Arc 17Houtu’s Return and the Demon War

Li Changshou helped Houtu reclaim her Seven Emotions, then maneuvered the Heavenly Court and its allies through a war against the Demon Race. After Lu Ya escaped and the Demon Race was defeated, Yunxiao visited Lesser Qiong Peak and offered to bring Ling'e to Three Immortal Island.

  • Li Changshou and Grand Master Xuandu gathered Daoist experts to guide Houtu’s Seven Emotions, and Li Changshou helped Little Ai accept joy before Houtu returned and embraced her emotions.
  • Li Changshou received Great Merit, while the Heavenly Court issued a Demon-Subjugation Manifesto and Lu Ya rallied the Demon Race to oppose Heaven.
  • Li Changshou disrupted the Demon Race’s unity, brought Bai Ze under restraint, and persuaded him to serve the Human Teaching after their debates.
  • Li Changshou prepared Lingzhu Zi for life among the Heavenly Generals as Bai Ze warned that the Demon Race might attack the Wu Tribe.
  • Xu Bodhi persuaded Lu Ya and the Demon Race to ally with Spirit Mountain, and Li Changshou assembled Heavenly Court, Netherworld, Dragon Clan, and Wu Tribe forces for battle.
  • At Black Mountain, Li Changshou and Bai Ze helped break the Demon Race’s morale, and Li Changshou fought Lu Ya until the silver-haired woman deflected his strike and Lu Ya escaped.
  • Li Changshou coordinated the aftermath, returned Laozi’s treasures, and met Yunxiao when she arrived at Du Xian Sect to check on him.
  • Yunxiao met Li Changshou’s master and Ling'e, offered to help him face formidable enemies, and invited Ling'e to Three Immortal Island.
Chapters 403–428 Vol. 5 Read

Ch. 403Natural Counter

Li Changshou resisted the Incarnation of Desire’s assault by drawing on his overwhelming need for stability and using bizarre paintings to break her Heart’s Desire attack. He found her true form, while the freed Wicked Thought Girl began transforming under a surge of black aura.

  • The Incarnation of Desire’s pink mist drove King Chu Jiang and King Qin Guang into a frenzy, while the Great Mage fell asleep and left Li Changshou to face her.
  • The Incarnation of Desire tried to tempt Li Changshou with power, but discovered that his strongest desire was stability, which she could not stir without empowering him.
  • Li Changshou asked to meet Empress Houtu, but the Incarnation of Desire entered him and forced Heart’s Desire upon him, also affecting the Wicked Thought Girl.
  • Li Changshou used paintings to resist the assault, weakened the Incarnation of Desire, and pressed his Sword Finger to her brow to enter her starry inner world.
  • The Wicked Thought Girl tore apart her Eternal Life Lock, and black aura surged toward her.

Ch. 404Experts, We Need a Great Many Experts

Grand Master Xuandu woke to find Li Changshou battling Houtu’s Incarnations of Desire and Malice, then helped him escape and calm two possessed Yama Kings at Tear Lake. Li Changshou recounted reaching the sorrow-bound Houtu and learning how to help her, then asked the Grand Master to recruit more Daoist experts for the coming operation.

  • Grand Master Xuandu awoke, subdued King Chu Jiang and King Qin Guang, and fought Houtu’s Incarnation of Malice while Li Changshou escaped with the Incarnation of Desire.
  • Grand Master Xuandu and Li Changshou brought the two Yama Kings to Tear Lake, where Little Ai’s sorrow made them stop fighting and weep.
  • Li Changshou told the Grand Master that he had entered the Incarnation of Desire’s mind and found Houtu trapped by her Seven Emotions.
  • Li Changshou recalled that asking Houtu for help awakened her, allowing him to explain the Netherworld’s situation and receive a way to resolve it.
  • Li Changshou asked the Grand Master to recruit Daoist experts, and the Grand Master agreed that they should prepare for the operation.

