“Of course, nature knows!”
Wu Qing’s eyes sparkled with a crystalline light: “I have an inner feeling; this is a tribulation for my Dao cultivation!”
She sneered coldly: “Even if it poses an obstacle, what of it? I shall simply cut through it with my sword!”
As soon as she spoke, a muffled thunderclap echoed from the sky.
Outside, the wind and snow swirled furiously, while inside, the female Taoist, with her flowing hair and graceful demeanor, exuded an air of transcendence, causing Wu Ming to momentarily lose his composure.
“I wonder what this ‘Longmen Assembly’ really is?”
Realizing his rudeness, he coughed and quickly changed the subject.
“The Longmen Assembly…”
Wu Qing’s delicate face flushed slightly, though the color quickly faded. After a moment’s thought, she explained, “Do you know about the Nulong River in our Chufeng Prefecture? It stretches for three hundred miles, gathering the water veins of Chufeng before flowing eastward into the sea?”
“I’ve heard a little…”
Wu Ming blushed slightly; his former self, a spoiled young master, had known nothing of geography, only the name of the Nulong River.
“This Nulong River is a tributary of the Tianhe Dragon Vein in the Red County Divine Land. After passing through Longmen Gorge, its current slows, allowing it to nourish the people. However, a hundred years ago, the river was wild and fierce, frequently causing floods that ravaged hundreds of miles. It was thanks to the then Prefect Wang Zhong, who quarried stone to build a dam in the gorge, captured and killed the water demon, and erected a stele to guard it, that the downstream area of three hundred miles became fertile and prosperous, free from famine and transformed into a heavenly land. The people of the time were deeply grateful and built a shrine for Wang Zhong while he was still alive. After his death, his spirit became the City God of Chufeng, wielding formidable authority in the netherworld.”
“So the Longmen Assembly is related to this event?” Wu Ming asked.
“Exactly! Beneath the merit stele erected by Prefect Wang Zhong, there is actually a white python with the appearance of a young dragon sealed away!” Wu Qing finally revealed a shocking secret: “This snake is a descendant of the ancient water demon. According to legend, a python can transform into a dragon after five hundred years. It is said this one has already grown a horn, taking on the form of a dragon. Being connected to the water veins of the Nulong River, it could not be killed. However, if a dragon emerges, it would flood hundreds of miles, causing untold suffering. Unable to kill it or release it, the only option was to seal it away!”
“Back then, with the blessing of the imperial mandate and the assistance of many cultivators, Prefect Wang Zhong erected the merit stele to imprison the white python. Since then, the participating sects have periodically organized rituals to replenish the magical energy and blessings sustaining the seal. Over time, this became a tradition, known as the Longmen Assembly.”
“This time, as my cultivation has advanced, I have been appointed to a high position in the ceremony to help seal the white python—now more accurately called a Baijiao. It’s not only a test of my abilities but also a meritorious act.”
“I see!”
Wu Ming nodded, though inwardly he was quite shocked: “So the Longmen Assembly is essentially a grand sealing ritual. But there’s actually a dragon in this world…”
“Was that ancient water demon actually a malevolent dragon? Perhaps it was simply called a water demon to avoid the taboos associated with slaying a dragon?”
Still somewhat uneasy, he asked, “Is there really no danger? Could this white snake break free from its seal?”
“Not at all!”
Wu Qing appeared very confident: “This is merely an opportunity for the younger generation to gain experience. How dangerous could it be? The real work of maintaining and reinforcing the seal will be done by the City God and the senior Taoists. We’re going there mainly to receive rewards from the Prefecture, which are quite generous, and to accumulate heavenly merit. It’s actually a rather enviable assignment. Your sister had to defeat many opponents to secure this position. Since this is my tribulation, avoiding it would only lead to greater calamities in the future.”
“It seems I’ll just have to meet force with force and water with earth. At the very least, I’ll go to the Prefecture if necessary, to ensure Wu Qing doesn’t come to harm.”
