How could he describe the Human Emperor in front of him?
He was thin and tired, but his eyes were bright. His gaze seemed to be able to see through every corner of one’s heart.
When Li Changshou reported his name and took the initiative to bow with a Dao salute, Emperor Huang Xuanyuan introduced Li Changshou’s current “results”. Suiren, who was originally extremely weak, raised his head and laughed.
That rough laughter seemed to contain endless mystical abilities and Dharma powers. It made people subconsciously want to laugh too. They could not help but think about how domineering and glorious this skinny old man was in the ancient times.
“Good, good. It’s good that a minister from a human race can speak to the Jade Emperor. Hahahaha!”
Suirenshi cupped his hands and said loudly, “Young friend, can you come down for a chat?”
“Senior, please forgive me.” Li Changshou bowed and immediately rode a cloud down.
Among the retired human emperors, only Emperor Huang Xuanyuan and Emperor Da Yu flew down together. The others only stood above and smiled.
Suiren frowned and coughed a few times. He looked down at his damaged body and seemed to dislike it.
He casually untied the tattered clothes on his body and revealed his almost shriveled body without any scruples. He then cut open the universe and took out a neat long robe to put on.
Li Changshou had already landed on the magma lake. Suiren smiled and squinted. Just as he was about to take a step forward, the shadows of chains appeared around him.
The power of the Heavenly Dao!
The old emperor only took half a step forward. The magma beneath his feet instantly froze. The chains silently turned into silver feathers that scattered in all directions…
So powerful.
Li Changshou praised in his heart. His Dao heart trembled when he felt the pressure emitted by the old Human Emperor’s kick.
It seemed that the old man, who had been tortured by the demonic aura to the point of being haggard, still had the mighty figure that had walked on the sky back then.
“I’ve made a fool of myself.”
Suiren said in a hoarse voice. He lowered his head and coughed twice. His long sleeve brushed past them, and a short table and four chairs were raised on the ground. He gestured for them to take their seats.
Emperor Huang Xuanyuan smiled at Li Changshou and sat on the left and right of Emperor Da Yu. Li Changshou did not decline. He pulled the chair in front of him back by two feet and thanked him before sitting on it.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Suiren lowered his head and coughed twice. His trembling fingers cut open the universe and took out a set of stone wine.
“I don’t have any good wine here. I brewed it in my early years. I wonder if it tastes good.”
Li Changshou stood up and said, “Senior, let me do it.”
“You’re a guest. Sit down.”
Suiren said with a smile, but his words emitted a faint domineering aura. It was not to be questioned or refuted. A peaceful gaze emitted great dignity.
“Has there been any unrest in the Middle Continent of the South Continent in the past ten thousand years?”
Li Changshou pondered for a while. Da Yu smiled and said, “Senior, don’t worry. The four seas are peaceful. There are no disturbances.”
“That’s good.” Suiren nodded and took out a dry cigarette. He knocked the corner of the table with his hand and skillfully put in a bit of tobacco leaf. After igniting it, he took a puff.
Emperor Huang raised his hand and waved the smoke away. He frowned and said, “Senior, although you have flame merit, what do you mean by giving birth to smoke?”
“Ahem, ahem!”
Suiren sighed and said, “There’s only so much hope. Aren’t you going to let me enjoy it? By the way, what position does Little Li have in the Heavenly Courts now?”
“Lord Taibai Jinxing and the Water God.” Li Changshou smiled and said, “I don’t have anything specific to do usually. I just want to walk around and help the Jade Emperor give some strategies.”
“Oh? Why is your body so strong?”
“It’s just a self-defense technique. I’m sorry, Senior.”
“The Heavenly Courts are already so powerful?”
Suirenshi frowned slightly and sucked on his jade-like mouth. He sighed and said, “In that case, the human race will be more restricted. I’m afraid the separation of immortals and mortals can no longer be changed.”
Emperor Da Yu smiled and said, “Senior, don’t be fooled by Changgeng. He’s not an ordinary minister.”