Ch. 405Luxurious Lineup

Li Changshou assembled experts from the Jie and Chan Teachings to help Empress Houtu suppress the Seven Emotions Incarnations in the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk. The group entered Tear Lake and discovered that even its strongest members were vulnerable to the sorrow incarnation’s influence.

  • Grand Master Xuandu advised Li Changshou to recruit experts with sound Dao Hearts, and Li Changshou planned the operation for three days later.
  • Li Changshou summoned the Jie Teaching’s Duobao, Zhao Gongming, and Holy Mother Jinling, who agreed to help and sent Golden Light Holy Mother to spread a separate order among Jie Teaching sects.
  • Li Changshou invited Yunxiao, who joined the mission and traveled to the Netherworld.
  • Grand Master Xuandu arrived with Guang Chengzi, True Lord Taiyi, and True Lord Yu Ding, and the assembled experts descended beneath the Eighteen Levels of Hell.
  • At Tear Lake, the experts encountered the sorrow incarnation Little Ai, whose words affected nearly everyone; True Lord Taiyi collapsed in tears, and Duobao lamented that their happiness had faded.

Ch. 406Professional Team

Li Changshou gathered Dao Sect experts to study Houtu’s Seven Emotions Incarnations and organized a plan to balance them and rescue Houtu. He then helped Little Ai rise from despair, weakening the sorrow that filled Tear Lake.

  • True Lord Taiyi, Daoist Duobao, and Holy Mother Jinling withdrew from the meditation circle after Little Ai’s sorrow overwhelmed them.
  • The immortals agreed that Houtu’s Seven Emotions had to be guided into balance rather than suppressed, and Li Changshou outlined four steps to rescue her.
  • Li Changshou assigned the immortals to handle the different incarnations, with himself and Fairy Yunxiao taking on Sorrow and Guang Chengzi and Daoist Duobao providing support.
  • Li Changshou used a demonstration of joy and sorrow merging into chaos to question Little Ai’s belief that her existence and future were already fixed.
  • Little Ai sat upright and reached hesitantly toward the covered pearl as the sorrow around Tear Lake weakened.
  • Grand Master Xuandu studied the Taiji spheres and said he would later spar with the Incarnation of Evil.

Ch. 407Houtu: The Seven Emotions

Li Changshou and eight Daoist experts entered the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk to reunite Houtu with her seven emotional incarnations, while the Sea God Cult and allies gathered prayers to strengthen her return. Houtu reclaimed her emotions and chose to embrace them herself, while Li Changshou parted from the incarnation of sorrow he had named Little Ai.

  • Li Changshou and the immortals entered the Reincarnation Disk, where the Great Mage subdued the Incarnation of Malice and the others began handling the remaining incarnations.
  • Li Changshou used the pearl, Yunxiao's comfort, and a performance to ease Little Ai's sorrow, while True Lord Yu Ding, Zhao Gongming, Guang Chengzi, True Lord Taiyi, Holy Mother Jinling, and Daoist Duobao restrained or strengthened the other incarnations.
  • The Sea God Cult, Heavenly Court, Dragon Palaces, Daoist sects, Wu Tribe, and even the Western Teachings' followers prayed for Houtu, sending their faith into the Reincarnation Disk.
  • Li Changshou offered the grass ring and called for Houtu's return; the gathered prayers empowered her, and all seven incarnations were drawn toward her.
  • Little Ai thanked Li Changshou and revealed the name Houtu Ai before joining Houtu, while Li Changshou disclosed that he had changed the pearl so it held joy instead of sorrow.
  • Houtu awakened, gathered the seven incarnations into the grass ring, and declared that she would embrace her own emotions and bear the suffering of all living beings.

Ch. 408Nine Profound Technique

Li Changshou helped Houtu stabilize the Seven Emotions Incarnations, and Houtu rewarded the Daoist immortals before privately thanking him. He promised the Incarnation of Sorrow that he would take her around the world if she learned to control her power, then left with a fresh shower of merit.