Having made up his mind, Wu Ming smiled outwardly and said, “Sister, you’ve returned just in time for your busy schedule. Tomorrow night is New Year’s Eve—we should share a few more cups!”
“New Year’s Eve?”
Wu Qing seemed nostalgic: “For a cultivator who has left the mundane world, how much longer can I witness such worldly festivities and prosperity…”
Wu Ming felt a chill in his heart. He knew Wu Qing’s cultivation was profound, and her words were likely prompted by some ominous premonition. Still, he replied, “Now that you mention it, I’m reminded of those New Year’s Eves when we were kids. The pork dumplings were so delicious, hot and dripping with oil. I used to fight with my older sister for the last one…”
“You actually still remember that…”
Wu Qing shot Wu Ming a glance, her face blooming like a flower, revealing a charming smile.
…
As night fell, Wu Ming sat cross-legged in the quiet room, his expression resolute.
“Today, Sister Qing was absolutely right! Previously, with the aid of elixirs and worried about unstable foundations and a fragile mind, I had been proceeding cautiously step by step, but in doing so, I had lost the courageous and determined heart of a cultivator!”
A single sentence of true transmission pierced through the fog in his mind, and Wu Ming felt as if he had been enlightened. He took three drops of the Wushi Fanming San and then closed his eyes in meditation.
Instantly, a surge of heat far fiercer than usual formed within him, rushing toward his Baihui acupoint.
Within his mind sea, chaos churned with a terrifying sense of destruction.
In the past, encountering such a situation, Wu Ming would have stopped immediately, dispersing the medicinal effects.
But now, gritting his teeth despite the excruciating pain in his mind sea, he transformed the heat into a stream of icy energy.
“Break through!”
Boom!
In an instant, it seemed as if a boundary had been shattered. The chaos receded, revealing a layer of bright clarity.
Though only a small area at the center, Wu Ming immediately felt a wondrous transformation, as if his spirit had undergone a profound change: “My mind sea has been opened!”
At this moment, he had truly entered the ranks of cultivators, earning the title of Taoist Priest!
Now, spiritual consciousness and magical power arose naturally, allowing him to learn Taoist techniques without depleting his own vital essence and blood.
In other words, with this step, he had officially entered the Taoist path!
“Phew… It’s not easy to change professions. I’ve finally become a spellcaster!”
Wu Ming gave a self-deprecating smile and took out the Huangting Yinfu Jing to study.
“After becoming a Taoist Priest, the next stage is to become a Refiner… refining the five internal energies to harmonize with the five organs. By absorbing the purple energy of the morning sun and the golden essence of jade liquid daily, I can temper my physical form, reaching the pinnacle of Foundation Building… With my martial arts experience and the strong physique from my previous body, I have a significant advantage here. My progress may not be ‘a thousand miles a day,’ but it will certainly be astonishing!”
“Now that my mind sea is formed, I can choose to learn a few minor spells, greatly enhancing my adaptability to various mission environments… Additionally, using magical artifacts and talismans will add to their power and allow me to activate them more quickly.”
Talismans and magical artifacts were originally designed for Taoist Priests, so this was only natural.
Wu Ming pondered for a moment and took out an iron box containing the “Taiyin Lian Shi Fa” and a notebook.
“The ‘Taiyin Lian Shi Fa’ has too many restrictions, and grave robbing is against the natural order. If discovered, I would be labeled a demon cultivator… Besides, I can’t possibly bring two zombies on every mission, can I?”
Wu Ming shook his head regretfully. “Moreover, making copper or iron zombies is troublesome, and they are extremely vulnerable to thunder, which severely limits their effectiveness, unless I manage to create a golden zombie… Unfortunately, my current magical power is far from sufficient!”
With his meager magical power, barely enough for a newly opened mind sea, it was indeed difficult to cultivate any powerful Taoist techniques.
