Open Altar Lecture
One year later
In just one year, Qingyang Town has undergone tremendous changes.
What was once a small town has now become the largest city in the Great Yan Dynasty. Qingyang City is located outside Lin Family Mountain.
Lin Family Mountain was not originally called Lin Family Mountain. After the Lin Family from the original Qingyang Town moved here, the mountain was renamed Lin Family Mountain.
Lin Family Mountain witnessed the rise of the Lin Family branch in the former Qingyang Town.
First, the Lin family moved here, and then Qingyang Town was changed to Qingyang City.
"Reporting, the Imperial Envoy of the Great Yan Dynasty requests an audience."
A loud voice broke the silence of Lin Family Mountain.
In a courtyard atop the mountain, Lin Qingtan brought tea to Lin Qingtan's side.
"What is the royal family planning to do now?" Ye Feng asked.
"This time, he doesn't want to appoint you as the State Preceptor, but rather as a god," Lin Qingtan replied.
"I am God myself. Why do I need to be named by others?"
"But the royal family of the Great Yan Dynasty was unaware of this."
"Qingtan, are you tired?" Ye Feng asked.
"Fine."
Lin Qingtan was stunned for a moment, then realized something in her mind, and was suddenly startled. She said shyly, "Young Master Ye, not again."
"Um."
"We just..."
"You said it yourself, that was last night."
"Young Master Ye, you still have to Open Altar Lecture later," Lin Qingtan reminded Ye Feng.
A year ago, after Ye Feng returned, he had the Lin Family announce to the world that he would be Open Altar Lecture at Lin Family Mountain on the first day of the Lunar New Year a year from now.
Ye Feng 'Ye Feng resurrection of the Refined Old Man in the Nirvana Tomb Mansion and his alteration of the local feng shui spread his fame throughout the Eastern Region of the Tianxuan Continent. Not only did martial artists from the Great Yan Dynasty gather in Qingyang City, but even outstanding disciples and some elders from the nine major sects of the Eastern Region arrived in Qingyang City with some skepticism.
The Qingyang City is now too small to accommodate everyone. Its economy has experienced unprecedented growth. Some people have earned more money in just six months than they could in a lifetime.
As the most powerful family in Qingyang Town, the Lin Family also made a fortune by relying on Ye Feng's lectures.
In response, Lin Dong, Lin Qingtan, Lin Langtian, and others wished they could erect a memorial tablet for Ye Feng Ye Feng and burn incense and worship him every day.
"There's still half an hour before the Open Altar Lecture. We can play for another half an hour. Look, what's this?" Ye Feng held up a tool in his hand.
"Given by the Yin Yang Taoist again?" Lin Qingtan blushed.
"Hmm, he does have a talent for this. This is the latest product, let's go in and try it out." Ye Feng took Lin Qingtan's hand and pulled her into the room.
At the Lin Family Mountain.
People from all factions filled the surrounding mountains. The number of people drawn here by the Open Altar Lecture exceeded ten million. The mountaintops and foothills were a sea of people.
"Time's up. Why hasn't it started yet?"
Buzz
Someone just complained like that.
Suddenly, a deafening roar came from the sky.
Seven-colored auspicious clouds appeared over a radius of ten thousand miles Lin Family Mountain.
"Is this... an illusion?" A disciple from the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace questioned the strange phenomenon in the sky.
"I don't think so. To cast such a powerful illusion, you'd need an immense amount of ability."
More and more auspicious, colorful clouds filled the sky. From within those clouds, a ray of light burst forth.
Sunlight shone on a towering stone statue, a thousand meters high, at the foot of Lin Family Mountain. The statue came to life.
Behind the stone statue, ten beautiful halos appeared. In addition, ten radiant golden Soul Ring adorned its feet. A voice, seemingly from ancient times, resonated like an ancient bell, echoing to every corner of the surrounding area. The sound was awe-inspiring, inspiring reverence.
"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. Nameless, it is the origin of Heaven and Earth; named, it is the mother of all things. Therefore, one should always be without desire, so as to observe its mystery; one should always have desire, so as to observe its manifestations. These two are the same in origin but different in name; they are both called profound. Profound and yet more profound, the gateway to all mysteries."
"When everyone in the world recognizes beauty as beauty, ugliness is already present; when everyone recognizes goodness as goodness, evil is already present. Therefore, existence and non-existence give rise to each other, difficulty and ease complement each other, long and short compare with each other, high and low incline towards each other, sound and voice harmonize with each other, and before and after follow each other. Thus, the sage acts without acting, teaches without speaking, and lets all things arise without refusing them, gives birth to them without possessing them, acts without relying on them, and accomplishes his work without claiming credit. It is precisely because he does not claim credit that his achievements do not depart from him."
"Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs; the sage is ruthless, treating the people like straw dogs. The space between heaven and earth is like a bellows: empty yet inexhaustible, moving yet ever-producing. Too much talk leads to exhaustion; better to remain centered."
"Heaven and earth endure. The reason why heaven and earth can endure is that they do not live for themselves, therefore they can live long. Therefore, the sage puts himself last and yet comes first, puts himself outside and yet survives. Is it not because he is selfless? Therefore he can achieve his own ends."
"The Supreme Goodness Like Water. Water benefits all things without striving, dwelling in places that others disdain, thus it is close to the Way. It dwells in good places, its heart is like a deep pool, it is benevolent in its giving, trustworthy in its words, just in its governance, capable in its actions, and timely in its movements. Because it does not strive, it is without fault."
"The Supreme One ruler is one whose existence is known to the people. The next is one who is loved and praised. The next is one who is feared. The next is one who is despised. When trust is insufficient, there will be distrust. How leisurely and precious are his words! When the work is accomplished and the task is completed, the people will all say, 'We did it all ourselves.'"
"There is something undifferentiated and complete, which existed before Heaven and Earth. Silent and still, it stands alone and unchanging, ever-present and inexhaustible. It can be regarded as the mother of all things. I do not know its name, so I call it the Way. I forcefully give it the name Great. Great means flowing, flowing means far-reaching, far-reaching means returning. Therefore, the Way is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, and the King is also great. Within the realm there are four great things, and the King is one of them. Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Way, and the Way follows Nature."
"Although it is nameless and simple, nothing in the world can subdue it. If rulers and kings can uphold it, all things will naturally submit. When heaven and earth unite, sweet dew will fall, and the people will be evenly distributed without being commanded. When names are first established, and names already exist, one should know when to stop. Knowing when to stop can prevent danger. The Way in the world is like rivers and valleys flowing into the sea."
"The Great Way is all-encompassing, it can be left or right. All things depend on it for life without it refusing, it accomplishes its work without claiming credit, it clothes and nourishes all things without being their master, it is always without desire, it can be called small; all things return to it without it being their master, it can be called great. Because it never considers itself great, it is able to achieve its greatness."
"The Dao gives birth to them, Virtue nurtures them, things take shape, and circumstances bring them to fruition."
"Reversal is the movement of the Tao; weakness is the function of the Tao. All things under heaven are born from existence, and existence is born from non-existence."
"The Tao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to all things. All things carry Yin and embrace Yang, and achieve harmony through the interaction of these two forces."
"The way of Heaven is to take from those who have more than enough and give to those who have less than enough. The way of man is not so; he takes from those who have less than enough to give to those who have more than enough."
"True words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not true. The good do not argue; those who argue are not good. The wise are not learned; those who are learned are not wise. The sage does not accumulate; the more he gives to others, the more he has; the more he shares with others, the more he receives. The way of Heaven benefits without harming. The way of the sage is to act without contending."