The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 259 Top-Tier Dao Vein, Light and Rain Envelop the Northern Border
Boo!
The sound of a phoenix's cry rang out.

A fiery phoenix, six thousand feet tall, spread its wings and flew in.

The auspicious clouds in the sky were all dyed into fiery clouds by the flames.

Immediately afterwards, a hundred-foot-tall black phoenix rushed out from Mount Fuyun. It was Xuan Yan. The two phoenixes met, cried out and circled, creating a magnificent spectacle of hundreds of birds paying homage to the phoenix on Mount Fuyun, to congratulate Qiuzhen Temple.

The birds dispersed, and the phoenix landed.

A magnificently dressed phoenix maiden, now a celestial being, took out a congratulatory gift and walked towards the main hall, followed by the voice of the master of ceremonies:

"The Phoenix Clan presents two Earth-grade spiritual items, Fire Element Stones, to congratulate the Qiuzhen Temple on its advancement and the handover of its leadership to the new Master."

A hissing sound arose.

A white snake traversed the void.

Bai Suying arrives.

As she ascended the mountain and entered the hall, the master of ceremonies announced again: "The Five Immortals Daoist lineage presents a bottle of Earth-Rank Mysterious Yin True Water, congratulating Qiuzhen Temple on this double joy."

The sky was filled with colorful clouds, and a vortex that existed between reality and illusion appeared in the void. Two dream beasts, one large and one small, emanating a hazy halo, appeared and transformed into a handsome, thin-skinned boy and a chubby girl with her hair in two buns.

It was Meng Ying and Meng Mo's young master, Meng Gu.

They all carried umbrellas; they didn't like daytime.

After bowing, they climbed the mountain. Soon after, a voice came from behind: "The Dream Eater Clan congratulates Qiuzhen Temple on its great joy and presents two jars of Dream Ephemeral Flower Wine."

The sound of breaking air.

A sword light descended, transforming into an old man with graying temples, dressed in hemp clothing, carrying a three-foot sword.

Once he's climbing the mountain, the ushers will call out again:
"Sword Lake Palace presents a piece of Earth-grade meteorite iron and a bottle of Earth-grade Five-Gold Elixir, wishing Qiuzhen Temple prosperity and lasting success."

With the sound of hooves, two figures in red landed and climbed the mountain. They were none other than the Red Snow Sword God and his grandson. Soon after, the Abhi Sword God and Nangong Chunlei also arrived. The three great sword gods of the northern Jianghu had arrived together.

The guests were whispering to each other and talking a lot.

Only then did they realize that not only was the Southern Peach Blossom Sword God the Great True Lord Xuanming, but the Invincible One-Punch Man of the Northern Jianghu was also him.

Eight years of travel.

The Great True Lord has a rich and varied background, encompassing the imperial court, the martial world, ancient Taoist traditions, and ancient races.

In the Daoist Temple, under the spirit pine tree, a bamboo chair creaked and swayed. Xuanming only half-opened his eyelids, glanced at the guests who had come from afar, was slightly taken aback, and then closed his eyes to rest.

It's obvious without even asking that Li Zi must have acted on his own initiative; Xuanxu and the others don't know them.

---

At Zhenxuan Peak, in the main hall, Li Zizai was all smiles as he warmly welcomed the guests who were practicing the Divine Realm.

When one's own sect advances to the top of the Dao lineage, the bigger the celebration, the better, both for the sake of face and to intimidate the imperial court.

He vividly remembered his experiences at the Divine Path Great Wall and the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion, and dared not forget them.

After Fuyun Mountain's advancement, its rapidly expanding strength aroused the Great Xuan Dynasty's apprehension and covetousness. This is evident from the fact that the newly appointed supervising officials of the four prefectures in the past two years were all advanced cultivators in the Divine Refinement stage.

It used to be the guardian formation for suppressing dragons.

Now we must guard against Fuyun Mountain.

In this situation, only if the Seeking Truth Temple is strong enough and has a wide enough network of connections will the Great Xuan Dynasty not dare to act rashly, and only then can Mount Fuyun remain carefree and continue to cultivate in peace.

This was the result of his discussion with his senior fellow disciples.

Either don't hold a grand ceremony, or hold it on a huge scale.

It would be best to keep that Great Xuan Emperor awake at night.

Of course, Li Zizai also had some selfish motives.

Leaning against the big tree is good for the coolness.

The more prestigious his sect, the more face he'll have and the less trouble he'll encounter when traveling. Pretending...

Ahem! Showing off in front of others is much more classy.

Soon, a look of surprise appeared on Li Zizai's face, but then his smile became even brighter, all because some guests had come uninvited.

Led by the two top sword sects, Wanjiantang and Baojianlou, both old and new sword gods who had been defeated by Dugu Xuejian in the past appeared and presented generous gifts.

Congratulations to Qiuzhen Temple on this joyous occasion! We also take this opportunity to express our gratitude, otherwise, they would never have been able to cultivate the way of the sword again in their lifetime.

Tianxuan Star Lord and Tianfu Star Lord also came in their private capacities.

The Taoist priests at Qiuzhen Temple were all smiles, and Xuanxu and the others had wrinkles on their faces from laughing. However, nothing is ever perfect.

There are always some unwelcome guests who show up uninvited.

The four prefectural inspectors were like this.

They came on behalf of the Great Xuan Dynasty, bringing lavish gifts.

Because of the experience at the Great Wall of the Divine Path, Qiuzhen Temple reduced its contact with the imperial court. Even Xuan Yin and Chang Anzi, who were serving in the Heaven and Earth Academy, resigned and returned to the mountains to focus on cultivation and strengthen the sect.

