Chapter 563: The Great Daoist Mystery, The Origin of Seeking Good and Avoiding Evil (Part 2)

Chapter 563: The Great Daoist Mystery, The Origin of Seeking Good and Avoiding Evil (Part 2)

After the calamity, the former members of the Celestial Palace wanted to restore it, which was also due to the discovery of the Celestial Palace's ruins and the ancient talismanic tradition.

However...

The founder of the Celestial Master School also perished because of his opposition to the Imperial Heaven, and he was one of the earliest Taoist Profound Truth Realm Heavenly Venerables to fall.

Fortunately, he left behind a few backup plans.

But these backup plans were not for his own rebirth.

Instead, they were to earn a glimmer of hope for future generations.

Since the Supreme God of the Imperial Heaven reigned over the Creation Universe and deeply influenced the Daoist sect, the art of divination and fate prediction within the sect became history.

Other related Daoist traditions also gradually declined.

After the founder of the Celestial Master School perished, the Supreme God of the Imperial Heaven also lost this ability, sowing the seeds of his eventual downfall.

Strictly speaking, just like Lei Jun, the Supreme God of the Imperial Heaven had a clear view of all changes in the past and future.

However, the higher the cultivator's realm, the more challenging it was to discern the details.

And because of this, he missed that crucial glimmer of hope.

For cultivators of such high caliber, victory and defeat often hinge on this glimmer of hope.

Although the founder of the Celestial Master School could not transcend and perished, he sent that glimmer of hope beyond the Creation Universe to a more distant world.

However, this glimmer of hope would eventually return.

It might return in an instant, or it might take thousands or even tens of thousands of years to reappear.

All of this was not something the founder of the Celestial Master School could decide.

If it returned quickly, it might still fall into the hands of the Supreme God of the Imperial Heaven, and the entire history of the Creation Universe would likely change as a result.

However, this glimmer of hope eventually returned, but it was a little late.

It also brought back someone who originally did not belong to this mortal world, the Grand World of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, or the Creation Universe.

"The movement of Qi, a wondrous opportunity in the mortal world, none greater than this," Lei Jun said, gazing at the unfurled bamboo strips and suddenly laughing.

Xu Yuanzhen, the eldest senior sister, acted without concern for gain or loss, following her heart's desires while maintaining a detached and indifferent attitude.

Tang Xiaotang, the younger senior sister, wanted to compete with her, but Xu Yuanzhen didn't care much about winning or losing. Instead, she enjoyed the constant sparks of inspiration that came from exchanging ideas with Tang Xiaotang and Lei Jun.

However, she would never lose when she could win.

Neither Tang Xiaotang nor Lei Jun was her enemy.

But when it came to enemies, she had a different standard.

Therefore, even if Tang Xiaotang and Lei Jun surpassed her, she didn't care much.

Since they first met, Lei Jun's only memory of this senior sister letting her guard down was when she realized that her initial connection with Lei Jun was because of the Celestial Master Seal, which she had overlooked at the time, causing her to miss the opportunity to obtain it.

She let her guard down because she had made a mistake, not because of winning or losing against others.

But actually...

Their initial connection was not because of the Celestial Master Seal, or at least, not entirely.

Lei Jun couldn't help but laugh.

He shook his head slightly, calmed his mind, and continued browsing the bamboo strips.

With his current cultivation level, the mysteries on the bamboo strips held no secrets for him, and he could deduce most of them based on his own cultivation.

In a sense, this was also true for the Supreme God of the Imperial Heaven and the Diyuan Great Thousand World.

Therefore, when the Diyuan Great Thousand World reopened for the first time more than thirty years ago, although it was initially predicted by the bamboo strips and the light sphere, the Diyuan Great Thousand World also had a premonition.

This was a variable that made its future even more unpredictable.

However, it was still predicted in the end.

The founder of the Celestial Master School sent this glimmer of hope beyond the Creation Universe years ago, and it returned later, not a true transcendence, but also not limited by the current Creation Universe.

