Under One Person: I Have a Billion Taoist Gods Within Me

The mountain path winds its way through the morning mist, and the bluestone steps gleam with a damp light.

Li Yuan walked with composure.

The descent was slow, in fact, quite slow.

He walked steadily and heavily with each step, as if he were not descending a mountain, but measuring the land that had witnessed his eighteen years of secluded cultivation.

If a person with keen senses were here, they would be able to detect it...

During this seemingly ordinary walk, the aura surrounding Li Yuan, which was in harmony with heaven and earth, was undergoing subtle and profound changes.

That was not a deliberate "entering the world," but a more mysterious "transformation."

His path originates from heaven and earth and is in harmony with nature.

At this moment, Li Yuan embodies a serene tranquility that blends seamlessly with the mountain mists, ancient trees, and clear springs...

It gradually transforms into "worldly movement" that can resonate with the mundane world and the myriad aspects of human life.

My Daoist heart remains as clear as a mirror.

The objects reflected will change from the pine breeze and bright moon in the mountains to the joys and sorrows of the marketplace.

Inside the interior.

The vast Daluo Palace operates silently.

The phantom images of Taoist gods sit silently.

Only a few deities are associated with the duties of "walking," "protection," and "insight"...

The clear light above figures such as the Duty Officer, the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the Earth and Mountain Gods shimmered gently.

It seemed to resonate in some mysterious way with the outside world, where Liyuan was moving.

Li Yuan did not intentionally use their power.

But this resonance is itself a natural extension of his inner vision.

He carries the divine essence of all gods, and wherever he goes, the gods follow and protect him, and heaven and earth resonate with him.

Halfway up the mountain, there is a cliff with a wide view.

Li Yuan stopped and looked back.

The Daluo Palace is now deep in the clouds and mist, with only the faint outline of its flying eaves and brackets remaining, resembling a celestial pavilion suspended in the sky.

He gazed at it quietly for a moment, his eyes filled with a profound tranquility.

Then, he turned around and continued down the mountain.

This time, the steps seemed a little lighter, and the moon-white figure appeared even more transcendent and more genuinely approaching the human world amidst the thickening mountain mist.

......

The mountain path finally came to an end, and the last step of bluestone disappeared into the soil.

Li Yuan stepped onto the simple country road, and looking back, the road he had come from had disappeared into the green mountain shadows.

The tolling of the bells and the mist of the Daluo Palace were left behind.

Ahead lay fields crisscrossed by paths, with a few villages scattered in the distance, their chimneys wisps of smoke rising gently in the afternoon sunlight—a tranquil pastoral scene.

However, beneath this tranquility, a sense of anxiety and unease was subtly present.

Li Yuan strolled forward, his Taoist robe brushing against the half-withered wild grass by the roadside.

What he saw was a field that should have been lush and green with thriving crops, but now it looked rather listless.

The soil between the ridges has already shown signs of hardening and cracking, and the edges of the rice seedlings' leaves are curled and yellowed, losing their proper moisture and luster.

The air was hot and dry, even the wind carried a dry smell.

A dozen or so villagers were gathered at the edge of a large field ahead.

Men, women, young and old were all there, each with a worried expression, pointing at the fields, and sighing softly.

"If it doesn't rain soon, this batch of seedlings will all be ruined!"

An old farmer squatted on the ground, grabbed a handful of dry, cracked clods of earth, crushed them into powder, and his face was full of sorrow.

"That's right, even the well water level has dropped a bit, and the river is almost dry."

A middle-aged man fanned himself with a straw hat, yet his coarse cloth clothes were still soaked with sweat.

"The elders say this celestial phenomenon foretells a severe drought!"

"Alas, God is blind, how are we supposed to live?" A woman held a bewildered child, her eyes red-rimmed.

Among the crowd, an elderly man, who had received some education and seen a bit of the world, stroked his beard and gazed worriedly at the distant, mist-shrouded Mianshan Mountains:

"It is said that in the Daluo Palace of Mianshan Mountain, there is an enlightened immortal who can summon wind and rain and communicate with the gods."

"If only a god could protect us and send down rain..."

"Gods? How easy is it to summon them? We ordinary folks can't even get through the mountain gate..." someone replied dejectedly.

