Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 391 Star Pulse in Crisis, The Story of Sazu (6 words presented, please support with monthly votes~)

Since the sect leader had issued an edict, although it was merely a question asking if he was free and could return to the sect for a meeting, and the tone wasn't particularly urgent, it was clear that anything that could alarm the sect leader and warrant his summons was no small matter. Therefore, Cheng Xinzhan dared not delay and hurriedly rode the lion back to the sect.

After placing the lion on the flat-topped mountain, Cheng Xinzhan entered the Sanqing Palace.

Upon entering the hall, Cheng Xinzhan discovered that, in addition to Ji Hehe, Marshal Kui and Fa Wujiu, the lord of Yaoguang Mountain, were also present.

"Sect Leader, Marshal, Master of Fashan."

Cheng Xinzhan greeted them one by one.

He wasn't very familiar with the other two in the hall. Marshal Kui had only recently awakened, so the two hadn't seen each other much. However, as the sect's literary master and martial master, they shared a special connection, and there was also the bond of the Lion, so they had mutual affection.

Although Master Fashan has always been in charge of affairs in the mountain, unlike Mount Shuji and Mount Baihu, Cheng Xinzhan has had very little contact with Mount Yaoguang. This mountain is located in the Kan position of Lotus Blessed Land. This lineage worships Guan Yinzi and practices the way of building towers to observe the stars, divination, and the way of searching for qi in the mountains.

His only impression of this lineage was that his good friend Xu Jishen came from this lineage. When he was young and in a low realm, he often went to this mountain to find Jishen. Later, he became increasingly busy with affairs and went less often. His contact with many friends, including Jishen, also gradually decreased. Now, he only keeps in touch with Daoist Jihu.

As for this Master of Fashan, Cheng Xinzhan had met him a few times, all at council meetings. He knew that in addition to inheriting the lineage of Yaoguang Mountain, this old man was also particularly fond of studying rituals and was proficient in them; the "Three Lights Under Heaven" ritual for welcoming the Dragon Lord was proposed by this man.

The old man looked extremely old, probably ninety or even a hundred years old by worldly standards. His hair and beard were all white, and he wore a deep purple robe with silver stars. His silver hair was tied up with a white jade crown, and his neat long beard trailed down to his abdomen like a miniature waterfall. The robe was painted with the stars of the heavens and the gods of the four directions, making him look very noble.

As far as Cheng Xinzhan knew, this old man had already entered the embryonic stage many years ago with the Seven Cleansing Elixir Qi. It was unclear how many stages he had reached now. In terms of cultivation, he should be among the top among the eight mountain masters of Lotus Blessed Land, and was on par with the mountain master Zhao of Cardinal Mountain.

In terms of actual age, the old man was actually younger than Lord Zhao. The reason he looked so old was not because he was nearing the end of his life, but because when he was young, he was obsessed with divination. He always carried copper coins in his sleeve and would consult the oracle before doing anything. As a result, he suffered a backlash from the heavens, which is why he looked so old. Even though he later restrained himself and improved his cultivation, he still could not change it.

However, since this mountain lord neither manages external affairs nor military matters, the matter being discussed this time should have nothing to do with the Demonic Sect.

He thought so.

“Xinzhan has arrived, please sit down.”

Ji Hehe nodded, smiling as he gestured for Cheng Xinzhan to sit down. Then, noticing the harmonious blend of "essence" and "qi" emanating from him, he exclaimed in surprise,
"Has the pregnancy started?"

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.

Marshal Kui and Fa Wujiu exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes, and nodded in response.

"The teacher of scriptures."

"Greetings, Master."

Upon hearing Cheng Xinzhan's reply, Ji Hehe was first delighted, then frowned and said,

"In that case, you should rest and recuperate properly, and focus on your pregnancy. I shouldn't have asked you to get involved in this mess."

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head upon hearing this and replied,
"Master, you flatter me. This is just the beginning of my life, not yet at that stage. Please feel free to tell me what you need."

