https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-263-The-Emperor-s-Return-Imparting-Ancient-Knowledge-Part-2-/12587121/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-264-I-Am-Truly-Happy-for-My-Senior-Brother-Part-2-/12587128/
Chapter 264: I Am Truly Happy for My Senior Brother (Part 1)
Chapter 264: I Am Truly Happy for My Senior Brother (Part 1)
Wang Guiyuan, the Taoist priest, had become quite famous.
If it was once due to rumors of his association with the rebellious King of Wu, it was now because of his surroundings and the company he kept.
Being the direct and favored disciple of Yuan Mobai was, in itself, not a problem.
A renowned master with an exceptional disciple was not uncommon, and there were plenty of precedents in history, so it wasn't particularly surprising.
However, Master Yuan had only taken on three disciples, and two of them had become renowned throughout the land, with Lei Jun drawing particular attention from all sides.
In this situation, the only exception among the three stood out all the more.
Thus, although Wang Guiyuan wasn't particularly remarkable among the disciples participating in the granting of the Lu this time, he still became the most eye-catching one in the crowd.
After the guests of honor scanned the line of disciples from the Heavenly Master's Mansion, their gazes eventually settled on Wang Guiyuan.
Of course, everyone had their own thoughts and speculations, which varied greatly.
Their gazes kept shifting between Wang Guiyuan, Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun, and Chu Kun.
Wang Guiyuan, however, kept his eyes forward, his expression unchanged, a humble and detached smile on his face as he participated in the grand ceremony with the rest of his fellow disciples.
He seemed completely unaware of the attention he was attracting from outsiders.
It was only when he faced Lei Jun, his junior fellow disciple who was serving as the guardian master of the ceremony, that Wang Guiyuan felt a little uneasy...
"Senior brother, what's wrong?" Lei Jun asked.
Wang Guiyuan said, "It's nothing... well, actually, there is something, but it's not a big deal. Your smile just seems a little strange."
It's a bit like that simple drawing you made for Senior Sister Yuan earlier, the one you named "Comical," where the eyes were slanted as if laughing...
"Is it?" Lei Jun asked. "I'm smiling because I'm truly happy for my senior brother."
"Thank you," Wang Guiyuan said.
He completed the ceremony, received his Lu plate and official position, as well as the third volume of the Zhengfa Zhenyi Dadao Jing and advanced talisman manuals. He then changed into a deep red Taoist robe.
With this, all three disciples of Yuan Mobai had passed the Lu ceremony.
After the grand ceremony, Wang Guiyuan's top priority was not anything else but quiet cultivation.
According to him, he was already over fifty years old.
By the standards of lower realm cultivators, he had passed the golden window period most conducive to cultivation and entered the middle-aged plateau phase.
At this stage, it wasn't that there was no hope of further progress, but the speed of cultivation improvement would start to slow down, depending on the diligence of the cultivator's own practice.
Lower realm cultivators over fifty and under a hundred years old were in the most awkward but also the most critical situation in this regard.
If they could rush to the middle realm before the age of a hundred to prolong their lifespan, they would still have a chance in the future, and the earlier the better.
Wang Guiyuan had already cultivated to the perfect third layer of the law altar.
Now, it remained to be seen whether he would be stopped by the tribulations between the third and fourth layers of the heaven realm.
"It feels a bit strange."
On the other side, after the grand ceremony, Tang Xiaotang, who served as the supervising master of the Lu ceremony this time, muttered to herself.
Lei Jun asked, "What do you mean, Junior Sister? Who do you think is strange?"
Tang Xiaotang shook her head. "I'm not sure, but something feels off."
"Was there someone with malicious intentions during the ceremony?" Lei Jun asked.
"No, it doesn't seem like there were any intruders with ill intentions," Tang Xiaotang said. "It just feels a little unnatural, that's all."
"Since Senior Sister has this feeling, I'll make another round of inspections inside and outside the mansion," Lei Jun said.
"Okay, then I'll leave it to you," Tang Xiaotang said.
As she turned to leave, she waved goodbye to Lei Jun. "This year's Lu ceremony is over, and I'll be going into seclusion after this."
Lei Jun also spent the following days mainly on his own cultivation and teaching his disciples.
The severe damage to the two Lin clans in the south and north, as well as the destruction of the Ye clan's ancestral land in Jinzhou, dealt a heavy blow to the prestige of the Tang court's Confucian scholar-officials.
Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang, both famous throughout the land, inevitably became the focus of attention, and the Heavenly Master's Mansion also rose in prestige along with them.
Especially after the First Sacred Site of the Taoist Sect, Chunyang Palace, suffered a great disaster, the Heavenly Master's Mansion stood out all the more.
The title of the First Sacred Site of the Taoist Sect seemed to have a chance to return to the Heavenly Master's Mansion after two hundred years.
