Chapter 352 A Small Matter

　　“Ksitigarbha, if you don’t have my orders in the future, don’t do anything.” At the corner of the spiritual mountain, the immortals from the Dao Sect had just left. When the old Daoists returned with gloomy expressions, the young Daoist who was kneeling on the ground heard those words.

　　Ksitigarbha sighed slightly and whispered, “Thank you for protecting me, Teacher.” After saying that, he stood up and returned to the side of the mythical beast, Truth Listener. He obediently sat cross-legged. The matter was over. The Western Sect had actually lost an unimportant disciple. The Saint had personally appeared, but he had been criticized by the disciples of the Dao Sect…

　　Grievance, helplessness, and indignation were brewing in Ksitigarbha’s heart. In the end, all that was left was the joy of surviving the calamity. Ksitigarbha suddenly said, “Listen, monitor those immortals from the Dao Sect and see if they will think about who planned what happened today.”

　　A green light slowly lit up around Truth Listener as it listened.

　　Thoughts raced through Ksitigarbha’s mind as he gradually squinted. At that moment, the Dao Sect had won and returned. It was the time where they were most likely to relax. The mastermind could easily be exposed…

　　The Heavenly Courts’ Water God?

　　Ksitigarbha actually admired the Heavenly Courts’ Water God who had dragged the dragon race to the Heavenly Courts and severely injured Jin Chanzi, forcing his own Saint to appear. He felt that if the Water God had schemed behind his back, it would not be wrong for him to lose today.

　　However, he could not be sure if the Water God had such “influence” that he could invite the Eldest Senior Brother of the three sects to appear together. The three Eldest Senior Brothers of the three Dao Sects…

　　Truth be told, Ksitigarbha felt completely helpless when facing them. He felt extremely depressed. One was the Great Daoist Master Xuan Du, who was doted on by the strongest Saint, the Grand Pure One, and could use any Connate Cardinal treasure he wanted. He did not even have a name.

　　Another one was Daoist Duobao, who was the best numinous treasure of the Primordial World, the most trusted Daoist of Jie School, and the Daoist who had come and gone without a trace.

　　The Jade Void Palace’s Guang Chengzi, who had struck the golden bell, had been the most reserved. However, he gave off a stable vibe… Behind the Eldest Senior Brother of the three sects, Zhao Gongming, the Goddess of Golden Spirit, Chi Jingzi, and Taiyi… There were so many mighty figures! Is this the Dao Sect? Indeed, when facing such a behemoth, he could not help but feel suffocated… By the side, the Truth Listener seemed to be able to hear Ksitigarbha’s thoughts. He whispered, “Are you afraid?”

　　“No, I’m glad.” The corners of Ksitigarbha’s mouth curled into a faint smile. “Once I think about the fact that the Dao Sect I’m facing now is already at its peak, I know there’s nothing else that can improve my luck. Apart from trying my best to maintain the status quo, I can’t do anything else. We will definitely decline from prosperity. Wouldn’t it be a blessing to witness such a powerful Dao Sect gradually being buried in the dust of the Primordial World?”

　　Truth Listener closed its eyes and pursed its lips. “Don’t talk nonsense. I was almost crying from fright just now. I couldn’t plot against him. The Dao Sect didn’t attack me directly.”

　　The veins on Ksitigarbha’s forehead bulged. “Listen carefully!”

　　“I’m anxious. Look, Master, your mental state is in a mess. It’s all flaws.”

　　“Hmph!”

　　Truth Listener shook its head and continued eavesdropping. However, it quickly answered, “The scene today should be led by three Eldest Senior Brothers. No one else is plotting. The Qi Refinement cultivators of Chan School and Jie School who have weaker cultivation levels are all thinking about the three Eldest Senior Brothers. They did not mention the Heavenly Courts’ Water God.”

　　Ksitigarbha nodded slowly and took a deep breath. He began to reflect on his previous shortcomings and missed a few opportunities to attack. It definitely would not happen again next time.

　　“Junior Brothers and Sisters, you still have to cultivate properly after returning to the sect…” In the Luofu Cave of the Emei Mountain, the Great Daoist Master warmly reminded the surrounding immortals of Chan School and Jie School. After the immortals bowed, they returned and flew to the southeast of the Northwest.

　　After the immortals left, only the Great Daoist Master, Daoist Duobao, Zhao Gongming, and Perfected Huang Long were left. The four of them returned to the Luofu Cave. Zhao Gongming opened two jars of fine wine to celebrate.

