Master of the Heavenly Dao Temple, Preaching to the Myriad Worlds

Inside the ancient temple.

Whoosh!

Huang Bai suddenly returned from the Resident Evil world, clutching the Dharma Altar.

He placed the Dharma Altar and the box on the ground. Instead of taking stock of the supplies, he stared intently at the incense table in the temple.

The incense table was no different from those in ordinary temples. The only difference was that, rather than enshrining a deity statue like other temples, it enshrined the Heavenly Dao Talisman Edict.

Perhaps the talisman edict's status was too exalted; no deity was qualified to be enshrined above it.

Huang Bai had long grown accustomed to this dim environment, yet now he sensed that something was wrong.

An item had suddenly appeared on the incense table. It was a sheet of talisman paper, resembling the Dharma Register bestowed during a Daoist ordination.

The contents of the Dharma Register were written in seal script that resembled tadpoles and auspicious clouds. When he focused on it, the characters seemed to move, flowing with profound and supreme radiance.

Huang Bai understood the words on the Dharma Register at a glance.

[Accept this Dharma Register, unite with the Dao and establish your path; reject this Dharma Register, descend from sagehood into mortality.]

"Hm? Only now have I gained the Heavenly Dao Talisman Edict's recognition?"

Huang Bai frowned deeply and paced back and forth through the temple, processing the immense amount of information in his mind.

Simply put, Huang Bai had previously been nothing more than a passerby of the Heavenly Dao Talisman Edict. His abilities had been too poor for him to receive its acknowledgment.

Now, he had presumably passed its trial, and his Daoist achievements were sufficient for him to qualify as the master of this temple.

The Dharma Register before him was the key to becoming the master of this Heavenly Dao Temple.

If he accepted this Dharma Register, he would be bound to the ancient temple for all eternity, wandering through the myriad multiverse worlds.

If he rejected the Dharma Register, he would descend from sagehood into mortality.

"Does that mean I'll lose my memories, become an ordinary person again, and return to my previous Earth?"

That was probably it.

Huang Bai chose the first option without hesitation.

He could no longer return to Earth. Even if he retained his cultivation and could rule supreme there, none of it would mean anything.

Adventures across the infinite multiverse were his path.

Whoosh!

The Dharma Register scattered apart, transforming into golden radiance that filled the sky.

Those of superior attainment who gained this talisman could ride the clouds and attain the Dao; those of middling attainment who gained it could terrify ghosts and shock gods; those of lesser attainment who gained it could govern nations and bring peace to the realm.

At that moment, the gloomy and sinister ancient temple became grand and brightly lit, as pristine as new.

Huang Bai sat cross-legged within it, comprehending his newly acquired abilities.

First, [Preaching to the Myriad Worlds]: temples could be established in other worlds, and different functions of incense offerings could be obtained depending on the accumulated amount of worship.

The specific functions still required gradual exploration.

Second, [All-Heavens Ritual Altar]: a Dharma Altar could be established within the Heavenly Dao Temple, allowing direct communication with the ancient temple's Dharma Altar without needing to build another one.

The specific details still required exploration.

"From this day forth, I am the master of the Heavenly Dao Temple."

Huang Bai opened his eyes. A brilliant golden gleam flashed within them, and the shape of the Heavenly Dao Talisman Edict could vaguely be seen in his pupils.

This time, the Heavenly Dao Talisman Edict was no longer on his left arm.

Huang Bai rose to his feet and placed the Divine Troop Altar atop the incense table.

Nurturing the Divine Troop Altar was extremely troublesome. Aside from the altar itself, it required ceaseless incense offerings day and night.

"However, the ancient temple has incense offerings that never go out, so it's suitable enough. With the function of [All-Heavens Ritual Altar], I won't have to carry the altar around every day anymore."

In other words, when Huang Bai traveled through the myriad worlds, he could still summon vicious ghosts through the ancient temple even without bringing the Dharma Altar with him.

"Other than the Yaksha, the vicious ghosts from that battle basically became nourishment for the Dharma Altar. I'll replenish them in the next world."

Besides, the souls in the Resident Evil world were of rather poor quality. He would not feel any regret over their deaths.

