It was unbearable.
Li Changshou activated his Borrowed Heavenly Eye, intending to peer into the secrets of the stone coffin, but instead, he exposed Ran Deng's use of it to harvest the life force of living beings.
This not only ignited righteous indignation among the immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court, causing Li Changshou some annoyance, but also made it difficult for the Western Cult saints to intervene and rescue Ran Deng...
The Western Cult simply couldn't afford to bear such a burden of sin.
Ultimately, today's scheme wouldn't yield its maximum results.
However, Li Changshou wasn't greedy. With the Ran Deng matter settled, the subsequent plans would face fewer variables and obstacles.
He sealed the spirit lamp with immortal power and suppressed it with yin and yang energies, then turned and landed in front of the Lingxiao Hall.
With a wave of his hand, the power of the Heavenly Way was stirred, and the surrounding mists swirled as the jade stone slab slowly grew and restored itself.
Figures darted in from all directions. Li Changshou bowed with a smile to those around him, returned the Dinghai Divine Pearls to Zhao Gongming, tossed the Little Extermination God Spear to the nearby Jin Peng, who stood silently, and then turned his gaze to Yunxiao at the hall's entrance.
Yunxiao had just put away her Primordial Golden Vessel and gave Li Changshou a slight wink, while maintaining her graceful, virtuous, and ethereal demeanor as an exemplary immortal maiden.
As for Li Changshou...
Under the watchful eyes of all, his true body transformed into a streak of rainbow light and darted back into the sleeve of the paper effigy.
The paper effigy quickly donned a loose robe, revealing a warm smile with his white hair and white brows, looking as kind and benevolent as ever, as if nothing had happened.
“Changgeng, is this lamp Ran Deng's true body?”
Zhao Gongming put away his divine pearls and was the first to approach, examining the slowly rotating spirit coffin lamp in front of Li Changshou.
He transmitted a message: “What was that old Daoist’s background just now?”
Before Li Changshou could shake his head, several voice transmissions entered his ear—from Jin Ling Shengmu, Qiongxiao, and His Majesty the Jade Emperor—all inquiring about the matter. Li Changshou simply shook his head in response.
He had no idea who that senior expert in the coffin was.
Since it was an order from his teacher, it was likely someone his teacher knew;
From the distant ancient era, which was now too far removed, perhaps that high figure who once "aspired to rival the heavens."
During the heavenly punishment earlier, the Heavenly Way had struck Ran Deng but spared the stone coffin, suggesting some underlying principle.
Before he could think more, Li Changshou was surrounded by a crowd.
Immortals and gods from all sides offered their congratulations, while the heavenly generals busied themselves with rituals, repeating the same praises:
“Star Sovereign, your valor is unmatched! That old thief Ran Deng actually refined a great thousand world for his own use!”
“Thanks to Star Sovereign for exposing that old Daoist's true nature!”
“Star Sovereign, your battle techniques were so thrilling that they stirred my heart and nearly overwhelmed me. My admiration for you is as vast as the surging Tianhe River!”
Li Changshou engaged them graciously, exchanging pleasantries and encouraging them to serve the Heavenly Court diligently.
Golden light blazed from the Lingxiao Hall, and the majestic heavenly aura spread out.
Mu Gong called from within the hall, prompting the immortals and gods to compose themselves, line up by rank, and enter the Lingxiao Hall to pay respects to the Jade Emperor.
Heavenly soldiers swiftly cleared the area, removing tables, chairs, and the large drums, their actions efficient and orderly.
Li Changshou transmitted a few words to Zhao Gongming and the other Jie Sect immortals, then headed toward the Lingxiao Hall with his paper effigy.
After all, as Mu Gong had announced, it was the Jade Emperor summoning the immortals for an audience. Though he was an ordinary high official, he couldn't claim any special privileges.
One must act the part of an immortal.
Soon, Mu Gong hurried out of the Lingxiao Hall and approached the Daoist experts, smiling warmly as he said:
“Guangchengzi Daozhang, His Majesty the Jade Emperor summons you all to enter the hall to discuss the matter of Ran Deng Daoist.”
Guangchengzi sighed lightly and stepped forward, but from the side came a yawn. Turning, he saw Taiyi Zhenren stretching lazily, looking around with a blank expression and mumbling:
“What's going on? Where did Ran Deng, the deputy leader, go? Did Changgeng Shidi really take him down?
If so, I should invite a few friends to Qianyuan Mountain for a lively gathering, to pay our respects to the deputy leader.
Ah, farewell, what a fine farewell.”
Guangchengzi's forehead was lined with black veins as he glared fiercely at Taiyi, who just smiled calmly and gazed at the sky with hands behind his back.
