Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 336 Unwavering Ambition, Profound Silence and Thunderous Sound

"The Supreme Cavern Divine Incantation Scripture - Volume Thirteen - Dragon King Chapter".

Cheng Xinzhan's heart skipped a beat when he saw those words.

The *Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing* (Scripture of the Supreme Cavern Divine Incantation) consists of twenty volumes and twenty chapters. It was not written by one person at one time, but rather compiled by dozens of eminent monks and virtuous men during the Jin Dynasty.

This technique is one of the highest scriptures of Taoism, and very few people have even heard of it, let alone seen it. Cheng Xinzhan knew about it because Ge Hong, the founder of the Sanqing Mountain sect, was one of the compilers of this scripture. He learned this from the sect leader on one occasion when he often talked to him.

The period around the Jin Dynasty was the third great flourishing of Taoism since the pre-Qin and Eastern Han Dynasties. Many prominent Taoist sects that still exist today, such as Shangqing Juqu Mountain, Wanfa Sanqing Mountain, Lingbaoge Zao Mountain, and Jingming Sanyuan Mountain, were founded and established by numerous Celestial Masters and True Immortals during this period. In addition, there were figures like Master Kou, Master Zhenbai, and Master Jianji, who either purified or promoted a sect, or even unified several sects.

During that period, various schools and sects of Taoism frequently exchanged ideas, held discussions and debates, and gave birth to many doctrinal classics, rituals, and various mysterious spells. Among them was the "Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing," a culmination of the Taoist lineage and spells of the Supreme Daoist Lord Lingbao Tianzun. It was created by Ge Xuan, the Celestial Master, who gathered dozens of eminent figures who possessed the lineage of Lingbao Tianzun. It is the supreme Taoist text for the art of praying to gods and summoning spirits.

Ge Hong, the Immortal Elder, cultivated all three Pure Ones' teachings and also participated in compiling the teachings, creating Volumes Four and Five, which are divided into two parts: "Killing Ghosts" and "Suppressing Ghosts."

However, the masters of that time created their methods on a whim. They each compiled their own methods into volumes and then circulated them among themselves for reference, commentary, and learning. But they did not compile them into a single book. Therefore, only those masters who participated in the creation of the methods at that time knew the complete version.

Moreover, these masters possessed innate Taoist skills and extremely high moral character. In their own lineage, they only passed down the Taoist techniques they created and did not reveal the techniques created by others. Therefore, to this day, no one in the world knows the complete version, and even fewer have heard of it.

What's even more regrettable is that those who participated in compiling the scriptures were not only missionary masters, but also some reclusive immortals and hermits. After these people ascended to heaven or passed away, their creations were lost to anyone and thus became extinct.

Cheng Xinzhan never expected that he would find a surviving volume of the "Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing" here!
But this scripture is a Taoist divine art, how could the Dragon Lord possess it?

That's right! A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately remembered that the Dragon Lord had listened to the teachings of Master Xiyi and learned orthodox Taoist magic!
Master Xiyi was a high-ranking Daoist of the Hidden Immortals School, a disciple of Ma Yizi, whose lineage can be traced back to Master Wenshi. If this is the lineage, then it is not surprising that someone participated in the compilation of the *Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing*. Furthermore, it is said that before giving birth to Master Xiyi, his mother dreamed of a blue dragon entering her womb. Master Xiyi also created the *Yilong Tu*, took the Fire Dragon Immortal as his disciple, and transmitted his teachings to the Dragon King who was then bringing rain to the Huai River. All these signs indicate that Master Xiyi had an inextricable connection with the dragon race, which may explain the origin of the "Dragon King's Inscription."

Could it be that during the Jin Dynasty, there was a high-ranking Daoist from the Dragon Clan in the Hidden Immortal Sect?

Cheng Xinzhan calmed himself down, closed the golden box, and thought that his thoughts were too turbulent to read the scriptures today. Moreover, there might be some strange phenomena that might occur. He decided to wait until he had set up the restrictions and read the scriptures carefully in a quiet room after burning incense.

Furthermore, I must inform the sect leader about this matter; we owe him a huge favor.

Cheng Xinzhan carefully stored the golden letter into the void, and then opened the third gift, a jade box, which was a gift from Commander Ni.

He opened it and saw a pair of tiger and rhinoceros paperweights inside a green silk lining.