Ji Hehe wasn't one to dawdle, so he nodded and said,
"Well, it's nothing serious, and I don't need you to take the lead. I just want to ask for your advice on something and get your opinion."

"Please speak, Master."

"You spent quite a few years in the Southwest, didn't you?"

Ji Hehe asked.

"Yes, it will take about ten years."

Cheng Xinzhan answered, while wondering why the topic of the Southwest had come up. Could it really be related to the rebellion of the heroes of Xuan that happened a couple of days ago?

"You know about what happened at Biji Mountain?"

Sure enough, the sect leader asked this question.

"Yes."

Cheng Xinzhan answered, while wondering why the sect leader would ask this question and why he had summoned Marshal Kui and Master Fashan.

"I heard that Yan Renying is quite familiar with you, is that right?"

Ji Hehe said.

"Yes, he is one of my good friends in the Southwest. He doesn't have the fierce aura that is common among Xuanmen disciples. He is a gentleman."

"It's a pity that virtuous people are often controlled by petty people."

Ji Hehe shook his head and sighed.

Cheng Xinzhan shared the same sentiment and nodded slightly.

Then, Ji Hehe changed the subject and asked,

"Doumu Pavilion, are you familiar with it?"

"Ok?"

Cheng Xinzhan was surprised. Weren't they talking about Renying and Biji Mountain? Why are they asking about Doumu Pavilion again?
"I wouldn't say I'm very familiar with them, but I know a little about them."

He replied.

His understanding of Doumu Pavilion was actually about the same as his understanding of Biji Mountain.

Located on the edge of China, bordering the wilderness, Yunnan is barren of spiritual energy. There are many small sects gathered here, but few major sects. Among them, only two Buddhist sects, two demonic sects, and two Taoist sects can be counted, totaling six.

The two Buddhas are Longxiang Temple and Gantong Temple in northwestern Yunnan, the two demons are Wuliang Mountain and Ailao Mountain in southern Yunnan, and the two paths are Biji Temple and Doumu Pavilion in central Yunnan.

Biji Temple is built on Biji Mountain, controlling Dianchi Lake, while Doumu Pavilion is built on Weibao Mountain, bordering Pushui. Both hold a pivotal position in central Yunnan and are also the leaders of the Daoist sect in Yunnan.

Doumu Pavilion reveres Doumu Yuanjun and practices the ways of observing stars and qi, seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster, and predicting death and prolonging life. It is a sect with an extremely long history, having migrated from the east to Yunnan at the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and has existed for more than four thousand years.

Like the Biji Temple, or most major sects in the world, the Doumu Pavilion also had a glorious past and possessed the method of Nascent Soul formation. However, these major sects faced the same dilemma: the Nascent Soul formation method passed down from their ancestors was not suitable for all descendants, so the Four Realms could not be continued generation after generation, and it was sometimes absent and sometimes absent. This is why major sects are common in the world, but not so common in the world of sects.

The current leader of Doumu Pavilion is at the Fourth Realm, but he hasn't appeared in public for many years. It's rumored that his lifespan is nearing its end, his vital energy is dissipating, and some even say he has already passed away, though this is kept secret. Moreover, it's clear that Doumu Pavilion has no successor and no young Fourth Realm cultivator to take over.

But if we're talking about what's special, Doumu Pavilion is also somewhat unique.

The founder of Doumu Pavilion was a True Man of the Fifth Realm. However, in this world, the Five Realms method is extremely mysterious, something that can be understood intuitively but is difficult to explain in words and cannot be written down. All the methods of cultivation that follow the proper steps can only lead to the fourth realm at most, and the methods that can be recorded in writing can only lead to the fourth realm at most.

Therefore, if a Fifth Realm True Person fails to cultivate the next Fifth Realm before ascending or reaching the end of their lifespan, or fails to establish a divine path and fruit to pass on to the next generation, it will not be of much help to the next generation's cultivation. They will still have to rely on themselves, clearing paths through mountains and building bridges over rivers, in order to have the opportunity to unite with the Dao.

