Chapter 559: Illusion Realm Plants Inner Demons, Jade Emperor Knows Everything

In the Xiao Qian World, enveloped by the power of the Tai Ji Tu, several figures were observing a spherical object about three feet in diameter.

With Duobao Daoren present, it was only natural that treasures would be in use. This type of illusion realm treasure was just right for breaking through Xu Bodhi's mental defenses.

Of course, the knee guard treasure was purely an accident.

With Yunzhongzi there, he examined it briefly, hands behind his back as he tiptoed slightly, muttering, "Let this poor Daoist take a look..."

Hmm, learned it. Next one.

Inside the sphere, Li Changshou stood with his hands clasped behind him, his figure reduced several times in size.

Before him lay an elderly Daoist, barely breathing, with the transparent holes in his body sealed by immortal power.

With the help of this spherical illusion realm treasure, Li Changshou had successfully invaded the old Daoist's spiritual platform, just as the old Daoist had once invaded Yang Jian's spiritual platform.

Xu Bodhi was truly in a pitiful state right now.

His Dao heart had been seeded with inner demons by Li Changshou, his Dao body was layered with restraints, and his primordial spirit was marked with ancient talismans that could detonate at any time, leaving him without any consciousness yet.

Outside the sphere, five figures stood quietly, all male immortals.

Yunxiao, Bixiao, and Jinling, the three female immortals of Jie Jiao, along with Kong Xuan, the phoenix clan's leader, were gathered by a nearby pond. They had laid out soft cushions and were sitting, chatting and laughing, surrounded by faint mist that kept the male immortals from staring.

Clearly, their conversation had strayed from the matters at hand.

Though Kong Xuan had no desire for much interaction with the immortals of the three teachings, she couldn't refuse Yunxiao's invitation to chat.

After all, they shared another connection—as future sisters-in-law.

Zhao Gongming glanced toward the pond, then turned his gaze back to the spherical treasure in front of him, watching the two figures inside—one standing, one lying—and muttered:

"What could they be talking about over there?"

"Why not go ask and find out?"

Duobao Daoren replied impatiently, his slightly plump face still showing a hint of irritation.

He had waited so long for nothing, and when the action finally started, he hadn't gotten any thrill out of it.

It was Jinling and Kong Xuan who had made the direct moves, Yunxiao and Zhao Gongming who had opened the Qian Kun seams and set up the arrays; even Bixiao, Yunzhongzi, Taiyi Zhenren, and the Jade Emperor's incarnation had been guarding the transfer arrays!

As the chief disciple of Jie Jiao and the favorite student of Tongtian Jiaozhu, he had been stuck in this cold, remote, desolate little world, sitting on a bench for days!

They called it guarding the most critical spot.

In reality, he was just a watchdog!

If it weren't for his abundance of treasures as Duobao Daoren, and using this illusion realm treasure to play a small role, he, the senior brother of Jie Jiao, would have lost face this time.

Duobao Daoren asked, "Why doesn't Changgeng just kill this person? Didn't Xu Bodhi oppose Changgeng and the Heavenly Court several times before?"

The Jade Emperor's incarnation, Quan Dong, laughed and said:

"This matter—cough, Lord Taibai Xingjun explained to me that Xu Bodhi is more useful alive than dead."

The other four Daoist male immortals exchanged knowing glances.

Better not to expose it.

It wasn't easy for the Jade Emperor to go out like this; pointing out his identity would only embarrass him, and they would have to bow their heads and call him Shishu or Your Majesty.

"I know a bit about this,"

Taiyi Zhenren said, arms folded as he explained:

"This time, it's mainly because Xu Bodhi walked right into the blade.

We in Chan Jiao have a promising junior whom Changgeng values highly. Xu Bodhi used a divine thought technique to bewitch him, and it just so happened that I and Changgeng caught him in the act—that was only about twenty days ago.

Though Xu Bodhi had opposed the Heavenly Court and schemed against it several times before, he also faced retaliation from the Heavenly Court and ended up in a sorry state, so things were even.

Changgeng's move this time is purely because of that junior's situation."

Zhao Gongming asked curiously, "Which junior?"

Yunzhongzi seemed to realize something and said with a sudden look of understanding, "Is it the Jade Emperor's nephew?"

Quan Dong blinked beside them, his eyes full of surprise.

"That's right,"

Taiyi Zhenren said with a calm smile.

Though Taiyi appeared composed on the surface, he felt a bit uneasy inside, as Changgeng hadn't specified whether this matter could be shared with others.

If he said too much and disrupted Changgeng's plans or affected Yang Jian's opportunities, it would be troublesome.

He himself wasn't afraid of Changgeng—worst case, he'd just call out "Yuding, save me."

