The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 180 Mount Tai's Super Double

The original text of the Tao Te Ching?!

This was a request Zhou Yan made when he first arrived at the Taishanglou Temple. It was to engage with Xiweizi and, in the face of crisis, to quickly enhance the spiritual essence of the Daoist lineage and increase its strength.

Now, Zhou Yan himself has a fabricated Dao Foundation and possesses the strength of a sixth-rank cultivator; he can summon immortal-level armor to enhance his life-saving ability, which far surpasses that of an ordinary sixth-rank cultivator.

It can be said that he has now truly reached the level of a high-ranking Taoist master.

Zhou Yan was no longer as eager to acquire the "Tao Te Ching," the most precious treasure of the Louguan Taoist sect, but as it was the most prized treasure of the Taoist sect in public at the moment, he was naturally very curious.

"Does the master intend to let me see this treasure?"

Xiweizi held a scroll of Taoist scriptures in his hand, reading it with great interest:

"Of course, does Grandmaster Uncle still remember what the old Taoist told you?"

Zhou Yan said, "You mean you've discovered that there seems to be a problem with the earth's veins in Zhongnan Mountain?" He got up, put on his Taoist robe, washed up, and sat down next to Xiweizi. The old Taoist poured him tea and said, "Yes, that's exactly what I came for."

Zhou Yan had received a great benefit from the Taishanglou Temple, so he was naturally willing to help. After thinking for a moment, he said, "However, the Taishanglou Temple has been a lineage in Zhongnan Mountain for at least a thousand years. In such a long time, there have been many high-ranking cultivators at the fourth-grade True Person level throughout the generations. Why didn't they notice?"

Xiweizi sighed: "It is ridiculous to say, but this is precisely a great weakness of our human race, namely, the blindness of seeing only a leaf."

“Even a fourth-grade True Person grows up from nothing. If the problem with the earth veins was like this when the True Person was born, then that True Person would take the current problem with the earth veins as normal.”

"Just like mountains, these mountains are the result of being blown by strong winds."

"It's absolutely different from what it was 10,000 years ago."

"But we would argue that these mountains are normal as they are now."

Zhou Yan said, "Are you saying that the problem with the earth's veins actually existed before the Louguan Sect was founded, so the True Persons of all generations subconsciously ignored this problem out of habit?"

Xiweizi smiled bitterly, "It's a bit embarrassing to say, but it's true. The earth veins have been tampered with. The other party was very careful and set it up before the Louguan Dao was born."

"It was because of the incident at the Reclining Buddha Temple that the fighting caused the earth to collapse and the ley lines to fluctuate, which disrupted the plans of the opposing side. That's when the old Taoist priest noticed the difference."

"But the earth veins are too important. If we act rashly, it may cause a great loss of spiritual energy in the Zhongnan Mountain area and lead to widespread suffering. That's why I asked my grandmaster for help."

Zhou Yan nodded solemnly and said, "I am deeply grateful for the great favor from the Supreme Pavilion. I will do my best to help with this matter. As long as I can handle it, I will not shirk my responsibility."

Xiweizi smiled and said, "Then I will trouble you, Grandmaster Uncle."

"The original text of the Tao Te Ching, I will give it to you as a token of my gratitude."

Just as Zhou Yan was about to say something, the old Taoist priest had a rather mercenary air about him, when he saw Xiweizi take out a scroll of Taoist scripture from his sleeve, place it on the table, and say in a gentle voice, "Whether you succeed or not, this original text can be given to your grandmaster uncle for study."

Zhou Yan looked at the scroll of Taoist scriptures and said, "Give it to me now, aren't you afraid I won't do the work?"

The old Taoist laughed heartily: "If relationships are based on self-interest, then they are nothing more than self-interest."

"When the benefits are exhausted, the party will disperse."

"Only friendship can last, and the great way is never rigid."

"Grandmaster Uncle, I entrust this matter to you."

The old Taoist rose with composure and ease, displaying the demeanor of the Supreme One lineage. Zhou Yan exclaimed in admiration, "A fourth-grade True Man of the world, his cultivation of mind and body is truly extraordinary; he can almost be considered a terrestrial immortal."

Then I opened the original text of the Tao Te Ching and paused slightly.

I could see the tiny text inside.

The woman was beautiful, with a gentle smile, like a warm jade placed in one's arms...

Um? ? ? ?

wrong!

Zhou Yan opened the Taoist scripture and found that some shameless Taoist had peeled off the outer cover, revealing a scroll of folk storytelling inside. Upon opening it, he saw the main text of the scroll: "King Zhou's Kunlun Cloud and Rain Affair".

Deng Deng Deng!
Just then, the carefree and composed old Taoist priest kicked the door open and snatched the scroll back.

He coughed and said, "This, cough cough..."