“Should I go to the Main Shrine to exchange for a technique? But merits are precious; I should at least reserve some for preparing for the next mission…”
Wu Qing was certainly an option, but Wu Ming knew that the Taoist Academy strictly managed their techniques. He didn’t want to put Wu Qing in a difficult position or endanger her.
“Actually, Qingping Daoist’s notebook also records a few minor spells he acquired during his wandering days. Perhaps I should take a look…”
Thinking this, Wu Ming opened the notebook.
Qingping Daoist was a wandering cultivator, but he was exceptionally talented in Feng Shui and geomancy. Through deception, luck, and self-cultivation, he had managed to piece together some techniques.
Other than that, there was one technique called Lingyan Fa (Spiritual Eye Method), which he was particularly proud of and recorded with great care.
“Lingyan Technique?”
Wu Ming pondered.
In fact, there were many methods in the Taoist sect to open the spiritual eye, primarily for seeing ghosts and communicating between the living and the dead.
But Qingping Daoist claimed that his Spiritual Eye Method could not only see the netherworld but also perceive fortune and analyze the Feng Shui of houses, making it truly remarkable.
“In the Daoist arts, the ‘appearance’ includes physical appearance, name appearance, human appearance, household appearance, and tomb appearance. From reading people to analyzing Feng Shui and dragon veins, and even to the fortune of a nation, mastering one aspect can ensure a life of ease and plenty. With this skill, Qingping Daoist managed to secure a place in the Zhou family, which was no empty claim…”
The incantation recorded by Qingping Daoist was quite simple. Wu Ming silently recited it for a while before closing his eyes.
Within his mind sea, his magical power condensed and suddenly transformed into a character.
This was the foundation of the technique, the true seed of the Daoist script!
When he opened his eyes again, inscriptions floated in his pupils, with strands of refined light flashing across.
“So easily?”
Although it was only a minor technique, achieving it instantly still felt incredible to Wu Ming.
“Did I really manage to master the Lingyan Technique?”
Wu Ming was somewhat incredulous. He examined the room’s furnishings but noticed nothing unusual. A thought struck him, and he raised his left hand, seeing the dark gold ring emitting faint rays of light.
This gave him confidence, and he took out a bronze mirror to look at himself.
“This is…”
In the mirror, a seemingly sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth with a face like carved jade had red and white vapor swirling above his head in wave-like patterns, encircled by a halo of clear light protecting his entire body.
“So clear?”
Wu Ming was surprised: “And there’s no noticeable consumption of energy…”
He then went outside and climbed to a high vantage point.
He saw countless threads of white energy surging from all directions, converging on the fortified manor, swirling and transforming into red hues that nourished him.
“This is the land vein energy! The power from two thousand acres of fertile farmland and two hundred tenant farmers!” Understanding dawned in his mind.
“Strange, the notebook didn’t mention anything like this… It said ‘To observe the aura, one must meditate and focus the spirit, seeing a kaleidoscope of colors… If the land vein is strong, one can sense it silently, but it will bring three months of serious illness…”
Wu Ming recalled Qingping Daoist’s own account.
He used to read people’s auras, but could only get a vague general sense. The only time he selected a burial site for the Zhou family, he had first burned incense, prayed, fasted, and purified himself for three days and nights before daring to begin. Even then, he could only perceive a kaleidoscope of colors in the land’s aura, requiring great effort to identify a single auspicious hue. He even suffered a backlash from the land dragon and was bedridden for three months.
Despite this, the notebook still exuded a sense of pride.
“So what about me?”
“Could it be that my constitution is extraordinary, especially compatible with this Daoist technique, or perhaps my eyes… have undergone some mutation?”
In a flash of insight, Wu Ming recalled the hint from the envoy of the Main Shrine.
“Acquired True Vision… Could this power to see through illusions actually carry over into the Great Zhou World?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage