Chapter 753: Observing the Aura

Dingzhou City, outskirts.

This city, nestled against mountains and rivers, had become several times more prosperous since the imperial court moved its capital here, drawing crowds of people and boosting all kinds of industries in the surrounding areas.

In the eastern suburbs, once a wasteland, locals called it Daqing Mountain. Farmers often went there to cut firewood and hunt animals for their livelihood.

Halfway up Daqing Mountain stood a small Daoist temple called Baiyun Temple. Though called a temple, it only had a few humble earthen houses, with a statue of an unfamiliar deity enshrined in the main hall. It was sparsely populated, with only one fire-handling Daoist and two apprentices as residents, and the temple’s incense offerings were far from flourishing.

However, after the imperial court moved the capital, the abbot of Baiyun Temple changed, and tales of miracles began to spread. The temple’s popularity grew, and funds were even allocated specifically for improving the mountain path.

At this moment, two elderly Daoists were walking up the winding mountain path.

Although the path had been renovated, it remained quite rugged and difficult to traverse. Even young men would find themselves out of breath climbing it. Yet these two old Daoists, though appearing listless and frail, moved at an astonishing speed, quickly reaching the temple without showing any signs of fatigue.

“Dao-brother, what do you think?” One of the Daoists chuckled. It was still early morning, and there were few pilgrims around.

“Hmph! You, Fuchen, are testing me!” The other Daoist, with a yellowish face and a thin beard, stroked his beard. “This temple radiates divine light and displays three colors, clearly indicating the presence of a true deity within. I heard that before it was in decline, it was managed by a fire-handling Daoist. Now that the abbot has changed, it has taken on a new look. Judging the deity’s origins, it seems to belong to the Yuqing sect…”

“Indeed!” Fuchenzi smiled slightly. “Although the current abbot is also a fellow practitioner, for the matter we are here to observe, we need not invite him along.”

“Exactly…” The yellow-faced Daoist nodded in agreement. Without hesitation, the two bypassed the temple and continued climbing toward the summit.

Beyond the temple, the path was nearly non-existent, barely visible through the underbrush. This was true wilderness, home to wolves and tigers. Even seasoned hunters would not dare to venture in without thorough preparation.

But naturally, the two Daoists were unafraid. They moved like agile monkeys, swiftly traversing the forest. Soon, they reached the mountaintop.

Looking down from there, one could see the distant Dingzhou City shrouded in mist and clouds, presenting an entirely different view.

Numerous tiny black dots, like ants, moved around the city gates and markets. The entire city lay before them like a giant sand table, evoking a godlike sense of omniscient observation over the mortal world.

“Fuchen Dao-brother, when it comes to observing auras, I am no match for you. This time, I must rely on your skills!” The yellow-faced Daoist said frankly.

“Hehe… Daxing, you flatter me. When it comes to feng shui and geomancy, my humble abilities are nothing to be proud of.” The two old Daoists exchanged compliments before bursting into laughter. “Old trickster! It seems neither of us can stand idleness. Well then, let’s get to work together!”

“This is the moment when the red sun rises in the east, the time when the dragon’s energy is strongest!” Daxingzi looked toward the still-glowing morning star on the horizon and suddenly stepped into a ritual formation, shouting coldly, “Freeze!”

Boom!

A cascade of brilliant starlight poured down. In the eyes of the two Daoists, the distant Dingzhou City suddenly appeared as if frozen in amber, trapped in an eerie stillness.

Of course, this was not the real Dingzhou City becoming still, but rather how it appeared to the two of them. Even so, Daxingzi’s face turned pale, clearly showing signs of exhaustion.

“The celestial energies divide, and the underground dragon rises… Excellent!” Fuchenzi praised, then similarly performed a ritual with hand signs and incantations. “Divine beings of the five directions, protect my body. Celestial Eye… Open!”

With a flash of multicolored light from their eyes, the Dingzhou City before them underwent a dramatic transformation.

The land appeared vast and dark, with dense white vapors rising like clouds, eventually settling over the city as auspicious clouds.

“The people desire stability, and the city’s fortune is solid. The royal enterprise cannot be shaken!” Seeing this, Daxingzi suddenly sighed.

Floating and intangible fortune was not a major concern. The real danger was when it settled deeply into the roots. Once this occurred, even if the city could not unify the entire realm, it could still maintain its position, even dividing the land and ruling independently for decades.

Looking at the feudal lords across the land, only the Wu Zhen family displayed this phenomenon, which was even more alarming.

“Could the true ruler really come from Wu Zhen? Ding Wang? But she is a woman… Since the Han Dynasty, there has never been a female ruler…” Old Daoist Fuchen murmured.

“What difference does being a woman make?” Daxingzi scoffed in reply. “Observing Ding Wang’s actions, she plays her moves like a master strategist, steady as a mountain, and highly methodical. Remember five years ago, after she seized the emperor to command the feudal lords, she quietly lay low, like a fierce tiger resting on a barren mountain, concealing her claws and enduring hardships. This shows not only her great ambitions but also her extreme patience…”

“Indeed, up to now, the feudal lords’ alliance has dissolved without results, and they have turned to mutual suspicion and conflicts. Meanwhile, Wu Zhen continues to thrive, nearing the unification of the entire realm…”

“Even if Wu Zhen unifies the realm and a true dragon emerges, it does not necessarily have to be Wu Zhi!”