Both paperweights have long, rectangular bases. One features a tiger with its head raised and roaring, its claws outstretched and its lines distinct, appearing to be made of brass. The other features a rhinoceros with its head bowed, seemingly drinking water leisurely, its body rounded and full, likely made of white jade.

Cheng Xinzhan was delighted to see the paperweights. They clearly embodied the concepts of yin and yang, and the expressions of the tiger and rhinoceros were exquisitely carved. He reached out to pick them up and examine them, but their heavy weight surprised him. He lifted the golden tiger with a little effort, examining it closely. The more he looked, the more he liked it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed an inscription on the side of the base, bearing five characters:
"A fierce will remains steadfast."

So he put down the golden tiger and went to get the jade rhinoceros, and sure enough, he saw the other half of the inscription, which read:
"Silent yet thunderous."

Cheng Xinzhan carefully put away the paperweight, feeling somewhat moved. He wondered how everyone's gifts today had all been so perfectly suited to his tastes. He was truly fortunate to have such friends.

The fourth gift was from Gu Yi, a small green pouch the size of a palm.

He untied the knot of the green pouch, held it to his palm, and poured out its contents.

In a flash of inspiration, the thing inside grew in the wind and transformed into an ancient zither lying horizontally in my palm!

Cheng Xinzhan looked at the guqin, and even her breathing became lighter.

What kind of instrument is this?
It follows the style of Fuxi, with a total length of four feet and one inch, a shoulder width of six and eight-tenths inches, and a tail width of five inches.

The head of the zither is domed, the neck hangs down gracefully, the waist is folded like the moon, the tail is wide and slightly raised, and the gums are supported steadily and elegantly, exuding an ancient and profound charm.

The lacquer is a clear, deep blue-green, like the sky after rain or the shimmering light of the deep sea. The patterns resemble the belly of a dragon, interspersed with the texture of water ripples. The layers of lacquer are smooth and lustrous, shining like spring waves reflecting the sun in the light, and like a dragon lurking in an ancient well in the shadows.

One glance for thousands of years.

The back of the zither is engraved with four seal characters: “碧海潮生” (The tide rises over the blue sea).

Cheng Xinzhan gently placed her hand on it.

"Ling—"

It flows gently, like snow cascading down a stream.

He plucked the strings a few more times, and the clear, resonant sound of the zither reached the sea, like waves and tides, with the faint roar of a dragon.

At the same time, at the foot of Tiecha Mountain, a sudden surge of waves crashed against the shore like flying snow, wave after wave, seemingly harmonizing with the music.

Cheng Xinzhan stopped plucking the strings and began to gently stroke the instrument, gazing at it with rapt attention. Undoubtedly, this was a superior zither. Among all the zithers Cheng Xinzhan had ever played, apart from "Tianfeng Songxue," no other Buddhist zither could compare to it.

The Taoist priest loved playing the zither, but after playing "Heavenly Wind and Pine Snow," he rarely played it anymore. The difference was indeed too great, and it was unpleasant to the ear.

But I never expected to receive such a zither today.

"Azure Sea Tide"—this is a name I've never heard before. Is it an ancient zither or a new one? Who crafted this zither? After Lei Xian's passing, are there still immortal craftsmen in the world?
Just then, a note slipped out of the pouch and fell to the ground. Cheng Xinzhan bent down to pick it up and saw that it contained these few lines of writing.
"I have heard that the refined find joy in the zither, the wise find pleasure in water, and you possess both. Therefore, I have personally cut a piece of paulownia wood to present to you, hoping you will not reject it. The open strings of this zither are as vast as the ocean, like your magnanimity; the harmonics are as clear as the bright moon, like your virtuous character; the stopped strings are as far-reaching as the deep tide, resonating with your thoughts. Hence the name: Azure Sea Tide Rises."

The Emperor's grace is as vast as the sea, and cannot be repaid with anything. I can only express my heartfelt gratitude on the occasion of the opening of my government.

Gu Yijin was meticulous.

After reading it, the Taoist priest was speechless for a moment.

Afterwards, Cheng Xinzhan put the precious zither into the Water Palace, returned the note to the Green Pouch, and then put it into the Void Realm.

Then, he opened the cloth bag that Xin Shu had given him. Inside was a scroll. He opened it and smiled knowingly. It was a musical score for the zither, titled "Dragon's Roar in the Vast Ocean".

He put it back into the cloth bag and kept it safe.