At this moment, Lei Jun thoroughly understood the secrets of the bamboo strips and the light sphere. He combined his knowledge and experiences and found confirmation, and countless divine inspirations burst forth in his mind.

Lei Jun stared at the bamboo strips in his sea of consciousness.

Then, in reality, he reached out his hand.

His hand seemed to enter an illusory "door."

In his sea of consciousness, a similar "door" appeared next to the shimmering bamboo strips, and Lei Jun's palm appeared, grasping the bamboo strips.

Then, he took out the bamboo strips.

This illusory and ethereal existence, at this moment, solidified in Lei Jun's palm.

As Lei Jun continued browsing the bamboo strips, he gained more insights.

Through reading the bamboo strips, his mind gradually rose, leaving the Sanqing Sanbao Fairy Land, the Penglai Sea, and the Grand World of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, entering the void beyond the realm.

Then, he rose even higher.

He felt that for a moment, he seemed to have left the entire Creation Universe and traveled beyond the heavens.

He returned to the direction from which he had once come.

In another realm of creation, a blue planet appeared in Lei Jun's field of vision.

He seemed to be standing alone, silently falling into it.

The two realms of creation, with their fundamental laws and rules, had significant differences, resulting in distortions.

For Lei Jun, personally, since the moment he left, time in this realm of creation seemed to have come to a complete standstill.

Perhaps, after he himself had truly transcended and ascended to a higher realm over two hundred years ago, he could freely travel to other realms of creation.

At that time, the passing of time in another realm of creation would not affect this one.

For the realm of creation where the Blue Star was originally located, Lei Jun, at this moment, might be the visitor.

As for how he was able to leave here, it was all because of the bamboo slips.

Whether it was entirely the work of the Ancestral Celestial Master or involved a higher existence, it was currently unknown.

After all, not only the Three Pure Ones of the Taoist School, but even other powerful beings who had already transcended, had never returned to or interfered with that realm of creation.

Or perhaps, if they had interfered, those who had not transcended would be unaware of it? The answer to this question might need to be left for the future to reveal.

Lei Jun did not reject the unknown.

He did not dwell on related matters, and his mind began to withdraw.

He returned to the realm of creation where he had been cultivating all this time.

In the Grand World of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, within the Three Pure Ones Fairy Land of Mount Penglai.

Lei Jun continued to gaze at the bamboo slip in his hand, shimmering with light.

After a round trip, many things became clearer.

For those in the Taoist School, the number "three" was indeed significant.

He was connected to his senior sister Xu Yuanzhen and junior sister Tang Xiaotang, and they also ended up here.

The bamboo slips left by the Ancestral Celestial Master brought great fortune to the Taoist School.

However, this fortune did not solely depend on a single bamboo scroll.

To some extent, it was shared among the three.

Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen, in her youth, did not exhibit exceptional talent. Like Lei Jun, Chu Kun, and others, she had to enhance her root bone and understanding through postnatal cultivation.

The issue was that she found it much easier than most people in this regard.

Rare heavenly treasures and earthly treasures were everywhere, and she often gathered them effortlessly.

If one were to speak of opportunities, she had them in abundance.

Or rather, it was a grand opportunity that could continuously come into play.

Junior Sister Tang Xiaotang had a clear and bright heart, discerning good from evil, and was adept at avoiding danger. Her keen perception was a rarity in the world.

Similar abilities were not exclusive to her; other cultivators possessed them as well, but they were often applied against opponents of equal or lower strength. It was rare for them to perceive threats from higher realms.

Tang Xiaotang's unique ability was that when those stronger than her harbored evil intentions, she could keenly sense the hidden dangers and disadvantages they posed to her.

Now, having understood the mysteries of the bamboo slips, Lei Jun realized that their extraordinary nature stemmed from the same source as his own bamboo slips.

To be precise, when the bamboo slips were about to return to this realm of creation, they split into two, and then two became three, collectively carrying the fortune of the Taoist School.