That's how it is with Doumu Pavilion. In the entire sect, over the past four thousand years, there has only been one fifth-level cultivator—the founding patriarch.

However, even so, the difference between opening a mountain at the fifth realm and opening one at the fourth realm is still significant. For example, Doumu Pavilion has experienced far fewer breaks in the fourth realm compared to Biji Nunnery. Furthermore, the difference is also reflected in the protective mountain array and the sect's treasures; the power of a Dao artifact and a physical artifact are worlds apart. For instance, if Chi Shi wanted to set up an array that would last for ten thousand years, he couldn't do it with his own magic weapons alone, so he had to exchange them with Gu Chen for the "Nine Yang Fire Cloud Chain." It is precisely because of this that Doumu Pavilion firmly holds a superior position among the Daoist sects of Dianwen.

Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that Doumu Pavilion differs from Biji Temple. During the transition between the Tang and Western Tang dynasties, when the southwest was shifting towards Taoism, Doumu Pavilion, with its four prefectures, remained unmoved, insisting on its Taoist identity and rejecting any talk of a new Xuanmen (mystical sect). And for the thousands of years since the Tang dynasty, Doumu Pavilion has consistently upheld this principle. Perhaps this foundation of five prefectures is one reason why Doumu Pavilion, facing a similar situation of the four prefectures' decline, possesses such courage.

So, what happened in Doumu Pavilion?
Cheng Xinzhan looked at the sect leader.

Ji Hehe Biandao,
"Emei has approached Doumu Pavilion again. This time, they not only 'persuaded' Doumu Pavilion to change its route to Xuan, but also wanted Doumu Pavilion to become Emei's separate residence in Yunnan."

Cheng Xinzhan frowned upon hearing this and said directly,
"Are they crazy?"

Having just provoked Biji Mountain to rebel, they've now set their sights on Doumu Pavilion? Do they really think Dian script is some kind of mystical art?
Ji Hehe shook his head.

"It's not that simple. I heard from the people of Doumu Pavilion that Emei has already persuaded Longxiang Temple in Lishui County and Kaiyuan Temple in Kunming Prefecture. Now they are just waiting for Doumu Pavilion to make a statement together. When they announce it to the world at the same time, it should be enough to calm down the storm brought by Biji Mountain."

"what?!"

Cheng Xinzhan was very surprised to hear this. Longxiang Temple and Gantong Temple were on par as leaders of the Yunnan Buddhist sect. Although Kaiyuan Temple was a step below these two, it was still a well-known Buddhist sect in Kunming Prefecture. How could these two temples be willing to become a branch temple of Emei?
To convert Buddhism to Taoism?

It's simply sensational!

What kind of spell did Emei cast on them? Or were they coerced into submission by force, like they were with Biji Mountain before?
However, upon further reflection, while it's possible that Kaiyuan Temple was coerced by force, Longxiang Nunnery shouldn't be subjected to such coercion. According to Cheng Xinzhan's understanding, Longxiang Nunnery's ancestors included immortals, and in the present day, there is a fourth-realm master like Abbess Guanghui. Moreover, the nunnery is located in a strategically important position, built on the precipice of Yulong Snow Mountain on the banks of the Jinsha River. With such a background, it shouldn't be coerced.

This is truly baffling!
While surprised and puzzled, Cheng Xinzhan quickly realized what was happening and asked,

"Did someone from Doumu Pavilion contact us?"

Ji Hehe nodded but did not answer. Instead, he turned his gaze to Fa Wujiu.

Fa Wujiu understood, coughed lightly, and then said,

“The Master’s guess is correct. Please allow me to explain it to him.”

Cheng Xinzhan listened attentively.

"In today's world, the three paths of talismans, inner alchemy, and primordial spirit are the most prominent, while the paths of thunder magic, pure yang, inner vision, and prayer are slightly less so. The path of astrology that my Yaoguang Mountain cultivates was once very popular in ancient times, but now it has actually declined, and there are not many sects that have passed it down without interruption."

