Chapter 7: Daoist realm, responding to tribulations for mortals

The collapse and repair of the Nanxuan Palace section left a large number of tourists stranded and unable to go up the mountain.

Today's Golden Summit appeared much colder and clearer.

Zhang Fan and Li Yi walked out of the hotel but did not see the liveliness of yesterday.

"What are you thinking about? Are you dazed from sleeping?"

The morning air was as cool as mint, but the natural oxygen bar of Zhenwu Mountain failed to drive away the full face of daze and doubt on Zhang Fan.

"Jiang Lai... the beauty we met in the worship hall..."

"You dreamed of her? Look... I said you were dreaming... I didn't see her at all..."

Li Yi patted Zhang Fan on the shoulder, as if he had grasped the evidence that the beauty did not exist.

"Move aside."

Just at this moment, a cold voice came from behind.

Zhang Fan turned around and saw the two people who had booked the hotel yesterday also walking out of the main gate.

The gold-rimmed glasses man had changed into a suit and was still scholarly, while the sturdy youth in sportswear was still looking down on everyone, as if the road on the mountain was opened by their family.

As soon as the words fell, the two walked straight past Zhang Fan's side.

As they brushed past, Zhang Fan's face changed drastically. He saw the gold-rimmed glasses man's eyeballs actually turn into two insects, crawling in the eye sockets, and in the blink of an eye, they returned to normal.

"Damn..."

Zhang Fan roared in a low voice, subconsciously taking a step back.

The Gan brothers glanced sideways, seemingly not putting him in their eyes, and left straight away.

"What's wrong with you?" Li Yi couldn't help but ask.

"You... you didn't see it? That glasses man's eyes... were turned into insects..." Zhang Fan lowered his voice and said.

"Insects? Are you still not awake?" Li Yi's brows furrowed, and he said in a low voice.

"I..."

Zhang Fan's lips moved slightly, really not knowing how to explain it. He knew he absolutely hadn't seen it wrong...

"I didn't see it wrong... last night absolutely wasn't a dream... Old Li couldn't see it... could it be because I swallowed the moonlight essence?"

Zhang Fan thought thoughtfully. He didn't doubt that his spirit had a problem, associating it with the moonlight essence spat out by the big snake in the mountain last night...

"It was indeed swallowed by me... but Old Li said I was sleeping all night and didn't leave the hotel."

Zhang Fan lowered his head, suspicion rising in his heart.

"Brother Wu, that kid can see your 【Color Pupil Insect】..."

Just at this moment, the Gan brothers, who had already walked far away, paused slightly, but their attention swept toward the rear.

"Being able to break through obstacles and see the truth shows that he has reached the realm of nourishing the primordial spirit..."

Gan Shengwu pushed his glasses, and a sharp light flashed in his deep eyes.

"Yesterday, I actually misjudged him. I didn't expect this kid to be a fellow traveler."

"Hiding deep enough... don't know which family trained him... could it be that he is also here for the Zhenwu Mountain Jade Tablet Transmission?" Gan Shaokun revealed a look of deep thought.

"Keep an eye on him... if he gets in the way, get rid of him." Gan Shengwu said lightly.

"I've been thinking that for a long time."

Gan Shaokun licked the corner of his mouth. The tongue he spat out was a weird insect with a thousand feet and a thousand hands, which disappeared as soon as it retracted into his mouth.

"Tonight is the Zhenwu Mountain Jade Tablet Transmission..."

Gan Shengwu looked up at the high Golden Summit and whispered.

At this very moment, Taihe Palace on the Golden Summit. A group of Daoist priests were busy. The Jade Tablet Transmission concerns the inheritance of the Daoist lineage and involves the rise and fall of the mountain gate. The corresponding ritual specifications are extremely high: incense, lamps, candles, five offerings and ten presentations, reporting to the table, lists, Dharma registers, etc., all of which need to be prepared half a year in advance.

"Tonight is the Jade Tablet Transmission, I don't know how Senior Sister is prepared."

Just at this moment, a young Daoist priest with a clear face put down the scriptures in his hand and looked toward the deepest part of Taihe Palace.

In the secluded room there, the most outstanding successor of Zhenwu Mountain was in seclusion.