After Fuyun Mountain's promotion, the relationship between the two sides became more delicate, with the imperial court wanting to both win him over and suppress him.

Xuanxu and the others were displeased when the imperial envoys arrived, but they didn't want to offend someone who was smiling, so since it was a congratulatory visit, they didn't turn them away and warmly welcomed them in, showing no sign of displeasure on their faces.

As the number of guests increased, a tremendous wave of emotion surged within the hearts of the guests from the four counties.

One force after another, one cultivator after another, have already refreshed their understanding of the top-tier Dao lineage advancement ceremony.

Even the five top cultivators who had reached the Divine Realm—Chaoguang, Xianyue, Miaode, Ningchuan, and Shi Chongming—were not at peace.

They were top-tier guests at the True Lord's Banquet more than a decade ago, but now they have been relegated to second-rate status, leaving them with mixed feelings.

The four supervising priests were even more terrified.

This scene was completely unexpected; no major sect had ever witnessed such a spectacle when it advanced to the top of the Dao lineage.

The number of cultivators who have mastered the Divine Skill alone exceeds two hands, enough to be recorded in history. They are the first in history. The Seeking Truth Temple has become one of the strongest forces under the Holy Land. No wonder His Majesty is wary of them.

In the Dao Asking Courtyard, on a reclining chair, Xuanming glanced at the four supervising officials until their scalps tingled, then clicked his tongue and closed his eyes again.

---

Dang Dang Dang!
The bell tolled thirty-six times.

The sound waves echoed through the mountains and forests, resounding across the surrounding fields.

The sound can be heard for thousands of miles, and auspicious clouds are everywhere.

Today, the morning bell and evening drum of Qiuzhen Temple are top-notch magical artifacts, crafted with the utmost care by Xuan Yang.

It is a testament to his skill in weapon crafting.

Guests gathered in the main hall.

Xuanming vanished in an instant, leaving only the rocking of the recliner.

In the Xuanfa Hall, he appeared silently on the cloud bed at the head of the table, rose and bowed to the guests.

All the guests rose to return the greeting.

After exchanging a few polite words, Xuanming looked at the four supervising officials, who stepped forward.

One person opened the imperial edict and read it aloud, roughly praising the Qiuzhen Temple and formally recognizing it as a top-tier Taoist lineage.

This was written by the ruler of the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty himself, blessed by the laws, imbued with imperial aura, extremely majestic, and his words carried the weight of law. After Xuan finished reading it, a hundred-foot stone tablet descended from the sky, with the three ancient characters "Seeking Truth Temple" on it.

Another person held a jade book and added Qiuzhen Temple to the list of the world's top Taoist lineages. Another person presented a purple-gold robe, and another presented a green jade belt.

This is a color that only top-tier Daoist lineage leaders and True Lords can wear; they also have another title: Celestial Master.

The Taoists bowed in gratitude, performing Taoist rituals without kneeling. Other guests followed suit, which is called "when in Rome, do as the Romans do."

After Xuanxu received the imperial edict and the purple robe and jade belt, Xuanming waved his whisk, which emitted countless rays of divine light and colorful clouds.

Three great deities manifested:

Taiyi Saves from Suffering, Gouchen War God, Central Yellow Horn.

"Offer incense and offer prayers!"

Under the guidance of Xuanming, the Taoist priests of Qiuzhen burned incense, prayed, and worshipped the gods, praying for blessings and warding off disasters for the four prefectures, the northern border, and all living beings of Daxuan.

This is no ordinary fragrance.

Instead, they were incense talismans written by each Taoist priest.

They also invited guests to write the character for "incense" together as a way to pay homage to the gods and pray for all living beings.

Confucian calligraphy is elegant and flowing, martial arts calligraphy is strong and powerful, the calligraphy of Mohists is meticulous and precise, and the calligraphy of Legalists is square and rigid.

One heart, one word.

A thousand words shine brightly on Floating Cloud Mountain, surrounded by myriad fragrances.

The three gods reside amidst the rich incense smoke, radiating divine light, bestowing blessings and bestowing good wishes. Taiyi, the God of Salvation from Suffering, sprinkles sweet rain, Gouchen, the God of War, empowers courage, and Huangjiao, the central god, fertilizes the land.

Centered on Mount Fuyun, the temples of the four prefectures shone brightly, bathed in the glow of the setting sun and the sweet rain.

All the common people's illnesses disappeared, the livestock were strong and healthy, and the souls of the dead were purified and brought into the Department of Soul Anshun. Within ten years, the four prefectures will enjoy favorable weather, abundant harvests, and outstanding people and beautiful scenery.

Even beyond the four counties, the land where the temples of the three gods were located was blessed, with a shower of light falling over much of the northern border.

After the ceremony, the guests returned to their seats.

Clouds carried plates of food and spirit wine.

The dishes were cooked by Xuan Kong. After he condensed the Divine Food God Dharma Image, he made rapid progress in this field and became the number one spiritual chef in the four prefectures.

The spirit wine was brewed by Xuan Yang.

Xuanming uncorked the bottle, took a sip, and was immediately stunned. The taste was somewhat familiar.

He glanced at the smiling Xuan Yang, then took another sip of wine. He hadn't expected this kid to have such good fortune, gaining the favor of that great wine connoisseur from the Taiping Sect.

The atmosphere was lively, with toasts and laughter filling the air.

After a satisfying meal, the much-anticipated moment arrived.

Xuanming sat cross-legged on the cloud bed, and the Daoist voice emanated from his heart.

(End of this chapter)