“Ordinary officials can go to the spiritual mountain to smash the gate of the Saint Daoist Sect.” The corners of Emperor Huang Xuanyuan’s mouth twitched slightly. “It’s really difficult to be a general in the Heavenly Courts.”
“Oh?” Suiren’s eyes lit up. He chuckled and looked at Li Changshou. “Tell me in detail. Let me see what kind of juniors the human race has.”
Li Changshou hurriedly said, “My resume is not worth mentioning. I only obtained some luck. With Teacher’s guidance, the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Courts’ concern, and the struggles of the Heavenly Courts, I obtained some results. The foundation of all this is because I’m from the human race and have received the protection of the human race’s destiny. Back then, if Senior Suiren did not overcome the obstacles and light up the torches of the human race in the darkness, and if all of you seniors hadn’t racked your brains to build a stable foundation for the human race, I would not have this day.”
The few human emperors who had retreated to the lake to wait looked at each other and laughed.
At the bottom of the lake, Emperor Huang and Da Yu were also smiling. On the other hand, Suirenshi pulled a long face and said, “How can you be so eloquent and not offend anyone with just a few words? In the ancient times, you would be hung up and beaten by the army! You are now the representative of the human race in the Heavenly Courts. How can you be so sly? You have to have the pride of the human race and have a strong backbone! Ahem, ahem, ahem!”
Li Changshou blinked and hurriedly said, “Senior, I admire you from the bottom of my heart. I’m not trying to please you.”
Emperor Huang Xuanyuan smiled and said, “Senior, why don’t you think about what Changgeng needs to please us with? He was the main calamity of the current Great Tribulation. The Dao Ancestor had personally appointed him and the Jade Emperor had personally conferred him the title. The Heavenly Courts were still in decline six to seven hundred years ago. It was this fellow sitting in front of you who fought the Western Sect with his wits, captured dragons, slaughtered demons, and forcefully supported the Heavenly Courts. Now, Changgeng can go from the Purple Cloud Palace to the Six Paths of Reincarnation. The Lady of Earth is familiar with him, and he can come and go freely in the Goddess’s Palace. The six Saints of the Purple Cloud Palace are discussing the Great God-Conferment Tribulation and he had even gotten captured by the Dao Ancestor and whipped thirty-six times. His clothes had been torn but he is fine. A junior praised you out of respect. Why are you angry? Do you think everyone else is like me and would argue with you for no reason? Is that what you call being unyielding?”
This…
Li Changshou frowned and looked at Emperor Huang Xuanyuan. Even though he was thick-skinned, he could not withstand it.
Suiren sized up Li Changshou and smiled. “Is that so? Then I’ll give you a gift and mistake you for a spineless coward.”
Da Yu smiled and said, “He’s not soft. He’s very hard.”
“Everyone, seniors, don’t blame me,” Li Changshou said seriously. “I wonder if Senior Suiren has a way to suppress his demonic aura. Although it’s effective this time, it seems to only treat the symptoms but not the root cause.”
Suiren could not help but laugh and sigh. “How thoughtful. However, there’s no need to be too busy. I’m relying on this demonic aura to support myself. I’m already an immortal and a demon. If not for the fact that I still have something on my mind, I would have left with my old friends. I would not have suffered here. If you want to eradicate the demonic aura, you have to transform your soul.”
Li Changshou hurriedly said, “If that’s the case, it’s not impossible. Senior, look.”
He pointed at Mei Wenhua, who was sitting cross-legged behind him to recover. He sent a voice transmission to explain. This time, Suiren really frowned and fell silent. There was a hint of shock in his eyes.
Mei Wenhua though, ‘Precious cases of humans taming otherworldly demons.’
“How can the human race produce such a strange person like you? It’s good and wonderful.” Suirenshi sighed and said, “If the human race had a few more young people like you, I would be at ease. However, there was no need for that. Demons had their benefits, and gods had their restrictions. That’s good.”
Li Changshou immediately understood. He roughly knew that Suiren did not want to lose his strength to ease his pain.
Da Yu smiled and said, “Senior, you must be joking. There’s only one extraordinary person like Changgeng in hundreds of thousands of years.”
“Speaking of strange people.”
Suiren’s eyes revealed some emotions. He sighed and said, “What I admire the most is actually the East Emperor Taiyi. He is a great enemy of the human race. However, ignoring his position, he is really a peerless hero.
Unfortunately, the demons slaughtered the humans. The blood feud is irreconcilable.”
Li Changshou asked, “May I ask, when did you take over the position of the Human Emperor, Senior?”
“Before the demons raised the butcher’s knife to the human race.” Suiren’s eyes were filled with memories. Then, he closed his eyes and sighed softly. He allowed smoke to drift from the tobacco pipe in his hand and sank into his memories, unwilling to wake up.
Li Changshou thought to himself, ‘Should I invite the nineteen Demon Soldiers to the Fire Cloud Cave?’
Then, he thought about it again. That might tear open some scars. It was better to maintain status quo
“Little Li.”
“I’m here.”
“Is the Jade Emperor afraid of the human race?”
“I’m not afraid,” Li Changshou said seriously. “This Jade Emperor is a Heavenly Emperor with great aspirations. Although he was directly appointed by the Dao Ancestor, he is considered clean.
Before the Heavenly Courts rose, the Jade Emperor had once sailed in the West Ocean…”
At the volcano at the bottom of the lake, Li Changshou took the initiative to talk.
He explained the Jade Emperor’s attributes and the decline of the demons. He pointed out the main problem of the human race—the immortals corroding the mortals and explained in detail how the Heavenly Courts did it.
Emperor Huang Xuanyuan and Emperor Da Yu were also engrossed in listening. Suiren occasionally pointed out one or two key points, causing Li Changshou to think for a long time before he could give a proper answer.
On the lake, the few Imperial Lords had already rode a cloud to the side to rest. The topic naturally revolved around Li Changshou.
Although they were not familiar with each other, they praised each other.
Half a day later, Emperor Huang Xuanyuan, Emperor Da Yu, and Li Changshou flew up from the bottom of the lake.
The volcano that was sealed by the array formation at the bottom of the lake returned to its original appearance. At that moment, Suiren was sitting cross-legged in the magma lake. Wisps of black gas circled around him. He was more than a hundred times more comfortable than before.
Da Yu smiled and said, “If you can bring this… Fellow Daoist here every hundred years, you can resolve most of Senior Suiren’s predicament.”
“Yes.” Li Changshou nodded and agreed. “Later, I will definitely continue to try and see if I can save more Heavenly Demons and let them bathe in the light of the Heavenly Dao again.”
Mei Wenhua, who was not far away, was excited when she heard that. Her eyes were filled with respect.
Emperor Huang Xuanyuan smiled and invited Li Changshou to the pavilion at the side.
This time, he had to settle the various details of plotting against Kun Peng and what the retired Human Emperors of Fire Cloud Cave had to do.
A scheme that revolved around Xuandu City officially began.
…
In the Netherworld, the Reincarnation Pagoda outside Fengdu City.
On the top floor of the Reincarnation Pagoda, Ksitigarbha sat in his old seat as he had been for ten thousand years. He leaned against the window sill and enjoyed the cold breeze. He looked benevolent.
In the corner opposite Ksitigarbha, Maitreya was seated casually. He moved his fingers and his eyes were gloomy.
At the top of the stairs, the green-furred dog’s face was bruised and swollen. There were two vortexes above its head. The entire divine beast was swollen. Clearly, it had been beaten up.
Maitreya was still unsatisfied. He said coldly, “Junior Brother, if you don’t take care of your dog, I will really kill you.”
“The Heavenly Courts ordered it to help search for the otherworldly demons. How can it reject?”
Ksitigarbha asked calmly, “Senior Brother, I haven’t seen you for a hundred years. Did you suffer some mistreatment and come here to vent your anger?”
“Tsk, tsk.” Maitreya chuckled. “It was not appropriate for me to appear previously. After all, the Heavenly Courts have been investigating me closely. I have some important matters to deal with.
