Prelude to the Anomaly, Young Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain

"Since the benefactor has made up their mind, this old Daoist will have someone register it now."

True Person Yuyang didn't say much more, calling a junior Daoist to record it in the roster.

Finally, after stamping it with the Celestial Master's Mansion's exclusive mud seal, the Carefree Residence officially belonged to Lu Yuan for the next ten years.

Lu Yuan, however, didn't care.

Ten years?

It was already past August, and in less than a month, the world would undergo a great change.

At that time, it was uncertain whether this agreement would even be valid.

However, as long as he obtained the Wordless Stone Tablet, that was enough.

Once Lu Yuan confirmed his Lay Disciple Dojo, everyone immediately headed to the Celestial Master's Mansion.

As for the Wordless Stone Tablet, he wasn't in a hurry for now; after all, a stone like that wouldn't attract attention.

It was only on the way back.

Manager Liu and the others couldn't help but come over to persuade him, saying he was too impulsive in choosing the Carefree Residence.

That place was desolate and unattended, and more importantly, it was quite a distance from the Celestial Master's Mansion, a definite loss.

Lu Yuan just smiled and didn't explain.

The Wordless Stone Tablet.

It contained an supreme Daoist great divine ability, something they couldn't possibly understand.

Not long after, everyone entered the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The vegetarian meal had already been arranged.

True Person Yuyang led Lu Yuan and the others to the refectory and then took his leave.

At this time, it was mealtime, so there were many Daoists in the refectory, eating in groups of two or three, heads bowed in silence.

Most Daoists had precepts, but the Celestial Master's Mansion belonged to the Zhengyi Dao, which did not abstain from meat or fish, so there was meat in their bowls as well.

Lu Yuan and his group lined up, received their meals one by one, and then found a place to sit.

After a tiring half-day, everyone could finally sit down and rest properly.

However, everyone present was from the business world.

Coupled with what they had learned along the way, they had developed some rapport and soon started chatting.

"Manager Wang, how many days are you planning to stay on Longhu Mountain?"

"Probably just two or three days. I have a business deal to discuss in a few days, and I might go to Mount Tai for a look around."

"Mount Tai? That's a great place, the foremost of the Five Great Mountains. Shall we go together then?"

"Sure, you're welcome."

"Manager Wang, don't you know? Mount Tai is now closed off and not allowing entry," Manager Liu also chimed in, lowering his voice. "I heard that a couple of days ago, tourists on Mount Tai saw a Heavenly Palace again. Not only that, but it's also said that someone saw a group of ancient people at night, standing atop Mount Tai, as if performing a sacrifice."

"A sacrifice? Is that true? How come I didn't know? Is it fake?" someone asked curiously.

"Didn't they previously debunk it as just a mirage?"

"Why would I lie to you? I have a video here."

Hearing this, Manager Liu immediately took out his phone to show everyone.

But soon, he frowned and said, "Huh? That's strange. It was on my phone this morning, how did it disappear?"

"It must be fake. I've been to Mount Tai several times and never seen any Heavenly Palace or ancient people."

"Not necessarily. I heard that many strange things have been happening both domestically and internationally recently."

"Yeah, yeah, you know Jiuhua Mountain, right? Someone posted online saying that every day when the sun rises, you can hear chanting."

"That's so strange? Why haven't I seen any related news?"

"I don't know about that."

As they talked about these things, the wealthy individuals became interested and shared what they knew.

There were mentions of the Taihang Mountains, the Hengduan Mountains, the Qinling Mountains, and even the Kunlun Mountains, among many other famous mountains where strange occurrences had happened – some were earthquakes, some were brilliant rays of light, and some had been snowing since last month without stopping.

Even villagers living at the foot of the Qinling Mountains could hear wild beasts howling all night long, every night, for the entire night.

In short, each place had various strange events happening, but no one knew the reason.

However, there was one thing everyone knew.

These incidents hadn't caused much of a stir online, as if they were being deliberately controlled.

So they guessed that Manager Liu's video had likely also been taken down.

Lu Yuan, sitting to the side, listened quietly.

He knew this was the prelude to the great change.

Cities might not feel it, but many famous mountains and rivers, especially those with myths and legends, were all quietly changing.

Of course, this is just the beginning. On September 1st, a cataclysmic event

will sweep across the globe, affecting everyone.

Fortunately, he had made preparations for everything, so he wouldn't be caught off guard.

"Benefactor, may I sit here?"

Just then, a gentle voice reached Lu Yuan's ears. Looking up, he saw a young Taoist priest.

The young priest was very young, appearing to be seventeen or eighteen years old. He had his hair tied in a topknot, a gentle expression, and was holding a plate of food.

"Of course."

He nodded.

"Thank you." The young priest bowed and sat down opposite Lu Yuan, but instead of eating, he continued, "I heard that you, Benefactor, have chosen the Carefree Residence as your Lay Disciple Dojo?"

Today, Longhu Mountain was closed to the public to receive several distinguished guests who had made donations.

It was normal for the Taoist priests of the Celestial Master's Mansion to know that Lu Yuan had chosen the Carefree Residence.

"That's right," Lu Yuan replied, waiting for the other to speak further.

"That's not a good dojo, you know."

The young priest smiled, "I stayed there a few years ago. The roof leaked, and at night, you could hear the sounds of wild beasts outside. Aren't you afraid, Benefactor?"

"The Taoist path is about cultivating the mind. Although I am a layman, I know that the harsher the environment, the more it can help cultivate the mind." Lu Yuan casually found an excuse. He wasn't going to live there long-term anyway, so there was nothing to worry about. Besides, with his current physique, even tigers, leopards, and jackals wouldn't be able to get close.

"What Benefactor says makes sense."

The young priest nodded upon hearing this, seeming to agree.

However, he said nothing more. After finishing his meal, he spoke again, "I am Chunyang. I hope to have the opportunity to discuss the principles of Taoism with you at length in the future."

With that, he bowed slightly and turned to leave.

Chunyang?

Lu Yuan couldn't help but be startled, and his expression shifted slightly.

Because this name held immense fame after the global cataclysm.

It represented the Young Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain and one of the strongest Awakeners of the younger generation in the future.

"I didn't expect to meet such a person."

Lu Yuan quickly calmed his emotions and let out a soft laugh.

In his past life, he was just a nobody. But the Young Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain was the most famous young powerhouse in China at the time, possessing incredible strength. To him, that person was an unattainable, monumental figure.

But in this life, everything was different.

Without further ado, he quietly ate his meal.

When he was almost done, he, along with everyone else, settled down in the Celestial Master's Mansion.

However, at his strong insistence, he would be staying in the Carefree Residence that night.

Only by doing so would Lu Yuan have enough time and the means to completely obtain the Wordless Stone Tablet.