"Let me list them up. Among the immortal sects, there is one branch on Juqu Mountain that combines stargazing with inner vision, visualizing the star lords and officials within themselves; there is one branch on Laoshan Mountain that inherits a unique method of stargazing using the Sea Mirror; there is one branch on Sanyuan Mountain that worships Doumu and cultivates the way of dispelling calamities with Chenshui. And then there is our Sanqing Mountain, where Yaoguang Mountain cultivates the way of astrology and divination."

"Besides the Immortal Sect, there are three major sects. There is one branch in Wudang Mountain in Jingchu, which cultivates the Path of the Big Dipper to Subdue Demons and takes the path of attack; the Qinglong Cave in Miaojiang is one of the few Taoist sects in the world that specializes in the study of stars, focusing on the stars of the Azure Dragon in the East; and the last one is the Doumu Pavilion in Yunnan, which is on par with the Qinglong Cave and is one of only two major sects that specialize in the Path of Stars. They take Doumu as their name and practice the method of praying to gods and summoning stars."

"In this world, only these seven families cultivate the Way of the Stars, and their lineage is clear and unbroken. There are countless Daoist sects in the world, but these seven star-lineages are pitifully few. Therefore, we seven families maintain frequent contact to discuss celestial phenomena. Furthermore, because our seven families correspond to the number of the Big Dipper, we have privately established a Daoist association called the 'North Star Association.' We, the leaders, will also use our primordial spirits to travel at night on the third and ninth days of the lunar calendar, flying beneath the Milky Way to meet in the starry sky, exchanging insights on the Great Dao, and jointly unraveling the laws of the stars."

After briefly explaining the origins of the story, Fa Wujiu then began to discuss the present matter.
"Just last night, on the third day of the third lunar month, a few of us were having a night meeting of our primordial spirits when the left leader of Doumu Pavilion brought up this matter. It is true that Brother Zuo's lifespan is running out, and he has no one to succeed him. He can no longer withstand the pressure from Emei."

"Doumuge is located in central Yunnan, nestled against the mountains and beside the water. Although it is a place with excellent feng shui, given the current situation in Yunnan, it is surrounded by powerful forces."

"To the south are Wuliang Mountain and Ailao Mountain, to the west is Yeren Mountain, and to the east is now the territory of the Southern Sect. Previously, there was also Biji Mountain as a barrier, but now Biji Mountain has also sided with the demons. To the north is the territory of the Buddhist sect, but now the leader of Yunnan Buddhism, Longxiang Temple, and the Dazong Kaiyuan Temple in Kunming Prefecture have both fallen to the Xuanmen. Once we really break ties with the Xuanmen, and the demonic sect takes advantage of our misfortune, Doumu Pavilion may be in danger of collapse."

"Of course, the Left Master does not want his lineage to die out, but at the same time, he does not want to follow the path of the Dragon Elephant Temple to the Xuan realm, or to join the demonic path like the Biji Mountain. This is truly a dead end, so he hopes that we in the East can lend a helping hand."

Cheng Xinzhan listened silently, thinking that the situation was changing rapidly. Biji Mountain had fallen into demonic possession, and Longxiang Temple had returned to Xuan. The situation in central Yunnan had suddenly deteriorated to this extent.

"The current star veins are not prominent. If they were to wither away further, it would be truly heartbreaking. We are all from the Daoist sect, and we should help as much as we can."

At this moment, Ji Hehe interjected.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded slightly. This was easy to understand. All Taoist sects under heaven were one family, sharing the same breath and branches. For thousands of years, Doumu Pavilion had been able to uphold the true source of Taoism in the southwest, never altering its essence, and had never asked the Eastern Taoist sects for help. Now that they were truly desperate and had asked for help, it was certainly difficult to refuse.

Furthermore, Sanqingshan adheres to the doctrine of Wanfa, which is to "continue the lost learning of the past sages." What it hopes to see is a flourishing of diverse schools of thought and a vibrant exchange of ideas, rather than a few schools dominating while the weaker ones gradually wither away. By then, the name of the Wanfa School will be merely nominal, and the doctrine of Wanfa will become empty talk.