　　Daoist Duobao stared at the Great Daoist Master’s sleeve and asked with a smile, “Where’s Changgeng? Come out quickly. Everything is over!”

　　Li Changshou, who was at the side, hesitated for a while before replying.

　　The paper effigy flew out of the Great Daoist Master’s sleeve and transformed into the appearance of a young man. He stood behind the Great Daoist Master.

　　Zhao Gongming invited him to take a seat. Li Changshou smiled and said, “I’m just a paper effigy. It’s a waste to drink. I won’t sit.”

　　The few big shots did not insist.

　　The Great Daoist Master smiled and said, “Why did you stop the voice transmission halfway?” “Senior Brother’s response is more appropriate than what I’ve prepared,” Li Changshou complained. “Senior Brother, you’re just used to being lazy. How can you really use me?”

　　The Great Daoist Master squinted and smiled. “If you know how to talk, say more. Also, praise your senior brothers.”

　　“Forget it, forget it!” Duobao waved his hand. “I can’t take a few words of praise from Changgeng. Otherwise, I will definitely become arrogant. What happened today was really satisfying! I’ve been schemed against by the Western Sect so many times, but I’m still angry today!” Zhao Gongming said, “I’m not satisfied today. I haven’t captured the real culprit. Even if we can’t punish him, we have to know who he is. We can target him in the future.”

　　Li Changshou said seriously, “This person is good at scheming and is quite a troublesome person. If I’m not wrong, he should be the disciple of a Saint named Ksitigarbha. He has a divine beast as a mount called Truth Listener. This beast can listen to the thoughts of all living beings in the Three Realms and has the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Those were deduced by the Great Daoist Master using the Taiji Painting.” “Truth Listener?” Daoist Duobao groaned softly. A look of realization appeared on his slightly plump face. “I have heard of such a strange beast.” Zhao Gongming smiled and said, “Doesn’t this mean that this strange beast can hear the interesting sounds that Dao companions make?”

　　Perfected Huang Long nodded and said, “This mystical ability should have some restrictions.” The Great Daoist Master said, “The restrictions are not small. If your cultivation level is insufficient, you can avoid being spied on as long as you put your mind on guard.” Zhao Gongming clicked his tongue and smiled. “Dao companions with higher cultivation levels are mostly pure and have few desires. There’s nothing fun to hear.”

　　Therefore, the Great Daoist Master, Daoist Duobao, and Perfected Huang Long looked at Zhao Gongming… Zhao Gongming stroked his beard guiltily. “What happened?” “Junior Brother Gongming, why are you always talking about this?” Perfected Huang Long reminded, “We have to focus on the Dao! What do the selfish desires of mortals have to do with immortals?”. “Well, it’s because my mood is gradually improving.” Zhao Gongming blushed and glared at Li Changshou.

　　It was all because of the trip to visit the Magi. Li Changshou had filled him with Yin and Yang, reproduction, and intimate encounters between men and women!

　　Daoist Duobao pondered for a while and said, “Since you’re so wary, why don’t you get rid of this Truth Listener divine beast? It will ultimately be a disaster.”

　　Li Changshou said, “If Ksitigarbha appears, we will naturally eliminate this strange beast.” Zhao Gongming smiled and said, “I’m afraid that he’s scared out of his wits and won’t dare to show his face for the time being. Ah, this matter is over. Let’s drink and let Changgeng plan step by step in the future!” Li Changshou was rendered speechless. Are you really going to waste it? The Great Daoist Master and Daoist Duobao raised their cups and drank. Perfected Huang Long stood up with his wine cup and thanked Li Changshou before sighing. “I owe the dragon race a lot. Before this, I did not notice anything. Suddenly, I gained some enlightenment and entered seclusion. When I opened my eyes again, I realized that I had already missed the matter regarding the dragon race. Ah, the dragon race is in trouble. If I were in the East Ocean that day, they might have a chance of survival.” Li Changshou raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard that. He keenly captured a key point. Did he suddenly gain enlightenment?

　　Could it be…

　　Forget it, I can’t think about it.

　　“That’s the fate of the dragon race. This calamity is supposed to happen.” Li Changshou sighed and said, “However, at this moment, the dragon race is already loyal to the Heavenly Courts. I believe that their future situation will gradually improve.”