Feng Jihu gave him a Taixu Talisman. Cheng Xinzhan was curious about how much he had prepared that required a talisman to hold it, so he probed inside and found a pile of bottles and jars with labels on them.

Agarwood, sandalwood, cypress seeds, nard, agarwood, mugwort, calamus...

Cheng Xinzhan smiled upon seeing these. These were all raw materials for making incense. It was a wonder that his fellow Daoist still remembered his incense-making skills. Was he suggesting that he relax his cultivation and spend more time blending incense?
It was quite a coincidence that, apart from the scriptures given by the Dragon Lord, all the other gifts he gave were things unrelated to cultivation: tea, paperweights, zithers, scores, and incense.

Pu Jixuan presented Cheng Xinzhan with a piece of brocade and a piece of silk, which he liked very much, just what he wanted. However, he wasn't thinking about making clothes from them, but rather about using them as a base to create a silk handkerchief magic artifact.

Previously in the Demon-Locking Tower, to conceal his identity, prevent detection, and confuse his opponents, he mixed the Five-Colored Poisonous Clouds miasma he had gathered from Kanli Mountain with the Cloud Hall Qi, Heavy Cloud Qi, and Rotten Peach Qi, which proved quite effective. Later, he acquired the "Rainbow Robe Wind Horse Qi" and "Empty Mountain Smoke Tree Qi," both possessing similar illusionary and transformative effects, in the tower. These, when combined, proved quite useful when ambushing the demons of Wuliang Mountain. With so much poisonous miasma, it wasn't just for concealment; it could be used to trap and kill enemies, making it impossible for even a Golden Core cultivator to escape. At that time, he considered refining these poisonous miasma into a magical artifact that existed between reality and illusion, much like Ye Yuanjing's "Five Sacred Mountains Brocade Cloud Handkerchief," allowing for free control and preventing the dissipation and waste of Qi and Qi, while also making it more convenient for combat.

However, crafting such magical artifacts requires either the cultivation of cloud-weaving techniques or the use of readily available spiritual materials like cloud brocade. Cheng Xinzhan possessed neither and had other matters to attend to, so the matter was shelved. Now, with cloud brocade delivered to his doorstep, he could finally complete the task before his tribulation, and then integrate it into the Iron Chariot Mountain formation to conceal the tribulation clouds.

Let's take another look at what my third sister gave me.

It was a box of charcoal.

Its shape and color are very similar to a snowball. It is also cool to the touch, but extremely heavy. Its surface is smooth, without pores or gaps, and dense like silver. When you tap it lightly with your finger, it makes a clear, metallic sound.

This is a rare and exquisite silver charcoal. It is excellent for heating, brewing tea, and warming wine.

What's even more interesting is that each silver charcoal is imprinted with a tiny cat's paw, seemingly reminding Cheng Xinzhan that the cat made it itself.

It seems that Yongliang and the Lion have conspired with the Third Sister. The former gave her a purple clay teapot with a "money-biting rat" carved on it, symbolizing a money tree. The latter gave her a stone brazier, also with a lion's head carved on it in simple and bold lines.

It's a perfect set.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled happily. Although there were still sixteen months before his tribulation, he knew that the days ahead would not be boring. Brewing tea, reading scriptures, playing the zither, making incense, and weaving clouds—everything seemed to be something to look forward to.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As the autumn wind blew, it blew white frost onto the earth, which then began to mix with some white foam. When the northern coast of the Yellow Sea began to freeze, the white foam turned into snowflakes as big as goose feathers, and the depths of winter arrived.

Despite the heavy snowfall, Cheng Xinzhan's Yunguang Cave was warm and filled with the aroma of tea.

He glanced at the sky; the sun was about to set, and he knew the time was approaching. He put away the scriptures in his hands, then took the teapot from the brazier, and then took out the charcoal ball from the brazier. The charcoal was still burning, emitting a bluish flame, but without any smoke; instead, it had a faint woody fragrance.

He couldn't bear to waste this "cat's paw charcoal"—a name he gave himself. One of these charcoal balls could burn for a month, but the one in front of him had only burned for less than ten days. He put the charcoal ball into a ceramic pot, put the lid on, and the charcoal went out. He could take it out and light it again next time to continue using it.

He had already prepared the gift box, so he took it and left.

Tonight, the Prince of Laodong's mansion will hold a banquet to crown the heir apparent, and he has been invited to attend.