  • Houtu merged her Primordial Spirit with the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk and preserved the Seven Emotions Incarnations, while Li Changshou realized his comforting words had created new karma.
  • True Lord Taiyi worried that the Incarnation of Anger might attack Qianyuan Mountain, and Li Changshou promised to help explain matters if trouble arose.
  • Houtu gave Grand Master Xuandu the Nine-Nine Return to One Profound Technique, and the Daoist immortals left after thanking her.
  • Houtu privately bowed to Li Changshou and offered him Witch Race Talisman Arts and Pangu True Blood, but he accepted only the promise of the talisman arts.
  • Houtu let the Incarnation of Sorrow speak with Li Changshou, who promised to show her the world if she learned to control her power and left her a treasure pearl.
  • Li Changshou received Great Merit as he left the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, while Zhao Gongming used his Sea-Calming Divine Pearls to drench True Lord Taiyi.

Ch. 409Changshou Returns to the Mountain, Black Panther Visits a Friend

Li Changshou returned to Lesser Qiong Peak after helping Empress Houtu, recovered from the lingering sorrow of the Seven Emotions Incarnation, and planned his next moves. Black Panther set out for Golden Ao Island just as the Heavenly Court issued a manifesto targeting Daoist Lu Ya, stirring the Demon Race to action.

  • Ling'e found Li Changshou weeping in the Alchemy Room, and he explained that he was releasing emotions left by Houtu’s calamity before asking her to play cheerful music.
  • Li Changshou learned that Western Teachings’ prayer power had helped the Netherworld and considered how to complete his Merit Golden Body and prepare for future events.
  • Li Changshou told Ling'e she would travel down the mountain in twelve years, then planned to raise Junior Sister Youqin’s cultivation and arrange her entry into Heavenly Court.
  • The water demon Miaomiao asked Li Changshou to stop Black Panther from visiting Golden Ao Island, but he told her to let her husband go if he wished.
  • Black Panther left for Golden Ao Island, and the Heavenly Court issued a Demon-Subjugation Manifesto ordering Daoist Lu Ya’s capture because of his dangerous magic treasure.
  • Demon Race experts seized on the manifesto’s claims about Lu Ya and began waiting for their Crown Prince to lead them, while Lu Ya was left dumbfounded by the news.

Ch. 410Putting on a Show

Daoist Lu Ya learned that the Heavenly Court had announced a search for him and feared the proclamation was a trap designed to force him out of hiding. Meanwhile, Li Changshou arranged for Ao Yi to draw Black Panther into learning of Lu Ya’s danger, while Daoist Wen Jing met Iron Fan in the Blood Sea to discuss the Primordial Slaughter Sword.

  • Daoist Lu Ya consulted Duke Lu about the Heavenly Court’s proclamation, then left Peach Blossom Valley with the Immortal Slaying Flying Knife and a cloth bundle.
  • Ao Yi reported that the Jie Teaching’s immortals welcomed Black Panther to Golden Ao Island and showered him with gifts, though he refused to stay after meeting Han Zhi.
  • Li Changshou instructed Ao Yi to keep watch on Black Panther and arrange for him to overhear a staged order to investigate Lu Ya.
  • Black Panther heard Ao Yi and a Dragon Clan expert discuss Lu Ya’s identity and danger, then worried about his benefactor and struck himself in frustration.
  • Daoist Wen Jing watched Ox-Head and Horse-Face rehearse a coffin procession intended to provoke the Demon Race, then went to the Blood Sea.
  • Daoist Wen Jing met a hidden Blood Sea figure and Iron Fan, who requested the return of the Primordial Slaughter Sword for her clan’s princess.

Ch. 411Chapter Four Hundred and... Five Minus One!

Daoist Wen Jing left the Blood Sea with the silver-haired Asura girl, while Daoist Lu Ya endured a string of misfortunes as he sought a fortune-teller. On Lesser Qiong Peak, Li Changshou reflected on practicing non-action, refined pills, and considered strengthening his body with the Eight-Nine Profound Technique.