However, from a certain point of view, while the current prominent figures of the Heavenly Master's Mansion were outstanding, the overall strength was still lacking, especially the newly initiated disciples, who needed more time to grow. As a result, the Mansion felt somewhat top-heavy.
Of course, as long as they were given some time to recuperate, this situation would improve.
The Jinzhou battle was creating such an environment.
It was just that Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang were too dazzling, giving the impression of a single tree in the forest.
Fortunately, the Vajra Temple had created a huge distraction in the west, drawing the attention of the entire human world.
This was why the Southern Lin Clan's submission to the court didn't immediately trigger a pincer attack from Qingzhou and Suzhou.
The great changes in the Western Regions took many by surprise, so everyone was temporarily quiet, observing the situation.
The Heavenly Master's Mansion could quietly accumulate strength during this period.
The only apparent exception was Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen.
After leaving Dragon and Tiger Mountain, she first went to Witch Mountain (also known as Wu Mountain or Shaman Mountain).
Following the clues she had obtained from the Butterfly King of a Thousand Leaves, she also made a discovery in Wu Mountain.
"This person stayed here for a while in the past, purifying the evil aura of the Butterfly King of a Thousand Leaves' remnants, and also refining other things."
When Lei Jun asked, Xu Yuanzhen briefly explained, "But this place has been abandoned for a long time, and no more traces can be found for the time being. What can be confirmed is that more than one person has been coming and going here."
"So, this is a group?" Lei Jun asked.
Xu Yuanzhen said, "It's possible. I'll continue to investigate later, but for now, I'm going to the Western Regions."
"It's rare to see Senior Sister so persistent about something," Lei Jun commented.
Xu Yuanzhen said, "The more this person tries to hide, the more I want to expose them."
Her trip to the Western Regions this time did not cause as much of a stir as Tang Xiaotang's previous one.
"I'm not in a hurry," Xu Yuanzhen said with a smile. "I want to see more of Zhang Wantong and their dealings."
The Heavenly Master's Mansion had fought the battles in Jiangzhou, Youzhou, and Jinzhou to eliminate the threats it faced, but also to share the worries of the Tang imperial family.
The Lin Clan in Jiangzhou had been thoroughly crippled, and even now, the remnants of the Southern Lin Clan were relying on the court, just like the Xiao Clan in the lands beyond Long Pass in the past.
Although the Lin Clan in Youzhou and the Ye Clan in Jinzhou were not as badly damaged as the Lin Clan in Jiangzhou, they had also suffered heavy losses.
This was the result, but in terms of their original intentions, it was hard to say how respectful Xu Yuanzhen was to the Tang Emperor, let alone loyalty.
"Objectively, Xu Yuanzhen had helped the Tang imperial family and Zhang Wantong, and now, in return, she was happy to watch the turmoil within the Tang court."
"The so-called Sumeru Vajra Sect has a complex lineage and does not originate from a single place."
After her trip to the Western Regions, Xu Yuanzhen had formed a judgment: "These Buddhist disciples are not all descendants of Sumeru, and there must be people from other worlds. Apart from the current human realm, Sumeru also has connections to other worlds."
Lei Jun pondered her words, recalling the damaged and broken exotic realm beyond the 'gateway' above Dahei Mountain. That realm had resembled the Central Plains of the human realm, but without the peculiarities that this realm possessed.
As Xu Yuanzhen had mentioned, after her trip to the Western Regions, she had returned to Witch Mountain.
The mysterious figure's secret cave abode had been directly occupied by Xu Yuanzhen, and she had temporarily taken up residence there.
The Tang imperial family hoped that Xu Yuanzhen would pay a visit to Changjie Island in the East China Sea to investigate Lin Jian and Lin Jinsong's whereabouts and also to study the bizarre spatial gateway that led to an unknown destination.
However, Xu Yuanzhen did not immediately agree to their request, only promising to visit when she had the time. She continued to stay in the cave on Wu Mountain.
The spatial gateway on Changjie Island showed no signs of activity, so the Tang imperial family stationed guards to monitor it and prevent any changes while also prohibiting others from approaching.
The court's attention was also focused on the mainland.
They were busy assimilating Jiangzhou, Jinzhou, and eradicating the remnants of Dakuang Temple, all while keeping a close eye on the Vajra Realm in the Western Regions.
Fortunately, the Vajra Realm did not expand further.
Even after Jia Sheng left Chang'an and returned to the Vajra Realm, there were no significant disturbances.
However, apart from Jia Sheng, there were other high-ranking monks from the Vajra Sect who frequently traveled between the Western Regions and the old capital of Chang'an.
"Their style of operation is different from that of the previous Vajra Temple," noted Lei Jun and others who were paying attention.
In the past, the Vajra Temple was secluded in the Western Regions, maintaining an air of mystery and rarely interacting with the outside world.
