Chapter 598: Pacify the Northern Demon, Steadily Deceive Spirit Mountain

"Eh, a real battle has broken out in Bei Zhou!"

"You're only noticing now with such massive spiritual energy fluctuations? What have you been up to? Just holed up in seclusion studying the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra?"

"Fellow Daoist, if you keep slandering this poor Daoist, I'll have to take action!"

On Kunlun Shan, a group of elderly Daoists gathered as usual in their tea-drinking spot, with figures standing in the air, gazing toward the northeast.

There, in broad daylight, a mass of fire clouds had appeared, accompanied by thunderous roars and howling winds, faintly audible even from this distance.

One elderly Daoist asked, "Is the Tian Ting actually serious this time? It's not just a show of force—are they really going to war with the Yao Zu?"

"Perhaps the Yao Zu has gone too far before. With Tai Bai Xing Jun absent from the world, they've been causing trouble everywhere. The Tian Ting is doing this to reverse their previous decline. Attacking the Yao Zu now is a smart move to shake things up and deter others."

"Indeed, indeed."

"That's the way of it."

As the elderly Daoists spoke, a streak of light shot from the battlefield, transforming into the figure of an elderly Daoist.

This Daoist looked shaken, cupping his hands in greeting to the group of unofficial cultivators before hurriedly descending to the pavilion below to drink tea and calm his nerves.

The group of onlookers eager for news chased after him: "What did you find out?"

The newly returned Daoist took a sip of tea and sighed, "Disastrous, utterly disastrous!"

"How disastrous exactly? Don't keep us in suspense, fellow Daoist!"

"This poor Daoist just came back from the Bei Zhou border. I saw it with my own eyes! Wave after wave of Yao Zu soldiers being cut down by the Tian Ting forces. Thousands of miles around were filled with divine powers and treasures, the immortal light so dense that even spiritual senses couldn't penetrate it! Apparently, battles are raging in other places too—the Tian Ting has deployed over a million heavenly soldiers!"

"Does the Tian Ting have that many immortal troops?"

"It's probably from scattering beans to create soldiers—I can even smell the burnt bean powder from here."

"Who knows if the Yao Zu will be severely weakened this time. The Tian Ting is still building up its strength, so it's likely to be a mutual defeat."

"You can't say that. Tai Bai Xing Jun might not always win, but he never loses."

The newly returned Daoist slumped in his chair, took a slow breath, and said confidently, "No, this time it's not mutual defeat. The Tian Ting is out to uproot the Bei Zhou Yao Zu completely. Tai Bai Xing Jun is playing for real this time—the Tian Ting has quietly amassed so many immortal beings. You all didn't see it, but those Yao Zu soldiers scattered at the first charge. The heavenly soldiers attacked from all sides, with nonstop heavenly thunder and unquenchable heavenly fire. There were even battle formations I've never seen before, where hundreds of true immortals could hold their own against a golden immortal-level great demon! Those fierce old demons were either surrounded or personally slain by Tai Bai Xing Jun. The two sides aren't even on the same level! The Tian Ting is really willing to shed blood this time!"

The elderly Daoists gasped in unison upon hearing this, exchanging glances as they analyzed the heavy losses for the Yao Zu and their potential impact on the vast prehistoric world.

The elderly Daoists chattered away for half a day, but then a white cloud drifted by, and Du E Zhen Ren, looking more vibrant than ever, arrived on his cloud.

This Zhen Ren was dressed in an elegant gray Daoist robe embroidered with golden immortals and cranes, holding a bronze mirror in his hand. He kept adjusting the angle to examine something in the mirror, murmuring "oh," "ah," and "wow," which piqued the curiosity of the elderly Daoists.

Just as the elderly Daoists were about to ask about the mirror, Du E Zhen Ren muttered, "Ah? Is that an incarnation of Hou Tu Niang Niang? The legendary seven emotions incarnation has such incredible power!"

In an instant, pairs of eyes crowded around, and one elderly Daoist even used a flying eye technique, sending his eyeballs bouncing behind Du E Zhen Ren to peek at the mirror.

The mirror displayed the scene of the battle between the Tian Ting and the Yao Zu in Bei Zhou!

The group of elderly Daoists swarmed forward, but Du E Zhen Ren just smiled and shook his head, descending from the cloud with the mirror, sitting in the center, and leisurely showing off his firsthand 'intelligence.'

In the mirror, a young woman with a nearly perfect face, figure, and demeanor was stepping through the battlefield on blooming lotus flowers.

Each time her foot touched a colorful lotus, subtle ripples spread out, like the silent spring rain nourishing all or the autumn wind gently brushing leaves without disturbing them.

Within a hundred miles around her, only the Dao soldiers released by the heavenly soldiers and a large number of Yao Zu soldiers with complex expressions remained.