"Did the Left Sect Leader say anything specific?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked.

Fa Wujiu nodded and said,

"Yes, Master Zuo himself made a suggestion, wanting to follow the story of Master Sa and invite someone from another family to take over the sect."

Cheng Xinzhan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, somewhat surprised that Doumu Pavilion had come up with such a method.
Cheng Xinzhan naturally knew the story of Master Sa. Master Sa promoted the Shenxiao lineage, greatly developed thunder magic, traveled the world, punished evil and promoted good, and had countless strange tales. But combined with what Master Fashan said about "inviting outsiders to the mountain", it must refer to the past when Master Sa was in charge of Longhu Mountain as an outsider.

Back then, Celestial Master Xujing of Longhu Mountain had achieved perfect merit and was about to ascend to the celestial realm. However, due to his dedication to cultivation and Taoist affairs, he had never married and had no children. Therefore, according to custom, the position of Celestial Master should be passed on to a person of average quality and talent within the Zhang clan. But on the eve of his ascension, Celestial Master Xujing saw that the younger generation of his clan were still "muddled and ignorant pigs, and eager wolves chasing after jackals," and there was no one of high character and talent to succeed him. However, he was also unwilling to compromise his standards and lower his standards, thus finding himself in a dilemma.

In this dilemma, Master Xujing devised a new approach. At that time, Master Sa of the Shenxiao Sect was still cultivating in the mortal world. Master Xujing had been kind to Master Sa by teaching him the Dao and had a mentor-student relationship with him. So he asked Master Sa to take care of Longhu Mountain and specially appointed him as "Grand Master of the Outsider Clan". He entrusted him with the seal and sword and put him in charge of the Longhu sect affairs. He said that when a pillar of the Zhang family emerges in the future, he will assist him in succeeding as the Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain.

Master Sa agreed and began his cultivation at Longhu Mountain, while remotely overseeing Bingfeng Mountain. He treated both religions equally, devoting himself wholeheartedly to their affairs without showing favoritism.

However, not long after Celestial Master Xu Jing ascended to heaven, the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain was unwilling to wait for the 'person of excellent character and talent' that Celestial Master Xu Jing had spoken of to descend to earth. They all coveted the vacant position of Celestial Master. The various branches had no interest in cultivation or religious affairs, and instead spent their days scheming against each other, plotting against one another, and striving for the position of Celestial Master. In the end, it escalated to a major fight, which triggered an internal strife in Longhu Mountain.

Entrusted by Celestial Master Xujing, Celestial Master Sa did not shy away from his outsider status, nor did he care about the Zhang family's accusations of him being a "thief who stole the seal and sword" and a "seducer of the Celestial Master." He forcefully suppressed the rebellious Zhang family branches, punishing some and imprisoning others. He remained in charge of Longhu Mountain for three hundred years, until he met the "person of excellent character and talent" mentioned by Celestial Master Xujing, who later became Master Guanmiao, the True Lord of the Righteous One, Jingying Xianyou. Ancestor Sa believed that Master Guanmiao was "extraordinarily handsome and intelligent," and could inherit the lineage of Celestial Master Xujing. Therefore, he taught him with utmost care, imparting all his knowledge. After Master Guanmiao achieved success in his cultivation, Sa honored him as a Celestial Master, returned the seal and sword, and immediately withdrew from Longhu Mountain.

After returning to Bingfeng Mountain, Master Sa ascended to the celestial realm shortly afterward. Only then did the world realize that Master Sa had already achieved perfect merit and had only remained in the world to fulfill the entrustment of Celestial Master Xujing. Master Sa presided over Longhu Mountain for nearly five hundred years, returning with the seal and sword in hand. His noble character and integrity, as well as his trustworthiness, earned him praise from the world. This unique case of a "Grand Celestial Master from outside the family" in the history of Longhu Mountain became a celebrated tale within the Taoist community and even the entire cultivation world.

