Chapter Thirteen: The Grand Dao-Origin Assembly, the Orthodox Five-Thunder Method
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"The current Holy Emperor is wise and just, with clear rewards and punishments. Because I, the True-Seeking Temple, descended the mountain this time to aid the people and contributed greatly, the imperial envoy promised on behalf of the court: At next year’s Daoyuan Festival in Fengyang County, as long as the True-Seeking Temple does not perform too averagely, we will be granted two quotas."
Xuan Ming, upon hearing this, momentarily lifted his gaze from the scripture, a look of surprise on his face. This matter was indeed unexpected.
This realm was unique.
Spiritual energy was abundant, sects flourished, and cultivators were many.
Martial heroes could cleave mountains with a single punch; Daoist true masters could traverse thousands of miles in spirit; Buddhist arhats possessed invincible golden bodies; Confucian sages wielded words as weapons; Mohist wanderers appeared and vanished like specters...
To prevent cultivators from violating prohibitions and abusing power, and to intimidate demons and evil spirits across the land, five thousand years ago, the imperial court and various sects united to create the Investiture of the Gods List. They promulgated laws and established offices such as the Celestial Court, Bodhi Hall, the Pantheon, and the Qian Kun Tower, working alongside the court to jointly hold authority, oversee deification, and manage the cultivation world.
Though later the world fractured, splitting the Great Sheng Divine Dynasty into the three great dynasties of Great Jin, Great Xuan, and Great Qian, along with numerous smaller states—dividing the realm into three and plunging it into a millennium of turmoil and tripartite struggles—this cooperation remained unchanged.
The True-Seeking Temple was located in Fengyang County of the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty. The Daoyuan Festival was a grand event jointly hosted by the Great Xuan court and the Daoist sect every ten years, aimed at selecting outstanding Daoist talents to serve and cultivate within the Celestial Court.
True Dao is impartial.
It does not distinguish between high or low, rich or poor.
The Daoist sect does not emphasize social hierarchy.
Both large sects and independent cultivators could participate.
However, smaller sects and independents, lacking deep roots, rarely stood out in such fierce competition.
In the past century of the True-Seeking Temple, only one disciple succeeded in joining the Great Xuan Celestial Court—Xuan Ye, master of Chang Anzi.
He was Xuan Ming’s senior brother.
A prodigy of astonishing talent, a hopeful true master.
The most outstanding disciple in a hundred years of the True-Seeking Temple.
Yet, ten years ago, he suddenly perished. Although the Celestial Court gave an official cause, the Daoist world was reluctant to believe it, suspecting other reasons. After all, Xuan Ye was always steady and serious; how could he suddenly die so abruptly?
This matter had long been a knot in Chang Anzi’s heart. It caused his spirit to regress, leaving him dispirited. Secretly, he descended the mountain to seek the truth but suffered an accident and was severely injured.
Though saved, his cultivation declined.
Though appearing carefree and indifferent, this young man was deeply attached to senior brother Xuan Ye.
Now presented with a chance, he certainly would not want to miss it.
Seeing the excited Chang Anzi, Xuan Ming deliberately asked, “You want to participate in next year’s Daoyuan Festival?”
Chang Anzi solemnly nodded. “Yes!”
Facing his affectionate senior uncle, he did not wish to lie, knowing that only he in the entire True-Seeking Temple could assist him.
“Once a teacher, forever a father.”
“I was orphaned young and raised by my master. I want to enter the Celestial Court and seek the truth behind my master’s demise.”
“I earnestly request your help, senior uncle.”
As Chang Anzi lifted his sleeves to kneel in reverence, Xuan Ming impatiently interrupted, “This old Daoist hates being knelt to.”
“When did you become so sentimental, kid? Get down quickly, don’t disturb my scripture study.”
With that, he promptly sent the young man off the second floor.
At the stairway entrance, the dejected Chang Anzi had just stepped down when something struck the back of his head.
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“Ouch!”
He cried out in pain, clutching the back of his head and turning around.
He saw a floating bottle of ointment before him, followed by a voice entering his ears:
“Kid, when this old Daoist instructs you, I won’t be merciful. Starting at the dawn hour tomorrow, fill all the water tanks in the temple. No using spiritual power. Don’t give up midway, or don’t blame me for being harsh.”
“Understood, master!” Chang Anzi immediately brightened, glanced up at the second floor, grinned, and silently muttered, “Hard-mouthed but soft-hearted old man.”
———
Time flowed like water. Half a month later.
On Floating Cloud Mountain, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, stirring the dense forest.
The white-haired old Daoist leapt and soared, palm surging with thunder and lightning—black, white, red, cyan, and yellow interwoven in five colors.
A three-zhang boulder shattered under the thunder, reduced to dust scattering everywhere.
The thunder coiled like a serpent in the palm, moving with the old Daoist’s will, controlled with exquisite precision, not leaking a trace of power.
The mountain wind blew, his robe fluttered.
His figure was upright, white hair flying.
He resembled a deity wielding judgment, commanding thunder with awe and majesty, supreme and noble.
This old Daoist was none other than Xuan Ming.
After testing the thunder’s power, he waved his hand to disperse the energy, looking at the pit left on the ground, stroking his beard with a smile.
During his second study of the “Huang Ting Outer Jing Jade Scripture,” besides refining the “Primordial Qi Unification Technique,” he comprehended two other methods: the Five Thunder Correct Method and the Yin-Yang Diagram Record.
