stopped there, as was Li Changshou's usual style—leaving some things unsaid.

Otherwise, speaking directly to so many Chan Jiao disciples about how Chan Jiao was established on human race luck but did little to educate them, and how, during the ancient human calamities, only Ren Jiao stood against the demon court—well, that would be unwise and pointless.

Cihang Daoren asked,

"Then, in your view, Longgeng junior brother, how should we resolve this calamity?"

Li Changshou replied,

"I'm humble and lacking in knowledge, so I truly daren't answer such a question."

"The affairs of the great calamity aren't for one person to calculate," Guangchengzi sighed. "In the ancient witch-demon war, we merely stood by and watched.

Then the Daoist sects rose, and the human race prospered, and now this calamity has fallen upon the Daoist sects—it's unavoidable."

Lingbao Dashi said indifferently,

"The Heavenly Dao is gradually restricting the power of living beings, that's all."

Huanglong Zhenren sighed,

"What's the use of longevity? There are still the three disasters and five calamities. What's the use of Daluo? The immeasurable tribulations are hard to escape."

Taiyi Zhenren snorted with a laugh,

"What you said, senior brother... it's quite rhythmic."

Huanglong Zhenren instantly felt deflated and glanced helplessly at Taiyi Zhenren, who quickly apologized with a laugh, insisting he hadn't meant to disrupt.

It was just his straightforward nature.

Li Changshou steered the conversation back to the incense fire divine kingdoms, explaining that if they weren't dealt with soon, the Western Teachings would become a major threat to the Daoist sects.

The reasoning was straightforward: better them than us.

Everyone present was clever... well, most of them.

What Li Changshou was conveying today was to maintain unity among the Daoist sects, minimize the threat from the Western Teachings, and let their experts fill some of the calamity's quotas.

Guangchengzi asked three key questions in a row,

"Longgeng junior brother, this calamity is orchestrated by the sages, and we're merely their disciples. If the Western sages step in, won't all our plans come to nothing?"

Li Changshou answered,

"Senior brother, as disciples of the sages, we must share their burdens and consider their reputations. If anything we do doesn't align with our teachers' wishes, they'll remind us.

The Western sages have already intervened several times, and each time, it's cost them an advantage.

With the calamity upon us, we can't let the Western disciples turn the tables on us."

Guangchengzi asked again,

"Aside from the Western Teachings, our Daoist sects are inevitably entangled in this calamity. Have you thought about how to balance the affairs of the three Daoist sects in the future?"

Li Changshou laughed,

"I'm always acting for the Daoist sects' benefit, so naturally, I'll try to minimize the losses for all three."

Guangchengzi nodded with a smile and asked once more,

"If you want to deal with the Western Teachings' incense fire divine kingdoms, how can you be sure this isn't part of the calamity's design?"

Li Changshou replied,

"Once the calamity begins, all schemes are under the Heavenly Dao's watch and will influence it.

The incense fire divine kingdoms have shaken the foundation of the Heavenly Court's control over the three realms—heaven, earth, and humanity—and they extinguish mortals' true nature, so they must be destroyed."

Guangchengzi pondered for a while and fell into deep thought on his seat.

The other Chan Jiao immortals fell silent, each lost in their own considerations, though only a few truly understood what these two were discussing.

The Daoist sects versus the Western Teachings, Chan Jiao versus Jie Jiao, the calamity and the human race.

Finally, Guangchengzi smiled and asked,

"Longgeng, do you have a good plan to deal with these incense fire divine kingdoms?"

He had been convinced by Li Changshou and decided to get involved.

Li Changshou sighed instead,

"When it comes to this, I feel quite troubled."

The Chan Jiao immortals perked up, curious to see what could stump Li Changshou.

Li Changshou sat straight behind the low table and explained the difficulties. He had been ordered by the Jade Emperor to form an alliance of anti-incense fire divine kingdom forces among the immortals in the three thousand worlds, called the Immortal Alliance, or Xianmeng for short.

They had already contacted over a hundred or two hundred immortal forces, and the first Immortal Alliance assembly would take place in a few months...

"I've thought it over from every angle—the Western Teachings won't miss this opportunity.

They'll surely send a swarm of experts to ambush us, crippling the alliance and wiping out the key figures resisting them.

This is truly tricky!

Though the Heavenly Court now has many soldiers and generals, where can I find experts powerful enough to deter such threats?"

Li Changshou paused, glanced around, and said with a smile,

"That's why I've come to Yuxu Palace today with a personal request—I want to invite a highly respected figure from Chan Jiao to serve as the leader of this Immortal Alliance..."

At that point, Guangchengzi calmly picked up the tea from the low table in front of him, took a sip, knowing Li Changshou was asking him to step forward. After all, the title of leader was just an empty honor.