Nearby, Yuding Zhenren seemed to awaken from a dream. Out of respect for others' sensibilities, he rubbed his eyes, then stood aside as if nothing had happened.
Mu Gong moved to the other side and said to Zhao Gongming and the others with a smile: “Please join us in the hall, everyone. Today's events are of great importance, and we ask you to continue serving as witnesses.”
“Of course, of course,” Zhao Gongming stroked his beard and chuckled. The three Jie Sect experts moved forward to join Yunxiao Xianzi and entered the majestic Lingxiao Hall first.
Guangchengzi and Nanji Xianweng exchanged a few voice transmissions, then led their fellow disciples into the Lingxiao Hall.
No need to dwell on how the Jade Emperor questioned the matter of Ran Deng Daoist in the Lingxiao Hall.
Meanwhile, the battle between Taibai Star Sovereign and Ran Deng Daoist—extinguishing the lamp and sealing the stone coffin—had somehow been leaked by some heavenly soldier or general.
In just two or three hours, the news spread across the major forces of the Five Divisions Continent.
It caused an uproar.
Some thought the Heavenly Court would wage war against the Chan Sect, others gloated over the Chan Sect's misfortune, and many were left in shock.
While still in the Lingxiao Hall, Li Changshou had to multitask, carefully controlling the spread of various rumors and disseminating messages that would promote stability in the world from multiple “wide-mouthed jars.”
The best rumors, after all, were based on facts;
And sometimes, facts were more astonishing than rumors.
Li Changshou had wanted to use Ran Deng to undermine the Western Cult, but without solid evidence, and since the Western Cult had never shown itself...
To be safe, he decided to first solidify Ran Deng's reputation as an “ancient great villain,” then emphasize the Heavenly Court's “fairness and justice,” and later work on creating divisions between the Western Cult and the Chan Sect.
With Ran Deng gone, it was as if the link between the Western Cult and the Chan Sect had been severed.
Thus, in just half a day, public opinion across the Five Divisions Continent shifted to this:
“That Chan Sect deputy leader Ran Deng wasn't an innate spirit or an acquired spirit; he was born from the spirit coffin lamp as a spiritual thought, drawn from an ancient great power's stone coffin.”
“That great power must have been incredibly formidable— even the spiritual thought born from his death reached the level of a current great expert.”
“Still, Ran Deng was ruthless in his cultivation, directly refining great thousand worlds, sparing nothing from the ancient flood fragments to plants and insects.”
“This is probably why the Heavenly Way is fully supporting the rise of the Heavenly Court.”
“The Heavenly Court likely won't conflict with the Chan Sect. I boldly predict that the Chan Sect will thank the Heavenly Court for uncovering Ran Deng's issues and apologize to the Three Realms.”
“That makes sense. Ran Deng refining great thousand worlds is an unforgivable crime— that's countless lives lost, something even typical evildoers wouldn't do.”
“Remarkable, truly remarkable.”
After Li Changshou's efforts, there were indeed fewer instigators stirring up trouble.
At Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, the Chan Sect disciples who had been scattered for training returned on their own to this sacred Daoist site.
But the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect fell silent, issuing no statements...
On Spirit Mountain in the West Ox Continent, the old Daoists gathered to discuss for a long time but reached no conclusions.
Just as these old Daoists began to feel relieved that the fire hadn't reached their mountain, the Heavenly Court released a few more messages.
Ran Deng had been scheming within the Three Teachings of Daoism, constantly provoking conflicts between the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, leading to many deadly feuds among their disciples—it seemed intentional.
Ran Deng had a close relationship with Maitreya and had defended him when Maitreya was accused of being Kunpeng's second primordial spirit.
Reportedly, Western Cult scriptures were found among the relics in Ran Deng's stone coffin.
Spirit Mountain was thrown into panic, with golden lights flashing everywhere, as if facing a great enemy.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Court made no moves, and there were no signs of concentrated deployments among the heavenly soldiers stationed in the West Ox Continent.
A day later,
The Five Divisions Continent was unsealed, and the Heavenly Court publicly announced the matter of Chan Sect deputy leader Ran Deng Daoist. Although heavenly secrets were obscured, some great powers with strong divination abilities could still detect it through the Heavenly Way.
Who was the great power in the stone coffin?
This question truly had no answer—likely only the Sanqing Lords knew.
In the following three days, Li Changshou was swamped, spending an entire day on discussions in the Lingxiao Hall and then closely monitoring public sentiment among the masses, which was quite draining.
The top priority after the battle was how to handle the stone coffin.
The Taiqing Saint had personally sealed the hundred-zhang ice mountain, and the stone coffin was placed outside the Zhongtian Gate, next to the “Rumor Smashing” stele for a while.
Li Changshou pondered deeply, racking his brains over how to deal with it.
