Chapter 288: Chapter 288: New Year’s Dharma Assembly and the Parting of Master and Disciple
The first day of the New Year, the sky was just faintly bright, and the morning sun rose, purple clouds filled the sky.
"Dong——"
"Dong——"
"Dong——"
The distant and clear bell rang nine times, echoing throughout White Cloud Mountain and Jizhou Prefecture.
The New Year Dharma Assembly officially began!
...
The New Year Dharma Assembly at White Cloud Temple was an annual major event in Jizhou. Many local and even surrounding temples and Daoist temples either moved their Dharma Assembly to the end of the previous year or delayed it to the tenth or fifteenth day of the New Year.
Not only to avoid clashing with White Cloud Temple’s assembly, but also because they were invited to attend the ceremony.
The hosts and Temple Masters from various places came to White Cloud Temple to attend the ceremony, so how could they host their own assemblies?
White Cloud Temple adheres to Daoist principles, although worldly, it does not organize extravagantly; the New Year Dharma Assembly only invites fellow Daoists to attend, not inviting the public to gather.
Thus, many earnest merchants, wealthy families, and farmers gathered at the foot of the mountain, respectfully saluting towards White Cloud Mountain, but all were blocked outside the mountain gate by Daoists from the temple and were not allowed to ascend.
...
After the nine bell rings, it was followed by the chanting of scriptures. Even Lu Zheng had changed into a Daoist robe, mingling with the Daoists of the Yuan Generation, chanting scriptures, serving as part of the background.
Next, Daoists of the Ming Generation formed a line, ascended the altar to offer incense, and recited their prayers.
The next moment, dozens of Daoists with hundreds of years of cultivation simultaneously performed spells, countless white clouds converged, floating and ethereal, completely enveloping White Cloud Mountain, as if it were a mystical realm of an Immortal Mountain.
Daoist Mingyu suddenly appeared above, riding on clouds, gently and leisurely descending to the offering platform in the front square of the main hall, holding a silk scroll in his hands.
After a piece of sacrificial text that honored ancestors and praised heaven, the scroll flew up without wind and swiftly flew to the sky, transforming into white light that spread for hundreds of miles, causing everyone within the radius to feel lighthearted.
The next moment, white clouds slowly scattered a thousand miles, starting to dissociate from the center at White Cloud Mountain, then transformed into rain, a fine drizzle, gently falling.
Afterwards, it was time for the True Man to explain the scriptures.
Each year, at White Cloud Temple, a True Man with profound Dao practice would appear and elucidate the path of cultivation, which was also one of the important reasons why many cultivators traveled eagerly to attend the ceremony.
Ordinarily, few people had the chance to hear a great power with a thousand-year-old Dao practice give a sermon?
Even though Lu Zheng relied solely on his own efforts for cultivation along the way, he did not mind listening more to the cultivation experiences of the seniors.
...
The New Year Dharma Assembly lasted from mid-3 AM until mid-9 AM, when the True Man left riding clouds, marking the end of White Cloud Temple’s New Year Dharma Assembly.
Master Mingyu invited the fellow cultivators who came to attend the ceremony to share a vegetarian meal, and Lu Zheng joined his fellow apprentices in the back hall for a meal.
At the end of noon, White Cloud Temple bid farewell to the various fellow cultivators descending the mountain, and only then did the waiting public swarm the mountain, rushing to burn incense and offer prayers on the first day of the New Year, hoping for everything to be smooth in the new year.
...
Everything went smoothly for the New Year Dharma Assembly, without any incident of calamity.
In the following days, Lu Zheng and Yuan Jing continued as before, touring and making friends within White Cloud Temple.
...
On the fifth day, they descended the mountain.
Traveling swiftly, Daoist Ming Zhang led Lu Zheng and Yuan Jing to the junction of Sanjiang Dao and Yinan Dao, a three-way intersection where one path led west to Lingbei Dao and another southeast to the various states of Yinan Dao.
"From here onward, passing Yangzhou, you will reach Hui State." Daoist Ming Zhang said to Lu Zheng.
