Chapter 553: The Urging Vanguard

Inside the Lin Tian Dian, within the Xuan Zi Yin Dian, in Bai Ze's private suite, two figures paced back and forth, continuously brushing past each other. Their restless steps mirrored the slight unease in their hearts.

Bai Ze suddenly stopped, turned, and looked at the paper effigy that had just flown out from his sleeve. He asked in a low voice:

"Shui Shen Daren, are you certain it was Kunpeng who sent the message?"

"It's about eighty or ninety percent likely... Mr. Bai, is your Sky-Obscuring Great Array effective here?"

"This is within my capabilities," Bai Ze replied solemnly, steadying himself. "As long as no obvious Tian Dao force is detected, this place should remain unmonitored."

Li Changshou nodded, choosing his words carefully, and said gravely:

"The jade ring finger from Kunpeng's old shed contains forbidden Tian Dao objects. I haven't even mentioned it to you, Mr. Bai, and my Tai Qing teacher has helped cover it up. Aside from me and Tai Qing teacher, no one else should know.

That day, the demon offered a black shadow and mentioned the mother of demons, which sounds like an innate god and demon. They tried to infiltrate Du Xian Men to meet me and asked if I wanted to see more forbidden Tian Dao matters."

Bai Ze quickly asked: "Did you look at that Tian Dao forbidden thing, Shui Shen Daren?"

"How could I, I absolutely couldn't," Li Changshou said, winking at Bai Ze and then cupping his hands toward the air as he spoke loudly, "I serve the Heavenly Court and act for the Tian Dao, so I would never touch its forbidden matters! Mr. Bai, you know me—am I the type to be so reckless?"

Bai Ze immediately gave a thumbs-up and praised: "The vanguard of the Tian Dao, a champion of justice—I naturally believe in you, Shui Shen Daren."

The two exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

"Mr. Bai, what do you think we should do next?"

Li Changshou sat back in the only round chair in the room, while Bai Ze pulled up a nearby stool and sat beside him.

"Ah, Kunpeng is truly a great threat," Bai Ze sighed. "Ever since returning from the Hun Chao Hai, I've been restless and unable to sleep, feeling deeply uneasy. Of course, that hasn't interfered with the many affairs of Lin Tian Dian. Kunpeng's old form was destroyed by your hand, Shui Shen, and I thought, given his vengeful nature, he wouldn't swallow that insult. But I also figured he might use his feigned death to evade the saints' pursuit and stay away from Hong Huang. Little did I expect he had such schemes in mind. What about Jie Jiao Jiaozhu..."

"San Shi Shu wouldn't have any connection with Kunpeng," Li Changshou said. "Kunpeng seeking me out could involve various schemes, perhaps trying to lure me into cooperating with him. No matter what, Kunpeng is an utterly wicked being, and I won't have any dealings with him. Even if the Tian Dao intends for Kunpeng to return to the world, I'll speak out against it when needed. He's a great enemy of the human race and must not be allowed to harm the mortal world again."

Bai Ze pondered for a moment and asked: "Is it possible that Kunpeng is connected to the Tian Dao forbidden matters?"

Li Changshou thought carefully, and a slightly absurd idea crossed his mind.

Kunpeng, perhaps a mount or subordinate of Senior Lang? If so, it would align with what Nu Wa Sheng Ren said: 'He once manipulated the Wu-Yao War from behind the scenes.' But is that possible? Although Li Changshou didn't see Senior Lang as a 'good person,' he was still a fellow countryman who seemed to have lived in a similar era, and Li Changshou felt reluctant to accept that they might be linked.

Li Changshou sat there lost in thought for a while before shaking his head and chuckling lightly.

Never mind, he should just ask the only witness who can speak about it now.

Li Changshou said: "Mr. Bai, I need to trouble you with something."

"Shui Shen Daren, please go ahead."

"Use my name to draft two memorials and hand them to this paper effigy of mine later. The first one should compile the crimes of the ancient Yao Court demon master Kunpeng, listing them clearly one by one. Make sure to detail his acts of harming living beings."

"Understood," Bai Ze replied with a bow of his head.

Li Changshou thought for a moment and continued: "The second memorial is about investigating foreign demons among the qi refiners in various regions, especially at the edges of the Three Thousand Worlds. Mr. Bai, just outline a general plan for it. We don't need to handle this ourselves; it's enough to show our stance."

"Don't worry, Shui Shen, I'll get to it right away."

Li Changshou nodded slowly, and the paper effigy closed its eyes as his true body 'awoke' on Xiao Qiong Peak.