He still wanted to use the stone coffin to trap the Western Cult...
The spirit coffin lamp was in his hands, Ran Deng had no chance of revival, and the corpse in the stone coffin seemed to be from an ancient great power of high seniority. If a Western Cult saint couldn't resist making a move...
A flash of insight struck Li Changshou's mind, and he raised an eyebrow, suddenly forming a plan.
He summoned Yang Jian, called Jin Peng, had the paper effigy ask Bai Ze to divine the auspiciousness of the trip, and had his true body hide in the shadows as backup. With 100,000 heavenly soldiers escorting the ice mountain, they slowly headed toward the Netherworld.
Three days later,
Outside Fengdu City, with gongs and drums sounding, at the base of the Wheel of Reincarnation Tower beside the Three Paths River,
The ghost attendants dug a large pit, several Yan Kings invoked the Heavenly Way for reinforcement, a group of heavenly generals set up several layers of grand arrays according to blueprints, and the ice mountain was thus suppressed beneath the Wheel of Reincarnation Tower.
At the top of the Wheel of Reincarnation Tower, Dizang in white robes stood side by side with Li Changshou in green robes, watching the bustling scene below through the window.
Diting cowered in the corner, its paws fidgeting as it brewed kung fu tea.
Dizang frowned and said, “Why does it feel like you're scheming something in all of this?”
“Hey,” Li Changshou laughed, “Dao brother, you know me— I never scheme for petty gains when it comes to major principles.
This great power is no ordinary figure. My teacher ordered me not to destroy the corpse, and the Heavenly Way's punishment didn't touch the stone coffin, so his origins must be significant.
The great power in the stone coffin is a dead body, tied to the path of reincarnation;
In all the world, nothing can suppress this stone coffin better than the Wheel of Reincarnation Tower.”
Dizang's mouth twitched slightly: “Every time you go on a long rant, Dao friend, there's always some scheme hidden within.”
Li Changshou: ...
“Ah, the most basic trust between living beings.”
Dizang chuckled: “I'd like to trust you, Dao friend, but you've never trusted me.”
“No,” Li Changshou glanced at Dizang, “when you leaped into the Wheel of Reincarnation Tower, I truly believed you could make such a sacrifice for the Western Cult.
Now, let me ask you again, Dao brother—was it worth it?”
“The Western Cult is my root,” Dizang said with his hands in his sleeves and a serene smile, “There's no question of worth, only of doing or not doing.”
Li Changshou nodded and casually added: “I thought that day, to a large extent, you did it because you were disillusioned with the Western Cult and wanted a quiet place under that pretext.
Like now, raising a pet, cultivating your Dao, and contemplating the masses— isn't that quite nice?”
From the corner came a soft mutter: “Star, Star Sovereign, this one isn't a canine divine beast...”
“Hmm?”
Li Changshou's gaze swept over, and Diting shuddered, turning away shyly and letting out a:
“Woof.”
Better to stay wise and safe.
Li Changshou smiled contentedly. He wasn't some tyrannical god who would bully vulnerable divine beasts in the Honghuang.
Li Changshou then asked: “Has that sinful cultivator Maitreya come to seek you out recently?”
“Sinful cultivator...”
Dizang gave a bitter laugh and sighed: “Dao friend, have you ever considered what would happen if the Three Realms became a place ruled solely by the Heavenly Court's word?
One word could label a great power or divine being as evil, another could deem an immortal sect heretical, another could change the flags of mortal cities in the South Jambudvipa Continent, and another could make it impossible for living beings to even breathe freely...
What then?”
“It's rare for you to ponder such questions, Dao friend.”
Li Changshou clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant horizon, and said slowly:
“This issue can be summed up in one sentence: how to regulate absolute power.”
Dizang nodded slowly.
Li Changshou laughed: “In the Honghuang, there's no need to worry about this. The Heavenly Way is formless, the Heavenly Court is formed, and the two are one.”
“And the Heavenly Way?”
Dizang asked softly. Li Changshou's expression didn't change as he replied: “Dao brother, you're now part of the Heavenly Way's sequence. Some words should be said, some shouldn't— you need to weigh that carefully.”
Dizang sighed: “Sometimes, I truly can't see what you're scheming.
Every time I think I've grasped your thoughts and predicted your ultimate goal, you always surprise me with your next move.”
“Dao brother, you're joking. What schemes? It's just going with the flow,” Li Changshou laughed. “My teacher ordered me to assist the Heavenly Court, so I assist the Heavenly Court.”
“Just that simple?”
“Just that simple.”
“I'll believe it,” Dizang chuckled lightly, looking toward the horizon with Li Changshou without saying more.