  • Daoist Wen Jing dismissed the Blood Sea Asuras’ demands for the Primordial Slaughter Sword and carried the silver-haired girl toward the Netherworld border.
  • Daoist Wen Jing spotted the Netherworld’s Soul-Reaping Marshal riding a coffin with a band of battle shamans and wondered whether pledging loyalty to Lord Sea God would have been happier than infiltrating the Western Teachings.
  • Daoist Lu Ya suffered a succession of mishaps while disguised as a middle-aged woman, then visited an old fortune-teller to ask how to dispel his bad luck.
  • Li Changshou monitored Black Panther as he returned to find that Miaomiao had left him, and decided to let events unfold without further plotting.
  • Li Changshou finished refining pills for Xiong Lingli, gave one to Jiu Jiu, and resolved to study the Eight-Nine Profound Technique to strengthen his body.

Ch. 412A certain divine beast: I have long shared a one-sided spiritual bond with the Water God

Bai Ze warned Lu Ya that the Water God threatened his life and advised him to turn the Demon Kings’ rebellion into a way to surrender to the Heavenly Court. Lu Ya proclaimed a rebellion against Heaven, and Li Changshou waited to see whether the demons would give him grounds to intervene.

  • Bai Ze refused Lu Ya’s request for help, warned that the Water God wanted him dead, and explained why the ancient Demon Court’s fall had been inevitable.
  • Bai Ze advised Lu Ya to rally the Demon Kings against Heaven, then surrender and offer them up to secure his survival, while warning him not to ally with Spirit Mountain.
  • Several months later, Lu Ya issued the Proclamation Against Heaven, and three hundred and twenty-five demon kings gathered millions of soldiers and thousands of experts to answer him.
  • The Heavenly Court prepared for war as demon clans and human Qi Refiners headed toward the Northern Continent; one demon king called for the Demon Court’s restoration but soon fell silent.
  • Li Changshou considered Lu Ya’s strategy and decided to wait for the Demon Race to make the first move, planning to use even a trace of Demonic Aura at Heaven’s gates as grounds to seek support from the Three Teachings.

Ch. 413Will They Truly Fight the Heavenly Court?

Li Changshou organized the Heavenly Court’s response to Lu Ya’s proclamation, advising the gods to avoid an immediate war and weaken the Demon Race through proclamations, preparations, and divine powers. After the council, Grand Master Xuandu heard of the plan and went to find a weapon for his Junior Brother.

  • Li Changshou calmed the Heavenly Court’s officials and explained that an immediate attack could expose their military weakness and cause heavy casualties.
  • Li Changshou proposed issuing a second proclamation that condemned the ancient demons while affirming that the Heavenly Court protected the Dao rather than ruled all races.
  • Li Changshou arranged defensive rotations, reinforcements, recruitment, and a strategy to delay battle until the Heavenly Court was fully prepared.
  • Li Changshou ordered the Matchmaker and several divine departments to disrupt the demons through marriages, punishments, dreams, misfortune, and other supernatural troubles.
  • The officials laughed at the Toilet God’s proposal to make demon toilets explode, then began carrying out Li Changshou’s orders.
  • Grand Master Xuandu heard Li Changshou’s plan, calculated briefly, and departed to obtain a weapon for him.

Ch. 415The Great Mage's Generous Gift

Li Changshou recruited Bian Zhuang to help the Matchmaker devise ways to disrupt the Demon Race, then reviewed the damage the Heavenly Court had inflicted over six months. He brought Ling'e and Youqin Xuanya to meet the Great Mage, who had arrived with an unknown gift.

  • Li Changshou and the Matchmaker asked Bian Zhuang to explain how demon kings could steal one another's wives, and Bian Zhuang eagerly supplied tactics and lines.
  • Li Changshou told Ao Yi that the Matchmaker's actions would earn merit because the Demon Race had defied Heavenly Dao, while the demon leaders were using the conflict to reduce threats to themselves.
  • Over the following half year, the Heavenly Court's departments sowed disorder among the Demon Race, whose forces suffered falling morale and growing internal divisions.
  • Li Changshou checked on his sect and asked Youqin Xuanya about her cultivation, giving her pills and urging her to become a celebrated female general for the Heavenly Court.
  • The Great Mage summoned Li Changshou, Ling'e, and Youqin Xuanya through the Taiji Diagram, promising that he had brought them a gift.