Without time to study the application of heart demon fragments in yuan shen power or the significant improvements this method could bring to his paper effigy system, Li Changshou hurried to the lake's edge.

Kunpeng, Senior Lang's records, Tian Dao guidance... These were the real critical matters, ones that affected his very survival. Li Changshou truly couldn't relax.

He scanned the area with his immortal sense and saw Ling E meditating amid a circle of treasures in the thatched hut. After a moment's thought, he didn't disturb her. Instead, he activated the layers of arrays on Xiao Qiong Peak, left a note, and quietly returned to Tai Bai Dian.

To visit Nu Wa Sheng Ren, he had to go in person; otherwise, he couldn't withstand her 'time-stop' divine ability.

He summoned the Tower Master, called on Jin Peng, transformed into a young daoist, and followed Jin Peng out of the East Heaven Gate toward the outer heavens.

The entrance to Sheng Mu Palace was hidden in the void, and though Li Changshou had been there a few times, he had a general sense of its location.

As they approached Sheng Mu Palace, ethereal immortal light and mist appeared at the entrance. Four graceful immortal maidens emerged, holding palace lamps and flower baskets, and bowed to Jin Peng and Li Changshou.

"We greet Tai Bai Xing Jun."

Li Changshou stepped out from behind Jin Peng, maintaining his youthful daoist appearance, and cupped his hands to the four maidens.

"This humble god seeks an audience with the great benevolent Sheng Mu Niang Niang. Please inform her on my behalf."

The four maidens smiled gently, and one said: "Xing Jun, there's no need for such formalities with us. Niang Niang has said that whenever you come, you may enter directly. Please follow us."

As they spoke, the maidens conjured a cloud boat and invited Li Changshou and Jin Peng aboard.

Li Changshou thanked them and boarded the cloud boat. Jin Peng watched his teacher's back with eyes full of admiration.

This is Teacher's charisma!

Even Sheng Mu Niang Niang...

Li Changshou suddenly turned and glanced at Jin Peng, frowning slightly with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

Jin Peng quickly suppressed his wandering thoughts and felt another wave of awe.

Could Teacher even sense what he's thinking?

Truly, too powerful...

Li Changshou's mouth twitched slightly; from Jin Peng's expression, he could guess the nonsense Jin Peng was imagining, but he didn't correct it right then.

It suddenly occurred to him: Was Jin Peng's demeanor toward him similar to his own toward Dao Zu? It was like seeing through someone's thoughts at a glance, based on available information and an understanding of their character, creating an almost mind-reading effect that unintentionally shocked others—yet it was all perfectly logical.

With that in mind, Li Changshou's dao heart lightened, and a small insight arose, which he set aside to contemplate later.

Li Changshou furrowed his brow slightly, closed his eyes on the cloud boat, and flashes of spiritual light crossed his mind.

Briefly sorting through the demon matter, he arrived at a somewhat startling conclusion.

It was known that only Tai Qing, himself, and the now-eliminated 'Kunpeng' knew he had obtained the 'Lang Ren Nian Ji' and that it was incomplete.

Yet, the demon Du Shuren aimed to infiltrate layer by layer into the hearts of qi refiners to reach him, saying:

Do you want to see the rest?

This likely referred to the 'Lang Ren Nian Ji.' If so, it confirmed that Kunpeng was still alive and had allied with foreign demons, wielding a terrifying power.

Building on that, what conclusions could be drawn?

The truly terrifying part was here!

What was Kunpeng arranging for 'Du Shuren' to do?

To convey information.

Why did the Tian Dao arrange for the black panther to encounter 'Du Shuren'?

The Tian Dao already knew he was secretly monitoring the black panther and had the precedent of the Red Lotus incident, where a message was sent but ignored.

The key here was that if the Tian Dao wanted to eliminate this demon, a single Zi Xiao Shen Lei or a casual arrangement of experts could have done it.

The black panther's importance was undeniable;

The Tian Dao had once confronted him for twelve years in the Hun Yuan Jin Dou to ensure the Feng Shen calamity unfolded smoothly, until the shadow of the calamity's Tian Dao will left his dao heart.

There's no reason it would send the black panther on meaningless tasks.

Moreover, the Tian Dao, aside from Dao Zu and the calamity will, shouldn't possess 'thinking ability'; it acts solely by Tian Dao rules, with the purpose of maintaining the stability of the heavens and earth.

The first terrifying point was—'The Hong Huang belief that the Tian Dao is impartial and selfless might be wrong.'