　　“Ah.” Perfected Huang Long looked ashamed. Clearly, he wanted to feel guilty for hundreds of years.

　　Daoist Duobao suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Zhao Gongming. “Speaking of which, why did Junior Sister Jinguang get injured in your Mount Emei?” Zhao Gongming almost choked on the wine in his mouth and hurriedly said, “Well, I don’t know the details. I haven’t had the chance to ask who plotted against Junior Sister Jinguang…” Daoist Duobao’s eyes lit up. He understood something and turned to look at Li Changshou. Li Changshou looked down and did not intend to reply…

　　The small celebration party ended after half a day in the Luofu Cave.

　　The Great Daoist Master returned to the Tushita Palace to cultivate. Zhao Gongming accompanied Duobao to Golden Ao Island. Perfected Huang Long rushed to the East Ocean Dragon Palace to see if there was anything he could help with… The paper effigy that Li Changshou had sent to the spiritual mountain had been burned in the Luofu Cave. He focused his attention on the Sea God Temple in the South Ocean again and continued to organize the information about the Three Sects’ immortals that he had obtained…

　　From the results, the show of the three sects suppressing the spiritual mountain was not perfect. Firstly, he had given those on the spiritual mountain a and a chance to turn from bright to dark, which would increase the difficulty of the future development plans of the Heavenly Courts.

　　Secondly, the Great Daoist Master had provoked the Saint.

　　That was something that Li Changshou had expected to happen. However, he did not expect the Great Daoist Master to use his treasure to easily block the Saint’s Dharma treasure.

　　He did not expect that the Great Daoist Master, who had never been involved with karma, would take on the role of the Eldest Senior Brother of the Dao Sect at that moment…

　　Usually, when he went to watch the drama of the dragon race, the Great Daoist Master would have the mentality of not doing anything unless he touched the true “bottom line” of something. Otherwise, the Great Daoist Master would only arrange for him, the little Daoist Master, to work…

　　Li Changshou was worried that he would leave an unreliable impression on the disciples of the three sects as the Great Daoist Master stepped in to help.

　　Saints were nothing much. Even without great treasures, they could fight back with more numinous treasures.

　　Yes, he was talking about the immortals from Jie School!

　　Thirdly, in the future, the Western Sect would probably be more careful. The arrogant and conceited teaching style from before would probably be changed because of this matter. It would definitely take more effort for him to devise schemes.

　　However, speaking of which, he could not ignore the pros of the Three Sects suppressing the spiritual mountain just because of the disadvantages…

　　There were countless positive effects of this matter. All the goals were achieved perfectly. Overall, the Heavenly Courts should be able to develop peacefully in the next five hundred years. Li Changshou looked at the information about the Three Sects’ immortals that he had sorted out in his hand. Figures flashed across his mind, one after another…

　　In the era before the Great God-Conferment Tribulation, the three sects and the Primordial World were filled with superstars. The person who had left the deepest impression on Li Changshou during his trip to the spiritual mountain this time was not the beautiful and powerful Goddess of Golden Spirit, nor the three Eldest Senior Brothers who had extraordinary acting skills. It was also not the level-four Perfected Taiyi who had a strong personality and was proficient in the Yin-Yang language. Instead… It was Yuding of Chan School.

　　For a moment, when the jade tripod took the initiative to stand up, Li Changshou captured a mysterious Dao rune.

　　Li Changshou was extremely familiar with that Dao rune. It was different from his Qi-Calming Turtle Breathing Mantra, but there were many similarities!

　　The twelve Golden Immortals of Chan School hid part of their cultivation level!

　　Moreover, the jade cauldron that Perfected Yu Ding had placed on his head today was not his Dharma treasure. It seemed to have been condensed from a mystical ability, but it also seemed to be the manifestation of the Great Dao. If one were to sense it carefully, it would be a mystical existence between a Connate numinous treasure and a Postnatal numinous treasure! From the beginning to the end, the Perfected One did not say a word. Most of the time, he had a smile on his face…

　　He had an ordinary appearance and was confident in facing the Western Sect at the crucial moment. He had a mysterious jade tripod, and, more importantly, an unborn disciple — Erlang God, Yang Jian!

　　This Yuding is most likely a hidden big shot! Li Changshou drew a circle on Perfected Yuding’s name. Later, he could take the initiative to befriend him and see if he could do something about it. It was said that it was the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, the first technique of physical cultivation.

