I changed the world.

Not long after, the operating room door was pushed open.

A makeshift medical bed was wheeled out, and on it lay an elderly man with his eyes closed, his face pale and lifeless, covered with a white blanket. From under the blanket, one could see that the old man had been dressed again in a purple robe, embroidered with gold thread and decorated with various mystical patterns.

On either side and behind the medical bed, besides several caregivers, there were also several middle-aged and elderly Taoist priests helping to support the bed, and standing with these priests were some people dressed as doctors. If Zhang Jing were really a nurse from this hospital, she would have noticed that the hospital's director and vice director, among others, were following behind this medical bed.

This setup clearly indicates that the old man on the bed is no ordinary person. In Zhang Jing's eyes, he could clearly see a slightly ethereal figure lying on the old man's back, also reclining on the bed. This figure was also quite ethereal, seemingly detached from the old man's body.

At the same time, wisps of faint black mist emanated from the illusory figure, drifting into the surrounding air.

It was a rather bizarre scene, as if a phantom person was detaching from that body...

Chapter 199 The Celestial Venerable Manifests!

This was the first time Zhang Jing had observed the condition of someone who had just passed away. According to the Fazang book "Nine Abysses," a person's spirituality is composed of the soul and the spirit, with the soul governing the mind and the spirit governing the body.

After a person dies, the body ceases to exist, and the soul is the first to dissipate, merging into the universe.

In contrast, the dissipation of the soul is a gradual process. Especially for some people who are mentally strong, they can remain in the world for a few more days; this state is called "Bardo." However, this period usually lasts only seven days, after which it generally dissipates naturally.

Zhang Jing understood that the old man's soul had begun to enter the final intermediate state.

As the old man was being wheeled out, almost all the Taoist priests in the waiting area stood up, and the surrounding cries suddenly intensified. Some priests even wailed and tried to rush forward, and for a moment, the scene became somewhat chaotic.

At this moment, the first among the Taoist priests guarding the bedside was naturally Li Jingxin, the abbot of Yunxiao Temple. Seeing this chaotic scene, he instinctively raised his eyebrows, wanting to reprimand them. However, after thinking about it, he sighed and remained silent.

Fortunately, the Taoist priests present knew what was important, so things didn't get out of control. Apart from a few disciples rushing to the bedside and crying loudly, some of the other disciples knelt down on the ground, while others followed behind and wept.

Of course, some disciples couldn't cry, but at this moment, they all covered their eyes with their sleeves, howling and making a gesture of being in unbearable pain.

Zhang Jing watched all this silently from a corner. At this moment, besides him, there were several other people dressed as nurses in the vicinity, all of whom had been brought in to help. As for Dean Yu, whether they were useful or not was another matter; the attitude had to be right. After all, the identity of this Old Master Xiao was undeniable, and he could not be taken lightly.

After a while, the scene gradually calmed down. At this time, the medical bed started moving again and slowly moved towards the elevator. The Taoist priests and some nurses present automatically followed behind the medical bed.

The medical bed was pushed into the elevator room reserved for hospital beds, along with several high-ranking Taoist priests and hospital leaders, while the others were told to take other elevators upstairs.

Like most hospitals, the morgue of Linzhou Yongji Hall is located on the basement level. Of course, it was impossible for Master Xiao to stay there. The hospital specially prepared a temporary mourning hall on the 32nd floor. This area was originally used as a demonstration classroom inside the hospital and was quite large. It was cleared out and used as a mourning hall.

The reason it's considered temporary is that a series of procedures must be followed according to the esoteric traditions before the body can be placed in the coffin. Furthermore, preparing all the necessary items for the funeral also takes time. Therefore, after a brief stay at the hospital, the body will be returned to Yunxiao Mountain for the ceremony and burial.

When they reached the 32nd floor, Zhang Jing had already transformed into an ordinary-looking Taoist priest wearing a Taoist hat. He kept his head down and silently followed behind the other Taoist priests. Even on surveillance cameras, he would only be mistaken for one of them.

Silently following them to the corridor outside the mourning hall, Zhang Jing observed that since this area was not originally a public area of ​​the hospital, no surveillance equipment was installed. The mourning hall was open at the moment, and some Taoist priests were still busy setting up inside. The relevant leaders of the hospital stayed for a while before taking their leave, leaving some nurses and caregivers to continue helping.