As they were talking, someone with sharp eyes spotted Li Yuan slowly walking towards them from the direction of the mountain path.

The newcomer was dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe, spotless, with a tall and straight figure like a pine or bamboo, and a leisurely gait as if treading on clouds.

Her dark hair was loosely tied up, her face was handsome, and her eyes were clear and gentle, as if they could reflect the anxiety in people's hearts.

In particular, its detached and otherworldly demeanor is incongruous with the surrounding scorching and hot field scene, yet it strangely gives people a sense of peace.

"Look! That, that Taoist priest..." a young man couldn't help but exclaim.

All the villagers' attention was instantly drawn to it.

At this time of impending drought and widespread anxiety.

The arrival of such an ethereal Taoist priest from the mountains was like a refreshing breeze before a long drought.

"They came down from Mianshan!" The old farmer stood up abruptly, his eyes gleaming with hope.

"This demeanor... could it be that a celestial being from the mountain has descended?" The old man, who had read books, asked with a trembling voice.

It's unclear who started it, but the villagers swarmed around, yet dared not get too close, for fear of disrespecting this seemingly celestial Taoist priest.

Their eyes were filled with awe, expectation, and a desperate urgency, like grasping at straws in a desperate situation.

"Master! Immortal!" The old farmer was the first to bow and kowtow, his voice filled with excitement.

"Are you an immortal from the Great Luo Palace?"

"Please, immortals, have mercy! Look at the heavens! If it doesn't rain soon, our entire village will be doomed this year!"

"Yes, Immortal Master, the ground is practically steaming!"

"Please, Immortal Master, save us! Plead with Heaven to send some rain!"

A cacophony of pleas echoed around Li Yuan.

He looked at the villagers before him, their faces pale and thin, their eyes filled with anxiety, and a thought stirred within him. Then he looked up at the sky.

The sun was blazing, the sky was a clear, deep blue, and there were hardly any clouds in sight.

But in Li Yuan's eyes, the subtle signs of the flow of the Qi of heaven and earth were clearly discernible.

He didn't need to cast a divination; he knew this heat was extraordinary simply through natural communion and a subtle, intuition about the overall situation from his inner vision.

A severe drought, covering a wide area and lasting for a long time, is brewing beneath the surface.

If the situation is not addressed soon, the current barrenness of these fields is secondary.

The subsequent famine and displacement were the real calamities that devastated the lives of the people.

Li Yuan's gaze swept over the faces that were etched with the marks of life, yet now twisted with despair and hope.

The wind swept over the fragile seedlings struggling to survive in the hot, dry air.

Within his inner vision, the Great Luo Palace seemed to stir slightly.

The clear light emanating from the positions of certain deities who control wind and rain and harmonize the four seasons resonates with the thoughts that arise in their hearts.

The Tao follows the way of nature, and it also benefits all living beings.

Seeing the suffering of the people, how can we turn a blind eye and walk away?

Li Yuan immediately raised his hand, signaling the villagers to calm down.

His voice was calm and clear, yet it carried a strange calming power that made the anxious crowd involuntarily quiet down.

"May the Heavenly Venerable grant boundless blessings."

Li Yuan bowed deeply and slowly said:

"I have already seen the worries of my fellow villagers."

"The celestial phenomena are dry and the earth's energy is not moist; signs of drought are already evident. If left unchecked, it will surely become a disaster."

These words, spoken by him and accentuated by his calm demeanor, were more convincing and more disheartening than any panicked speculation.

Several women burst into tears on the spot.

However, Li Yuan then subtly changed the subject, his tone remaining calm but carrying a reassuring certainty:

"However, the way of Heaven and Earth is to take from the excess and give to the deficiency."

"Although the drought demon is fierce, it is not without its control."

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on the old farmer who had spoken first, and he asked:

"Old man, besides the rivers, ditches, and wells that the fields rely on, are there any other streams or deep pools in the village? Even if the water is shallow now."

The old farmer was taken aback, then quickly replied, "Yes, yes!"

"There's an old dragon pool in the back hill valley. In previous years, the water was plentiful, but this year only a little bit remains at the bottom..."

"Having a water vein foundation is good." Li Yuan nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, the villagers became even more convinced that the Taoist priest before them was extraordinary, and they were so excited that they almost knelt down in worship.

