Controlling the Five Thunders and the Two Worlds

Chapter 548 The Flourishing Branches of the Taoist Lineage
Cloud Sky Cliff, Daluo Temple.

Gu Zhao returned with eight old Taoist priests. Zhuo Qingyan and Li Qingshuang waited in the temple, while several other old Taoist priests stayed behind.

Seeing everyone's happy faces, the two women knew that everything was going well.

Seeing that everyone still had things to discuss, and since Zhuo Qingyan had never been to Shanzhou before, while Li Qingshuang had been traveling around and was quite familiar with all parts of Shanzhou, the two women decided to go down the mountain together for sightseeing.

Gu Zhao led fifteen old Taoist priests to discuss the westward expedition.

"Now we have established branch temples in the five prefectures of Jiangnan. Some people have gone north to the Central Plains, and some have gone south to the southern frontier."

"To the east of Yongzhou lies the sea, where many sea monsters and islanders live. Under the warning of the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits, the East Sea has begun its investigation of demonic cultivators."

“This King of Aconite has committed many evils and is full of malevolent energy. I’m afraid there are many like him in the Western Kingdom.”

"Who knows, the Demon Ancestor also has pawns in the Western God Kingdom, and has already opened up a Demon Realm in the earth veins."

"It must be so!"

"We have no choice but to go to this land."

“We don’t know much about the Western Divine Kingdom. If what Zangyuejun said is true, the other side is very sensitive to experts from the Central Plains.”

"Then let's not send any too powerful experts over there."

"It's as if we have some very powerful experts."

"Hahaha!"

“It just so happens that Senior Brother Yansong and the others are either going to Jiangbei or Nanjiang, so we will leave the Western Divine Kingdom to them.”

"And the new senior and junior brothers can also go to the Western Divine Kingdom, in addition to Yuezhou."

In just a few words, the matter of going to the Western Kingdom was settled.

"First and foremost, we'll take over the Kingdom of Wutou!" Master Jingchun said, taking out the Myriad Ghosts Diagram. "Let's go and take over the Wutou Divine Cult first."

"And then?" Daoist Yanqi asked. "Are we going to follow the example of King Wutou and directly govern a country?"

"We don't have the leisure for that!" Master Gaoyue shook his head.

Master Xuxing thought for a moment and suggested, "We could follow the example of the Xuanwei Divine Sect."

"Isn't that a bit too direct?" Master Huaiyi asked. "Our headquarters is in Jiangzhou. Wouldn't it be a provocation to those demons and monsters in the West to directly make it the state religion of Wutou Kingdom?"

Master Xuanyong suggested, "Then why not change your alias?"

Master Lingya mentioned another matter: "A few days ago, I was at the Daluo Temple in Yongzhou. One of my disciples was from Yunqi Prefecture in Yongzhou. He traveled around the area a lot and was loved by the people. So the local people built a small Taoist temple for him in Yunqi Prefecture."

The disciple certainly dared not use the name of Daluo Temple, so the local people named the temple Yunxia Temple. However, the layout of the temple was similar to that of Daluo Temple, with Wang Lingguan guarding the mountain gate and the Sanqing Hall enshrining the Three Pure Ones.

This inner disciple was a student of Senior Brother Shen Hao, so a plaque for the Shangqing Hall was hung in the side hall, specifically indicating that Yunxia Temple was descended from the Shangqing School of the Daluo Palace.

Upon hearing this, Master Yuhua smiled and said, "Our lineage in this world has finally begun to flourish."

All the old Taoist priests burst into laughter.

In fact, everyone came here with the intention of expanding the Taoist sect. In addition to the branch temple of Daluo Palace, they would not mind if everyone passed down their own lineage.

However, before they could even begin, they discovered the calamity of the Heavenly Demon descending upon the world. So everyone raced against time to cultivate and travel around eliminating demons. How could they have time to establish a sect?
Conversely, it was their locally recruited apprentices, with limited talent and no hope of breakthrough, who merely traveled around, exorcising evil spirits or healing the sick, who gained the locals' respect. On this basis, establishing branch temples became a natural progression.

“Actually, this method can also be used in other places,” said Daoist Lingya. “The headquarters of the Daluo Palace is in Jiangzhou, and there is a branch temple of the Daluo Palace in each prefecture of Jiangzhou.”

In addition, there is a branch temple of Daluo Palace in Yongzhou, Yazhou, Shanzhou, and Yuezhou. If we continue to expand to other prefectures, it will inevitably arouse the vigilance of other forces, and we don't need so much incense.

Rather than doing so, if disciples were to travel there, it would be better to establish Taoist temples in the local prefectural capital, county seat, or surrounding towns, and there would be no need to use the name of "Great Luo."

Master Lingya added, "This is actually beneficial for the spread and expansion of the Taoist sect."

“That’s right. Our Daluo Palace has only been established in this area for a few years, yet we already have disciples who have built Taoist temples. And there will only be more and more of them in the future.”

"Moreover, compared to the demon race which can only pass on their bloodline and the ghosts and gods who are difficult to stabilize, our Great Luo Palace can reliably recruit talented mortals or basic magicians as disciples, which is conducive to the inheritance."

“That disciple of Kaiyunxia Temple was originally a monk, and now he has two hundred years of cultivation.”

"Among the mortal youths collected by the Daluo Palace and its branch temples in various places, some have also cultivated internal energy, although their cultivation level is very low, but they can still deal with the weakest wild ghosts and minor demons."

"Just like the previous traditions of the Taoist school."

“A similar approach could be used in the Kingdom of Wutou.”

"Alright, in that case, who wants to be the first to eat the crab this time?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other, and then all turned to look at Gu Zhao.

Those ordinary disciples who opened different Taoist temples after completing their apprenticeship were the branching out of the Taoist sect in this world. They were all personally recruited by Gu Zhao. Serving as the head of the state religion of Wutou Kingdom is different from serving as the head of a branch temple of Daluo Palace. They cannot be easily replaced.

Otherwise, what difference would there be between him and the abbot of the Great Luo Palace?

Gu Zhao thought for a moment and looked at Daoist Jing Chun, “My master’s Fengyue Sect’s methods are most similar to those of ghosts and gods. Why not establish a sect and make it the state religion of Wutou Kingdom?”

“That’s right, this way it will be the least likely to arouse the vigilance of Western countries.”

"Once we integrate with the Western countries, we can establish separate sects and cooperate with each other."

“That makes sense!” Daoist Yanqi looked at everyone and chuckled. “It’s perfect that we each have our own lineage and our own religion, so no one will lose out.”

Master Jingchun nodded, "In the future, once we have trained qualified disciples, we won't have to be confined to one place."

Strictly speaking, they don't actually want to be confined to one place. They would rather travel around, do good deeds, eliminate evil, and accumulate merit, so that one day they can ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

So the matter was temporarily settled.

“In that case, let’s not delay and go to Wutou Kingdom first.” Master Jingchun stood up and said, while summoning Master Guhe, another successor of the Fengyue Sect.

Master Yanqi asked with a smile, "What name do you plan to give the Protestant Church? And what about the country? We can't keep calling it the Kingdom of Blackheads, can we?"

Master Jingchun thought for a moment, “In the ‘Fengdu Examination and Summoning Great Method’, there are six palaces on Fengdu Mountain that lead ghosts and six palaces below that govern gods. This is the first time that the Fengyue Sect has established a religion in this world, so let’s name it the first of the six palaces above.”

"What is the name of the First Palace?" Daoist Fang De asked curiously.

Master Jingchun smiled slightly, “The Absolute Yin Heavenly Palace!”

(End of this chapter)