Below the Wheel of Reincarnation Tower, the ice mountain was now buried under layers of grand arrays. Li Changshou soon took his leave. Since he was here, he naturally wanted to visit Niangniang Houtu.
Along the way, he also prepared for the various arrangements needed for his master Qi Yuan Laodao's reincarnation.
Dealing with Ran Deng Daoist was indeed something worth celebrating.
But since Ran Deng was the Chan Sect's deputy leader, it wasn't appropriate for grand festivities or parades. Thus, Li Changshou ordered that the Heavenly Court prohibit singing and dancing for a year.
Banquets, of course, couldn't be banned— after all, Zhao Gongming and the others hadn't left the Heavenly Court but were feasting and chatting merrily in the “false mountain” in the backyard of the Taibai Palace.
Unfortunately, with Xiao Qiong Peak now in the Heavenly Court, it wasn't easily accessible, so such lively gatherings were becoming rare.
After the “lamp extinguishing,” Guangchengzi and Nanji Xianweng stayed in the Heavenly Court for half a day, setting the tone for the matter—they explained that the Chan Sect was unaware of Ran Deng's actions—before taking their leave.
Before they left, Li Changshou escorted them to the Zhongtian Gate, chatting via voice transmission along the way.
Li Changshou apologized, saying he had acted impulsively this time, unable to hold back upon seeing Ran Deng, so he set up a scheme against him, disregarding the Chan Sect's dignity.
He hadn't expected to uncover such grave crimes during the duel.
Guangchengzi just sighed and didn't respond much, clearly lacking interest and looking disheartened.
The kind-hearted Nanji Xianweng, however, sighed with Li Changshou, saying they had also been deceived and that the Chan Sect was no place for harboring filth.
Li Changshou truly believed Nanji Xianweng's words.
No other reason— from the temperament of his second uncle, the Jade Pure Saint, to the Chan Sect's teachings, they wouldn't tolerate someone as vicious as Ran Deng, who fed on great thousand worlds.
Clearly, Ran Deng had used the stone coffin to conceal himself even from the Heavenly Way.
When they reached the Zhongtian Gate, Li Changshou bid farewell to the two Chan Sect “senior brothers.” A sudden inspiration struck him, and he asked:
“Nanji Shixiong?”
“Yes, Changgeng, is there something else you need to mention?” Nanji Xianweng turned with a smile, looking at Li Changshou with great kindness.
Li Changshou laughed: “There are many vacant positions for orthodox gods in the Heavenly Court. One type involves scattered cultivators who don't need to handle daily affairs but represent blessings, prosperity, and longevity, gaining endless incense merits.
I dare to ask, Nanji Shixiong, would you be willing to take an immortal post in the Heavenly Court as one of the gods of fortune, prosperity, and longevity, bringing blessings to the beings of the world?
This position requires little work and doesn't demand constant presence in the Heavenly Court— you only need to appear for major events, like the Peach Banquet or the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother's millennial birthdays.
What do you think, Shixiong?”
“Well...”
“If you're interested, I'll immediately report to the Jade Emperor for his decision.”
Nanji Xianweng pondered for a moment and said with a smile: “Regardless, thank you for your kind offer, Changgeng Shidi. I'll need to consult our teacher before giving you a reply.”
Li Changshou added: “Please be sure to let me know, Shixiong.
Oh, and Guangchengzi Shixiong, don't take offense. You're already busy with Chan Sect affairs, so I truly wouldn't want to burden you further with Heavenly Court matters.”
Guangchengzi nodded with a smile and said no more, bidding farewell with Nanji Xianweng and leaving.
This move was nothing new—just maintaining balance.
In just a few days, there was no response from Nanji Xianweng's side. When Li Changshou returned to the Heavenly Court from the underworld, he even asked the gate-guarding heavenly generals, but none had heard of Nanji Xianweng returning.
No rush— take it slow. The Chan Sect would likely agree.
After all, for them, this was all benefits and no downsides, and it could even offset the negative impact of Ran Deng's death.
And frankly, this was the extent of what Li Changshou could do.
Entering the East Heaven Gate and heading to the Taibai Palace,
People along the way bowed in respect, and immortals everywhere called out “Star Sovereign.”
Li Changshou nodded and smiled in response. Before even reaching the Taibai Palace, his immortal sense had already spotted that graceful figure pacing back and forth in front of the Taibai Hall.
Why wouldn't she just go in?
Meanwhile, in the Chaos Sea,
“Hmm? These fellows look quite imposing. I wonder if my disciples would like them.”
A certain young Daoist examined the “secret realm” before him and muttered softly.
[6 minutes ago] Chapter 1142: Try a Sword
[12 minutes ago] Chapter 1141: I Will Take Action
[18 minutes ago] Chapter 1140: This World Is Relative
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