No-Life Old Mother was currently at Sumeru, observing the mortal city of Chang'an. Ever since Yang Yuhuan rose to power, the overwhelming Yin Yang power raged ceaselessly, embedding itself in her Fate Grid.

As for the transgressions committed by her followers, she didn't see it as an issue. If her success could be ensured, what did offending a few people matter?

But these actions indeed offended people gravely. Not long after, Maitreya approached No-Life Old Mother with a grim expression. No-Life Old Mother appeared serene, like a tender and loving mother.

"Daoist Friend, what you've done has gone too far! Your followers have exaggerated your persona excessively, and you've offended far too many people."

No-Life Old Mother spoke softly, "Do not fret. This is merely the overzealous esteem of my followers, nothing more."

Maitreya's face darkened, "Then what? Am I supposed to be your son too?"

No-Life Old Mother spread her hands, her face filled with motherly affection as she said, "Daoist Friend, we've always gotten along harmoniously. Become my son!"

Upon hearing this, even with Maitreya's countless years of training in Buddhist Law, he couldn't suppress his fury.

"Scram!"

"Daoist Friend, you are too attached to appearances. If you simply…"

"Scraaaam!"

Being told to scram twice in a row, No-Life Old Mother finally lost her composure. With a sudden crash, she shattered the treasured bottle beside her into powder.

"Maitreya, you will regret this!"

"No-Life, I am the true master of Sumeru!"

No-Life Old Mother, enraged, rose to her feet and stormed off, waving her sleeve. Her inherently haughty demeanor, amplified by the endless praise of her followers, had made subtle yet irreversible changes to her mentality.

Maitreya refused to be her son. Who did he think he was!

...

Mortal Realm.

The Li Family clashed consecutively with the Five Families, and later, came under deliberate suppression from Yang Yuhuan. The once-proud Imperial Family descended to a historic low.

Li Longji lived in the Imperial Palace, surrounded entirely by Yang Yuhuan's loyalists. Though it was claimed he was recuperating, he was, in truth, imprisoned there.

Gaunt and frail, Li Longji stared at the flickering flame of several candles and let out a desolate sigh.

"Father, why do you sigh so?"

Startled, Li Longji glanced around until he saw the white-haired Li Mao, his face lighting up with excitement.

"Mao'er, quick, rescue your father. Once we expose that demon woman's true nature and I regain power, I will name you Crown Prince!"

Li Mao expressionlessly gazed at his father, who seemed thirty years older than the proud man once trotting through the streets on horseback. Inside, he felt no emotional stirrings.

"Father, do you seek vengeance?"

Instinctively, Li Longji responded, "That demon ruined me in this way; of course, I do!"

But as he finished his sentence and noticed Li Mao's eerily calm eyes, he suddenly realized something was amiss.

"Mao… Mao'er, what are you planning?"

"Naturally, to avenge you."

With that, he added coldly, "However, I'll need to borrow your head to do so."

With a flash of a blade, Li Longji was decapitated.

Li Mao grabbed his father's severed head without batting an eyelid and left.

The news of Li Longji's death and his missing head did not reach Yang Yuhuan's ears the next day. Instead, it found its way to State Preceptor Russell. Russell cared little and simply remarked that a dead emperor was hardly an issue; it was easy to find someone else, and simpler still to use a basic disguise technique.

After killing his father, Li Mao did not act immediately. He waited—for the White Lotus Sect to expand to its peak.

The outcome was as he had anticipated. Within six months, the White Lotus Sect's growth surged uncontrollably, spreading like wildfire. Once suppressed by Buddhist and Daoist sects, they began openly oppressing those two traditions.

To sum it up in a single sentence: the No-Life Old Mother had now declared herself the mother of the Three Pure Ones!

This alone was enough to show the unrestrained arrogance of the White Lotus Sect. Under the guise of equality for all, they began seizing the legal assets of the Capital City Families—a group of ordinary people with neither understanding of politics nor governance.

The Great Tang, which had thrived for over two centuries, entered turbulent waters almost overnight. Nezha watched as Tang's glory faded into decline. However, his karmic ties to the world had ended, and it was not his place to intervene.

At this time, the long-dormant Li Mao finally initiated his revenge. He first returned to the Daoist Temple from which he had originally renounced his worldly ties, rallying the Daoist factions. Then, through Jing An, he convened with Buddhist sects for meetings.