"Master! Do you really have a solution?"

Li Yuan nodded slightly, his gaze turning back to the heavens, his eyes deep, as if conversing with some being in the darkness.

He said calmly, "Since we are passing through this place today and have encountered this calamity, it is all due to fate."

"I, this humble Taoist priest, will try to regulate the wind and rain in this area to alleviate the drought."

The villagers could hardly believe their ears when they heard this.

Overjoyed, yet somewhat at a loss.

"Please step back a bit and wait under the shade of the trees over there."

Li Yuan pointed to a few relatively lush trees beside the field ridge and whispered the instructions:

"There may be thunder and wind later, do not be alarmed."

The villagers hurriedly retreated, clearing a large area along the edge of the field, and formed a semi-circle at a distance.

For a moment, everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the pale figure in the center of the arena, filled with awe and anticipation.

Li Yuan stood on the edge of the field, facing the parched fields and the scorching sky.

His eyes were slightly lowered, his breath was calm, and his whole being seemed to be connected with the earth beneath his feet and the sky above his head.

He then simply raised his right hand, formed an ancient hand seal, and softly uttered a spell.

At first, it was faint, but gradually it became clear and bright. Each word was like pearls falling onto a plate, or like hidden thunder rolling from beyond the heavens, echoing across the scorching fields.

"The Thunder God of Heaven, dispels thunder and drinks rainbows."

"The Heavenly Symbol shall not be allowed to linger wherever it goes."

"To save the day from drought, the valiant officials were awe-inspiring."

"Anyone who dares to act recklessly will be condemned by Heaven."

"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"

The meaning of the incantation is to invite the powerful and influential Thunder God of the Heavenly Realm, who oversees the Thunder Department, to manifest his divine power.

He was ordered to command thunder and lightning, ride rainbows, and carry the Heavenly Emperor's decree to travel in all directions, and not to delay in places of drought or famine.

With the might of the Thunder General, this famine and drought will be relieved.

If any of the deities in charge are lazy or evil spirits take the opportunity to cause trouble, then the laws of heaven are strict and will not tolerate them!

This incantation is not an ordinary rain-making technique.

Instead, it is a prelude to directly mobilizing the authority of the Thunder God and commanding the wind and rain.

Thunder brings wind, wind brings clouds, and thick clouds bring rain.

With the power of thunder, we will break the drought!

The incantation had just ended—

A flash of clear light seemed to appear between Li Yuan's eyebrows and in the ancestral aperture.

Inside the interior.

Deep within the ancient and majestic Daluo Palace, the area of ​​the temple belonging to the Thunder Department suddenly shone brightly!

The divine position of "Dutian Leigong" in particular radiates a dazzling yet not scorching azure light.

A majestic and vast divine thought, wielding both divine punishment and the power of life, awakened like a thunder dragon from the heavens.

It rose up suddenly from the divine throne, following the guidance of Li Yuan's curse power and will.

It instantly reflected in the core of his mind and resonated profoundly with the outside world.

"The Thunder Department has been summoned and is here as ordered!"

In a daze.

Li Yuan was not surrounded by fields, but stood in a void interwoven with thunder.

A majestic phantom of a divine general, towering to the heavens and standing upright with an indigo face and red hair, eyes like lightning, and clad in golden armor and necklaces, appears in the inner landscape, wielding a thunder chisel and an electric hammer.

Although it was only a wisp of true meaning and Dharma form, it already carried an awe-inspiring and inviolable divine might.

It is in harmony with the light of the abyss.

at the same time...

The world outside suddenly changed color!

Rumble—!

The once cloudless, azure sky was suddenly filled with a muffled rumble of thunder from the southeast.

At first it was far away, but then it quickly approached, like the panting of a giant beast, shaking the earth.

Above the rolling mountains, large swaths of thick, leaden-gray rain clouds are visible to the naked eye, gathering and piling up at an abnormal speed, churning like raging waves.

In the blink of an eye, it had blocked out the blazing sun.

The sky darkened rapidly, and a strong wind suddenly rose, no longer the dry, hot wind.

Instead, a strong wind carrying moisture and coolness swept across the fields, causing the withered yellow rice seedlings to sway violently.