Zhou Yan's eyes looked strange.

The old Taoist priest, calm and gentle, stroked his beard and said, "The flow of Yin and Yang is ever-changing. I am not a stone or wood, but also have all kinds of human emotions. Therefore, I occasionally look at the books of this mortal world to understand the ways of the world."

Zhou Yan's eyes sparkled with amusement: "Oh?"

Master Xiwei pointed to the sky outside, speaking gently and calmly: "You must know that the human heart should be like the sky, while clouds, rain, thunder and lightning are all just passing guests. After the rain, the sky will be clear, and my heart will remain as clear as ever."

Zhou Yan's lips twitched slightly.

That old Taoist priest is really good at talking nonsense!

No wonder he always carries a Taoist scripture with him; it turns out he's reading a forbidden book.

Xiweizi finally fled in a sorry state. Zhou Yan looked at the ancient Taoist scripture on the table. This time it was the true original text of the Tao Te Ching. Zhou Yan closed his eyes slightly, then opened them again. A faint golden ripple appeared in his eyes as he saw the original text shimmering with light.

A faint, subtle Taoist aura rose up.

This is the Daoist scripture.

Zhou Yan opened the Taoist scripture and read it. It contained the method of using talismans to preserve the divine intent without destroying the original text. It also contained the explanations left by practitioners of all generations. Combined with the charm of the Taoist scripture itself and the original text, it actually evolved into a breathing technique.

It's very simple, with an ancient feel, but without the layered progression of lineages.

Instead, it is about understanding the universe and the human heart, and using the universe and the human heart to correspond with the essence, energy and spirit.

Take [Qi] as one.

Continuously strengthen one's essence, energy, and spirit in order to reach the purest state of a true person.

The ancient Taoist masters such as Chisongzi during the time of Emperor Xuanyuan, the Taoist master Zhuangzi who wandered freely, the contemporary Taoist masters, and the Taoist masters known by Zhou Yan in later generations are four completely different concepts.

This was left by Lao Tzu and written by Yin Xi.

Lao Tzu recited the text, and Yin Xi probably only gained one or two tenths of the enlightenment he needed. After Yin Xi practiced and put his enlightenment into writing, the meaning in the written form was further diminished. Later practitioners will likely gain even less from it.

Even so, this treasure is still considered a supreme treasure of the Taoist sect.

Those who possess this item can break through realms and achieve the status of a True Person at the fastest speed. Zhou Yan tried to circulate his own magical power, but found that pure magical power was almost unable to complete the flow path derived from the original essence of the Tao Te Ching. The purity of the magical power was simply insufficient, and it would dissipate when it had flowed through one-third of the way.

However, in this process, one's spirit and energy are indeed tempered.

It is a profound method of cultivation, but based on Zhou Yan's current experience after practicing it, its symbolic significance within Taoism may be even more important.

He had a vague feeling that the original text of the Tao Te Ching and the wooden waist tag with only the character "Tai" in the box that Zhou Yan opened from the Taishang Tower Temple seemed to be connected.

He took off the wooden plaque and stroked the ancient character "太" with his fingers.

Zhou Yan could sense the Daoist rhythm flowing through the Daoist scriptures, which was noticeably faster. However, it seemed that something was missing; the resonance had not been completed, and the true nature of this Daoist scripture had not been revealed.

As Zhou Yan stroked the wooden plaque, circulating his magical power, he pondered the current situation—

Being in the whirlpool is like navigating a small boat on the waves; one must be extremely careful. Now that his strength has broken through and he has acquired a set of protective gear, his life and fortune have greatly increased. The Four Mountains True Lord was briefly stunned.

Zhou Yan's situation has finally entered a relatively balanced and safe state.

Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief.

However, he was well aware that his current safe situation was only temporary and a dynamic equilibrium. He needed to significantly improve his strength during this relatively stable period in order to maintain this peaceful life.

Zhou Yan stroked the wooden plaque.

"Establish a foothold, expand your advantages, and then snowball your gains to secure your position."

I originally thought it was just another Tang Dynasty that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

But the more I understand this world and this era, the more I realize that things are not so simple.

The greatest fear of man is the fear of the unknown. All the rules and order of this world are different from Zhou Yan's habits, and he always feels a sense of tension.

Zhou Yan put down the wooden plaque and summoned the imperial seal.

The Imperial Seal of the State, an inch above his palm, slowly rotated, emitting a clear, flowing light.

Zhou Yan's current lineage combines military, Taoist, and Buddhist teachings. After reaching the sixth rank, one must focus on cultivation. The reason why Pei Xuanbao is only at the seventh rank and why major families choose military strategists to enter the Taoist path is because the sixth-rank military strategist truly needs real battlefield experience.

Only by experiencing the true killing intent of the battlefield can one undergo a transformation and breakthrough.

