Controlling the Five Thunders and the Two Worlds

Chapter 174 The Great Luo Palace is Completed
The Taoist priests split up, while Gu Zhao led the women back to the Daluo Palace.

On her way home, the embroiderer tried to return the green feather fan to Li Qingshuang, but Li Qingshuang stuffed the fan back into her hand.

“This is my sister’s keepsake, but it is also a magical artifact that she was very proud of. She must have hoped that this artifact could protect its master in the battle and save his life and win the fight,” Li Qingshuang said with a smile. “But if it were in my hands, it would be difficult to use.”

“Besides…” Li Qingshuang glanced at Gu Zhao, “it was you who avenged my sister, not me.”

Li Qingshuang told the story of her sister and Xu Kongting.

Li Qingxue was a Spirit Lord of the Spirit Court. She accidentally discovered a scholar whose soul resonated with hers, so she brought him into the Spirit Court, cultivated together with him, and eventually became husband and wife.

This scholar was none other than Xu Kongting.

However, although their souls were in perfect harmony, their talents were actually only average. Even by the most optimistic estimate, they would only cultivate for two or three hundred years, without increasing their lifespan, and would turn into a pile of yellow earth after a hundred years.

More than ten years ago, the Spirit Court collectively killed a Crimson Fiend Corpse Demon with eight hundred years of cultivation and obtained a book called "Crimson Fiend Corpse Refining Technique".

This book was supposed to be handed over to the Spirit Court for sealing, but Xu Kongting coveted it and volunteered to escort it back. However, he ambushed his wife on the way and fled with the book.

Li Qingshuang investigated for a long time before accidentally learning that Xu Kongting had fled to Wanling Jiangnan, so she crossed the river to hunt him down.

Everyone knows what happened after that.

……

"Is the Great Luo Palace repaired?"

Upon returning to Cuishan Village, Gu Zhao received good news from Old Man He.

"Four halls and three courtyards: Lingguan Hall, Four Imperial Halls, Jade Emperor Hall, and Sanqing Hall, each one higher than the last."

"The temples for the God of Wealth for wealth, the temples for official positions, the temples for health, the temples for marriage, the temples for salvation from suffering for blessings, and the temples for exorcising evil spirits have all been completed."

Although she had already heard about it from the embroiderer, Li Qingshuang's expression still changed repeatedly after visiting the Daluo Palace.

Gu Zhao turned around and said, "Since the Xuanwei Divine Sect has withdrawn from Jiangnan, it has naturally given up the incense offerings of the people of Jiangnan. Rather than giving the incense offerings to the Jinfeng Sect, it would be better to give them to us."

Li Qingshuang shook her head, "Young Master Gu misunderstands. Even in Wanlingjiangbei, there are various religious sects. Although Xuanwei Divine Sect is the state religion of Da Ning, it is not that domineering."

"Oh?" Gu Zhao really didn't know that.

“However, these incense-burning sects have all obtained permission from the Xuanwei Divine Sect and will share incense offerings with the sect,” Li Qingshuang explained. “Also, most incense-burning sects worship the sect leader or the founder of each sect, but the Daluo Palace seems to be different.”

At this point, Li Qingshuang looked up at the statue of the deity enshrined in the Wenchang Hall on the side, "Nine Heavens Assisting the Origin, Enlightening the Ruler, Seven Melodies Responding, Protecting Virtue and Promoting Benevolence, the edict of this Wenchang Emperor alone is extraordinary."

Gu Zhao roughly understood that the Xuanwei Divine Sect was sharing some of its incense offerings, or even some that it couldn't possibly receive in the first place, to allow some sects that posed no threat to him but could assist him to exist, and also to help the Xuanwei Divine Sect manage the local area.

However, the Daluo Palace is not one of those small, local religious sects.

Of course, he couldn't say that now, so Gu Zhao just smiled slightly and said, "What we worship is actually our ancestral master."

Li Qingshuang glanced at Gu Zhao curiously, then looked at the four great gods enshrined in the Four Imperial Palaces, "Are there so many ancestral masters of the Great Luo Palace?"

"It's never a bad thing to pray more often," Gu Zhao said meaningfully. "What if someone hears us?"