"Yes." Lu Zheng nodded, bowing to Daoist Ming Zhang and Yuan Jing, "Master! Senior Brother! Then I will take this path!"
Yuan Jing advised, "Be careful on the way, pay attention to everything, don’t be careless."
Daoist Ming Zhang, "..."
Lu Zheng, "..."
Lu Zheng nodded, "Rest assured, Senior Brother, I will be cautious."
Traveling from Yizhou to Jizhou, you need to pass through Yinan Dao, and you need to do so on the return journey as well, and the Jinhua Sect is located to the east in Hui State.
Lu Zheng could conveniently return the Nine Heavens Golden Palace True God Transformation Technique to Jinhua Sect.
As an Outer Disciple of White Cloud Temple, he wouldn’t embarrass Jinhua Sect by appearing as a Direct Disciple of White Cloud Temple, but the association with White Cloud Temple would ensure Jinhua Sect takes him seriously.
If Daoist Ming Zhang accompanied him, Jinhua Sect might feel slighted.
The best approach is for Lu Zheng to go alone to Jinhua Sect. Jinhua Sect would naturally recognize the favor White Cloud Temple is showing, and since they are all fellow Daoists and Lu Zheng is only an Outer Disciple, they would not be dismissive, but earnestly assist Lu Zheng in finding the most suitable return gift.
Thus, after finalizing the plan, Daoist Ming Zhang returned to Tonglin County with Yuan Jing, while Lu Zheng departed for Hui State, Jinhua Sect.
"You now have two hundred years of Dao practice, and you possess the Earth Travel Technique, even if confronted by a thousand-year-old great demon, as long as you escape in advance, they won’t be able to harm you, so just be cautious not to walk into a trap on your own." Daoist Ming Zhang advised.
"Understood, Master." Lu Zheng nodded, increasingly feeling that meeting the elder in the cave was a great fortune for him.
So this Earth Travel Technique is really amazing!
With a wave, Daoist Ming Zhang went west with Yuan Jing, while Lu Zheng turned southeast.
...
"Jade Seal! Cross!"
"Swoosh!"
While at White Cloud Temple, Lu Zheng was worried about attracting attention from various old monsters in the back mountain, so he neither used the Light of Fortune to enhance his cultivation nor performed any crossings.
Therefore, after parting with Daoist Ming Zhang, Lu Zheng quickly found his way into the forest beside the mountain path, searched for a secluded spot, climbed a tree, and immediately crossed back to modern times.
Sure enough...
Even with advance notice, the phone still received many messages.
Lu Zheng first returned Lin Wan’s call, then spoke with his mom for half an hour, promising to be more aware in the future, before crossing back to the ancient times.
"Jade Seal! Enhance!"
After addressing messages in the modern world, the most important task was naturally increasing his prowess.
"Buzz!"
Consuming eight strands of the Light of Fortune, all aspects of his prowess increased evenly, then entered the cooldown period again.
"Jade Seal! Enhance me again! This time it’s the Invisibility Technique!"
During the ten-plus days at White Cloud Temple, although Lu Zheng did not cultivate, he figured out the principles behind several spells.
"Buzz!"
"This time it’s the Dream-Entering Skill!"
"Buzz!"
"Finally the Puppetry and Spirit Attachment Curse!"
"Buzz!"
"Whew——" Lu Zheng let out a breath, feeling the few spells at his command like extensions of his arms, stretching comfortably, finally satisfied.
...
"Continue the journey!"
This place was not a government road, Lu Zheng merely followed a small path, though quickly exiting the great mountains, he soon entered dense forest.
He looked up at the sky; it was almost noon, with sunlight streaming through the gaps in the trees, making it a pleasant day.
Lu Zheng looked down ahead; the path showed no end, "My goodness, this road sure is long, walk a bit further, then look for Lin Wan to have lunch."
Thus Lu Zheng continued onward, and as he turned a corner, he saw a small convoy stopped by the roadside, a few people guarded by escorts were getting off the vehicles, and within the dense forest by the roadside, there was a dilapidated temple faintly visible.