Although Cheng Xinzhan preferred small gatherings and quiet conversations to grand banquets and formalities, the Prince of Laodong had personally visited him when he established his own residence, and they had made an appointment as friends and neighbors. It would be extremely impolite to refuse the invitation from the host.

He arrived at the foot of the mountain, stepped into the sea, and a flash of fire on his body melted the ice, allowing him to enter the sea.

Huanghai Ninth Road, except for Jingji Road, is named after its location, which is simple and easy to understand. The sea area division is much easier to recognize than that of the East China Sea.

The Huaihe River estuary forms the boundary between Huainan Road and Huaibei Road; Jeju Island forms the boundary between Jidong Road and Jixi Road; and Chengbei Road and Chengnan Road form the boundary between Chengshan Cape. This sea area north of Beijing and south of the Shandong Peninsula, located east of Laoshan Mountain, is named Laodong Road. This sea area east of Beijing and west of the Lelang Peninsula is called Lexi Road.

As the saying goes, "what the superiors do, the inferiors follow." The two Great Sages of the East Sea preferred to live on islands, so all their demon kings and leaders lived on islands. On the other hand, the Dragon King of the Yellow Sea preferred to live underwater, so all the kings of the Yellow Sea built their palaces on the seabed.

After entering the sea, Cheng Xinzhan headed southwest. Before long, he saw a brightly lit underwater city in front of him.

This was his first time here. Last time, when he was undergoing his tribulation, he went into the sea with Ni Wenyu, heading southeast all the way to the Dragon Palace of the Capital Region, just missing the capital city of Laodong. The seabed is vast, unlike the land, it is truly sparsely populated, and a slight difference in direction can lead to drastically different destinations.

As he approached the city, he saw a huge rock by the roadside with the four large characters "Changrong Prefecture City" inscribed on it. He continued forward and came to the city gate, where the three characters "Gongchen Gate" were written on the north gate.

The place is already bustling with activity and traffic.

The King of Laodong must have given prior notice; there were many servants at the gate to greet guests. One of them spotted the young Taoist priest who had come alone at a glance and hurried over to greet him, bowing from afar.
"May I ask if you are the immortal master of the scriptures?"

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and nodded.

The servant said repeatedly.
"At the master's request, my lord has been longing for you for a long time."

"Thank you."

The servant wanted to take the carriage, but Cheng Xinzhan firmly declined. The servant had no choice but to apologize and then flew into the city with Cheng Xinzhan, not daring to waste any time.

Although Changrong Prefecture cannot compare to the Dragon Palace, it is still a first-rate prosperous city, surpassing even the major cities on land.

Soon, the two arrived at a magnificent mansion with a plaque above the gate that read: Laodong Prince's Mansion.

The servant led Cheng Xinzhan through the middle gate and all the way to the main hall of the Prince's mansion.

At this time, there were already seven or eight people in the main hall, chatting and laughing. When they saw Cheng Xinzhan arrive, Yan Zhengyang, the Prince of Laodong, went to the door to greet him.

"The scripture teacher has arrived!"

Yan Zhengyang laughed loudly.

Cheng Xinzhan handed over the gift and smiled.
"Congratulations to the Prince of Zhen and the Crown Prince on their coronation! May the auspicious signs of the unicorn's hoof be auspicious, and may they carry on the legacy of the imperial family; may the imperial glory bestow blessings upon them, and may their lineage be as solid as a rock forever."

Yan Zhengyang laughed loudly.
"Haha! Thank you for your kind words, Master!"

Yan Zhengyang took the gift, then handed it to the master of ceremonies standing beside him. He then stepped aside and extended his arm to invite Cheng Xinzhan inside.

“Master, please.”

"please."

At this moment, everyone in the main hall looked at the young Taoist priest who needed to be greeted by the town king, and Cheng Xinzhan also turned his gaze to the people in the hall.

Surprisingly, there were two acquaintances among them.

One of them was Gu Yi, which goes without saying. Prince Gu was enfeoffed in Leping, which is located in Huaibei, but it is adjacent to Laodong Road. Yan Zhengyang could not possibly not invite this imperial brother-in-law and newly enfeoffed prince who suddenly arrived in Huanghai.

The second acquaintance surprised Cheng Xinzhan. It was neither Xinshu nor Ni Dianshuai, but a Taoist priest who was also very young and had met him once decades ago.

Xue Lixing, a disciple of Laoshan.

The Taoist priest also recognized Cheng Xinzhan at first glance, and his eyes showed the same surprise.

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(End of this chapter)