“Come on, let’s swear brotherhood with heaven and earth as our witness!”
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Yuanan conjured numerous ceremonial items for the oath ceremony. Thus, Shui Miao was dragged by this old ghost, Zhang Yuan, into the ritual of brotherhood…
After the ceremony, Shui Miao thought to himself, now that the task of winning him over is done, wouldn’t this old ghost reveal his true intentions?
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuan didn’t rush to explain his purpose. Instead, he told Shui Miao that having become an Earth Immortal, he had some knowledge of the Immortal Realm, especially in the cultivation path, and could offer Shui Miao some guidance. Taking him at his word, Shui Miao immediately asked the old ghost elder for advice. He had already glimpsed the Celestial Gate within his cultivation realm and wanted to know how to open it wider.
“There are three methods that could work,” Zhang Yuan said, raising three fingers.
Shui Miao quickly asked, “Which three?”
Zhang Yuan nodded and replied, “First, seek a celestial master—meaning, become a disciple of an immortal from the higher realms. Once you gain their approval, they will bestow divine power upon you. However, this is no easy feat. The immortals in the Celestial Realm are not idle; without special connections or strong backing, this path is basically blocked unless someone can recommend you.”
“Elder Brother, you’re an Earth Immortal. Can’t you recommend someone for me?” Shui Miao thought to himself, “After all, you must have some capability, right?”
Zhang Yuan shook his head. “I’m merely an Earth Immortal. If you wish to apprentice under a senior from the underworld, I could indeed help. But to be honest, with your luck, even if you wanted to apprentice under a Bodhisattva of the underworld, I wouldn’t recommend it. The path to the Celestial Realm is broader—it is the perfect world.”
“Then, what if I apprentice under Laozi or Zhang Tian, wouldn’t that be possible?” When it came to connections, worldly connections, Shui Miao didn’t mind. After all, in this day and age, money talks. As long as he was willing to spend, nothing was impossible. But when it came to connections with the immortals, Shui Miao was at a complete loss.
Zhang Yuan waved his hands repeatedly. “You’re thinking too simply. They are renowned figures in the Immortal Realm. Countless mortals wish to become their disciples. They won’t have time to pay attention to you. You should know that the time laws in the Immortal Realm differ from those in the mortal world. Decades of waiting on your part would equate to mere days in the Immortal Realm. So don’t daydream. Unless you apprentice under some obscure deities, and if your luck is good, you might gain something. But let’s face it, obscure is obscure. It’s better to apprentice under the Master of the Yellow Spring with me. Also, you should understand that once you apprentice, it’s for life—you can’t just change masters on a whim.”
“…”
Zhang Yuan’s words carried a lot of implications, and Shui Miao carefully noted them down. So the elder’s master was the Master of the Yellow Spring. Thinking it over carefully, it indeed seemed better not to randomly seek out obscure masters but to rely on other methods and cultivate diligently. “Elder Brother, what are the other two methods?”
“The second method is to seek out the Celestial Stones scattered throughout the world or treasures left behind by immortals who descended into the mortal realm. By absorbing the celestial energy within these items, you can enhance your cultivation. However, this method is also like looking for a needle in a haystack, with little hope. Just like when you obtained the Five Directions Plate—if I hadn’t been cultivating the ghost path, do you think you’d have had the chance to absorb the spiritual energy from the Five Directions Plate? Obviously not!” Zhang Yuan shook his head, implying that there are too many hidden experts in the world. Good things won’t wait for you—they will be seized by the powerful lurking in the shadows.
Shui Miao secretly felt relieved, realizing that obtaining the Five Directions Plate had indeed been a stroke of incredible luck!
At the same time, Shui Miao resolved to accumulate celestial energy to prevent himself from being helpless when confronted by powerful adversaries.
Seeing Shui Miao’s silence, Zhang Yuan took it as agreement and raised his third finger. “The third method is my method, which you can also use—faith and wishes. Faith and wishes are a miraculous kind of power that can multiply your celestial energy. The more people who believe in you, the greater the power of wishes you receive. This is precisely why we encouraged you to build Lingyin Temple and why my disciples asked you to help them erect divine tablets. In this world, besides Buddhism and Taoism, there are other sects. The reason these sects exist is because powerful beings seek the power of faith and wishes. My master, the Master of the Yellow Spring, has hundreds of thousands of ghost disciples, yet he only dominates the Yellow Spring path. If you manage Lingyin Temple well, within a few decades, your cultivation will greatly increase, achieving the same level of perfection as the Bodhidharma of Buddhism.”
“Bodhidharma?”
Shui Miao was taken aback. Last year, he had watched a movie about Bodhidharma, thinking it was just a movie at the time.
Zhang Yuan nodded. “Back then, Bodhidharma arrived in Central China and displayed numerous supernatural abilities. He convinced people through kindness and virtue, saving and helping others with his powers. Eventually, he secluded himself in a cave, fasting and abstaining from food and water for years, simply to let ordinary people know he was a deity. Humans are greedy; in pursuit of divine blessings, they flocked to worship him, granting Bodhidharma a massive amount of faith and wish power, ultimately achieving the perfection of cultivation. One might say Bodhidharma came to China to enlighten the people, but in truth, he came to harvest the power of faith and wishes.”
“I see!”
Shui Miao suddenly understood, realizing the true secret behind his religion.
(Let me clarify: this isn’t meant to attack or defame religion. It’s merely revealing the true secret behind religion. In this world, there are many religions that guide people toward goodness. The immediate benefit of believing in these religions is the purification of the soul, which is more than enough for mortals, isn’t it?)
Zhang Yuan’s words made Shui Miao feel a sudden clarity, as if he had glimpsed the secrets of the universe.
Yet, Shui Miao couldn’t help but ask, “Is there no fourth method?”
“There is, of course. We just haven’t discovered it yet,” Zhang Yuan didn’t deny it. “After all, throughout thousands of years of history, my master, the Master of the Yellow Spring, summarized only these three points. I think it would be very difficult to find a fourth method.”
“I understand!”
Shui Miao nodded, suddenly enlightened. He not only learned the three methods but also discovered Zhang Yuan’s true purpose—it was all about the power of faith and wishes.
Now aware of the existence of faith and wish power, Shui Miao had a new goal to strive for.
After a few more casual words, Zhang Yuan instructed five young ghost apprentices to secretly protect Shui Miao, then bid him farewell with a respectful bow.
Shui Miao left Lingyin Temple with the five young ghost apprentices, only to find that dawn was already approaching. Behind him, Lingyin Temple instantly transformed into mist. Once the mist dissipated, many tombstones appeared, and the surroundings were overgrown with weeds, a desolate scene. The five young ghost apprentices by Shui Miao’s side had also vanished without a trace.
Sensing with his mind, Shui Miao discovered five children’s teeth had appeared in his clothing pocket.
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