The Yao Zu soldiers were crying, laughing, or in madness turning on their comrades in mutual destruction, or in sorrow and despair surrendering or offering themselves up.

Suddenly, a great demon burst from the ground, transforming into a golden-furred giant elephant with fierce eyes, charging viciously at this young woman who seemed perfect yet slightly discordant.

The young woman didn't even turn her head; she just pressed her foot down a bit harder, and a gray ripple passed over. The giant elephant froze stiffly in midair.

The giant elephant looked up at the sky, then at the earth, witnessing the devastation of the Yao Zu everywhere and realizing his clan was on the brink of extinction, with the glory of the Yao Court fading forever from the prehistoric world.

He transformed back into human form, stared at his own rough hands, and without warning, mustered all his strength to strike his own head, his body slowly falling from the air...

"What a pity."

The young woman sighed lightly and continued strolling across the battlefield, maintaining the balance of her seven emotions power.

Wherever she passed, the heavenly soldiers and generals made way, letting the Dao soldiers fight the Yao Zu, yet the momentum was like a sweeping storm.

On Kunlun Shan,

The elderly Daoists watching through the mirror were all shocked, unsure what kind of technique this was.

Fortunately, Senior Lang hadn't popularized "One Hundred Uses of Damn" in the prehistoric world, or the immortal banquets would be in an uproar.

Du E Zhen Ren marvelled, "The power of the seven emotions of all beings is truly a supreme Dao. How extraordinary!"

As he spoke, he lightly tapped his finger... and in the mirror, he pulled up a scrolling 'list,' selecting the most viewed option to watch simultaneously, showing a young general charging through the demon gods.

It wasn't just Du E Zhen Ren's mirror—in the major towns of Zhong Shen Zhou, the large bronze mirrors set up by the Tian Ting earlier were broadcasting the same scenes.

The Tian Ting's war to exterminate the Yao Zu.

Those scenes...

The mysterious and chilling seven emotions incarnation of Hou Tu, wherever her form passed, caused all beings to lose control.

The valiant and brutal ancient war witches, seemingly recreating the ferocity of the ancient Wu-Yao great war.

The three-eyed heavenly god charging fearlessly, wielding his three-pointed, double-edged spear to rush into battle; whenever a great demon attacked the heavenly soldiers' formation, his figure would appear in the next instant.

And the orderly, ever-changing Tian Ting battle formations, a 'revolution' rewriting the concepts of combat in the prehistoric world.

These varied and powerful formations were displayed before the cultivators, making many who thought the Tian Ting lacked experts reassess its strength...

Of course, the most attention-grabbing was Tai Bai Xing Jun himself.

Though he looked disheveled when he landed at the Bei Zhou border, surrounded by dozens of Yao Zu experts, his heroic pose of tearing open his robe and sweeping thousands with his small God-Slaying Spear was quite impressive.

More accurately, old and heroic.

Li Changshou also wanted to sit on the clouds and watch his heavenly soldiers fight, but since his side had few experts, for safety's sake, he joined the battle himself... and drew most of the enemy's attention.

The battle in Bei Zhou lasted three days and three nights.

The originally dark Bei Zhou had patches of blue sky blasted open in some areas.

At the Bei Zhou border, outside the endless miasma, the vast mountains were dyed red with blood, with countless immortal bean ashes mixed into the Yao Zu blood, forming sticky masses everywhere.

The most brutal part was that a few simple-minded Wu Clan members were drooling at these masses, tempted to try them...

The Yao Zu gathered in Bei Zhou were completely wiped out, with the eight divisions of heavenly soldiers suffering about 15-16% losses and dozens of heavenly generals falling.

A yin wind blew, and the underworld's yin soldiers carried away the remaining souls of the sacrificed heavenly soldiers and generals.

The Yao Zu souls were destroyed on the spot to ease the underworld's workload, while the heavenly soldiers' souls, each carrying merit, stepped onto the 'super membership reincarnation channel.'

They received priority reincarnation with abundant blessings, plus complimentary services like a free membership to the Moon Elder Hall and lifelong protection from the Wealth Hall.

The Tian Ting never shortchanges those who shed blood for it.

After the war, Bei Zhou was left in ruins.

The heavenly troops returned to their camps, forming up in the sky to head back to the North, West, and Central Heavenly Gates, with a follow-up celebration at Yao Chi.

But Li Changshou didn't hurry back. He walked with his hands behind his back, maintaining his aged disguise, appearing on one mountain peak after another, strolling through the battlefield.

The heavenly gods saw this and sighed in admiration, following him in the air without rushing back to the Tian Ting for rewards.

A god immortal sighed, "That's Tai Bai Xing Jun for you. He's decisive and swift in ordering attacks, leaving no loose ends, but after the battle, he can't help but feel profound compassion, pondering the pain of all beings' passing."