However, due to the distortions caused by the spacetime boundaries between realms of creation, they eventually ended up here in the Grand World of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, forming a misalignment.

Xu Yuanzhen was the first.

Tang Xiaotang was the second.

Lei Jun, carrying the bamboo slips, was the last to appear in the mortal realm.

Despite the time difference, the gap was not significant, and they all ended up in the same era.

Speaking of which, in this era, there was a slight possibility that someone could seize this opportunity, and that person was Di Yuan... Lei Jun thought.

But at the moment, Di Yuan was being sealed in the Earth Realm of Di Yuan's Grand World.

Fate and destiny, as they say, are mysterious and profound.

Although Di Yuan had taken precautions, making it difficult for the bamboo slips to predict his future, Lei Jun could still try to activate them in another way by taking out the physical bamboo slips.

Before him, an invisible "door" formed by the interweaving of profound and mysterious energy flows appeared.

Lei Jun placed the bamboo slips in his hand into the "door."

The bamboo slips disappeared within the "door," and the "door" seemed to show no change.

Lei Jun sat opposite it.

At this moment, his Three Caverns, Three Heavens, and Three Pure Ones realm, after achieving the Taoist Cultivation Realm, underwent a transformation.

It was as if it had regressed, reverting to the form of the Hun-Dun Yellow Universe.

Furthermore, it was once again divided into two, standing side by side.

In the days that followed, everything proceeded as usual, and he continued his quiet cultivation.

In the next few years, after Meng Shaojie and Zhuo Baojie, Xiao Xueling and Xing Feng successively broke through.

By the time Lei Jun reached 280 years of age, two more cultivators reached the Xianjing Er Zhong realm in the Grand World.

With their improved cultivation, Xiao Xueling and Xing Feng went to the Three Pure Ones Fairy Land of Mount Penglai to express their gratitude to Lei Tianzun.

At the Longhu Mountain Taoist Assembly, both of them had benefited greatly from the lectures.

Not only them, but many others had received help.

Time passed, and years went by.

Within the next ten years, Shen Qu Bing and Chu Yu also made progress. Shen Qu Bing attained the second level of the Martial Immortal Realm, while Chu Yu completed the second of the Three Perfections of Confucianism, reaching the second level of the Confucian Saint Realm.

Apart from them, after Nie Fang, a new Immortal from the Xuanji Pavilion's Yan Shi lineage joined the ranks.

Niu Gu Shou, the second-generation master of Xuanji Pavilion, successfully opened the Immortal Gate.

This second-generation master of Xuanji Pavilion was well-known in the mortal realm of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Grand World, and his reputation, along with the controversies surrounding him, spread to other Grand Worlds, adding a legendary color to his name.

As the most outstanding cultivator of Xuanji Pavilion after Nie Fang, he had many innovative ideas under his belt.

Most of these ideas had far-reaching influences on the current cultivation world's alchemy, artifact crafting, and resource gathering.

For this reason, and also because of Nie Fang and Niu Gu Shou's successive ascension to immortality, the history of the Xuanji Pavilion lineage, though only spanning a mere two hundred years, held significant weight in the cultivation world.

The controversies surrounding Niu Gu Shou were due to the fact that many of his innovative ideas were not limited to the cultivation world but were also applied to benefit the common people.

After he took over Xuanji Pavilion, in addition to the disciples within the pavilion, he even established another Taoist academy, which has since grown in scale and is now known as the "Gong Yuan."

Among the students there were those who had failed in their cultivation, yet they were still kept, not as servants or dependents, but as independent learners who referenced the teachings while setting up specialized courses for themselves.

By now, all of this had become quite established, and the results were remarkable.

In his early years, Niu Gu Shou himself had improved the design of the charcoal iron furnace, transforming the single furnace with a single chamber for carbon and iron into a double furnace with separate fire and iron chambers, allowing for a leap in smelting technology for the common folk, reducing impurities in the refined iron and producing the first steel.