Ch. 416Once a Hundred Thousand Demons Stormed Heaven and Shattered the Demon Court

Li Changshou met 108 ancient human Demon Soldiers and resolved to help them regain their Seven Emotions and Six Desires before deciding their future. After Great Mage identified Bai Ze as the hidden adviser aiding Lu Ya and left to confront him, a jade talisman from someone calling himself Ze Bai arrived for Li Changshou.

  • Great Mage brought 108 ancient human Demon Soldiers from Xuandu City, but Li Changshou refused to send them straight into battle and planned to help restore their perceptions.
  • Great Mage explained the Demon Soldiers’ origins in humanity’s ancient slaughter by the Demon Race, and Li Changshou argued that the heroes should be allowed to choose their own fate.
  • Li Changshou defended the Heavenly Court’s tactics against the rebelling Demon Race, while Youqin Xuanya questioned whether those methods were honorable.
  • Great Mage used the Taiji Diagram to identify Bai Ze as the hidden figure advising Lu Ya, then left to pursue him after discussing ways to counter his ability to seek good fortune and avoid disaster.
  • Li Changshou sent a Paper Daoist with the Demon Soldiers toward Anshui City, intending to let them experience the peaceful age they had helped secure.
  • Ling'e brought Li Changshou a jade talisman delivered by a Daoist calling himself Ze Bai, and Li Changshou suspected Bai Ze had contacted him.

Ch. 417Must Admit, There Was an Element of Gambling in This

Li Changshou analyzed Bai Ze’s plea and wager while arranging a place in Anshui City for the ancient human soldiers. He and Great Mage found Bai Ze at True Lord Du'e’s cave abode just before the deadline, leaving Bai Ze exposed to their attack.

  • Li Changshou received Bai Ze’s plea for mercy and reasoned that Bai Ze was trying to avert punishment for his ties to the Demon Race.
  • Li Changshou arranged for Xiong Laosan to house the one hundred and eight demon soldiers in Anshui City and entrusted their care to the Witch-Human Tribe’s Divine Envoys.
  • Great Mage returned with Bai Ze’s wager: find his true body within half an hour, or let him hide in the Chaos Sea for three thousand years.
  • Li Changshou, Great Mage, and Ling'e compared their guesses, and Li Changshou chose to investigate True Lord Du'e’s residence after Ling'e named the Kunlun Mountains.
  • Bai Ze waited in True Lord Du'e’s vacant cave abode, believing his hiding place was safe, until Li Changshou and Great Mage arrived and prepared to attack him.

Ch. 418Who's Best at Persecuting Auspicious Beasts?

Li Changshou and the Great Mage captured Bai Ze and forced him to swear loyalty to the Human Teaching, then assigned him to Du Xian Sect. As Bai Ze carried Li Changshou, Ling'e, and the Great Mage toward the sect, he revealed he had foreseen their meeting, prompting the brothers to consider killing him after all.

  • Li Changshou and the Great Mage threatened Bai Ze with death until he admitted he wanted to join the Human Teaching and explained that he had helped Lu Ya to repay the Sun-Riding Goddess for saving his life.
  • Bai Ze questioned Li Changshou's motives, and Li Changshou explained that many of his apparent schemes had been accidental or driven by the pursuit of merit.
  • The Great Mage and Li Changshou bound Bai Ze with oaths and restraints, and the Great Mage decided that Bai Ze should be raised at Du Xian Sect rather than kept at Lesser Qiong Peak.
  • Bai Ze transformed into his elegant beast form and pulled Li Changshou, Ling'e, and the Great Mage through the sky toward Du Xian Sect.
  • Li Changshou explained to Ling'e that he had chosen her suggestion because it was a plausible answer Bai Ze might have anticipated, then asked Bai Ze why he had investigated the Sea God Temple so early.
  • Bai Ze said he had already seen their meeting coming, and Li Changshou and the Great Mage discussed scattering him.