On the other hand, I did not listen to my junior brother’s persuasion. I insisted on being angry with Lord Taibai Jinxing and fell into his trap a few times.
This person is different from us. It’s really difficult to understand what he’s thinking.”
Ksitigarbha looked helpless. “Why can’t the spiritual mountain and the Heavenly Courts coexist?”
“Junior Brother, do you mean to make the spiritual mountain bow to the Heavenly Courts?”
“Why not?”
“Those words are really disgraceful. I don’t mind it. Don’t let the two teachers hear it.”
The smile on Maitreya’s lips deepened, but his eyes were a little blurry. He slowly said, “Sometimes, I have to think about what the two teachers mean by prosperity. When our spiritual mountain was at its peak, we had hundreds of disciples and more than a thousand disciples. Now, we have spread our footprints across the trichiliocosm and have so many hidden powers. However, it is still not considered prosperous.”
“Great prosperity lies in luck,” Ksitigarbha said slowly. “Great fortune returns.”
Maitreya said, “However, the so-called great luck is only because the Heavenly Dao has descended. Therefore, it can be said that whoever the Heavenly Dao wants to prosper can prosper.”
Ksitigarbha shook his head slightly. “The Heavenly Dao is just pursuing stability in the world. Living beings are also a part of the world.”
“Living beings are living beings, the world is dead, and the Heavenly Dao is the rules. The Heavenly Dao is constantly tightening the boundaries of the Great Dao that living beings can reach. It restricts the strength of living beings. Is it really just for the stability of the world?”
“Otherwise?”
“I don’t have an answer.” Maitreya smiled and sighed. “How long has it been? We haven’t discussed the Dao. Shall we fight today?”
“No need.” Ksitigarbha rejected calmly. “We are no longer on the same path. We are no longer on the same path.”
“The path is under your feet. How can it be different?”
“The path ahead is different.”
Maitreya said, “Everything in the world is in a world. The path of all living beings is the same. It’s just the final nirvana.”
Ksitigarbha said, “Nirvana is just for the next rebirth. The world should be reincarnated.”
Maitreya said, “After the reincarnation, is the world still the same? The Dao laws have changed. There is no longer a Primordial World.”
Ksitigarbha fell silent and pondered.
Maitreya smiled and leaned against the wall. He was stunned for a while.
After an unknown period of time, Maitreya stood up and smiled. “Junior Brother, if you have nothing to say, I’ll leave now.”
Ksitigarbha frowned and asked, “Are we going to continue fighting?”
“No, there’s no need.” Maitreya waved his hand and patted his belly. “The last time Yang Jian came to smash the spiritual mountain, the Saints from both sides had already expressed their stance. The alliance between the spiritual mountain and the Jade Void Palace is already a tacit agreement between both sides. There are many mistakes now. However, I still have a personal feud with Taibai Jinxing.”
“Senior Brother, don’t forget that you were the one who provoked him first.”
“So what if I am?”
Maitreya’s smile immediately turned sinister. He said coldly, “After cultivating for so many years, I want to be carefree. I have to teach him a lesson.”
After saying that, Maitreya flicked his sleeve and disappeared.
Ksitigarbha frowned and pondered for a while. In the end, he shook his head and sighed. He raised his hand and summoned Truth Listener from the staircase. He removed the seal on its body and helped it heal its injuries.
Half a day later, at the entrance of Fire Cloud Cave.
Li Changshou led Bian Zhuang and Mei Wenhua and bowed to the few Imperial Lords who had come to send him off.
Emperor Huang Xuanyuan took the initiative to stand up. He smiled and said, “I’ll send Changgeng off more often and discuss some specific matters.”
The few Imperial Lords smiled and agreed. They each rode a cloud and left.
Emperor Huang Xuanyuan invited Li Changshou out of the Fire Cloud Cave.
Bian Zhuang and Mei Wenhua waited at the back. Emperor Huang Xuanyuan brought Li Changshou to the shore of the lake to take a stroll.
The grass was luxuriant, and the flowers were red and green.
