The sermon for the newcomers did not end in a day. It continued for hundreds of years.
At times, a word of guidance sent the beasts into long contemplation. At others, a sudden insight brought them to their feet to practice spiritual powers, Dao rhyme flowing around them as their auras rose and fell. The entire courtyard brimmed with Dao rhyme, and spiritual energy surged like a tide.
The Immortal Crane Clan showed the clearest change. Alongside the water vapor and clouds wreathing their once-spotless white wings, mysterious patterns resembling auspicious clouds gradually appeared. Wisps of cloud followed them in flight. Clearly, they had begun to grasp the Dao of Cloud and Water.
Even the Four Symbols Plantain Tree seemed affected. The four colors coursed through its leaves a little faster, and it gave off a richer aura of Four Symbols Origin.
One day, Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun fell silent in turn, bringing the centuries-long sermon to a temporary close. The Dao rhyme in the courtyard slowly subsided, but its mysterious aura lingered.
Zhenyuanzi looked over the beings before him. Their auras had all grown stronger to varying degrees, and their eyes were brighter and clearer. He said gravely:
"The path of cultivation is like rowing against the current. It demands perseverance and steady footing. Now that you have entered Wuzhuang Temple, remember that the foundation of cultivation lies in understanding your own minds and improving yourselves, not blindly pursuing spiritual powers and magical strength. Do not mistake the means for the end."
"We will heed your teachings, Master!" the beasts answered as one, their voices ringing with resolve. After centuries of listening and cultivating, they had not only advanced in strength. Their temperaments had changed subtly too, with less restlessness and more composure.
The Ink Kirin stepped forward. No longer ashamed of his unusual bloodline, he spoke with quiet confidence and respect:
"Master, you have shown us great kindness by letting us cultivate on this treasured mountain. We have no way to repay you, but we wish to do our part for the temple. Please give us our duties."
Zhenyuanzi looked at him, then at the others, who wore the same eager expressions. He nodded slightly and considered for a moment before speaking:
"Very well. I shall assign duties according to your strengths. The Immortal Crane Clan shall welcome and see off guests and carry messages.
"Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise shall take turns patrolling the forests around Longevity Mountain, watching for disturbances and keeping the peace.
"The Nine-Headed Lion, with his imposing presence, shall guard the Mountain Gate and deter troublemakers.
"Ink Kirin, you are attentive and keenly sensitive to the energy of plants. You shall assist Mingyue in tending the temple's Herb Garden and spiritual gardens."
"As you command!" the beasts answered together. Each wore the grounded expression of one who had found a place and a purpose. They dispersed to familiarize themselves with their new duties.
The cranes spread their wings and flew into the clouds to learn their patrol routes. The Four Symbols Sacred Beasts each chose a direction and began scouting the forests.
The Nine-Headed Lion strode toward the Mountain Gate. The Ink Kirin followed Mingyue to the Herb Garden behind the temple.
Only the Black Tortoise, the largest of them all, remained quietly in place. His enormous eyes, deep as lakes, turned toward Zhenyuanzi with a trace of urgency and hope.
Zhenyuanzi understood what he wanted. "Your situation is different," he said gently. "The opportunity to take human form concerns the very foundation of your path. It cannot be forced or rushed.
"Cultivate here in peace for now and strengthen your foundation. Reflect carefully on what I said about the connection between the earth's power to bear all things and the soul's transcendence. When the time is right, the opportunity will appear, and all will fall into place."
Understanding flashed through the Black Tortoise's eyes. He lowered his massive head in a slow, solemn nod.
He shifted his mountainlike body to a corner of the courtyard near the Four Symbols Plantain Tree, where Wutu Essence Qi was especially dense, and settled down. Closing his eyes, he began using his new insights to guide the vast, sea-like power within him that had always eluded his full control. His expression was serene and resolute.
He believed that, under a teacher whose depths were unfathomable and whose mastery of the Dao was profound, he would one day break the shackles that had bound him for countless years.
Hong Yun watched it all and clapped his hands with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi, your Wuzhuang Temple now has a Golden Dragon to anchor its Fortune, spiritual roots to grace it, and disciples of every kind carrying out their duties. At last, it has shed some of its old solitude and begun to look like a thriving lineage."
Zhenyuanzi slowly surveyed the courtyard once more: the Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon coiled at its center, breathing in and out Merit Profound Yellow Qi; the swaying Plantain Tree, giving rise to Four Symbols Origin; and the flourishing Gourd Vine, nurturing seven Innate Spiritual Objects.
Then there were the lively cranes, sacred beasts, lion, and kirin, all settling into their duties... His weathered face softened by a barely perceptible degree.
Indeed, after this sermon and the arrival of these new members, the Wuzhuang Temple lineage on Longevity Mountain had laid a true foundation. Quietly but steadily, it was growing stronger within the vast Primordial World.
A tradition rooted in the Way of the Great Earth, embracing all things and bringing blessings to All Living Beings, had begun to take shape.
Meanwhile, countless miles away in the east of the Primordial Wilderness, at the highest peak of the vast Jade Capital Mountain, stood an ancient Dao palace shrouded in Chaos Energy Stream and Innate Dao Rhyme.
Inside, an old man in a Black Daoist Robe slowly opened eyes that seemed to see through endless ages and Karma. His face was weathered, and his aura seemed to merge with the entire Primordial World.
His gaze was calm and deep. It seemed to pierce the endless void and cross layer upon layer of dimensions before settling precisely on the unassuming Longevity Mountain in the west, then on the vibrant courtyard within Wuzhuang Temple.
"Ancestor of Earth Immortals... Teaching all beings through the Way of the Great Earth and gathering Fortune. He has found another path, one unlike those of the Three Races or ourselves."
The old man murmured so softly that his words were almost inaudible, yet they seemed to stir a faint resonance in the laws of the world.
Something unreadable crossed his eyes—perhaps appreciation, perhaps an attempt to divine what he had sensed. A moment later, he slowly closed them again. His aura fell still, and he seemed to become an ancient stone, returning to his endless pursuit of the Dao.
At Wuzhuang Temple, everything proceeded in good order. Qingfeng Mingyue enthusiastically led the newcomers through the halls, the Herb Garden, and the places set aside for quiet cultivation, chattering as they explained the rules.
At the Mountain Gate, the Nine-Headed Lion's nine heads turned vigilantly. Eighteen eyes swept the surroundings like searchlights. Not the slightest movement escaped his notice as he stood guard with imposing dedication.
Above the clouds, the cranes spread their newly patterned wings and danced through graceful arcs. Their clear cries drifted down into the mountain streams, lending the sacred Daoist temple a touch of life and otherworldly beauty.
Everything moved forward steadily beneath an appearance of calm, though hidden currents stirred below. The destination was unknown, yet it seemed somehow already written into the course of a greater fate.
The tapestry of the Primordial Wilderness was slowly unfolding, with Longevity Mountain as one point upon it.
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