Taiyi Zhenren glanced at Quan Dong and said with a smile:

"To cultivate Yang Jian into a Heavenly Court divine general, Changgeng has endured undeserved criticism for years and even let Yang Jian harbor resentment toward him.

This obsession drives Yang Jian to cultivate desperately. Do you all know how long it took Yang Jian to enter the Tianxian realm?

Less than a hundred years.

And he advanced through each realm steadily, without the shortcut of primordial spirit ascension. Yang Jian hones his physical body every day without any slacking."

Quan Dong's gaze was full of emotion.

Duobao Daoren's eyes lit up as he said with a laugh, "This Yang Jian must have a very resilient character."

"This child is indeed outstanding, but everyone, please keep this confidential so as not to ruin Changgeng's arrangements."

Taiyi Zhenren, unusually serious, continued:

"Xu Bodhi targeted Yang Jian because of his identity as the Jade Emperor's nephew—it's not the first time he's secretly bewitched him, thinking he was flawless, but everything was under our watch.

Changgeng acted quickly against Xu Bodhi to prevent him from stirring Yang Jian's anger and ending his obsessive cultivation too soon."

Duobao Daoren asked, "Then why not just kill Xu Bodhi?"

"How could I, as a poor Daoist, fully understand Changgeng's thoughts?"

Taiyi Zhenren shook his head. "One thing is certain: Changgeng wants to use Xu Bodhi's identity.

Or rather, use Xu Bodhi's words to continue stimulating Yang Jian.

Turning an uncontrolled variable into a card in his hand... that's probably just the first layer of Lord Taibai Xingjun's schemes."

"Hiss—"

Quan Dong stroked his chin, lost in thought, murmuring, "This time, how many layers did Lord Xingjun plan?"

The Daoist immortals exchanged glances and smiled without speaking.

Duobao Daoren raised an eyebrow at Taiyi Zhenren, who gave an awkward laugh.

He was just paving the way for Yang Jian's future benefits—he wasn't praising that ungrateful Li Changshou!

Lord Taibai Xingjun, cut him open and it's all black, black as can be, dazzling and multicolored!

Laughter and giggles, along with voices near and far, felt like dreams from before cultivation.

As Xu Bodhi regained consciousness, his heart skipped a beat. His immortal senses were restrained, his six senses sealed, and his primordial spirit was etched with bloody patterns.

'Have I been captured?'

This absurd thought crossed his mind, and Xu Bodhi wanted to sneer, feeling that his captors truly disregarded his two teachers. He was no ordinary Saint's disciple from beside the Baichi of Ling Shan; he held too many secrets of Western Teachings.

But soon, Xu Bodhi fell into deep thought.

It seemed he had been captured for quite a while, yet his teachers hadn't rescued him.

Who were they, and why capture him without killing?

Xu Bodhi tried to make some noise, but the sealed senses felt awful.

Suddenly, a cold laugh echoed, and Xu Bodhi felt light and sound surge around him. Spots of light appeared before his eyes as his primordial spirit barely "opened its eyes."

He found himself lying on a mirror-like lake surface, reflecting the stars above.

An illusion realm.

With his vast experience, Xu Bodhi quickly saw through the setup, but when he spotted the figure sitting not far away, his whole body tensed.

D-Da Shixiong?!

The slightly plump figure sitting a dozen yards away—wasn't that Maitreya?

Xu Bodhi's Dao heart was filled with confusion, unsure why Maitreya would ambush him, but if so, it explained why his teachers hadn't intervened.

Or perhaps, it was his teachers' will?

That 'Maitreya' smiled faintly and said:

"Shidi, are you awake?"

This chilling smile...

It was definitely his Da Shixiong.

"Shixiong, what is the meaning of this?"

Xu Bodhi's primordial spirit 'sat up' in the illusion realm, carefully discerning the authenticity of the Maitreya before him, his Dao heart fully on guard.

That 'Maitreya' just smiled without speaking, his figure gradually fading, leaving only the words:

"Think about it yourself—why would I act against you?"

Xu Bodhi's primordial spirit trembled slightly, hesitating to speak. After 'Maitreya' vanished, he couldn't help but look down at his 'hands.'

What had he done wrong?

The stars twinkled overhead as the illusion realm collapsed rapidly, shrinking to just a few yards, like a cage.

Outside the illusion realm, the spherical spirit treasure glowed, and Li Changshou emerged from it, letting out a light breath.

Did I make any mistakes while playing Maitreya just now?

Those characteristics and mannerisms of Maitreya were obtained from Jinpeng through 'questioning' the Ditian, and from Xu Bodhi's initial reaction, it seemed there were no slip-ups.

Jinpeng had held the Xiao Lü Shen Spear to Ditian's forehead, and given Ditian's nature, what he said was likely true.

After all, lying would only ruin one of my schemes;

What I could do was host a great beast feast.