It also dispelled the villagers' restlessness and despair, replacing it with a sense of awe and ecstasy in the face of the power of heaven and earth.

Within the clouds, electric snakes began to dart about, and streaks of blinding white light tore through the dim sky.

The illusory image of the Thunder God, which was faintly visible above Li Yuan and whose immense pressure could be felt by ordinary people, was illuminated intermittently.

Li Yuan stood amidst the wind and thunder, his moon-white Taoist robe fluttering in the wind, his hair flying, yet his figure remained as steady as a rock.

He pointed his right hand, which was forming a hand seal, towards the sky, and uttered a clear shout:

"When the thunder god roars, the clouds gather and the wind follows!"

"Sweet dew is coming, to moisten the parched land!"

"Imperial Edict—!"

With this imperial edict.

In the interior scene, the image of the Thunder God strikes a thunder chisel with an electric hammer!

Snap! Snap!

A dazzling bolt of lightning, like a divine sword, slashed down fiercely from the center of the churning dark clouds.

It didn't strike the ground, but exploded in mid-air, turning into countless tiny sparks of electricity that spread across the land.

What followed was a continuous, soul-stirring rumble of thunder.

It was as if a thousand troops were beating war drums, proclaiming the arrival of divine power and the authority of the rain.

After the thunder, the wind howled even faster, and the humid air was so thick it was almost dripping wet.

slam-la-

First, a few scattered raindrops, each the size of a bean, tentatively struck the parched, cracked earth, stirring up tiny specks of dust.

Immediately afterwards...

The raindrops became denser, connecting into threads, then into lines, and finally transformed into a torrential curtain of rain, descending from the sky and enveloping the long-parched fields and villages.

The cool rainwater thoroughly washed away the dust and moistened the parched earth.

The rice seedlings in the field unfurled their curled leaves in the rain, greedily absorbing the life-saving rain.

The cracks were filled with rainwater, and soon, a gentle stream flowed through the fields.

The villagers were already stunned by this rapidly changing, almost miraculous scene.

They stood in the rain, letting the cold water soak them completely. After the initial shock, they were overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude.

It's unclear who took the lead, but they knelt down in the direction of Li Yuan and the sky where the rain was falling, kowtowing repeatedly.

"It's raining! It's really raining!"

"A god! He's truly a living god!"

"Thank you so much, Immortal Master! Thank you so much, Thunder God! You saved the lives of our entire village!"

Tears of gratitude mingled with the sound of pouring rain and the fading thunder.

Li Yuan stood alone at the edge of the rain curtain, his body seemingly surrounded by an invisible aura. Rainwater fell within three feet of him and then naturally slid away without getting wet.

He gazed quietly at the jubilant villagers and the fields that had come back to life after the rain, his eyes gentle and peaceful.

There was no arrogance after bestowing favors, only a sense of peace at seeing the world return to harmony and living beings freed from suffering.

This rain was not caused by him forcibly defying the heavens, but rather by using his own methods to communicate with the righteous gods of the Thunder Department and regulate the unbalanced energy of one side.

It accelerated the natural rainfall process and made it more abundant and even, enough to alleviate the initial drought.

The rain was already in full swing, and the cloud cover was quite thick, enough to last for some time.

Li Yuan knew that the matter was over.

He did not accept the villagers' attempts to persuade him to stay or their offerings, but simply nodded slightly to the villagers who repeatedly thanked him amidst the sound of rain.

"Heaven rewards diligence and also has compassion for all living beings."

"This rain will quench our current thirst. If we take good care of the fields and irrigate them, there should be no major problems."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the little boy who had almost fallen earlier, and his tone softened.

"Take the children and elderly people back inside first, so they don't get wet in the rain and catch a cold."

After saying this, Li Yuan ignored the villagers' repeated attempts to persuade him to stay and turned to step into the still dense rain.

The pale figure gradually faded into the misty rain, eventually disappearing at the end of the road leading into the distance, as if it had never existed.

All that remains is a piece of land nourished by the sweet rain.

And a legend about the immortal of Mianshan who summoned thunder and rain that will surely be passed down for a long time.

The rain continued to fall, washing away the dust.

It also seemed to cleanse Li Yuan's first step into the mortal world.