Shulong Daojun

The next day, at the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

Just as the yang energy was gradually increasing and the yin energy was receding, a golden hue appeared in the sky, and countless golden rays fell down, illuminating the altar.

Before the altar, Bao Yi Dao Ren, Xuan Zheng Dao Ren, and three other Daoists wearing nine-beam turbans stood at the front.

Lin Shu, Zhang Ziling, and other leading disciples of various lineages followed closely behind.

The old and young Taoists, who practiced various schools of thought, lined up in order at the back.

The Taoist priests stood silently behind the prayer cushions, their expressions solemn, their hands clasped in waiting.

In a short while, the bells and drums sounded three times, signaling that the auspicious day and time had arrived.

Then a high-ranking priest, wearing a hibiscus crown, a purple robe, and holding a jade tablet, slowly ascended the altar.

When we reached the incense burner, we stopped.

Then, facing the altar of Heaven and Earth, burn three sticks of incense, take the petition from the offering table, and read it:

"In the year of Jiazi, on the day of the Beginning of Autumn, Yi Xuan, a disciple of the Taiyi lineage of Taoism, acted in accordance with Heaven's will and initiated the Kunyuan Dharma Assembly."

This signifies that merits and demerits are clearly distinguished, that divine positions are changed, that yin and yang are in harmony, and that the world is at peace.

May Heaven and Earth discern the truth.

After the announcement, Yi Xuan lit a fire in the incense burner, burned the incense sticks, and sent the smoke upwards to the heavens.

Wisps of smoke rose straight up into the sky, seemingly connecting heaven and earth, lingering there for a long time.

At this moment, Heaven is watching over humanity, and humanity reveres Heaven.

On the high altar, Yi Xuan, holding a jade tablet, treads the steps of the Big Dipper and circles the altar three times.

After completing the ritual steps, he ascended the high seat, faced the crowd below, nodded and smiled, and then proclaimed in a loud voice:

"The Kunyuan Dharma Assembly has now commenced. We invite all deities and cultivators to take their places."

As soon as he finished speaking, the various earth immortals who had passed on their lineages, including Bao Daoren, as well as Shou Zheng, all took their seats on the red prayer mats in front of the altar.

Lin Shu sat comfortably on a green cushion, and the others also sat down.

At the same time, the bells and drums sounded again, and suddenly divine light flashed. Ten righteous gods appeared, each using their magic power to transform a futon and sit down.

They were all dressed in divine robes and wore divine crowns, looking solemn.

However, due to the different mountains and rivers under their jurisdiction, the patterns on their robes varied, which for a moment revealed a sense of the wonder of the changes in nature.

Once everyone was seated, Yi Xuan glanced up briefly, then rose from his high seat and announced:

"The Kunyuan Dharma Assembly now enters its first test: the Jiazi year report."

The righteous gods of each mountain range recounted their merits and demerits over the past sixty years, under the supervision of Heaven.

We urge all gods not to speak falsehoods or conceal anything, lest they suffer misfortune.

After speaking, he turned his gaze to the Ten Directions Gods, exerting a slight pressure, then looked at the Taoists below the altar and said calmly:

"Any cultivator or immortal from any lineage may inquire on the spot if they have any doubts."

After speaking, he returned to his seat and lowered his eyes to observe.

The Taoist priests below the altar responded with proper etiquette, but when they reached the side of the righteous god, they all fell silent.

A moment later, a mountain god rose, straightened his clothes, and ascended the altar.

He walked with a steady gait, and the mountain patterns on his divine robes meandered like pythons. After bowing, he began to report on his merits and demerits.

The cases involved both acts of protection and demon-slaying, as well as dereliction of duty and favoritism.

Everything, big or small, was reported clearly.

Moreover, the sky remained dark and still, as if it were evaluating merits and demerits, and even the wisps of smoke seemed to carry an unpredictable air.

After a while, he bowed and solemnly said, "The Mountain God of Taiqi has finished his account. Please, High Priest, take note."

Upon hearing this, Yi Xuan's gaze flickered slightly, as if in thought. Then, his gaze swept across the area below the altar, and he slowly asked, "Do any of the other lineages have any objections?"

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence below the altar. No one stood up to question him, and no one responded.