Sweat beaded on Li Changshou's forehead as he suppressed his increasingly rampant thoughts, confining all guesses and suspicions to this matter alone.

Did the Tian Dao arrange for the black panther to lead him there to ensure he directly contacted this demon and received Kunpeng's message?

Turning Kunpeng's plan, which had only a fifty percent success rate, into ninety percent?

This led to two different lines of reasoning, with vastly different conclusions.

First, the Tian Dao just wanted him to know Kunpeng was alive and didn't care about the 'Lang Ren Nian Ji' itself;

Second, in the Tian Dao's judgment, letting him see the 'Lang Ren Nian Ji' would benefit the stability of the heavens and earth...

The second line was too frightening to pursue; it could lead to the conclusion that Dao Zu and the Tian Dao will are in absolute opposition.

For a moment, Li Changshou's thoughts were in chaos, one idea suppressed only for another to emerge.

Once Jin Peng was settled in Sheng Mu Hall to drink tea and eat fruits, Li Changshou entered the pavilion and met Nu Wa Niang Niang. His expression was now only bitter, and his eyes toward her were full of frustration.

Nu Wa Niang Niang, lounging casually by the bookshelf, was somewhat puzzled.

"What's wrong with you? Is there something that can stump even you?"

Li Changshou: ...

Honestly, he really didn't want to deal with all this; he just wanted to arrange the Feng Shen calamity and then run off with his family to escape.

But the situation was increasingly slipping from his control, with a chaotic force from ancient times twisting his hard-won 'domain of stability.'

"Niang Niang," Li Changshou sighed softly, "I've always respected you..."

Nu Wa thought for a moment and laughed: "Flattering won't help. First, draw a few sequel volumes. I'll tell you what you want to know as appropriate. I have many things here that even Tai Qing Shi Xiong doesn't know, you know."

Li Changshou: ...

He had a feeling Nu Wa Niang Niang might also be a behind-the-scenes player, though her motives seemed simpler.

A moment later, in the domain created by Nu Wa.

Nu Wa, with loose long hair and a simple plain skirt, sat on a soft couch with her legs crossed, holding a cup of fruit brew and sipping it through a straw.

"You killed Kunpeng's old form, got a book, and then Kunpeng sent a demon to find you. The Tian Dao helped this demon meet you directly and told you Kunpeng has the sequel?"

Sitting in his usual spot, slowly mixing ink, Li Changshou nodded: "More or less, that's it."

Nu Wa Niang Niang smiled: "This could make for an interesting story."

Li Changshou said bitterly: "Niang Niang, this is absolutely no joke."

"Can you catch up to Kunpeng?"

"My Equilibrium Great Dao balanced the speed of the Jin Chi Da Peng bird and Kunpeng. I even brought the Jin Chi Da Peng bird as a witness today—you can ask him and know right away."

Nu Wa Niang Niang nodded, her finger lightly tracing her smooth chin as she pondered: "Then why not try chasing the Hun Chao Zhong?"

Li Changshou chuckled bitterly: "If the Hun Chao Zhong were recovered now, it might suppress Jie Jiao's great luck, but that would be going against the Tian Dao, and I'd face backlash for sure."

"So, your plan is to have Jie Jiao immortals fill most of the Feng Shen quotas and calamity pits during the great calamity?"

"I didn't say that," Li Changshou sighed, "but Jie Jiao does have a lot of issues."

"If Tongtian comes to you for help, how will you handle it?"

"I can't disobey San Shi Shu's decree," Li Changshou said, "but I don't have the power to balance a Sheng Ren. Balancing Kunpeng's old form was already a stretch. Besides, I've tried—inborn treasures aren't affected by the Equilibrium Great Dao, and the Tai Ji Tu itself embodies the path of equilibrium."

Nu Wa held her glass and thought for a while: "First, say what you want to ask, and I'll estimate the price."

"The relationship between Kunpeng and Senior Lang."

Li Changshou paused and added: "And whether Senior Lang really went mad in the end."

Nu Wa blinked: "I won't charge you for these two answers."

"Oh?" Li Changshou smiled, "Niang Niang, you're truly..."

"Because giving you these answers benefits the Tian Dao and Teacher, without any risk for me," Nu Wa chuckled lightly, "and you still owe me that five-hundred-year debt, so I'm not in a hurry."

"So, the answers are?"

"Kunpeng and him were mutually using each other, but most of the time, Kunpeng was under his control."

Li Changshou frowned and chuckled bitterly: "As expected, I can't judge this fellow countryman by my own standards."

"Human race matters?"