Ch. 419Discussion at Black Pool

Li Changshou settled Bai Ze on Black Pool Peak after the Great Mage spared him, then used a private conversation and a cooking contest to ease their hostility. He ended by challenging Bai Ze to confront his past choices and explain why he deserved to be remembered as a renowned figure.

  • Ji Wuyou arranged for Bai Ze to live on Black Pool Peak and gave Li Changshou authority over his residence and its formations.
  • Li Changshou explained that the Great Mage had helped restrain Bai Ze rather than kill him, while Bai Ze reflected on how badly he had misjudged Li Changshou's ambitions.
  • Li Changshou and Bai Ze discussed power, ambition, and Bai Ze's wish to assist a wise ruler, then bonded over a cooking contest and wine.
  • Li Changshou accused Bai Ze of abandoning the Demon Race while still bearing its karma and warned that he did not want to become another Demon Emperor in Bai Ze's eyes.
  • Li Changshou left after challenging Bai Ze to rebut his criticism when they met again in three days.

Ch. 420"Free Giveaway"

Li Changshou gradually won Bai Ze over through a series of debates, while continuing his Heavenly Court duties and planning for the coming conflict with the Demon Race. Bai Ze finally realized that Li Changshou had engineered their first meeting and pledged himself to serve him.

  • Li Changshou and Bai Ze debated whether the ancient Demon Race could have been saved while building a pavilion, and Bai Ze spent the following days reconsidering Li Changshou's arguments.
  • Over roughly a year and a half of repeated debates, Li Changshou and Bai Ze reached an understanding, and Li Changshou gave Bai Ze topics for a hundred future debates.
  • Li Changshou discussed his plans with Ling'e, monitored the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother's mortal tribulations, and checked on the retired demon soldiers in Anshui City.
  • Ox-Head and Horse-Face delivered three volumes of Witch Race Secret Records and offered Netherworld forces for the coming war against the Demon Race.
  • Bai Ze realized Li Changshou had used his instinct to seek fortune and avoid misfortune to draw him to Du'e's Cave Abode, then pledged to serve Li Changshou without reservation.

Ch. 421Such a Lingzhu Zi

Li Changshou and Bai Ze built Bai Ze’s reputation and planned Youqin Xuanya’s rise as a Heavenly Court War Goddess while learning that Lu Ya possessed the deadly Seven Arrows Book of Nail Heads. Later, Li Changshou visited True Lord Taiyi at Qianyuan Mountain and discovered that Taiyi’s shy disciple Lingzhu Zi was a boy whom Taiyi wanted him to help make more masculine.

  • Li Changshou and Bai Ze planned Youqin Xuanya’s ascension and circulated paintings and rumors presenting Bai Ze as a virtuous auspicious beast.
  • Bai Ze warned Li Changshou that Lu Ya possessed the Seven Arrows Book of Nail Heads, which could secretly kill a Daluo Golden Immortal, and pleaded for Lu Ya’s life.
  • Li Changshou hosted Bai Ze, Ji Wuyou, and Wan Linjun at Black Pool Peak while Lu Ya urged the Demon Race elders to avoid provoking the Heavenly Court.
  • Li Changshou received True Lord Taiyi’s invitation and assigned Bian Zhuang to demonstrate his personal charm and courtship theories.
  • Li Changshou arrived at Qianyuan Mountain as a Paper Daoist and met Lingzhu Zi, whom True Lord Taiyi introduced as his timid male disciple.
  • True Lord Taiyi asked Li Changshou to help Lingzhu Zi become more masculine.

Ch. 422This Child Couldn't Even Cause Trouble!

Li Changshou agreed to help True Lord Taiyi strengthen Lingzhu Zi’s timid temperament and secured a favor from Taiyi in return. After gathering advice from people around him, he planned to train Lingzhu Zi among Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.