Lin Shu observed silently, pondering and learning, and secretly memorizing the rules and etiquette of the divine examination and the evaluation by the Taoist priests.

This will also make it easier to teach Qingmin in the future.

It's highly unlikely that a young dragon could understand these things.

Not to mention, it looks completely listless now.

Then they saw Qingmin lying on Linshu's shoulder. Although it raised its dragon body and pretended to be upright, its dragon eyes were full of confusion and ignorance.

Seeing this, Lin Shu slightly turned his head, reached out and gently touched the soft scales on Qing Min's chin, stroked them, and then looked away to continue watching the Dharma assembly.

He naturally heard the report from the mountain god of Taiqi Mountain, but he could hardly say a word about it.

This mountain is not within the jurisdiction of the Dao Yi Tai Miao Zhen Men, so he has no way of knowing the merits and demerits of the mountain god. He can only sit quietly and observe.

If the lineage cultivators within the jurisdiction of Taiqi Mountain have no objection, others will naturally not say anything more.

as predicted.

Yi Xuan sat upright for a moment, and seeing that there was still no sound around him, he nodded slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Since there are no objections, we await Your Majesty's judgment."

In an instant, the blue smoke condensed, and the sky changed color abruptly.

The clouds surged and split open, revealing a wisp of rising blue smoke that resembled a pupil, as if the heavens had opened their eyes.

At this moment, though it was a clear, bright day, a sudden clap of thunder appeared—

boom!

It seems as if Heaven intends to judge.

Soon after, the thunder subsided, the clouds dispersed, and the sky cleared.

After a few breaths, Yi Xuan nodded and said calmly, "Alright, step down."

The mountain god of Taiqi Mountain immediately bowed and clasped his hands, then retreated with slightly trembling steps, no longer displaying the composure he had when he ascended the altar.

After he returned to his place, Yi Xuan said, "Next."

With the mountain god of Taiqi Mountain setting an example, the remaining ten righteous gods only glanced at each other before taking turns to ascend the altar to report.

Among them, most of them had more merits than demerits, and when they came down from the altar, they were all covered in cold sweat and had a look of relief on their faces.

Those whose faults outweigh their merits are immediately stripped of their positions as deities, their sixty years of life wasted in a single day.

In the comings and goings, they finally arrived at the mountain god of Xuanfu Mountain, Futu.

It was none other than the burly man that Lin Shu had seen captured in the mountains that day.

Then he ascended the altar with a bitter expression, knelt down with a thud, lowered his head and said, "I have committed a grave offense against the mountain god Xuanfu Mountain."

Over the course of sixty years, he mistakenly befriended the monstrous mountain crocodile, allowing it to privately build temples and steal incense offerings; this was his first offense.

The failure to detect the mountain crocodile's plot led to its offspring devouring the mountain range, causing significant damage to the mountainside. This was the second mistake.

This further exacerbated the dangers posed by the mountain to several villages below, resulting in countless casualties among the people; this was the third transgression.

At this point, Fu Tu suddenly fell silent.

After a long silence, he kowtowed deeply and then said, "I believe that I have made no contribution during my tenure."

The Mountain God of Xuanfu has finished his account; please, High Priest, grant your review.

As soon as he finished speaking, the audience below the altar erupted in uproar.

This is because no one has ever seen anyone who has not performed meritorious service, nor has anyone heard of such a serious dereliction of duty.

Seeing this, Yi Xuan raised his hand and said calmly, "Silence."

His expression then calmed, and as usual, he looked down at the people below the altar and asked, "Do any of the lineages have any objections?"

Everyone was silent, except for a sigh.

Yi Xuan nodded and was about to speak again, awaiting divine judgment.

At this moment, a young Taoist priest suddenly rose from the black prayer mat, cupped his hands, and said loudly:

"Qi Ning Gao Gong, a junior of the Miscellaneous Learning lineage, the Si Shan Sect Bei Chen, has objections."

He was dressed in an ochre-colored Taoist robe and wore a matching Taoist headscarf. His face was as warm as jade, but his demeanor was cold and intimidating.

A snake-like sash was tied around his waist, adding to the eerie feeling.

As this person stood up, the surrounding cultivators of various schools of thought seemed to have found their pillar of support, and they all unconsciously moved closer to him.

Yi Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly and said softly, "Granted."