The gods nodded in agreement, praising Li Changshou endlessly.

Finally, the seven emotions incarnation flew over from afar, her long skirt spotless, her three thousand strands of hair dancing in the wind, though her face showed a hint of sorrow. Seeing Li Changshou, she sighed softly:

"They were so tragic."

The gods on the clouds suddenly felt a wave of sadness, and a few with unstable minds couldn't help but shed tears.

Li Changshou smiled faintly and said calmly, "We gave them many chances before. This path was their own choice, so it's neither tragic nor not."

The one controlling the seven emotions incarnation at the moment was Xiao Ai.

Xiao Ai asked puzzled, "Then why are you wandering around here?"

"To finish off any survivors," Li Changshou frowned and replied. "Those Yao Zu experts are cunning; some might be faking death to escape. Look—there's one right there."

As he spoke, he casually struck out with a palm, causing a small mountain ahead to collapse and directly slay a eight-headed great snake that was pretending to be dead.

What a waste not to aim for nine heads.

Li Changshou shook his head and sighed, "The heavenly soldier system still isn't perfect. We need to add logistics teams for cleanup later. So many treasures are being wasted. These Yao Zu might not have much individually, but it adds up—like mosquito legs, still meat. These heavenly soldiers and generals just haven't experienced hard times; they don't know how to be thrifty!"

Xiao Ai: ...

The gods: ...

Li Changshou made a inviting gesture, suggesting Xiao Ai join him in patrolling the area, and she didn't refuse. The other seven emotions incarnations emerged one by one to greet Li Changshou.

"Thanks for your help this time," Li Changshou said with a smile. "Without you, the heavenly soldiers' losses would have been at least 30% more."

Xiao Ai sighed, "I'm the tragic one—ending up as your tool. All that talk about friends was just deception."

Li Changshou didn't respond, steering the conversation smoothly.

If he got caught in Xiao Ai's logic, the sadness would multiply exponentially.

Li Changshou said, "How have you been enjoying your time among mortals these years? Want to stay in the Tian Ting for a while?"

"What's the difference? It's all arranged by you," Xiao Ai murmured gloomily. "They still want to wander the three thousand worlds."

"In a few hundred years," Li Changshou said with a smile. "Once the great calamity dissipates, you can go anywhere without interference. But for now, since you and Hou Tu Niang Niang haven't fully separated and are still in the heavenly Dao sequence, if you lose control of the seven emotions power, it could affect the calamity's flow. I'll have to impose on you a bit. If you find the mortal world of Nan Zhou more interesting, you can keep playing there."

Xiao Ai pursed her lips in response, her eyes full of self-pity.

Her eyes flickered slightly, then she pouted and hummed through her nose, crossing her arms and saying:

"The Tian Ting has too many rules and isn't fun. I'll play in the mortal world for a few more hundred years! If you have time, bring people to visit me, and bring that flirtatious Daoist in red along—we really miss him! Hmm, I promise not to beat him to death!"

It was a different incarnation now.

Li Changshou laughed, "Chatting with you, Daoist friends, really keeps me on my toes. Alright, if you're playing in the mortal world, then stay there. If things get tricky, head to the East Sea—I'll greet the Dragon King later. The Dragon Clan has many experts; even if they can't suppress you, they can hold you off."

"Yes, yes, I know—let Xiao Ai come out and chat with you!"

Xiao Nu rolled her eyes. "Old immortals are so boring!"

Li Changshou just smiled without replying and continued wandering the battlefield.

Finishing off survivors was a test of patience.

As he strolled, Li Changshou glanced at a shady forested area, a faint smile on his lips, and took out a jade talisman to engrave some diagrams and text into it.

In that forested corner, two Wu Clan members with head coverings crouched on the ground, each hiding behind a palm-sized weed, secretly observing Li Changshou and the seven emotions incarnation's backs.

"Ma, are we just going to walk over and kneel? Moo."

"Ancestor's incarnation is the ancestor. Xing Jun is walking with her—don't disturb them; just wait, neigh!"

"This fight has been satisfying, but we've lost quite a few brothers," Niutou sighed. "After being in the underworld so long, even we've started feeling compassion for all beings and thinking life is hard. Still, it's good to settle these ancient grudges."

Mianma casually stuffed a weed into his mouth and replied, "The Yao Zu kings are either dead or fled; they won't cause trouble for the next one or two thousand years, neigh!"

"What a shame," Niutou said with some regret. "A few big demons that looked tasty got away. Demons that have lived so long must be full of flavor. Ma, now that the Yao Zu is dealt with, won't we have no chance to come out?"

"I think it's better to stay put—always going out isn't proper. Didn't your grandma say the world is stabilizing, and the Tian Ting's order is gradually improving, neigh! It's all good, neigh."

"Two marshals, what are you squatting here for?"