Duobao Daoren asked hurriedly, "Changgeng, how did it go?"

"The first step is steady,"

Li Changshou said with a smile. "Next, it's about gradually breaking his Dao heart and letting the inner demons grow. Thank you all, fellow Shixiong, for your righteous assistance."

Taiyi Zhenren smirked. "This verbal praise from the old Heavenly Court official is something else."

Quan Dong started to speak from the side, but Li Changshou smoothly added:

"Since we still have to wait some time, why don't we enjoy some wine and song here and chat about the Great Calamity?"

The immortals all agreed, and Taiyi Zhenren chuckled awkwardly as Li Changshou assigned him the task of setting up the area.

So, this handsome man in red robes threw down some cushions, piled up wine vessels and glass cups, rolled his eyes, and went to chop wood for a rustic round table.

—He wasn't skilled in the art of creation and condensation.

Li Changshou invited Qiongxiao to help, bringing out pre-prepared ingredients, wine, and immortal fruits to host a feast.

It was as if Taiyi Zhenren had guessed right—dealing with Xu Bodhi was just incidental; the real purpose was for the representatives of the three teachings to gather for a meal.

Soon, the aroma of wine and food filled the air, accompanied by constant laughter.

The five male immortals gathered in one group, the four female immortals in another. Li Changshou's paper effigy incarnation dashed around, attending to everything, giving off the vibe of the "Flood's top family housekeeper."

Quan Dong savored the dishes meticulously prepared by his own minister, and though it wasn't his first time, he was still impressed and full of praise.

Yunxiao Xianzi sampled most of the dishes with a smile, then focused on chatting with Kong Xuan, doing her best to make Kong Xuan feel welcome among the Daoist immortals.

Ling E would have handled this more naturally.

Qiongxiao helped with the cooking for a while, then sneaked off to joke around with Jinling Shengmu. She occasionally gave her elder brother a look, making Zhao Gongming squint and chuckle, his face flushing red from time to time.

Duobao Daoren said, "Changgeng, don't fuss so much—come over and drink."

Only then did Li Changshou stop, bringing the last two dishes and sitting naturally beside Yunxiao Xianzi.

Of course, his immortal sense was always monitoring Xu Bodhi's condition.

"Come, let me toast to you all, fellow Shixiong and Shijie, and to General Quan Dong. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to help and allowing us to capture this villain so smoothly."

The immortals raised their cups in response, each sipping their fine wine.

Zhao Gongming leaned forward and whispered, "Changgeng, how many layers did you plan this time?"

"This time,"

Li Changshou calculated carefully, deliberately omitting a few layers with lower success probabilities, "just three or four, mainly for Yang Jian's sake.

Earlier, Taiyi Shixiong probably couldn't hold back and told you all about the cause and effect, so I can skip explaining it."

Taiyi Zhenren's forehead was instantly covered in black lines as he grumbled, "Am I that easy to read?"

The immortals couldn't help but smile and laugh.

Yunzhongzi asked from the side, "Changgeng, the Great Calamity is still full of uncertainty—what should we pay attention to?"

Jinling Shengmu added, "The three thousand worlds are already engulfed in war, with massive casualties. In Zhongshen Continent, undercurrents are surging, and immortal sects are clashing endlessly...

Is the Heavenly Court going to let this continue, or has it found a way to stop it?"

Li Changshou replied, "What you two said is essentially the same thing.

But I have to tell you all with some regret that I don't know, and the Heavenly Court doesn't know either."

"Cough,"

Quan Dong stepped in to support his minister, saying with a smile, "Lord Xingjun, I heard an elder in the Heavenly Court say that the Great Calamity is likely divided into three stages, corresponding to the ancient three Witch-Demon Wars."

Li Changshou thought to himself: ...

He had already been evasive with his own people!

Oh well, if the Jade Emperor wanted to say it, let him. There were no outsiders here anyway.

The Jade Emperor's incarnation title this time was spot-on.

Quan Dong, all-knowing, understanding the Heavenly Emperor.

Quan Dong continued with a laugh:

"Taking the Zi Xiao Palace discussions as the dividing point, the period before was the initial brewing stage of the Great Calamity. What follows, which is now, is the stage of accumulating mortal casualties to ease the burden on the heavens.

The final stage is when the true calamity descends."

Jinling Shengmu frowned and asked, "Won't the Heavenly Court intervene in these immortal sect conflicts?"

Quan Dong pondered for a moment and said, "The Heavenly Court can't oppose the Heavenly Dao and interfere with the calamity's operation.

Better a short pain than a long one—the number of qi refiners in the world is far too great, and in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao, they are no different from mortals, yet they consume too much of the heavens' spiritual energy and vitality.

Thus, in the Great Calamity, the Heavenly Court focuses on protecting mortals and incidentally recruits those of excellent character and integrity, but it won't overly intervene in the various calamity affairs."