Li Qingshuang didn't understand, but she didn't ask any further questions.

Zhuo Qingyan said from the side, "The Spirit Court patrols the world, but it doesn't concern itself with matters of incense offerings, right?" Li Qingshuang smiled and said, "The Great Luo Palace protects the region, and even in Wanlingjiangbei, the Xuanwei Divine Sect will not obstruct it."

Li Qingshuang was imprisoned in Changping Prefecture for several years, while Yuan Wenrui was Zhuo Qingyan's father's killer. The two women had something in common, and their relationship grew closer as they returned.

Gu Zhao showed Li Qingshuang around the Daluo Palace, and then asked Zhuo Qingyan to arrange a place for her to stay and recuperate.

Although she used the Heavenly Treasure Light Talisman, the restrictions imposed over the years have prevented her from fully recovering her vital energy. Her internal injuries have not yet healed, and she still needs to rest for a period of time.

As for Gu Zhao, aside from occasionally returning to the modern world to reply to messages and spend time with his two girlfriends, he spent most of his time cultivating here.

Although he rarely took action after hiring people to do the work, Master Yansong and the others would always share a portion of the evil energy they harvested. In addition to condensing thunder seeds, the Five Thunder Token also served to replenish his own cultivation.

Now that the old tortoise Biang, the two kings of the Three Absolutes Mountain, the master of the Stone King Cave, and the Golden Wind God King have all died, the Five Thunder Token has cleansed the evil energy and replenished his own cultivation, which has also greatly increased his cultivation speed. He has now accumulated nearly five hundred years of cultivation.

When the time is right, one can break through the cultivation realm.

He's now torn between picking up the old Taoist priests from Qingcheng Mountain or Longhu Tianshan, or going to a new place to look for someone.

However, before he could finish considering it, the third lightning seed had already been condensed, and Daoist Yansong and his group had completely eradicated the Golden Wind Hall in the eight county towns.

He instructed the county magistrates to repair the temples, rebuild the Great Luo Temple, arrange for the people he had subdued to change their allegiance, and promulgate the precepts.

……

Over the next few days, the five Taoist priests were extremely busy, while Gu Zhao stood leisurely atop Mount Cuiluo, overlooking the magnificent temple that belonged to him.

The cold wind howled, and the snow was white.

The entire Cuiluo Mountain was covered in snow, but the Daluo Palace, built on a flat area halfway up the mountain, was in full bloom with flowers. This magnificent scene amazed the pilgrims inside the Daluo Palace, who then offered incense with utmost devotion.

Wisps of pure incense energy spread throughout the Daluo Palace with the rising smoke, and were then slowly absorbed by the sandalwood statues.

During the construction of Daluo Palace, the people who came were only from the surrounding towns and villages, and the furthest they came was Xiuyue County.

However, according to the report from the Taoist priest in the palace, the guests who came included all eight counties of Changping Prefecture, and even wealthy families from Linping County, the farthest county in the northwest, drove to offer incense and worship the gods. There were even pilgrims from Baishi Prefecture.

"Tell them that as long as they do good deeds and do not commit evil, the Daluo Palace will protect them from evil spirits," Gu Zhao instructed. "Investigate their background thoroughly, and give each virtuous family a Heavenly Gang Protective Talisman."

"Yes!" The Fireworker Taoist accepted the order and withdrew.

Brother Gu is kind and benevolent.

A gentle compliment came from behind. Gu Zhao turned around and saw Zhuo Qingyan and Li Qingshuang coming together.

Li Qingshuang said meaningfully, "But Brother Gu's instructions are already acting on behalf of the government."

Gu Zhao shrugged. "The Daluo Palace does good and eliminates evil, but it can't protect those rich and heartless people, leaving some wronged souls restless and unable to avenge themselves even after death."

Zhuo Qingyan's eyes flickered, and Li Qingshuang shook her head and chuckled.

The two women approached Gu Zhao and looked down at the Daluo Palace, which was shrouded in incense smoke. Zhuo Qingyan's eyes were filled with satisfaction, while Li Qingshuang's eyes revealed admiration.

(End of this chapter)