The hum—
Crisis arrived silently, suddenly, without any premonition.
This white-robed cultivator, who claimed to be from Shangqing, was suddenly pointed at by a sword light from the void. He quickly dispersed his form within the span of a finger snap, but a clear sound, like a sword striking metal, still came from the void. The white-robed cultivator reappeared from the void moments after disappearing, but his brow was already injured, his soul gone without a trace, and his body plummeted straight down from this world.
“A puppet?”
A voice of surprise echoed in the void, then quickly vanished. Immediately after, the radiance of the Great Sun Tathagata filled this entire continent. He was now the sun hanging above Changzhou, illuminating all ten directions of the heavens!
Even if there were grievances, they should have waited until he left. To dare to act suddenly while the Heavenly Heart was questioning was simply showing no regard for him.
“Where did this flying immortal come from, killing people to my face? Do you look down on this humble monk?”
He still had questions to ask.
However, there were also strange aspects…
The Great Sun Tathagata’s thoughts flowed. The millions of thoughts pervading Changzhou had not detected the direction of this attack. It was as if these thoughts’ probes had been gently brushed aside, deliberately ignoring the approach of something.
A streak of crimson light drifted leisurely.
Wherever this person existed, all phenomena retreated!
Under the blazing sunlight, the opponent’s true form was almost revealed, but in the next moment, karma cycled. The Great Sun Tathagata’s radiance ceased, and within a finger snap, the Great Sun Tathagata forgot what he had been doing.
Just a finger snap.
In one finger snap, sixty moments passed in the world. In one moment, nine hundred births and deaths rose and fell in the world.
“Heavenly Heart!”
“Lingxian Chizhang!”
The Great Sun Tathagata’s eyes were filled with confusion.
Lingxian Chizhang, also known as Lingxian Jue, was an ancient technique of the Celestial Masters’ Way, preserving the ancient Taoist magic of shamanistic ghost arts. It had Huang Zhang and Chi Zhang, the former expelling all demons and ghosts, the latter expelling all living beings.
However, although it was the Celestial Masters’ Way… it was somewhat different.
“Lingxian Jue, the orthodox Celestial Masters’ Way would not use it… The demon Celestial Master of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect… No one from the various Taoist sects has stopped me, and now that he acts here, no one has gone to intercept him.”
“So that’s how it is… that’s what it means.”
Allowing the demon Celestial Master to act here was akin to driving wolves to devour tigers while watching from the sidelines. The killer was not the orthodox Taoist sects but the demonic path. The Taoist sects could still claim to be uninvolved in this matter later.
Moreover… the Great Sun Tathagata thought, he was already in the wrong for coming here and inquiring about the affairs of the Taoist sects everywhere. After all, the matter involved the ‘Biao Shanhe,’ which violated the rules. Naturally, he could not come here and act aggressively.
Now that the demon Celestial Master had acted to kill, the Taoist and Buddhist sects remained “superficially harmonious” as before, as if nothing had happened.
“...So be it. Since I have learned the news of the Primordial Origin’s incarnation, greed will only bring disaster. If there is a chance for the rest, I will consider it later…”
…
Hoo—
The fire talisman burned out, and the crimson halo dissipated.
In the Changsheng Heavenly Palace, hidden within the sea clouds northeast of Juku Continent, the demon Celestial Master Sun En scattered the last of the crimson light in his hand.
“The minor attainment of Heavenly Heart against the great attainment of Heavenly Heart, as expected, is still a bit strenuous. I could only influence him for one finger snap, and I thought I could control him for an instant.”
“This Great Sun Tathagata of the Esoteric Buddhism brazenly roams the three continents of the Taoist sects, and yet no Heavenly Heart has come forward to question him. These fellows don’t seem like Taoists, but like turtles and bastards.”
“Even if True Man Huolong was killing everywhere, he wouldn’t be this scared! The Shangqing Sect is truly formidable. It’s one thing for the Zhuhuo Palace and Liuyun Palace to fight amongst themselves, but they even sent the divine forms of the Taoist sects to the Esoteric Buddhism?”
Sun En exhaled a turbid breath, feeling uncomfortable all over.
The white-robed figure who claimed to be Shangqing was merely a puppet. That blow felt like hitting mud; killing a puppet could never provide the satisfaction of a true kill.