"Yes."

"Innate beings from ancient times are indifferent to acquired creatures," Nu Wa explained. "As for your second question, I can't answer it definitively. From an outsider's perspective, he was indeed mad. I know he had a plan for enlightenment and transcendence, but he advanced it suddenly, as if desperate to gain power equal to Pan Gu Shen, even at the cost of touching the heavens and earth's original pure and turbid forces. If Teacher and the Tian Dao hadn't joined forces to suppress him, the heavens and earth would have ended in the second Wu-Yao War of ancient times."

Li Changshou asked: "Was his rush because of competition with Shi Zu?"

Nu Wa Niang Niang narrowed her eyes and smiled: "That question comes at another price. Do you really want to know?"

Li Changshou immediately became alert, stood up, and bowed to Nu Wa: "I spoke out of turn; please forgive me, Niang Niang. Thank you for your guidance."

"Your greatest strength is knowing when to advance and when to retreat."

Nu Wa Niang Niang pointed at the chair in front of Li Changshou: "Draw now, and make it exciting."

Li Changshou sat down, picked up his brush, pondered for a while, and began his artistic creation in earnest.

Seizing the opportunity, he also calmed his mind and sorted through the various pieces of information he now held.

Nu Wa didn't want to offend Hong Jun Dao Zu, which was understandable; from her earlier hints, Li Changshou roughly understood that Dao Zu and Senior Lang back then... weren't exactly clean. In such matters, there was no absolute black and white; the rules were set by the victors, and right and wrong were defined by them.

Hong Huang was just that dangerous.

When beings could rewrite natural laws, the world's essence became nothing but cruelty.

'Better think about how to escape,' he thought.

After some time, Li Changshou had stacked up half a foot of draft manuscripts;

Nu Wa yawned, put down her book, and suddenly asked:

"For the Kunpeng matter, how do you plan to handle it? Do you need me to explain the karma to the Tian Dao for you? For example, say I sent you to the Hun Chao Hai to track Kunpeng."

Li Changshou kept working without looking up, saying softly: "It's fine; I've already prepared."

"Oh? How did you prepare?"

"I've made a three-step plan. First, submit a memorial to Yu Di His Majesty, detailing Kunpeng's evils, brand him as the most wanted criminal in the Three Realms, and disrupt his feigned death scheme to clearly define my stance against him.

Second, launch activities in the surrounding regions of the Three Thousand Worlds to clear out foreign demons and create a beautiful new Hong Huang. The Wheel Tower in the underworld has a divine beast that previously annoyed me, so I'll have it atone by scouting the hearts of all things in each world.

Third, lie low for one or two hundred years, stay active in the Heavenly Court, build relationships with the immortals and gods, strengthen my bond with His Majesty, and make some preparations for the Feng Shen calamity."

Nu Wa's lips curled slightly: "You truly live up to the name of the Steadfast One."

"Otherwise, what else can I do besides stating my position and stance..."

"Now that you've stepped into the realm of perfected Great Dao and are close to severing the three corpses, you're considered a great divine being in Hong Huang with your Equilibrium Great Dao. Haven't you thought about transcending to sainthood?"

Li Changshou laughed: "Transcendence is something I've always considered, but sainthood, I'll pass. I can feel that the heavens and earth are nearing some limit and can't withstand the shock of another saint. Occupying too many resources means bearing the corresponding risks; intervening too much in the heavens and earth will invite backlash. It's unstable and doomed to fail."

"How can you transcend without becoming a saint?"

"Is becoming a saint the same as transcendence?"

In the time-stop domain, the Sheng Mu on the soft couch, holding her glass, and Li Changshou at the low table, brush in hand, locked eyes. This time, it was Nu Wa Niang Niang who looked away first.

"Your original world must have been something else—two souls drifting over, each more enigmatic than the last."

Li Changshou smiled but said nothing more, continuing to draw.

Excellent young people like him were common back home.

Of course, ones as steadfast as a mountain like him were rare.

Somewhere in the mountains: Feeling offended.

This Kunpeng had truly caused him trouble; he couldn't just swallow this anger. He had to make Kunpeng uncomfortable and ensure he wouldn't harass him again.

Maitreya, Kunpeng...

Old form, new birth...

Li Changshou's eyes lit up, and his brush moved with inspired speed, a sense of urgency to finish washing over him.

"Don't rush; there's plenty of time," Nu Wa said calmly. "Once this volume is done, we can add another."

Li Changshou steadied his wrist and continued, delving into details with meticulous care. Good work comes from slow craftsmanship.