One was inspired by the celestial thunder.
The other by the twelve deities of the sun and moon.
Both were protective techniques, one firm and the other gentle, embodying the principles of heaven and earth and showcasing the mysterious profundity of Daoist magic.
The thunder was fierce and domineering, foremost in offense.
Yin and yang nurtured and restrained each other, balancing attack and defense.
Over these past fifteen days, besides studying scriptures and daily cultivation, Xuan Ming had been practicing these two methods, finally breaking through the threshold.
With these two methods at hand, he possessed greater self-defense in this world, allowing him to cultivate Dao with more composure.
Not rushing back to the True-Seeking Temple, Xuan Ming bent down, picked up a pebble, walked some distance, and flicked his hand, striking a direction.
After the incense burned down, a mountain pheasant roasted on the fire turned golden and glossy. He skillfully flipped it, sprinkled seasoning, and continued grilling.
Wandering the mountains and waters, contemplating nature, savoring wild delicacies—it was a method of cultivating the heart.
Good food brought joy.
The scenery inspired admiration.
Xuan Ming’s cultivation and daily life had begun to blend; when every moment—walking, sitting, lying down—became cultivation, it would mark his breakthrough to the next stage, advancing in Qi refinement to become a Daoist true master.
After filling his stomach and skillfully extinguishing the fire, Xuan Ming rose and lightly tapped his toes, leaping a hundred zhang in a stride, as if riding the wind, his robe fluttering, graceful and poised.
———
Studying scriptures, refining methods, tasting tea, practicing calligraphy, instructing Chang Anzi and Chang Ning, and in leisure wandering Floating Cloud Mountain, emulating nature.
Observing grass growing and flowers blooming, witnessing waterfalls cascading, watching birds spread their wings, and seeing beasts multiply.
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Xuan Ming cultivated with measured intensity; his power deepened daily, his spiritual power grew, his understanding of Dao became clearer, his foundation more solid, yet his Daoist aura gradually became restrained, gaining a flavor of returning to simplicity.
Chang Anzi and Chang Ning also progressed rapidly.
The former had just entered the new Eight Trigrams Sword technique, and the latter was indeed grasping the Yin-Yang Foundation chapter.
The little girl was sharp and clever, having read over two hundred volumes of Daoist scriptures at a young age. Though she could not yet reach the second realm of cultivation and had to occupy her time with scripture study, it laid a solid foundation.
She was quick at analogies and comprehended the Yin-Yang Foundation chapter swiftly. If she continued like this, though she might not fully master the technique, she could achieve about seventy percent understanding, borrowing the power of the sun, moon, yin, and yang to compensate for innate deficiencies, thereby breaking shackles and entering the second realm, establishing a superior Dao foundation—likely without much difficulty.
As for trivial matters in the mountains, Xuan Ming ignored them all.
Even when senior disciples came seeking him for important posts, he resolutely declined.
Power and fame were like drifting clouds to him.
Having lived six decades, Xuan Ming had long seen through such things.
In his heart, only the Great Dao existed, plus the True-Seeking Temple at most. Unless faced with great matters, ordinarily he wished only to be a leisurely old Daoist.
Studying scriptures, cultivating Dao, planting flowers, and nurturing grass.
At his age, he should enjoy his retirement, not battle on the front lines.
As for his other juniors, they were roughly the same age, around fifty, in their prime.
Moreover, there were many disciples and grand-disciples; they did not need this unremarkable old Daoist to trouble himself.
His senior brother unwilling, Xuan Xu had no choice but to give up.
He did not want to force this elder, not because he could not win, but out of respect.
The mountain was fresh after new rain; the weather turned to late autumn.
The bright moon shone between the pines; clear spring water flowed over the stones.
Summer faded into autumn, and Floating Cloud Mountain donned a robe of red, yellow, and green. After several autumn rains, the heat was completely gone, and a chill arose.
At the True-Seeking Temple’s Inquiry Hall, Xuan Ming, impervious to cold or heat, still wore a thin Daoist robe, appearing even more ethereal in the crisp autumn wind.
This year, from absorbing the Daoist aura emitted during Xuan Ming’s cultivation, the ancient pines grew thick and lush, evergreen through all seasons.
The trunks thickened, the crowns doubled in size, shaped like magnificent canopies enveloping the entire Inquiry Hall.
Today, he had rarely entered the scripture pavilion to study, all because of the young Kun Dao disciple seated beneath the trees.
After three months of instruction, Chang Ning was finally about to establish her foundation. Xuan Ming was both unsurprised and surprised at her rapid progress.
Not surprised because junior sister Xuan Su cherished this girl like a treasure, feeding her numerous spiritual pills and medicines and raising her on spirit chickens and eggs, accumulating great internal energy.
During these three months, under his guidance, the little girl practiced diligently every day, absorbing the spiritual energy of the sun and moon. Occasionally, Xuan Ming would invest a thread of yin-yang energy to assist, greatly strengthening Chang Ning’s innate origin.
Surprised because in only three months, she compensated for her deficiencies so quickly.
If it were truly so easy to mend flaws, why had junior sister Xuan Su struggled for over a decade?
Pondering deeply, Xuan Ming felt something was amiss.
Having Chang Ning break through at the Inquiry Hall was not only convenient for him to protect her but also to observe whether he could uncover any anomalies and resolve his doubts.