The immortals nodded slowly.

Taiyi Zhenren held his wine cup and shook his head, then couldn't help but set it down.

"May I interject?

The Heavenly Court's approach is basically to sit back and watch the tigers fight, reaping the benefits like a fisherman, right? And ignore that the calamity was triggered by the Heavenly Court?"

"It's not exactly reaping benefits,"

Quan Dong said. "Though the Heavenly Court ignited the calamity, the root isn't with us.

Realize, Zhenren, that calamity fate existed first—it schemed against the demon race and the Heavenly Court, destroyed Lord Changgeng's master, forcing Lord Changgeng into the calamity and slaying the last Jinwu.

Only then came the Heavenly Court's campaign against the demon race, with calamity fate interfering throughout, leading to the subsequent series of calamities.

In other words, the Heavenly Court was just the trigger chosen by the calamity to make it reasonable.

The true root of the calamity lies in the rapid proliferation of the human race after the ancient wars, the widespread establishment of Daoist lineages, and the explosive growth of qi refiners, whose total vital force now exceeds what the heavens can bear."

Jinling Shengmu asked, "I've always been puzzled about this—why does an excess of vital force affect the heavens' stability?

Though they say it's because of the Nine Filthy Springs, we never heard of such things in ancient times. Back then, the total vital force must have far surpassed today's... Is it just because the Heavenly Dao deems it so?"

Li Changshou quickly said, "Shijie, be careful with your words."

Jinling Shengmu pursed her lips but didn't express dissatisfaction.

Yunzhongzi said, "I believe the so-called unbearable vital force means that if it gets out of control and erupts into ancient wars, the heavens could be shattered."

"Not so,"

Zhao Gongming stroked his beard and shook his head. "With six Saints present, how could the heavens be shattered? Saints can refine wind, fire, water, and earth—that's beyond what a hundred great powers could achieve."

Quan Dong laughed and said, "As Taiyi Zhenren once said, Saints vary in strength—this isn't something to generalize.

But I can share a bit more here.

The danger of the Nine Filthy Springs is real and related to the fall of the Demon Ancestor.

The Demon Ancestor's Dao didn't completely shatter; it added instability to the heavens, and his Dao pursues the destruction of the heavens and the return of all beings to the true spirit river.

The Dao of Daozu is the opposite."

Duobao Daoren said seriously, "Then, how will the final calamity unfold? Is there a set pattern?"

"For now, no set pattern—we can only wait for the tide to recede and see what emerges."

Quan Dong said earnestly, "But it's likely to unfold among the three teachings that must face the calamity, so if we can quickly eliminate the Western Teachings when the killing calamity descends, the Daoist schools should suffer fewer losses."

Zhao Gongming stroked his beard and sighed lightly, "The Western Teachings have two Saints protecting them, especially the Second Shibo... It's easier said than done."

Taiyi Zhenren frowned and said, "Say what you will, but don't joke about the Teacher."

Li Changshou quickly smoothed things over:

"We're just chatting today—let's not involve the Saints or take sides for the future.

The Great Calamity is the Great Calamity; we are still we. It hasn't fully descended yet, so there's still room for everything.

Gongming old brother, may I borrow your Dinghai God Pearls to play with?"

"Take them!"

Zhao Gongming waved his hand, and the twenty-four pearls flew to Li Changshou, drawing everyone's attention.

Zhao Gongming laughed and said, "Don't just play—feel free to use them if you want."

"These are your life treasures, old brother—you can't lend them out lightly."

Li Changshou cautioned, then examined the Dinghai God Pearls closely.

He was considering how to remind Zhao Gongming that these could evolve into twenty-four worlds.

Qiongxiao wiped her mouth and said with a smile, "It's just a treasure—what's there to comprehend?"

"It's not about comprehending anything,"

Li Changshou said with a smile. "These Dinghai God Pearls are named for stabilizing the sea, but they're not purely water-based treasures. Each pearl seems to contain an endless world.

By the way, is this set missing something?"

Zhao Gongming pondered and muttered, "I've always felt it might be short by twelve—if there were thirty-six, the power would be unimaginable."

"May I take a look?"

Quan Dong asked from the side. Li Changshou paused slightly, but Zhao Gongming smiled and agreed.

The truly righteous Zhao Gongming wasn't worried about others tampering with his life treasure.

Quan Dong took one pearl and examined it carefully, then closed his eyes, a dense Heavenly Dao power flashing in his palm. He soon exclaimed softly and murmured:

This single sentence made Zhao Gongming's hand tremble as he held his wine, Duobao Daoren's brow furrow deeply, while Li Changshou smiled. The others all turned their gaze here.

For no other reason—the Jade Emperor's murmur was a famous phrase in the Flood:

"This treasure is fated with my Heavenly Court."