Under the gaze of Daoist and Buddhist representatives, Li Mao presented his father's severed head.

"A demon woman has stolen Tang's imperial throne and murdered my father. Now, with heresy rampant, I plead for you all to help me restore order to the world!"

Everyone stared quietly at Li Longji's head, unsure of who exactly had killed him, but the deeds of the White Lotus Sect had enraged too many—mortals and gods alike.

Li Qing consolidated the forces of the Buddhist and Daoist sects, leveraging their influence to unite the aristocratic families persecuted by the White Lotus Sect. It was quickly evident that a cornered rabbit would fight back, and these so-called rabbits were far from harmless.

That night, Chang'an City was ablaze, its skyline brightened by flames. By morning, countless corpses were dragged outside the city and burned.

The year 231 of the Great Tang, karmic fire descended from the heavens; the fallen king and demon concubine perished together in the Star-picking Tower.

...

Under the shadow of Sumeru, No-Life Old Mother was stunned.

She had believed herself to have reached the pinnacle of immortal life; now, everything had catastrophically fallen apart. Try as she might to rationalize, she couldn't understand why and was ultimately left seething against the Daoist factions.

At the same time, Taiqing and Shangqing Saints were exasperated. Given No-Life Old Mother's connection to Yuanshi Tianzun, and Yuanshi Tianzun's absence, they tolerated her antics with indifference. But now she sought to declare herself the mother of the Three Pure Ones? Who could possibly humor her further?

In the end, the White Lotus Sect was labeled a heretical cult by the Human Clan and eradicated. Although scattered believers remained, the efforts of No-Life Old Mother were reduced to nothing in the blink of an eye. Her Fate Grid, painstakingly forged through faith and devotion, shattered instantly, leaving her wounded by severe backlash.

With Tang's systematic purge of the White Lotus Sect, its faith crumbled entirely. Where some clawed for incense and offerings, others clawed for respite and survival. Supreme Mother's defeat was not entirely undeserved.

The Queen Mother watched everything unfold and felt nothing but satisfaction.

Yuanshi Tianzun may look down on me, but you trying to subjugate me? Dream on!

No-Life Old Mother, naturally, was unwilling to accept defeat. She furiously consulted her divinations, identifying all the key players responsible for the White Lotus Sect's downfall. Everyone she examined emerged as culpable, which left her feeling encircled by enemies on all sides.

Burning with rage and resentment, she seethed internally. Her affinity for Yang Yuhuan's character strongly implied they shared certain personality traits. Despite yearning for a second chance, mortal realms provided no foundation for recovery. Her reputation was so foul that none were willing to extend her any favor.

The fury roiling within No-Life Old Mother's mind was unmistakably primordial in its nature—a vestige of ancient, barbaric thinking. Driven by vengeance, she fixed her eyes on the reigning Tang King, Li Mao, determined to target him as the catalyst for her grievances.

Looking upward in the hierarchy, she skimmed past figures such as the Three Pure Saints, dismissing them as untouchable. Moving downward, she sought foes like Hao Tian and the Queen Mother but recalled their earlier clash at the Turquoise Pool and hesitated.

Skipping further down the divine ladder, she settled on an ideal target—a high-ranking yet not-too-powerful figure: Central Ziwei Emperor, Li Nezha.

Although Nezha held significant status, No-Life Old Mother viewed his relatively short cultivation period as a fatal weakness. Her arrogance, a notorious blemish of the Chan Sect, led her to concoct a plan to teach Nezha a hard lesson and pin every failure on him.

Such behaviors had been commonplace in the primordial era.

Moreover, she knew Nezha was currently at Lingshan. All she needed was to confront him there, humiliate him, and restore her lofty dominance with one decisive blow. Saints generally refrained from interfering as long as no mortal harm befell their disciples.

...

Residing at Lingshan, Nezha was unaware that someone had categorized him as a "soft target" and was planning to trample upon him.

During his time at Lingshan, he busied himself aiding Lady Rashamon in adapting to her new surroundings. Meanwhile, he utilized Old Li's Twelve-Grade Merit Golden Lotus to heal his injuries, while tempering his physical body through Buddhist cultivation techniques to prepare for wielding even greater power.

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