Suddenly, a mysterious expression appeared on Fuchenzi’s face. “Take her eldest son, for instance. It is said he is a remarkable talent, born with extraordinary signs…”

“Perhaps a divine being reincarnated, but the timing is off…” Daxingzi shook his head. “Unless the warlords continue their chaotic wars for another twenty years, there will be no opportunity for this child to rise during peacetime, and he can only ascend the throne through his birthright… However, if the wars continue for another twenty years, the foundations of the various warlords will become even stronger, taking another century to subdue them…”

“Whatever the case, let’s first observe the dragon’s energy!”

The two old Daoists exchanged glances and focused their gaze.

“Roar! Roar!”

Suddenly, within the auspicious clouds, glimpses of scales and claws appeared, accompanied by an immense aura of majesty, rapidly draining the Daoists’ spiritual power.

“The true dragon cannot be approached. Just a single roar has already shaken our very souls…” Daxingzi and Fuchenzi exchanged glances and simultaneously shouted, “Decree! Swiftly!!”

Boom!

A sudden thunderclap from a clear sky shattered the illusionary image of Dingzhou City before them like a mirror, and both Daoists spat blood.

At the moment of their grave injuries, the auspicious clouds finally dispersed, revealing the true form of the dragon within.

It was a coiled red dragon, with a snake’s body, deer horns, fish tail, eagle claws, and swaying whiskers, exuding a mighty aura of majesty.

“A… true dragon!”

The two Daoists felt as if their eyes were pierced by needles, turning pitch black as they wept blood, unable to recover their vision for a long time.

“Indeed…” After a long silence, the two exchanged glances, their expressions bitter.

“She has gained the recognition of heaven, earth, and humanity, achieving the status of a true dragon…” Daxingzi sighed deeply. “I never imagined that such a grand omen, seen only when the founding emperors conquered half the realm, would appear on Ding Wang… The rumors were not exaggerated. What do you think, Dao-brother Fuchenzi?”

“What can be done?”

Fuchenzi helplessly shook his head with a bitter smile. “In this contest for the dragon’s throne, our immortal sects of the thirty-six caves and seventy-two blessed lands have suffered total defeat. The sudden rise of Wu Zhen is truly an anomaly!”

“No, her backer is a celestial immortal. She’s not without roots…” Daxingzi countered. Both of their voices carried an indescribable tone.

In their eyes, Wu Ming was still the celestial immortal who had once displayed great power, and even so, he was enough to make them envious.

“Now that things have come to this, what do you plan to do, Dao-brother?”

“With the heavenly mandate already decided, how can human effort change it?”

Although the dragon’s fate was not entirely unchangeable even now, the cost would be unbearable even for a celestial immortal.

Fuchenzi gave a bitter smile. “We Daoists essentially have no choice left. We can only hope that after this Queen ascends the throne, she will treat Daoists favorably, as the previous dynasty did…”

“That will be difficult. The Great Zhou dynasty revered Daoists and established Daoist academies everywhere because the Yuqing Daoist had contributed greatly to saving the dynasty. But Ding Wang has no such connection, and Wu Ming, the celestial immortal, is not burdened by any major sect. He knows the power of Daoists well. Look at how the Tianxiang Daoist has yet to rise to the fifth rank, and you will understand!”

Daxingzi said with visible distress.

“Of course, that celestial immortal might become the guardian immortal of the nation in the future, naturally unwilling to let others share in the benefits…”

Fuchenzi shook his head. Competing with a celestial immortal for influence was tantamount to seeking death.

“Well then, I still have some rapport with Tianxiang Daoist. This time, I can only seek him out…”

As Wu Zhen ended its period of recovery and prepared for a new round of conquests across the land, many people in the wilderness were eager to choose a side.

After all, any clear-eyed observer could see that Wu Zhen was the strongest among the feudal lords and held the moral high ground, making it the most likely contender for ultimate victory.

If one didn’t board the ship now, by the time the realm was unified, others would be feasting while one might not even get a share of the broth.

“In that case, it seems Ding Wang truly might become the founding monarch, enjoying sacrifices for thousands of years…”

Fuchenzi continued, “However, as a woman wielding the dragon’s energy, there are inevitably some disadvantages. If we are to develop our sect, although we place our bet on Wu Zhen, we need not pin all our hopes on a single individual.”

“What do you mean?” Daxingzi asked with surprise and uncertainty.

“What about the Crown Prince?” Fuchenzi smiled.

As the eldest legitimate son and heir apparent, since Wu Ding’s birth, he had carried the expectations of many.

Among many conservative old Confucian scholars, although they grudgingly accepted Wu Zhi’s rule, they were still quite dissatisfied with being governed by a woman.

However, if the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne, they would be very happy to see it.

Undoubtedly, in this era, men naturally held an advantage over women.

“I’m afraid that won’t work!”

Daxingzi immediately shook his head. “Countless people are already watching that position closely, trying to insert their own people to influence it. It’s harder than climbing to the heavens…”