  • True Lord Taiyi showed Li Changshou and True Lord Yu Ding examples of Lingzhu Zi’s gentle, hesitant behavior and asked for help changing him.
  • Li Changshou agreed to devise a gradual training plan and obtained a favor from True Lord Taiyi that could give him more initiative during the Investiture of the Gods.
  • Li Changshou questioned Jiang Lin'er, Jiu Yushi, Ling'e, and Xiong Lingli about traits that helped shape a person’s character.
  • Li Changshou consulted people in the Heavenly Court and Sea God Temples, then proposed immersing Lingzhu Zi among Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.
  • True Lord Taiyi entrusted Lingzhu Zi to Li Changshou and told him to make the boy bolder.

Ch. 423Bai Ze First Displays His Might; the Western Sect Schemes Again

Li Changshou prepared the Heavenly Court for a possible Demon Race attack on the Wu Tribe after Bai Ze warned him of danger in the Northern Continent. After half a year without an attack, he spotted Wen Jing meeting two unfamiliar figures inside the Demon Race’s guarded territory and suspected the Western Sect was scheming with the demons.

  • Li Changshou brought Lingzhu Zi to the Heavenly Court, reassured him about his gentle temperament, and arranged for him to stay at the Water God’s Mansion.
  • Li Changshou told Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang to use a dream encounter with a Demon Race woman to show that Heavenly Generals had genuine emotions, while warning Bian Zhuang not to become involved with her.
  • Bai Ze warned Li Changshou that the Demon Race might attack the Wu Tribe in the Northern Continent and draw the Heavenly Court into battle.
  • Li Changshou ordered Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang to prepare the Celestial River Navy and monitored the Demon Race territories, while the Wu Tribe remained hidden and the Heavenly Court stood ready for six months.
  • Li Changshou detected Wen Jing entering a Demon Race stronghold with a silver-haired woman and a gaunt, cloaked figure, and suspected that the Western Sect was guiding the Demon Race toward an attack.

Ch. 424Light of Righteousness!

Li Changshou prepared the Heavenly Court and its allies for the Demon Race’s planned attack on the Wu Tribe, while a Spirit Mountain disciple secured the Demon Race’s cooperation. After receiving two treasures from the Sage, Li Changshou prepared to join the coming battle as the opposing forces assembled.

  • A ragged Daoist calling himself Xu Bodhi gave Lu Ya the Demon Emperor’s Seal and persuaded the Demon Race to ally with Spirit Mountain against the Heavenly Court.
  • Duke Lu declared that the Demon Race would march north against the Wu Tribe, and Li Changshou recognized that the Western Teachings had pushed them toward open conflict.
  • The Demon Race sent a large army and elite troops toward the Wu Tribe, while Li Changshou arranged support from the Heavenly Court, the Netherworld, the Dragon Clan, and a hidden Sea Clan force.
  • Li Changshou and Bai Ze simulated the battle repeatedly, and Bai Ze proposed a plan to break the Demon Race’s morale.
  • Li Changshou received the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda and the Universe Ruler, then prepared to use undisclosed trump cards in battle.
  • Ox-Head’s Netherworld force, the Heavenly Court’s armies, the Dragon Clan, and a cloud boat carrying fairy maidens began assembling or moving toward the coming conflict.

Ch. 425Descent — Extra-Long Chapter

Li Changshou coordinated the Heavenly Court, Dragon Palace, and Wu Tribe to defend Black Mountain against the Demon Race’s invasion. As the battle intensified, he arrived on Bai Ze and revealed that the former Demon Race marshal had become his mount.

  • Four fairies from the Holy Mother Palace traveled to the Northern Continent to urge the Demon Race to honor its ancient agreement with the Wu Tribe.
  • Li Changshou persuaded Dong Mugong to mobilize the Heavenly Court without waking the Jade Emperor, then helped the Wu Tribe prepare Black Mountain’s defenses.
  • The Demon Race army advanced on Black Mountain, and Ox-Head and Horse-Face provoked its leaders with a mock funeral for Lu Ya before Li Changshou’s warning failed to stop the attack.
  • The Heavenly Court and Dragon Clan entered the battle as the Wu Tribe’s grand formation came under heavy assault.
  • Bai Ze appeared and shocked the Demon Race by carrying Li Changshou, who invoked Heaven’s decree as the battle continued.