This Ji Xiang was originally a target he wanted to kill, but now, having reached a good deal with Celestial Master Zhang of Biao Shanhe, he naturally had to reverse his previous attitude and protect him.
For this reason, his disciple, Cao Taixu, who was a Jin person, was very dissatisfied, as Ji Xiang had previously killed the “heir of Jin” that he valued. However, based on the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, if Ji Xiang, or the Ming Dynasty, were to oppose the Song Dynasty, it would be reasonable for the Changsheng Heavenly Palace to help them.
It was not for the sake of any past camaraderie in the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, but purely an exchange of benefits.
The hum—
That sword light vanished beyond the heavens. Another person in the Changsheng Heavenly Palace opened his eyes. His complexion was slightly pale, and half of his face bore the marks of being burned by fierce fire.
“The Great Sun Tathagata’s blazing light still touched me. Thank you, Cult Master.”
“Mmm…”
Sun En nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of apology. “This Lingxian Jue is truly difficult to use. The Chi Zhang is incomplete, and coupled with him being a great attainment of Heavenly Heart, my influence is further weakened.”
“Longyu, your cultivation has also improved.”
“Yes, this injury is not a problem. I will recover after a few years of recuperation.”
This Taoist in the Changsheng Heavenly Palace wore a golden inscription, a golden crown, and a white silk robe, which were the ceremonial garments worn during the Liao Dynasty’s sacrifices.
Wearing Khitan attire, Yelü Longyu, the third prince of Liao Jingzong, was one of the few members of the imperial clan during the Liao Dynasty who practiced Taoism.
The Changsheng Heavenly Palace gathered a very diverse group of people, mostly cultivators who had deviated from the orthodox Taoist sects. Their ideologies were mixed and varied, and only the demon Celestial Master Sun En could accommodate them. This group, when gathered, also possessed immense strength. Among the sixteen great Heavenly Palaces, the Changsheng Heavenly Palace was ranked.
“Cult Master, the Lingxian Jue is not being used smoothly because this is Zhang Xiu’s technique, the shamanistic ghost arts of the ancient Five Pecks of Rice Sect, not the later orthodox Celestial Masters’ Way. I recently learned of a major event and was about to report it to you.”
“Oh? What is it?”
Sun En did not strictly control his subordinates, adhering to the principle that everyone had their own opportunities. If someone wanted to replace him, he would welcome it, but if they wanted to become the Palace Master of the Changsheng Heavenly Palace, they had to consider the subsequent encirclement and suppression by the Taoist sects.
He was in the Heavenly Heart realm and possessed the means to conceal the Heavenly Palace. Furthermore, he had a connection with the orthodox Celestial Masters’ Way and was also on good terms with the five Yang Emperors of the Quanzhen Sect. Therefore, his existence was considered an “unspoken rule” within the Taoist sects.
If someone wanted to replace him, they had to carefully consider the future “development of the Heavenly Palace.”
Thus, Sun En rarely inquired about his subordinates’ affairs, only summoning a few people to help when there were major matters to handle.
The Third Prince said, “There are leads regarding Zhang Xiu’s Qingcheng Ghost Capital.”
Sun En raised his eyebrows. “Oh? There’s news of the lost shamanistic ghost art inheritance? If it’s true, then it is indeed a major event.”
The Five Pecks of Rice Sect and the Celestial Masters’ Way were often conflated by later generations, but this conflation began after Zhang Lu killed Zhang Xiu.
This was a form of sectarian annexation and integration.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty was something many people knew about, but “During the Xiping period, demon rebels rose greatly, and in the Sanfu region, there was Luo Yao. At the end of the Guanghe period, and in the early Zhongping period, there was Zhang Jiao in the east and Zhang Xiu in Hanzhong.”
Luo Yao taught the art of invisibility, Jiao founded the Way of Great Peace, and Wu Dou Mi Dao.
During Emperor Ling of Han’s second reign, Xiping, a man named Luo Yao taught the Five Elements Illusory Arts that allowed people to become invisible in the Sanfu region. He used this to establish a religion and revolt, which was the prelude to the Yellow Turban Rebellion. By the Zhongping period, Zhang Jiao shouted the famous slogan “The heavens are dead,” and in the same year, Zhang Xiu, a demon shaman from Bashu, rebelled, marking the beginning of the Bashan Five Pecks of Rice Sect, which practiced shamanistic ghost arts.