Li Changshou asked via voice transmission, “Senior, do you still have anything else to tell me?”
“It’s just a small matter.” Emperor Huang Xuanyuan supported the sword on his waist and said slowly, “You are now in charge of the Great God-Conferment Tribulation. Your intention is to seal some righteous gods for the Heavenly Courts.
I’m thick-skinned today. I want to obtain a Deity Position from you. I don’t need to have a high position. I just want to build an immortal body and live peacefully. ”
When Li Changshou heard that, two words appeared in his heart.
Bai Jian.
As expected, after Li Changshou asked a little, Emperor Huang Xuanyuan mentioned the name and the battle with Chi You.
Xuanyuan sighed and said, “I have never betrayed anyone in my life. When I was cultivating in my early years, I went astray and caused three thousand relationships. I also adhered to principles and was responsible for them to the end. The generals who followed me ended up well and were safe. Only Bo Jian’s essence soul was injured at that time. He could only suppress himself at the bottom of the deep sea. I have to use this opportunity to help.”
Li Changshou said seriously, “I think the Jade Emperor will be happy to see such a person. Let me report this to the Heavenly Courts and discuss it with His Majesty.
Senior, don’t worry. I’m confident.”
Xuanyuan smiled and squinted. “If I can make you say that I’m confident, I won’t hang up. Don’t be too hard on me. How confident are you of dealing with Kun Peng this time?”
“We have yet to complete the arrangements. We can’t judge,” Li Changshou said seriously. “Whether Kun Peng takes the bait is another matter. Senior, listen to my news. I’ll crush the jade token and follow the plan.”
“Can you cut off the connection between the Fire Cloud Cave and the outside world from today onwards?”
“It’s easy to alert the enemy if we act too early.” Li Changshou pondered seriously for a while. “Why can’t everything be normal? I still trust the seniors of the Fire Cloud Cave. It’s just… Senior, do you like to drink?”
“Why? Are you afraid that I’ll cause trouble?”
Emperor Huang Xuanyuan immediately puffed out his chest and smiled calmly.
“If my family is uneasy, how can I settle the world? If I don’t rule the harem, how can I rule everyone? You know my strength.”
Li Changshou was rendered speechless.
Alright, this is a professional, no, a master-level harem operator.
The two of them chatted for a while. Li Changshou asked if Suirenshi had any other wishes. Emperor Huang Xuanyuan’s words made him take a long time to recover.
Li Changshou only sighed softly when he brought Bian Zhuang and Mei Wenhua to the vicinity of the Central Heaven Gate.
Emperor Huang Xuanyuan said, “Changgeng, you should have guessed it. Senior Suiren is only holding on because he is worried about the human race. The human race is prospering, but the Dao Ancestor had appointed the Heavenly Emperor to the Jade Emperor. The human race is destined to be restrained by the Heavenly Courts. At the end of the ancient times, a series of things that were not recorded in the ancient books happened. It could be determined that the Heavenly Dao had secretly taken action and caused the immortals and mortals of the human race to separate and lock their destiny in the mortal world of the South Continent. In other words, the Heavenly Dao does not want to see the human race lose control and restrict them. Senior Suiren is the opposite of the Heavenly Dao. He lay at the bottom of the lake and looked at the sky Perhaps, this is the true human emperor, the true hero of the human race.”
“Mei Wenhua?”
Li Changshou turned around and looked at the woman who was in a daze. He asked, “Can you sense the traces of the other three Heavenly Fiends… victims who entered the Primordial World with you?”
“Yes!”
Mei Wenhua’s eyes were filled with urgency. “Lord, when should we take action? I can’t wait to tell them the truth and save them from suffering.”
Li Changshou asked casually, “Where are they now?”
“I can only sense the approximate location.” Mei Wenhua quickly pointed in three directions. “Mei Xinqing is closest to this direction. Mei Xinqing is in this direction. The furthest is Mei Dixian.”
The corners of Li Changshou’s mouth twitched.
Kun Peng’s ability to name itself was quite impressive. However, he did not know if it had been affected by Senior Lang.