Ch. 426Battle Against the Golden Crow!

Li Changshou led the Heavenly Court, Dragon Clan, Wu Tribe, and Netherworld forces in a devastating assault on the Demon Race Army, then fought Lu Ya when the Demon Court Crown Prince tried to assassinate him. Lu Ya escaped with help from the Primordial Slaughter Sword and a silver-haired woman, while Li Changshou returned to the battlefield to continue hunting demons.

  • Bai Ze and Li Changshou’s arrival shattered the Demon Race’s morale, allowing the Heavenly Soldiers to form ranks and attack with Immortal Bean Shield Soldiers and Ice Archers.
  • Li Changshou used the Xuanhuang Pagoda, lightning, and Universe Ruler to kill Great Demons with Karmic Obstruction as the Dragon Clan and Wu Tribe joined the assault.
  • Underworld Soldiers and Underworld Monsters ambushed the Demon Race Elite, while Lu Ya attacked Li Changshou with the Immortal Slaying Flying Knife and then fought him across the sky and Northern Sea Icefield.
  • Daoist Wen Jing held back her forces until she received orders to cover the Demon Race experts’ retreat, and the Primordial Chaos Fierce Beast Corps blocked the Heavenly Court’s pursuit.
  • Lu Ya fled in his Golden Crow form after the silver-haired woman used the Primordial Slaughter Sword to deflect Li Changshou’s strike, leaving him with a small amount of Golden Crow Blood.
  • Li Changshou returned to the battlefield and resumed killing demons with karmic sins.

Ch. 427Young Master Yun Comes Calling

After the Heavenly Court defeated the Demon Race in the Northern Continent, Li Changshou handled the aftermath and considered how to counter the Western Sect’s influence over the demons. Back at Du Xian Sect, he sensed a visitor named Xiao Yun arrive at the mountain gate.

  • Li Changshou recited scriptures for the fallen, coordinated the postwar response, and thanked the Holy Mother Palace fairies and Dragon Clan reinforcements.
  • Bai Ze advised Li Changshou to watch the Western Sect’s plans and warned that its control of the Demon Race could bring misfortune to all living beings.
  • Li Changshou and Dong Mugong comforted the Wu Tribe, rewarded Ox-Head and Horse-Face with seasonings, and returned to the Heavenly Court.
  • Li Changshou monitored the defeated Demon Race, returned the Universe Ruler and Xuanhuang Pagoda to Laozi, and resolved to keep improving his cultivation and plans.
  • A young master calling himself Xiao Yun arrived at Du Xian Sect to visit Li Changshou, who had already come to meet him.

Ch. 428How Do We Fight This Battle?!

Fairy Yunxiao visited Li Changshou at Lesser Qiong Peak to check on him after his battle with Lu Ya and discuss her concerns about Bai Ze. She left Li Changshou puzzling over Yunxiao’s unexpectedly warm interest in Ling'e and the meaning behind her invitation to take Ling'e to Three Immortal Island.

  • Li Changshou used Sect Master Ji Wuyou’s token to bring Fairy Yunxiao through Du Xian Sect’s mountain gate and onto Lesser Qiong Peak.
  • Yunxiao met Li Changshou’s master and junior sister, and she warmly asked Ling'e to call her Elder Sister; Ling'e privately resolved not to give up competing for Li Changshou’s affection.
  • Yunxiao asked about Bai Ze and Lu Ya, and Li Changshou explained how he and Senior Brother Xuandu had captured Bai Ze and why he was still testing the ancient demon’s trustworthiness.
  • Yunxiao revealed that she had come to check whether Li Changshou was injured and to see whether he was trustworthy, then teased him about his bond with Ling'e.
  • After seeing the layers of arrays protecting Lesser Qiong Peak, Yunxiao offered to help Li Changshou face any formidable enemy and said she would like to take Ling'e to Three Immortal Island.
Arc 17 of 32