Tonight, the Jade Tablet and Golden Book of Zhenwu Mountain would also be transmitted into her hands.

"Definitely confident... Senior Sister is the youngest 【Gao Gong】 of our Zhenwu Mountain. To be granted such a rank at this age is a rare existence in the Daoist sect under heaven."

Beside him, a chubby Daoist priest said spiritedly. Mentioning the pride of Zhenwu Mountain, his eyes couldn't help but shine.

Daoist cultivation, if one reaches the point where not a single thought arises, enters the extreme of emptiness and stillness, and glimpses the primordial spirit, can one be considered to have barely stepped into the threshold of cultivation, called 【Initial Movement】.

From then on, one begins to nourish the primordial spirit, thereby producing all kinds of mysteries in the body, possessing all kinds of incredible Daoist means, called 【Manifestation】.

Anyone who steps into this realm can often be granted nine major ranks: 【Qi Worker】, 【Art Disciple】, 【Profound Master】, 【Spirit Controller】, 【Gao Gong】, 【Great Being】, 【Ritual Head】, 【Temple Master】, and 【Three Tian Shi】, from low to high, according to the level of cultivation and the level of Dharma mastered.

Just like these two little Daoist priests, in Zhenwu Mountain, they are only 【Qi Worker】 rank, having just glimpsed the mystery of the primordial spirit, just like coolies, spending the whole day transporting spiritual energy and heavenly light to nourish the primordial spirit.

If one can go a step further, one can practice Daoist Dharma and can serve as an 【Art Disciple】.

Mastering more than twelve minor arts can serve as a 【Profound Master】.

If one can master a major art like 【Five Thunders Orthodox Method】, one can serve as a 【Spirit Controller】.

As for 【Gao Gong】... that is an existence that can independently open a Dharma altar and preside over rituals to ghosts and gods. Its means have reached the realm of calling wind and rain.

Like the Senior Sister mentioned by the two Daoist priests, she is actually younger than them, only in her early twenties, but she is already one of the few 【Gao Gong】 of 【Zhenwu Mountain】, and her future is unimaginable.

"Elders all say... Senior Sister has great hope of becoming a True Person before feathering." The clear-faced Daoist priest whispered.

Mentioning the name 【True Person】, their faces all revealed a look of respect.

Manifestation has nine major ranks, the highest is Three Tian Shi. After crossing it, it is the 【Pure Yang Limitless Realm】, refining all the yin dregs in the spirit, achieving Pure Yang Limitless.

Such an existence is called a True Person.

Historically, Patriarch Sanfeng was in this realm.

As for going further, it is the legendary 【Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit】 and 【Five Qi Returning to the Origin】. After crossing the change of three and five, it is an Earth Immortal, which can only be glimpsed in ancient books and alchemy books.

"If Senior Sister can inherit the Jade Tablet, it is highly likely to reach this realm..."

"I heard Senior Sister is gifted. When she realized the 【Initial Movement Realm】, it only took her three days to enter stillness and glimpse emptiness, and see the primordial spirit..."

"Later, it only took her forty-nine days to be able to have the primordial spirit leave the body and night tour in all directions."

"Truly a genius... when I did not a single thought arises and glimpsed the primordial spirit, it took a full three years. Master even said I had wisdom roots. As for the primordial spirit leaving the body, it took another three years..."

"No wonder they say we are mortals and Senior Sister is a heavenly person... only a heavenly person can transmit the Jade Tablet."

The two Daoist priests couldn't help but sigh, their envious gazes looking at the deepest part of Taihe Palace.

"However... I heard this Jade Tablet Transmission is unusual..."

Just at this moment, the chubby Daoist priest changed the subject and said suddenly.

"What's unusual?"

"I heard from the Patriarch... the Ancestor once left a verse, seemingly hiding a great disaster..."

"What verse?" The clear-faced Daoist priest asked.

"Zhenwu transmits the Dao for seventy-three, responding to tribulations for mortals, later generations participate." The chubby Daoist priest said in a low voice.

"Responding to tribulations for mortals!?"

"Could it be that the lineage of our Zhenwu Mountain will suffer tribulations because of a mortal?"

The two little Daoist priests looked at each other, revealing a look of deep thought.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 8 =====