　　Of course, he was not interested in the Eight-Nine Arcane Art. His cultivation level was not low, and he had already reached the initial stage of the Great Dao. What he had to do next was to advance step by step on this Great Dao. He could not change his technique easily.

　　However, the Eight-Nine Arcane Art could be cultivated quickly. If it could be used to nurture Xiong Lingli, the captain of the security team of Little Qiong Peak, or the Divine Envoys of the Sea God Sect…

　　That would be great. Li Changshou carefully sorted out the contents of the jade token again. He sat in the rear hall and thought for a long time. Then, he used Earth Escape and made the paper effigy return to the underground paper effigy vault. It was already late at night. On the Little Qion Peak, Li Changshou slowly waved his fan and looked at his junior sister, who was meditating on the meditation cushion beside him.

　　She had entered a deep meditative state.

　　His immortal senses scanned the various parts of the sect. He saw that Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu was preaching to Aunt-Master Jiu Yushi. His master, who was listening at the side, was quite happy. He had a pleasant expression on his face, as if he was attending a class. Hence, he stood up and rode a cloud towards Pill Tripod Peak to visit Old Master Wan Linyun, who had just come out of seclusion. He wanted to cheer Elder Poison on.

　　After wasting an hour at Pill Tripod Peak, Li Changshou was still worried. He flew towards the Heaven-Breaking Peak…

　　Why?

　　Needless to say, it was naturally what he had seen previously… Perfected Du’e, the founder of the Immortal Du Sect, had become a key part of the rumors!

　　When they arrived at the Immortal Du Hall, the two elders guarding the hall asked Li Changshou why he was there. The Sect Leader’s cough could be heard from the hall.

　　“I asked Changshou to come over.”

　　The two elders did not dare to stop him. Li Changshou bowed and entered the hall with his head lowered. He quickly walked to the Sect Leader’s small hall.

　　After bowing, the Sect Leader invited Li Changshou to take a seat. At the same time, he used a barrier to cover the side hall.

　　Ji Wuyou smiled and said, “Changshou, if you have anything to say, just say it. Why do I feel that you’re still hesitating? Ahem, ahem! Don’t treat me as an outsider.”

　　“Well…” Li Changshou pondered for a while and said,” Sect Leader, can you remind the founder of the sect, Perfected Du’e…” The Sect Leader hurriedly asked, “What’s the matter?”

　　“I don’t believe in rumors and I won’t spread them.” Li Changshou sighed and said, “The Great Daoist Master has invited a ‘Heavenly Emperor Positive Virtue Tablet’ to investigate the rumors. Previously, the immortals of the three sects gathered and saw Perfected Du’e pass by in a flash. He became an indispensable part of the rumors…” “Huh?!”

　　Ji Wuyou stood up and frowned. “Great Daoist Master, are you blaming me?”

　　“No, everyone has a tacit understanding. Let’s pretend that we didn’t see it.” Li Changshou sighed and said, “However, we really can’t continue with this matter.”

　　“Alright!” Ji Wuyou said anxiously, “I’ll go to Kunlun Mountain to see Master now. I’ll definitely tell him about this! I’ll say that the Great Daoist Master sent someone to remind him!”

　　Li Changshou felt relieved.

　　Just as he was about to bid farewell and leave, he went to look for the Jade Emperor to discuss where the Heavenly Emperor’s Virtue Tablet was placed. He wanted to discuss the matter regarding the Magi of the North Continent.

　　His heart skipped a beat as he asked, “Sect Leader, I saw Junior Sister Youqin rushing out previously. May I know why?”

　　“Oh, it’s just a small matter.” Ji Wuyou smiled and said, “A peacock demon appeared in the Youqin Kingdom recently. It specializes in harming lives and feeds on mortals. The Youqin Kingdom is not only Xuanya’s hometown, but also an important source of worship in our sect. After the elders discussed, they sent Xuanya and the elders in the sect to deal with it.”

　　Li Changshou nodded slowly. It was indeed a trivial matter

　　“In that case, I will return to cultivate. Sorry to have disturbed you, Sect Leader.”

　　“I’ll write the letter now. If there’s anything, come and find me.”

　　The two of them stood up and bowed to each other with Dao salutes. Li Changshou turned around and walked out of the small door, heading towards the door.

　　After taking two steps, Li Changshou stopped and suddenly noticed something unusual… Peacock… Demon?!