Longhu Mountain was troubled by internal problems, so it invited Master Sa, who was not of the same clan, to be its Grand Celestial Master in order to ensure the purity of its lineage. Now, Doumu Pavilion is facing external threats and wants to invite someone with high magical power to take charge and ensure the continuation of its lineage.

Seeing Cheng Xinzhan's expression, Fa Wujiu knew he understood the meaning behind the story of Master Sa, and then explained further.

"Doumu Pavilion possesses a five-realm Dao artifact, the 'Illuminating Night Limitless Light Dou,' which, together with its mountain-protecting array, the 'Silver River Starlight Demon-Slaying Array,' locks up both Weibao Mountain and Pushui, making it impenetrable even for ordinary five-realm cultivators. However, if a five-realm cultivator were to attack, to unleash the full power of the Dao artifact and the array, it would require a fourth-realm cultivator who is proficient in the Dao of Stars to preside over the operation."

"Although Brother Zuo is at the Fourth Realm, his lifespan is nearing its end. While his primordial spirit can still travel far, his nascent soul and physical body have both withered. He will be unable to preside over the grand formation when a Fifth Realm cultivator comes. Therefore, last night he proposed that we discuss sending a Fourth Realm cultivator to reside in Doumu Pavilion, acting as the sect leader and presiding over the grand formation. At that time, he will spread the word throughout the world, making the Xuanmen sect hesitant to act, thus helping Doumu Pavilion overcome this difficulty. When the next generation of Fourth Realm cultivators emerges in Doumu Pavilion, they will act as the sect leader to return the Dao artifacts and the grand formation, allowing Doumu Pavilion to continue."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, thinking to himself that the Left Master of Doumu Pavilion had great courage to invite someone from another family into the sect. This was no trivial matter. The reason why the story of Master Sa had been passed down for so long was precisely because such a thing was so rare and unbelievable. What people saw more often was betrayal, letting wolves into the house, and cuckoos taking over the nest.

"Last night, several families expressed their opinions. Qinglong Cave is currently closed and can hardly protect itself, so it cannot send anyone. The current leaders of the star veins of Wudang Mountain and Juqu Mountain are still in the third realm, so they cannot send anyone either. The star vein of Laoshan Mountain is good at observing stars and comprehending the Dao, but not good at fighting and wielding weapons, so it can be considered a polite refusal. For the time being, only my family and Sanyuan Mountain have not expressed their opinions."

"Brother Zhongzheng, the current Star Vein Master of Sanyuan Mountain, is a fourth-level cultivator and also the Discipline Master of the Jingming Sect. He is capable. However, Brother Zhongzheng is also one of the Vice Leaders of the Haoran Alliance, in charge of the Jingming Sect's deployment and attacks on the demonic path. He is actually quite tied up, and it is unknown how long it will take for him to take charge of the Doumu Pavilion. Therefore, he did not agree directly last night, saying that he would go back and discuss it with the sect and the alliance to see if he could spare the time."

"As for the old man like me,"

Master Fashan pointed to himself and then said,

"Actually, I'm a free man. I used to have a good personal relationship with Brother Zuo Dao and wanted to help him. Moreover, perhaps it's fate, but I've just happened to have my embryonic form appear. I can guide the divine light to form an infant and enter the four realms at any time. If I succeed, I can go to Doumu Pavilion to take charge of weapons and formations. But I'm not afraid of being laughed at by the scripture master. I'm timid and believe in fate. I'm also worried that all of this is too coincidental. Could it be my tribulation to form an infant? I'm caught in a dilemma and can't make a decision. So I came to Sanqing Palace to consult the sect leader and also brought the marshal along."

At this point, Ji Hehe naturally took over the conversation, saying,

"Whether it's Wujiu becoming an infant or taking charge of external teachings, these are major events for the sect. I'm thinking that since you now hold positions in several lineages and are also in charge of sect affairs, I thought if you have some free time, you could come and discuss this matter and hear your opinion."

　I wrote a little more than usual, so this is my way of making up for yesterday's absence.

　　Requesting monthly votes and recommendations! Comments and messages are welcome!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)