Vicious ghosts with supernatural abilities were his target, not a rabble of weaklings.

Next, Huang Bai summoned his Inner Elixir and slowly absorbed its medicinal power to cultivate.

The improved environment put him in a much better mood for cultivation.

He was no longer in such a hurry to leave.

Before long, the Heavenly Dao Talisman Edict appeared in midair.

[Travel to Zombie: Seven Days to Resurrection, kill zombies, and obtain the Mount Mao Talisman Register.]

"Zombie: Seven Days to Resurrection?"

Huang Bai recalled the plot of that film.

It was the final dance of the zombie era. It told the story of Xiao Hao, a once wildly popular actor who had fallen to the bottom of his career as zombie films declined, losing both his wife and child.

He moved into a rundown public housing estate and took up residence in the 2442 Haunted House, which contained twin vicious ghosts, intending to kill himself there.

When his life hung by a thread, Xiao Hao saw the twin vicious ghosts and was saved by A-You, the last Mount Mao practitioner.

Not long afterward, Uncle Dong accidentally fell to his death. Grief-stricken, Aunt Mei sought out A-Jiu, who specialized in evil arts, to bring him back to life. A-Jiu, who had terminal lung cancer, actually intended to use Uncle Dong's corpse as a vessel to raise ghosts and prolong his own life.

After that, A-Jiu subdued the twin vicious ghosts. The vicious ghosts possessed the zombie, making it even more ferocious.

In the end, Xiao Hao and A-You joined forces and used the Five-Elements Formation to destroy the zombie.

"The zombie in the story is extremely fierce, but with the Mount Mao Five-Elements ritual tools, it shouldn't be overly dangerous."

That was what Huang Bai thought.

"By the way, what exactly is the Mount Mao Talisman Register? Did it ever appear? I'll go take a look first."

With that thought, he packed up his ritual sword, shackles, and viral mutant strain, then vanished from where he stood.

Hong Kong.

On the streets of twenty-first-century Hong Kong, neon signs and clusters of skyscrapers wove together into an impenetrable canopy.

Double-decker buses wound through narrow alleys, while trams clattered along century-old tracks.

People of every appearance streamed endlessly through the streets.

Huang Bai stood at the head of a pedestrian street, gazing at the cityscape.

As expected, a modern city had far more life to it. Food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all convenient.

His handsome features and flowing hairstyle drew quite a bit of attention. Bold and uninhibited city women immediately approached him to ask for his contact information.

"Handsome, add me on WhatsApp..."

"Sorry, I'm gay."

Huang Bai answered without looking back. His words made the women retreat.

He considered his next move.

"Forget it. I'll establish a temple first and test the abilities of Preaching to the Myriad Worlds while I'm at it."

The temple would be built near the rundown public housing estate, which would also make it convenient to establish contact with Xiao Hao, A-You, and the others.

The Heavenly Dao Talisman Edict usually did not send him too far away. If he asked around nearby about A-You and A-Jiu, he would most likely find them.

After all, there were very few people doing that kind of work, much less people with connections built up over decades.

To establish a temple in a place like Hong Kong, where every inch of land was worth a fortune, money was indispensable.

"Macau, here I come!"

When traveling through the myriad worlds, he never carried money. Casinos were his savings bank, where he could deposit and withdraw as needed.

The public housing estate had old streets and dark alleys.

A scruffy man in a tank top dozed off while watching over a small eatery.

Noisy voices drifted over as several well-dressed real estate agents led a young man around a small field overgrown with weeds.

With few children around and no one to maintain it, the place had become desolate and dilapidated, reduced to a public dump and an open-air toilet for thugs.

A few syringes could occasionally be seen on the ground.

One of the agents raised a thumbs-up and rattled on enthusiastically.

"This place has impeccable feng shui. Honored guest, you really have a good eye. Build a house here, and it'll bless three generations of your family. Its value is beyond measure."

"How much?" Huang Bai asked.

"Uh, this place is close to the city center. There are schools, tourist attractions, and hospitals within three miles. Land ownership in Hong Kong is permanent, so the price..."

Before long, Huang Bai bought the plot of land.

A-You overheard their conversation, snorted, and muttered, "Bloody lunatic."

(Please vote with your monthly passes.)