Although it was one of the Four Holy Lands of Buddhism, along with Putuo Monastery, Xuantian Temple, and Tianlong Temple, one could easily tell that there were significant differences between the Vajra Temple and the other three temples, and there was a lack of true unity and trust among them.
Many prominent families had tried to infiltrate these Holy Lands, but none had succeeded in planting their people deep within the Vajra Temple.
This was partly due to the temple's seclusion and partly because, as a Buddhist Holy Land, it had fewer opportunities to interact with and conflict with the prominent families of the Central Plains. At most, there had been some conflict with the Xiao Clan of Long Province in the past, and after that, the Vajra Temple's true rivals were only the White Lotus Sect and Dakuang Temple, the two heretical Buddhist sects.
However, the current Vajra Sect from Sumeru was much more proactive in its actions, striking out in all directions.
Chang'an was now permanently occupied by Zhang Jingzhen, who sent back news that the Vajra Sect was actively expanding its influence and was particularly seeking a union and recognition from the Tang imperial family.
Rumors spread that some high-ranking monks of the Vajra Sect had developed close personal relationships with members of the Tang imperial family.
For a while, the border of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty seemed peaceful.
As time passed, people gradually became accustomed to the presence of the Vajra Sect from Sumeru in this human realm.
Lei Jun proceeded at his own pace, diligently cultivating and teaching his disciples.
With his enhanced insight and cultivation base at the Upper Three Heavens realm, Lei Jun felt that he gained new insights into the Dao every day, making him reluctant to leave.
After his disciple Zhuo Bao Jie's cultivation progressed smoothly, Lei Jun finally decided to seclude himself for a period of time to consolidate and further his own understanding.
Time passed slowly in the mountains.
When a high-level cultivator entered seclusion, the duration was unpredictable.
Enlightenment could come in an instant, or it could be a gradual process of accumulation and refinement.
Time flew by, and the seasons changed.
Nearly three years passed in the blink of an eye.
This was Lei Jun's longest period of quiet cultivation since he embarked on the path of cultivation.
When Lei Jun emerged from seclusion, he was forty-four years old.
"Disciple has been in seclusion for a long time and has not been able to assist Master in handling the affairs of the sect. I hope Master will forgive me," Lei Jun apologized to Yuan Mobai.
The purple-robed youth's smile was as warm as a spring breeze, instantly relaxing those around him. "We have been a bit short-staffed, but your diligent cultivation has refined your spiritual power and law, which is a good thing for our sect."
Zhang Jingzhen had returned from Guanzhong to the south of the Great River, to Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
With her help, along with that of Shangguan Ning, they assisted Yuan Mobai in managing the sect's affairs, allowing Tang Xiaotang and Lei Jun, the official Celestial Master and Elder of the sect, to seclude themselves and focus on their cultivation without worrying about external matters.
As for Chang'an, another elder of the sect, who had reached the Six Heavens realm, was permanently stationed there.
As the old capital of the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an was already home to a specialized Taoist observatory established by the Celestial Master's Mansion.
However, after the relocation of the capital, most of the personnel had moved to Luoyang as well.
Chang'an was left with a simple outpost because it was located near the Pure Yang Palace, the holy land of the Dan Ding sect.
Now, this outpost was being expanded.
This did not mean that the Celestial Master's Mansion, a holy land of the Talisman sect, was planning a large-scale expansion to the north to pressure the Pure Yang Palace, which had been badly damaged.
Instead, it was because the current Empress had been residing in the old capital of Chang'an for more than three years, with no signs of returning to the imperial capital of Luoyang anytime soon.
As a result, not only the Celestial Master's Mansion but also other sects and families had correspondingly increased their manpower and set up bases in Chang'an to keep a close eye on the dynamics of the Tang Dynasty.
"Has the Empress left the capital for so long?" Lei Jun raised an eyebrow.
Yuan Mobai nodded slightly.
If some had initially speculated that the Empress's departure from the capital was to lure out hidden enemies and see who would take the initiative to jump onto the stage she had vacated, no one was thinking that way anymore.
It had been too long.
Thus, a bolder speculation began to surface among those who were paying attention.
"Is the Tang Dynasty planning to relocate its capital back to the old capital of Chang'an?" Lei Jun wondered.
The Empress's prolonged absence from the Central Plains and her residence in Guanzhong had taken many by surprise.
The Western Regions were relatively peaceful at the moment, a stark contrast to the intense turmoil that had plagued the region during the previous demon uprising.
Naturally, there was no longer a need for the "Heavenly Emperor to Guard the Frontier."
"Lately, there have indeed been talks of relocating the capital coming from the court," Yuan Mobai nodded slightly.
After the initial surprise, everyone seemed to take the news in stride without much shock.
(End of Chapter)
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