Chapter 176: Heaven and Earth Possess Upright Qi

Yet the visitor wore a Daoist robe of interwoven black and white, tall and slender, with an immortal's bearing and Daoist aura.

The acting State Preceptor, Daoist Jingming, appeared in the southern study.

Though his arrival was silent and soundless, Zhang Jian felt a faint awareness.

Upon hearing this, he said.

"Without sufficient affinity, what can be done?"

This is certainly not because he cannot write it.

If fully written, relying on his comprehension of the method of circulating the Righteous and Vast Fire, it would form a tremendous omen.

It might even provoke heavenly and earthly anomalies.

This would reveal his secrets in the Way of the Sages—unnecessary!

Daoist Jingming gazed at the ten radiant characters, his eyes gleaming with brightness, unable to refrain from sighing.

"That is truly a pity!"

"But based solely on these ten characters, Zhang Xiuzhu's attainment in the Way of the Sages is already sufficient to be mentioned alongside those few Confucian sages of the dynasty!"

Daoist Jingming's expression bore a smile, yet his eyes were unusually solemn.

Zhang Jian, having interacted frequently with this acting State Preceptor lately, knew Daoist Jingming was not adept with words; to speak thus must come from sincerity.

"State Preceptor, you overpraise me!"

Zhang Jian shook his head.

"Zhang Xiuzhu is being overly modest!"

Daoist Jingming smiled faintly, glancing at the calligraphy on the stand.

"Zhang Xiuzhu, I observe your ten characters shining brightly and expansively, with spirit overflowing—may I request this scroll as a gift?"

He could not help but directly ask Zhang Jian for this scroll.

After a brief pause, he thought, then produced a jade pendant from his bosom.

"I do not take your scroll without compensation; I have here a medicinal incense jade pendant—wearing it calms the mind, focuses the spirit, nourishes the body—consider it payment!"

He produced from his sleeve a jade pendant emitting a tranquil sandalwood fragrance and offered it forward.

This item was a personal gift from the State Preceptor, of extremely high value!

He had also spared no expense!

Zhang Jian pondered slightly.

"It is merely a scroll—not worth such a precious object. Since State Preceptor likes it, take it!"

After a brief pause, Zhang Jian's eyes showed a smile as he said.

"These things are not greatly to my liking; if State Preceptor feels truly indebted, you may send some classics from the Dongshen Guan!"

"Of course, I have no intention of prying into your观's secret canons—scriptures will suffice!"

Daoist Jingming had no doubt, nodded slightly after brief thought.

"This matter is simple indeed!"

Yet he still left the jade pendant and departed gracefully.

To Zhang Jian, such calligraphy might seem insignificant, casually written, yet in his eyes it was priceless!

One must not be lax merely because others are polite!

Daoist Jingming's visit was specifically to seek Zhang Jian, coming to request a scroll.

Zhang Jian picked up the medicinal incense jade pendant from the stand—such pendants are crafted using special formulas infused with spiritual power, based on the principle that jade nurtures people, to maximize the formula's efficacy.

Zhang Jian slightly activated his spiritual power—once or twice—and could smell a tranquil, serene fragrance flowing forth.

This is the scent of nurturing spirit; this jade can strengthen the soul, strengthen the Yin Spirit.

It is indeed most precious.

Zhang Jian's eyes smiled faintly.

Possessing Righteous and Vast Vital Energy, using it well is itself a trump card, especially for cultivators within and without the court.

Perfectly, he could use this opportunity to enter several other court studies not open to the outside.

At the same time, he glanced toward the direction of Dongshen Guan.

He had long been unable to discern Daoist Jingming's cultivation level, but now felt a faint awareness.

Daoist Jingming should still be some distance from becoming a Primordial Spirit True Person.

His own Dao法 has not yet achieved perfect融通; though his movements are soundless, in Zhang Jian's discerning eyes, flaws seem numerous.

"No wonder he cannot command the scene—perhaps there are dissenters even within Dongshen Guan?"

……

After Daoist Jingming obtained the scroll from Zhang Jian's hands, he hurriedly returned to Dongshen Guan.