Zhang Xiu occupied Mount Qingcheng and established the Ghost Capital.
Sun En sighed, “I have also sent agents to search in the Shu region many times in the past, but I have never found any trace of the Ghost Capital on Mount Qingcheng. It is estimated that when Zhang Xiu fought with Zhang Lu, he must have dragged the Ghost Capital into some Dharma Realm to prevent it from being seized by the Celestial Masters’ Way. However, there are so many Dharma Realms in the heavens, and without knowing the correct location and incantations, it is impossible to communicate with the correct Dharma Realm.”
“If the Lingxian Jue could be completed, the next time I encounter a great attainment Heavenly Heart figure like the Great Sun Tathagata, I will not fear him at all.”
But the Third Prince said to Sun En, “Yes, but…”
“But what?” Sun En asked, confused. “Didn’t you say there were leads? Does it mean you don’t know the location of the Dharma Realm, or is it a place beyond your reach? Could it be that even I, in the Heavenly Heart realm, cannot touch it?”
The Third Prince nodded slowly, his tone slightly bitter. “The Ghost Capital seems to… be placed in Mount Wawu.”
Upon hearing this, Sun En was first shocked, then his expression gradually turned grim.
Mount Wawu was a terrifying place, the ancestral court of the myriad ways, a place where Laozi and Yin Xi had once visited. Moreover, that mountain contained a迷魂阵 (Míhún Zhèn - Soul-Confusing Formation); anyone who entered it without being a sage would become lost and never emerge, hence it was also called the Demon Mountain.
The situation of Mount Wawu remained a mystery. No one who had entered it in past dynasties had ever returned alive. In an era when immortals could still manifest their divinity in the world, many immortals had entered Mount Wawu, all meeting untimely deaths. The soul incense they left behind, which had been burning brightly, instantly turned into a pile of ashes.
“No wonder, no wonder… I never expected them to place the Ghost Capital in Mount Wawu. Zhang Xiu truly possesses unfathomable divine and ghost-like methods. A mere immortal was able to enter and exit Mount Wawu without getting lost. Zhang Lu did not have this ability, so he naturally did not dare to search for it.”
The Third Prince added, “Another lead is that Mount Wawu seems to be connected to all the Dharma Realms in the heavens. This information is considered reliable.”
“From whom did you get this news?”
Sun En pressed.
The Third Prince replied, “Zhu Houcong. He said that when he was emperor, he had approached it and glimpsed it.”
“He wants to exchange this condition for the protection of the Changsheng Heavenly Palace.”
Sun En’s expression changed slightly. m..oΓg
Others were fine.
But this person who had stolen the position of the Supreme Lord, he truly dared not protect him!
“No.”
Sun En said so, and after a moment of thought, he refused. The Third Prince looked astonished. “Cult Master, if we don’t accept him, won’t that… damage our reputation?”
The Changsheng Heavenly Palace was a refuge for all sorts of unorthodox cultivators. Now that another troublemaker had arrived, on principle, they should welcome the other party’s joining. However, Zhu Houcong’s actions were too arrogant; he wanted to control everything and had even stolen the divine position of the Supreme Lord. The loss of this divine position had even caused people from the other two religions to come out and hunt him, their goal being to obtain the position of the Supreme Lord.
With this divine position, there would be an endless supply of immortal pills.
This was a hot potato, and Sun En dared not accept him at this time. Otherwise, the Changsheng Heavenly Palace might not be able to protect itself.
“Zhu Houcong wants to seek refuge with a great sect to gain a temporary respite. I understand his intentions, I understand his feelings even more, and I also understand why he came to our Changsheng Heavenly Palace. However, it is truly difficult to accept him now.”
“But I also have a way to save him. Come closer and I will convey it to him. Consider it as payment for this news.”
The Third Prince looked confused.
Sun En recited a mantra, and the Third Prince asked, “What method is this?”
“This is Luo Yao’s art of invisibility, the Five Elements Illusory Arts, belonging to the Fangshi arts. After the Great Teacher of the Virtuous Ones’ attempt at world exchange failed, his techniques were lost in this era, and only I know them.”