Chijingzi beside him also picked up his tea, thinking that although the various immortal forces in the three thousand worlds were numerous, they lacked prestige, so this position would likely fall to him, the second of the Twelve Golden Immortals and third disciple of Yuan Shi Tianzun. The leader role was just a formality.

Li Changshou took a breath and said the second half with sincere emotion,

"I wonder if Ran Deng Fuzongzhu has been in seclusion lately? If Ran Deng Fuzongzhu could take on the role of Immortal Alliance leader, it would be perfect!"

Chijingzi couldn't hold back and spat out his tea toward the side, accidentally splashing Huanglong Zhenren's face.

Guangchengzi, with his deeper cultivation, suppressed his reaction and quickly restored his smiling expression.

"Junior brother, you want to invite Ran Deng Fuzongzhu to be the Immortal Alliance leader?"

"That's right," Li Changshou said seriously, "Of course, Ran Deng Fuzongzhu is very busy, so he only needs to show up for the assembly."

Guangchengzi pondered for a moment, truly baffled by this idea. As the head of the Twelve Golden Immortals, he knew Ran Deng's true nature.

And Li Changshou knew it too—after all, hadn't he been the one most eager to challenge Ran Deng before? Back in Dongsheng Shenzhou, Ran Deng had schemed against Du Xian Men, only to be thwarted by Li Changshou, Kong Xuan, and Zhao Gongming, losing his treasure pagoda and reputation. Since then, he'd been much more subdued.

So why now...

Li Changshou smiled inwardly, having anticipated the reactions of the Chan Jiao immortals.

This wasn't a brilliant move or a risky one—it was just a straightforward, calculated step.

Guangchengzi asked uncertainly,

"Really?"

Li Changshou laughed,

"Absolutely."

Guangchengzi said with a smile,

"Huanglong junior brother, go and ask the Fuzongzhu about this—see if he's willing."

As Huanglong Zhenren was about to stand,

From the corner, Taiyi Zhenren said casually,

"What's the point of asking? It's pointless. If our Fuzongzhu goes to work with you, Longgeng... he might end up in a coffin."

A few immortals chuckled lightly.

Juliushun added,

"Taiyi senior brother, the Fuzongzhu was appointed by our teacher, so we should still show respect."

But Taiyi Zhenren seemed energized, smirking and rolling his eyes, his light red robe looking rather flamboyant.

"Our teacher taught us to respect those who deserve it and honor those who merit it."

Huanglong Zhenren quickly interjected,

"Don't say that, Taiyi junior brother!

Of course, you're not referring to Ran Deng Fuzongzhu—everyone, don't take it to heart, and don't spread these words to him."

Taiyi Zhenren shrugged, with an expression of complete indifference.

Taiyi Zhenren said to Li Changshou,

"Junior brother, you need to judge people carefully..."

There was a heavy thud, like a staff striking down.

A flash of golden light appeared from the side, and Ran Deng Daoist arrived on a cloud, entering through the side door of the hall. He glanced at Taiyi Zhenren and said indifferently,

"I'll take on this matter."

Li Changshou smiled and bowed with a dao salute,

"High virtues to you, Ran Deng Fuzongzhu!"

Taiyi Zhenren paid no mind to Ran Deng's gaze and even asked with a smile,

"Longgeng, does this Immortal Alliance have any deputy leader positions left?"

Li Changshou laughed,

"We're planning for twelve deputy leaders: Jie Jiao's Gongming senior brother, Jinling senior sister, and Lv Yue senior brother as the first three, followed by key figures from several major forces in the three thousand worlds, and important Heavenly Court figures.

We can add as many deputy leaders as needed. If any of you senior brothers or sisters want to join for the fun, just say the word."

The Chan Jiao immortals showed various expressions, while Ran Deng, now frowning, remained silent.

Cihang Daoren asked,

"Then, what position will you hold, Longgeng?"

"Heavenly Court special envoy."

Li Changshou smiled slightly, met Ran Deng's gaze, and bowed with a dao salute,

"I'll be responsible for overseeing the Immortal Alliance's affairs and handling everything to some extent.

Rest assured, Ran Deng Fuzongzhu—your role will be quite relaxed."

Ran Deng nodded slowly and said,

"When do we set out?"

"Take this jade talisman, Ran Deng leader," Li Changshou said, producing a transmission jade talisman and sliding it toward him, "I'll notify you of the location a month in advance."

Ran Deng took the jade talisman, forced a awkward smile at Li Changshou, and turned to fly away.

Taiyi Zhenren raised an eyebrow at Li Changshou,

"This Heavenly Court special envoy role is truly clever."

Guangchengzi and Chijingzi exchanged glances and nearly burst into laughter.