At this time he arrived before a palace观.

Here another female Daoist resided in solitude; this female Daoist was tall and slender, her posture graceful, her countenance exquisitely beautiful—her loose Daoist robe could not conceal her figure of rising and falling beauty.

"Martial Aunt!"

Seeing this beautiful figure, Daoist Jingming's previously tense expression now also flowed with a hint of smile.

"Jingming, how do you have leisure to come to my Lan Yue Ju today?"

This Daoist nun is none other than a cultivator of the Dong generation, reckoned as the youngest among the Dong Seven Sons.

Daoist Jingming gazed upon Martial Aunt Dongjue, a hint of intimacy appearing in his eyes, and spoke directly.

"Martial Aunt, is it necessary for you to enter closed-door cultivation next, attempting to break the elixir and transform the spirit?"

Upon hearing this, Daoist Dongjue's phoenix eyes showed some surprise, then nodded.

"Jingming, your news is indeed well-informed—I have been cultivating in the Golden Core realm for over a hundred years, my elixir energy is now complete, and indeed I have reached the verge of breaking the elixir and transforming the spirit; I feel I can already attempt one or two!"

Dongjue's eyes now held a resolute look; she had made up her mind—if Jingming Daoist came this time to advise her, she would send him away shortly.

Among the seven disciples of the Dong generation, five had already stepped into the Yin Spirit stage, making them the five pillars upholding Dongshen Guan.

Only Dongming and Dongjue remained, still refining themselves in the Golden Core realm.

Dongming's cultivation was modest enough, but Dongjue Daoist's cultivation had long been perfected; yet, due to an old accident, a flaw lingered deep in her Dao-heart, preventing her from daring to assault the Yin Spirit realm for fear of being exploited by inner demons.

However, this time Dongshen Guan had lost two senior brothers, which made Dongjue Daoist feel the danger and prepared to steady her mind at this moment and attempt a breakthrough.

"Auntie, you're still too impatient..." Seeing Dongjue Daoist begin to frown, Jingming Daoist hurriedly said.

"Nephew knows Auntie has already resolved to break through this time, and knows it cannot be stopped; today I came to the court not to hinder, but to seek something for Auntie—perhaps it could lend her aid!"

A faint smile flickered across his face as he casually took out the character practice sheet from his hand.

"Auntie, please look!"

Upon hearing this, Dongjue Daoist's beautiful eyes twitched; she casually took it, and upon slightly unfurling the sheet before her, her beautiful eyes instantly flashed with a ripple.

As a Golden Core cultivator, she naturally sensed the vast, intense righteous energy on the character sheet.

These strands of righteous energy surged straight toward the heart, capable of burning away all杂念 in the mind and soothing wounds in the soul and spiritual sense.

"Does heaven and earth possess righteous energy?"

Merely glancing at it, Dongjue Daoist immediately understood that this character sheet before her held great benefit for calming her mind and resisting heavenly demons.

This could indeed be called the infallible treasure for overcoming demonic tribulations.

"Where did this character sheet come from?"

Dongjue Daoist's eyes could not help but reveal a hint of curiosity.

Character sheets imbued with vast righteous energy are exceedingly rare; usually they are associated with ancient and modern sages, and once such a treasure appears, even high-level cultivators would personally go to collect it.

Where would there be any share left for them?

But looking at the handwriting on this character sheet before her, it was clearly freshly written!

With no trace of time's passage!

"It is the handwriting of Zhang Xiuzhuan from the Wen Ti Academy!"

Jingming Daoist casually recounted the process, and a smile also appeared in his eyes.

Although he was a disciple of the Dongshen Sect's ancestral founder, he had been raised from childhood by Dongjue Daoist, whose status in his heart far surpassed that of other elders—she was both teacher and mother to him.

"Exchanging our sect's classics for such a precious manuscript—we Dongshen Guan have indeed taken advantage of this top scholar; after my breakthrough, I will personally go to express my gratitude!"

Jingming Daoist heard this, smiled, and nodded.