After the mourning period ended, Li Jingxin and Zhou Jingyuan, the two most senior and highest-ranking Taoist priests present, were both filled with sorrow as the former abbot's direct disciples. However, they both understood that this was not the time for grief.

The two met and discussed for a few minutes, deciding it was necessary to hold a short meeting to discuss the next steps.

After all, this was an unexpected situation. No one had anticipated that the abbot's condition would deteriorate so rapidly, so no one was prepared beforehand.

Meanwhile, a large crowd of believers and reporters had gathered outside the hospital. It was already past 2 a.m., and dawn was just hours away. The matter would soon be impossible to conceal. So, who should be informed of the abbot's passing first? What should be the official wording used to announce it to the press? When should the abbot's remains be transported to Yunxiao Mountain? And so on…

The departure of a royally appointed master is no small matter; it involves a multitude of issues and is quite complex...

Of course, such matters could not be discussed before the spirit tablet of the old master, as that would be disrespectful. Therefore, the Taoist priests present were summoned to an office next to the mourning hall…

Just as the group of Taoist priests were being summoned for a meeting, Zhang Jing walked straight into the mourning hall. The hall was empty, and in Zhang Jing's eyes, the old master lay quietly on the medical bed. Overlapping with his physical body, a phantom "old master" also lay there with his eyes closed, wisps of black energy constantly drifting around...

Zhang Jing narrowed his eyes, feeling slightly nervous. He took a deep breath, reached out and waved his hand behind him, and the door closed silently.

He took out a silver metal bead from his pocket, and the bead began to spin lightly. Then, it opened up like a flower, with a swirling vortex resembling a galaxy at the center.

The next moment, a bronze metal box over a meter tall appeared beside Zhang Jing. Zhang Jing placed his hand on the metal box, and after a short while, a beam of light shone from it, illuminating the old master's body on the medical bed. Then, a hazy and illusory figure was lifted from the bed. This illusory figure reached out to grab its own body, seemingly reluctant to leave, but in an instant, it was sucked into the metal box.

Then, Zhang Jing heard a series of sounds coming from the metal box, a sound like tearing silk.

A faint glow emanated from the box, growing brighter and brighter until it made the entire box appear as if it were crystal. Strangely, this light seemed able to penetrate the walls and project outwards…

Meanwhile, above the inpatient department of Yongjitang in Linzhou, dark clouds were gathering in all directions, and large swaths of gray clouds soon completely obscured the starry sky above the inpatient department...

"Crackling..." A streak of pale blue electricity crackled through the clouds...

..............................

"Is it going to rain?" A reporter looked up at the sky from outside the fence of the inpatient department gate, then frowned and muttered.

"The weather forecast says it will be sunny all week?" Another reporter who knew him well asked after glancing at his phone.

"This weather forecast doesn't seem to be reliable..." the reporter muttered, then added curiously, "Thunder in the middle of winter, that's really strange..."

"Crackling... crackling..." Before the words were finished, lightning flashed across the sky again.

"Hey, look, why are all these clouds gathering above the hospital?!" Soon, someone noticed the anomaly.

"Yes, there aren't any even far away..."

"It really is……"

Immediately, some reporters pointed their cameras at the sky, but the next moment, an even bigger anomaly occurred!

Right before everyone's eyes, in a room on the 32nd floor of the Yongjitang inpatient department in Linzhou, a beam of clear light gradually shone through the building, growing brighter and brighter...

Immediately afterwards, the clear light shot straight up into the sky, piercing through the clouds above and pouring into the thunderclouds...

The thick, heavy clouds hung even lower, their surging vapors seeming to press down on people's heads. Meanwhile, the beam of light, several meters in diameter, pierced straight into the clouds as if to pierce the sky—a truly magnificent sight!

"Crack... Boom!!!" A deep rumble of thunder rolled across the earth, followed by a light drizzle of rain...

This is a scene straight out of mythology!!

"Look!!"

"Look! Look!!"

"Blessings and Immeasurable Heavenly Lord!"

"Oh!!!"

"What's that? Quick, take a picture!"

"The Heavenly Venerable has manifested!!!"

"……………………"

The reporters present were in complete disarray, their faces showing either excitement or fear, but most maintained good professionalism by pointing their cameras at the sky.

Not only them, but also the believers further away who were praying were in chaos. Some had knelt on the ground, chanting incantations, believing it to be a divine intervention. Others, like the reporter, took out their phones to capture the scene.