Without going to the battlefield, without experiencing fighting and conquest, one can only remain at the initial sixth rank.

Taoist masters need to cultivate their Taoist practice, while Buddhist masters need to accumulate merit. Zhou Yan still remembers when he went to the Hedong Beach Fair last year, those monks and Taoists set up stalls, intending to perform rituals to help people's vengeful and hungry ghosts pass on.

Zhou Yan sensed the connection between himself and the jade seal, and tried to comprehend the Dao foundation that had been deduced. He vaguely understood how to further advance and truly reach the sixth rank, rather than relying on the fictional sixth rank deduced by the jade seal.

The Taoist sect needs to truly comprehend the "Taoist Laws" and cannot merely rely on jade talismans to cast spells; the Buddhist sect needs to convert the great demons of the human world; the military strategists naturally need to wage war, and Zhou Yan's journey to deliver 40,000 vengeful souls along the path of the Lord of Mount Tai has already taken a step forward, which is "order".

Taoist arts and supernatural powers are merely tools.

Only one's own spiritual cultivation constitutes the "body".

In this cultivation, one cannot abandon the essential for the trivial. The path that the Jade Seal has deduced is still one that one must rely on to truly walk. Zhou Yan exhaled and looked at the "Tao Te Ching," forcing himself to begin studying it.

In the following days, he diligently cultivated. During this time, the old local earth god sent a report to Zhou Yan with the earth vein decree of the God of Fortune and Virtue, asking whether the Taishan Guard should be dispatched immediately. Zhou Yan looked at those guys and found them displeasing.

This won't deter the demons.

So in his dream, Zhou Yan took out all his memories—the memories of military training, the memories of the military parade, and the memories of obeying orders—and combined them to create a composite strategy guide. After thinking about it, he realized that it was, after all, a monster.

The training intensity may not be appropriate for the individual.

Lord Zhou pondered.

Super double!
They increased the training intensity tenfold and threw it at the old locals.

Let the old local guide Shi Xuanxing and train these guys.

The military training in the new era is characterized by strict discipline and constant field exercises. After seeing this, Shi Xuanxing thought, "Isn't this a coincidence?" These mountain spirits and stone monsters do not have flesh and blood bodies, which means they will not have the same endurance issues as living beings.

Shi Xuanxing looked at the military training plan for a long time and whispered to General Feiying for a while.

With a wave of his hand, he doubled it, super doubled it!
Add ten times the load!
I've seen tigers and people die from exhaustion, but I've never heard of a stone killing someone. These little guys have been idle for who knows how many years; it's time to put them to work.

As a result, the demons and spirits of the thirty-six caves and seventy-two peaks hadn't had a good night's sleep in the past few days. The more than six thousand mountain spirits and wild monsters, according to Shi Xuanxing's request, all transformed into their true forms.

Its typical size is about one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) in human form.

In other words, six thousand three-meter-tall men conjured armor from stones, carried long-handled battle axes, and trained around Mount Tai every day with expressionless faces. In the morning, they marched in formation, and while marching, they used the innate supernatural power of the stone spirit to make the earth tremble.

In the afternoon, they carried incredibly heavy rocks and ran as fast as they could.

General Flying Eagle asked doubtfully, "Will this work?"

"It seems there's no way to turn it into combat power."

Shi Xuanxing's brain was like a rock; after pondering for a moment, he replied:
"Your Excellency, you have your own reasons."

"I know I'm not very bright."

"But my brain tells me that Lord Prefect has a brain, so I just need to treat Lord Prefect as my external brain. Whatever Lord Prefect says, I just need to do it, and do it twice as well!"

General Flying Eagle sighed, wondering if this guy had a brain or not.

The mountain spirits and stone monsters are not as quick-witted as other monsters, their reactions are slow, and their learning speed is also slow, but they have at least one advantage: they have incredibly strong patience, and once they learn something, they can maintain it for a long time.

Furthermore, the edict given to them by Zhou Yan, granting them the title of Lord of Mount Tai, subtly fostered a connection among them, enabling them to cooperate more effectively.

So, the monsters that roamed all over the Taishan mountain range, who had been watching Taishan Weimen wander around aimlessly for the past few days, started to sense something. After some time, one of the monsters poked its head out.

They saw six thousand stone warriors, clad in heavy armor made of mountain rocks, wielding heavy axes.

They marched in unison along the mountain paths of Mount Tai, their movements precise and uniform, their presence imposing and fierce. As night fell, they carried enormous boulders and ran wildly, with Shi Xuanxing laughing heartily as he transformed into a giant of rock and followed beside them.

It was so powerful that the earth shook and mountains trembled, terrifying all the demons and monsters.

Therefore, the Earth God, Shi Xuanxing, felt—

It's time for the Prefect to inspect it.

(End of this chapter)