Nowadays, students from the Gong Yuan have further improved the bellows part of this smelting method, making it even more suitable for blowing the flames from the fire chamber into the iron chamber to melt the iron.

This development was particularly pleasing to Niu Gu Shou.

These methods, for cultivators, were not worth mentioning.

But how many Qi Refinement cultivators would be willing to guard a furnace used to smelt iron for ordinary people?

Even if someone was willing, they could gather a considerable number, but they could directly improve the blast furnace process, allowing ordinary people to operate it. Why not do it?

As this unfolded and continued to develop, what impact would it have on the mortal world, and how grand would it be?

Furthermore, many things often do not exist in isolation.

The continuous development of metallurgy led to increased demand and requirements for coal mining.

Similarly, the discovery of more high-quality mineral deposits also promoted the innovation of new smelting techniques.

Before this, Niu Gushu had personally discovered a large, high-quality coal mine during his travels in the mortal world.

Around this area, not only did iron smelting develop rapidly, but students from Gongyuan also imitated volcanic ash to create a new type of mud used in construction.

In fact, Niu Gushu had been involved in related research from an early age.

However, just because it was easy for him, a powerful cultivator, didn't mean everyone could do it.

To create this mud, extremely high kiln temperatures were required, not only for the kiln itself but also for powerful coal combustion, similar to porcelain and glass.

Under normal circumstances, the cost would be prohibitively high for ordinary people, and it would not be practical for the intended use.

It wasn't until Niu Gushu and others discovered and mined even higher quality, cheaper, and more abundant coal deposits that the mud and iron smelting had the opportunity to develop formally.

Even then, there were still considerations related to transportation and shipping costs that affected further development and promotion.

But as time went on, more and more changes like this were sprouting in the Grand World, and the pace of innovation was accelerating.

The birth of new things was welcomed by some and rejected by others.

There was no mistake about it, and everyone was paying attention.

The Xuanji Pavilion, affiliated with Gongyuan, often led the trend.

For ordinary people, the new things used and promoted by the powerful cultivators were even more appealing and inspiring.

In recent news, a Daoist from Longhu Mountain Tianshi Palace, who had completed his apprenticeship, had set a precedent by going to study at Xuanji Pavilion of Gongyuan.

Longhu Mountain Tianshi Palace had always been a sacred place for the Daoist School, with a high threshold for entry.

Even so, due to various reasons, there were still those who couldn't achieve greatness.

If a Daoist apprentice couldn't meet the standards to participate in the grand ceremony, they might have to leave and return to the mortal world, working in various industries inside and outside the mountain.

These regulations had long been established.

However, as Longhu Mountain Tianshi Palace's reputation grew in recent years, it had become the de facto top sacred site, yet they didn't expand aggressively. With many aspiring cultivators, the entry requirements became even more stringent.

As a result, those who couldn't make the cut became rarer, and almost everyone could pass the ceremony and become formal disciples.

But nothing is absolute, and there were always a few exceptions.

These Daoist apprentices who couldn't participate in the ceremony were still arranged according to the old customs.

It was only in recent years that some had started to turn to Xuanji Pavilion of Gongyuan for their studies.

Some of them were even recommended by Longhu Mountain Tianshi Palace.

By now, there were already successful cultivators who had emerged from this path.

However, they were all Daoist apprentices before.

Strictly speaking, they couldn't be considered formal disciples of Tianshi Palace.

But now, the first disciple from Longhu Mountain who had completed his apprenticeship had turned to study at Xuanji Pavilion of Gongyuan.

When this news spread, it naturally attracted attention from all directions.

Although he was just a young disciple at the second level of the Foundation Establishment realm, first, going from Tianshi Palace to Xuanji Pavilion was seen as a step down in the public eye, and second, going from Xuanji Pavilion to Gongyuan at the foot of the mountain was a shift from the cultivation world to the secular world.

For those whose paths had already come to an end, it was fine, but for those with bright futures, it was like going against the flow in front of everyone.