........................

"Quick, go see what's going on!"

"Abbot! The old abbot's mourning hall can't be opened; it's closed from the inside!"

"Where's the key? Where's the key?!"

"Senior Brother Jingyuan! The key won't open it!!!"

………………

At that very moment, in the room next to the mourning hall, the group of Taoist priests who were having a meeting also noticed the clear light shining from next door. They immediately forgot about the meeting and came out of the room to check. Naturally, they discovered that the light was coming from the mourning hall of the old master.

However, the door to the mourning hall was already closed, and somehow it seemed to be locked, making it impossible to open from the outside, even though they quickly found the key.

The light grew brighter and brighter, to the point that even those standing in the corridor felt it was dazzling. Not only them, but also the nurses and caregivers who remained on this floor had gathered around, all staring blankly or in awe at the closed mourning hall.

"Abbot, should we break down the door?" a young Taoist priest suggested urgently.

Chapter Two Hundred: A Sacred Miracle! The Teacher Has Ascended to Immortality!

As Xiao Daoguang's eldest disciple, Li Jingxin held the highest rank and seniority among the Taoist priests present. He turned to look around. In addition to the Taoist priests from Yunxiao Temple, several medical staff from the academy had also gathered on the outer perimeter, and everyone's eyes were fixed on him expectantly.

A thought flashed through Li Jingxin's mind like lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he made his decision. He reached out to stop the disciple who was about to ram the door, raised one palm to his chest, interlocked his index finger and thumb, and solemnly said, "Our teacher has dedicated his life to compassion for all beings, spreading the Dharma and propagating the teachings. Now that his merits have been fulfilled, he has achieved liberation and ascended to immortality. All disciples should recite the 'Western Ascension Sutra' together to help our teacher transcend!"

"Blessings and Immeasurable Heavenly Lord!"

Li Jingxin uttered the sacred name, and at that moment, his face shone with a divine light, making him appear even more majestic, solemn, and sacred.

After Li Jingxin's reminder, the Taoist priests present realized that what was unfolding before them might be a living "sacred miracle"—a scene worthy of being recorded in the history of the Xuanmen (Taoist sects)!

In other words, the actions of those who were fortunate enough to be present at this historical scene will also be recorded in history!

A strange emotion began to fill the hearts of everyone present. It was a feeling that mixed sacredness, excitement, joy, and even fervor. Perhaps this is what the classics call "Dharma bliss".

“What Senior Brother says is absolutely right.” Zhou Jingyuan, equally solemn, raised his palms and bowed his head: “May the Heavenly Venerable grant boundless blessings!”

Under the direction of the two, a group of Taoist priests lined up in two rows in the corridor outside the mourning hall and chanted the "Western Ascension Sutra" in unison.

Infected by the sacred atmosphere, the caregivers present first lowered their eyes and bowed their heads, standing respectfully beside the group of Taoist priests. Then, even the medical staff followed suit and stood aside.

Yongji Hall was originally a hospital with a background in Taoism, so the staff here naturally had some knowledge of Taoism.

Some of them were already believers in the Xuanmen sect, while others did not originally believe in it. However, regardless of their past beliefs, at this moment, they all wore expressions of awe and respect. After all, those present understood best that this was a genuine miracle unfolding before their eyes.

I originally thought that the venerable Master Xiao was just a respected elder, but now it seems that he is not so!

The chanting of sutras echoed throughout the entire floor. At that moment, a bright light shone forth. What the Taoist priests did not see was that the 33rd, 34th, 35th, and 36th floors above, and even the void above, were also enveloped in the light. A pillar of light pierced straight into the sky.

Inside the mourning hall, Zhang Jing stood by the door. In his gaze, the lid of the metal box had been opened from the inside, and a sphere radiating a halo rose into the air in front of him, floating there. The clear light it emitted enveloped the surrounding area, revealing every detail.

Zhang Jing squinted, and through the dazzling light, he could see that the sphere floating in mid-air was a blurry human figure with its hands wrapped around its knees, curled up in the air, just like an infant in the womb.

Of course, you can tell from the shape that this is by no means an infant, but the form of a naked adult.

Even more strangely, the surface of this humanoid body was still slightly writhing, like an unfinished clay figure, with its muscle tissue, skin, and so on constantly moving and adjusting...