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind, making Niutou and Mianma jump in surprise. They turned to see Tai Bai Xing Jun standing right in front of them, while their ancestor's incarnation had already flown away on a cloud.

Niutou shouted, "The two underworld soul-hookers pay respects to Xing Jun!"

The two Wu Clan members knelt on one knee, bowing their heads.

Li Changshou smiled and gently helped them up with immortal power, saying warmly, "The Tian Ting has many aftermath matters for me to handle, so I won't chat with you two marshals. Here's a jade talisman with eighteen secret recipes I refined—you can experiment with them. I'll visit the underworld another day."

He handed over the jade talisman with a smile and a wave, his figure turning into green mist and dissipating in the wind, leaving Niutou and Mianma frolicking in the forest before dashing off in different directions across the battlefield.

The mountains were full of ingredients!

After the Bei Zhou demon extermination war, the Tian Ting seized the opportunity to station immortal troops at the Bei Zhou border and launched the massive "Heaven and Earth Demon Sweeping" plan.

Except for the eastern region of Dong Sheng Shen Zhou, the Tian Ting, Dragon Palace, and underworld worked together, and in just two months, they turned the entire five continents upside down.

Any great demon with karmic burdens, regardless of background or origins, was discovered and immediately sent to reincarnation.

Those with heavy karmic burdens were directly obliterated, allowing only their true spirits to reincarnate.

However, according to Tai Bai Xing Jun's guiding principles, searching the five continents once wasn't enough—they needed follow-ups, verifications, and cross-departmental checks to minimize escapes.

Li Changshou used multiple strategies, not just force; he divided the Yao Zu's internal factions, managed the 'good' demons separately, and implemented a 'reward for reporting' system.

The Yao Zu's prestige... well, there was no prestige left to speak of.

The Yao Zu's power plummeted, dropping from a second-tier major force in the prehistoric world to an insignificant one in less than half a year.

Previously, the Bei Zhou Yao Zu could unite to raid the northern Zhong Shen Zhou and cause trouble, but now, just a few allied immortal sects from Zhong Shen Zhou could take on the Yao Zu's remnants alone.

The Wu Clan and Yao Zu reached a subtle balance once more.

These were just the visible methods Li Changshou used; in the shadows, he began promoting the concept of 'spirits,' using jing, ling, and guai to differentiate from yao, fundamentally controlling the Yao Zu's influence.

Making all spirits after transformation not see themselves as yao was the core strategy for managing the Yao Zu.

This, too, was Li Changshou's Dao.

Five months passed, and the five continents remained sealed, but the three realms were no longer as panicked as before.

Just as various sides thought the Tian Ting might gradually stand down, the eight divisions of heavenly soldiers mobilized again, this time heading straight for Xi Niu He Zhou, patrolling above and below relentlessly.

Following the demon extermination, the Tian Ting's spearhead now pointed directly at Ling Shan.

A few days later, the heavenly soldiers and generals surrounded Ling Shan from afar, just encircling it without any further action.

The people on Ling Shan were starting to panic.

The Tian Ting's sealing of the five continents had been too swift, giving them no chance to react.

The horde of primordial fierce beasts and ancient fierce demons that had submitted to Ling Shan couldn't escape in time.

Over the past half-year, as the heavenly soldiers searched for karmic beings, these beasts and demons had to hide near Ling Shan.

In the last few days, the heavenly soldiers seemed to patrol aimlessly, but they had actually blocked all exits from Xi Niu He Zhou.

From underground to the skies, not a single spot was overlooked.

Still, the old Daoists of Ling Shan had some confidence.

—Ling Shan was a saint's Dao field, with two saints cultivating there. Even if the Jade Emperor came personally, he couldn't search it directly.

The incident with Yang Jian causing trouble before was just a fluke; the Tian Ting didn't have another Yang Jian.

But what the old Daoists of Ling Shan didn't know was that on the third day of the heavenly soldiers' encirclement, a golden light shot from the edge of the East Sea, heading straight for the Tian Ting!

In the Tai Bai Palace, Li Changshou, who was meditating in the hall, suddenly opened his eyes.

A heavenly general reported that Jin Peng Yuan Shuai had entered the East Heavenly Gate, but Li Changshou's immortal sense had already locked onto Jin Peng's sleeve.

There, three recording orbs were sealed with immortal power, flickering faintly.

'I just don't know how my senior brother's acting skills are.'

Li Changshou pondered the arrangements ahead, unconsciously imagining the Grand Mage and Kong Xuan bustling around near the 'Kunpeng Ship,' and couldn't help but smile slightly.

At the same time,

At the foot of Ling Shan, in a hidden cave,

Wen Jing Dao Ren stood at the cave entrance, peering through several layers of barriers at the heavenly soldiers and generals in the distance.

'Water God asked me to lie low until now—could it be for today?'