People couldn't help but speculate about this.

"If someone has already considered it, we don't need to interfere."

The current Tianshi, Chi Haifeng, met Niu Gushu after the latter had finished his seclusion. He smiled and said, "Congratulations, fellow cultivator. You've worked hard."

Niu Gushu replied, "Tianshi, you flatter me. Your esteemed sect cares for the common people, and your desire to bring blessings to the masses is admirable."

Given his talent, even on the path of cultivation, his future is still bright."

Chi Haifeng smiled and said, "You are the best example in this regard."

Niu Gushu said, "I'm embarrassed, but I do hope that there will be more examples like me, so that future generations can have fewer worries and more fellow cultivators will be attracted to join."

I'm also grateful for the Tianshi's help over the years. If not for that, some things wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

Chi Haifeng smiled and shook his head, "I'm not worthy of such praise. It's the foundation laid by my teacher's uncle and Master Zhuo. I'm just following in their footsteps."

Niu Gushu said, "Tianshi, you're too kind."

After Lei Tianzun set the initial tone, and through the previous Tianshi, Zhuo Baojie, to the current Tianshi, Chi Haifeng, many things have continued.

However, people are different, and it's not possible for them to be exactly the same.

Compared to Zhuo Baojie's relatively peaceful past, Chi Haifeng is more flamboyant.

He is a genius with exceptional comprehension, broad interests, and a wide network of friends.

Before assuming the position of Tianshi, he had already ascended to immortality. After taking over, like Lei Jun and Zhuo Baojie, he rarely involved himself in the specific affairs of the palace or the mortal world.

Most of the time, he interacted with fellow cultivators from various sects, exploring the mysteries of the Dao.

This naturally included Xuanji Pavilion, and Chi Haifeng had particularly close interactions with Nie Fang and Niu Gushu.

During this time, they sparked countless inspirational ideas and created numerous new insights.

Many of these were related to cultivation, but there were also those that could be directly applied in the mortal world.

Compared to Zhuo Baojie, Chi Haifeng had less involvement in the mortal world, but during his tenure, his influence on the mortal world surpassed Zhuo Baojie's.

Of course, this was also due to Zhuo Baojie's previous stable and solid foundation.

By the time Chi Haifeng's term was up, he could also be described as having accumulated much and now unleashing it.

"I heard that the Grand Tang and Later Han both have plans to open a Gongyuan in their academies?" Chi Haifeng asked.

Niu Gushu nodded, "The Grand Tang Academy has actually had the foundation for this in recent years, and now they're taking it a step further. The Later Han also has the foundation, and Prince of the Later Han, as well as the laymen Geng and Gu, have shown interest."

The current ruler of the Later Han Dynasty was Zhou Pu.

However, after he ascended to immortality, his situation became similar to Zhang Wantong's.

"Once the situation at Gongyuan stabilizes a bit, I also plan to pass on the position of Pavilion Master to the younger generation in the future," Niu Gushu said.

Chi Haifeng asked with great interest, "I heard that Gongyuan has invented a new machine that can automatically move back and forth using steam power, without the need for human labor?"

Niu Gushu replied, "That's true, but it's still very rough."

Although he said this, he, like Chi Haifeng across from him, was enthusiastic when discussing this matter.

Such things were not uncommon for them.

But this was something completely created and improved upon by ordinary people, and they cherished it.

"Currently, it's still in its infancy and can only rely on a few people's efforts, but the consumption is immense." Niu Gu Shou spoke, "Compared to hiring more workers, it's not as effective, so continuous improvements are necessary, and the associated costs will also be enormous."

His mention of "a few people" and "costs" was, of course, in reference to ordinary mortals.

Chi Haifeng was lost in thought, "In my opinion, it has great potential, but the concern is whether we should get involved or not?"

This news not only caught the attention of Chi Haifeng and Niu Gu Shou but also Zhuo Baojie and Nie Fang.

Upon hearing this, Lei Jun chose to observe quietly.

For the cultivation world, interrupting such a process was as easy as turning one's palm.

This was not even as fragile as a young seedling; it had just begun to sprout.

However, allowing it to develop naturally might lead to the world and society being completely overturned within a few hundred years, a world that had existed for thousands of years.

The current era would witness unimaginable productivity, wealth accumulation, and material civilization.

Along with this, there might also be darkness and bloodshed.

But from Lei Jun's perspective, whether it was life expectancy or living standards, it would ultimately be a world more conducive to the survival of ordinary people compared to the current era.

Therefore, Lei Jun was willing to see such a world come to fruition.

From Zhuo Baojie and Nie Fang to Hu Hengyuan, as well as Zhang Taogang, Xie Yiying, and Yu Boyan from the Shushan School, and now Chi Haifeng, Niu Gu Shou, and Cai Yu, everything was on the right track.

Niu Gu Shou paid attention to secular changes but never forgot the connection between the secular world and the cultivation world.

Aside from his own cultivation level increasing as he led by example, the secular world also continuously supported the cultivation of cultivators from the sidelines, thus attracting more and more cultivators to actively immerse themselves in it.

Lei Jun's figure disappeared into the Sanqing Sanbao Fairy Land.

Calculating the days, on the other hand, the results would also be ready soon.

When he reappeared, he appeared in the Jiangdong region of the Scholar Forest World.

There, the former residence of the Saint Yan Aoyun stood.

After the great calamity, it had been uninhabited for decades.

But the courtyard was clean, and someone swept it regularly.

Today, a monument stood tall.

The Confucian Sage Zhang Wantong of the Xianjing Sanzhong, Jiao Feiyang, and the Celestial Masters Zhang Hui and Xiao Chunhui of the Xianjing Erzhong were all present.

Upon the arrival of the Taoist Celestial Master Lei Jun, everyone bowed to him, but no one spoke.

Lei Jun also remained silent, nodding slightly in return, and his gaze fell upon the monument before him.

There, numerous tiny specks of light hovered and flickered, and their numbers continued to grow.

As time passed, the speed at which the specks of light gathered also increased.

It was as if they had broken through a critical point, and as the fine dust particles condensed, the surface of the monument itself began to emit a bright light, like a night fire.

The firelight was warm and bright, not scorching, but it seemed to signify, record, and perpetuate the fire of life and civilization.

Finally, at some point, a gentle breeze seemed to blow through the courtyard, in front of the monument.

Lei Jun, upon seeing this, nodded slightly again.

In front of Zhang Wantong, a book with flickering white mirror light appeared and quickly flipped through the pages.

Zhang Hui, Xiao Chunhui, and Jiao Feiyang all let out a sigh of relief.

Today, the Confucian Saint Yan Aoyun's life was revived and reborn, returning to the mortal world.

In front of the monument, the specks of light gathered, and a human figure began to emerge.

After a while, a scholar in Confucian robes stepped out.

It was none other than Yan Aoyun, who had died at the hands of Di Yuan's fist.

As Yan Aoyun walked out of the faint light, he seemed somewhat lost for a moment.

But upon accepting the collective will and aspirations of all beings, he quickly understood the situation.

He possessed the root bone of Wenqu Xingzhao, which illuminated the lives of all beings, and with the wisdom of the Confucian Sage, his ability to revive and recover far surpassed that of other Confucian Saints of the same realm.

After reaching the realm of the Confucian Saint, his knowledge became even more profound, and with the existence of all beings, where his will went, there was a possibility of returning to life.

Of course, the so-called possibility varied in magnitude, and the specifics still depended on the circumstances.

However, Di Yuan's fist, which dominated creation, shattered the rules.

That unmatched fist intent could sever an opponent's ability to revive, both physically and spiritually, leaving them with no chance of resurrection.

Many immortals and Buddhas in the past, and in recent years, the Taiyi Shaman Sovereign, who had reached the level of the Wu God, had all perished because of this.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end