Direct Lineage Disciple Benefits

Direct Lineage Disciple Benefits

Lei Jun thanked his master, Yuan Mobai, and left with his senior brother Wang Guiyuan. He rested first that night.

Early the next morning, he packed up his personal belongings at the Dao Child Courtyard and officially moved up the mountain.

Two others were also returning with him to the Sixth Dao Child Courtyard to move.

A total of thirty-two dao children had participated in last night's Ordination Ceremony. From that day on, dao children became Taoist priests and officially became direct lineage disciples of Celestial Master Mansion.

Aside from the special First Courtyard, each of the other seven courtyards had sent between two and four people to participate in the Chuan Du Initiation.

Including Lei Jun, three dao children from the Sixth Courtyard had broken through.

Though they said they were returning to the Dao Child Courtyard to move, the three did not need to lift a finger themselves.

"How could we possibly trouble Taoist Priest Lei to do it himself? Leave it to us."

A group of young dao children lined up and bowed to Lei Jun.

The few who had been familiar with Lei Jun in the past showed neither hesitation nor awkwardness. They adapted to their new positions with remarkable ease.

More precisely, once it had been confirmed before the Ordination Ceremony that Lei Jun would participate in the Chuan Du Initiation, everyone had already begun adjusting their mindset and preparing themselves.

Among them, Zhang Yuan was the most proactive.

It was rather unfortunate for him. Last year, he had been injured in Elder Du's fasting altar explosion.

Although he later recovered from his injuries, both the time needed to recuperate and to restore his physical condition had delayed his cultivation progress.

By the time this year's Ordination Ceremony arrived, Zhang Yuan had reached only Qi Refining Layer 11.

That still placed him among the best in the Sixth Dao Child Courtyard, but it was not enough for him to catch this year's Chuan Du Initiation. He could only continue cultivating in seclusion for another three years.

Fortunately, he was not too old yet. He could continue accumulating his foundation and erupt with strength later, after building up his reserves.

At that moment, Zhang Yuan could not help sighing inwardly as he looked at Lei Jun, dressed in an apricot yellow Taoist robe—the proper attire of a Celestial Master Mansion direct lineage disciple.

But he had long since come to terms with it.

First, there had never been any conflict or competition between them.

Second, Lei Jun had entered the tutelage of Elder Yuan, one of the upper ranks of Celestial Master Mansion.

Third, Lei Jun had entered the Dao Child Courtyard less than two years ago and had already successfully advanced to Twelve Story Building Perfection. Even in the sacred Taoist ground of Celestial Master Mansion, such a thing was rare.

So after the shock, it was clear that this former Junior Brother Lei, now Taoist Priest Lei, was about to soar into the sky in a single bound.

Given their prior acquaintance, even if he could not cling to such a thigh, he certainly could not turn around and offend it, only to get kicked, could he?

If he could cling to it, then he ought to do his best to cling to it... Zhang Yuan's mental preparation was impeccable.

The other young dao children were much the same.

It was not entirely impossible to hope that they could still get along with Lei Jun as before, but they would first have to participate in the Chuan Du Initiation themselves and become official Celestial Master Mansion direct lineage disciples.

But that was at least three years away. There was no need to leave those three years blank.

Taoist Priest Lei was not difficult to get along with. The brothers found it easy enough to persuade their own pride.

Lei Jun did not have many belongings. After packing simply, he bade farewell to Zhang Yuan and the others, then returned to the Main Mansion on the mountain.

Wang Guiyuan was waiting outside his new residence. When he saw Lei Jun, he smiled. "At the Dao Child Courtyard, dao children must live alone and may not employ servants or maidservants. But after entering the Main Mansion through the Chuan Du Initiation, each person may have two places for servants to attend them. Naturally, all expenses must be covered by oneself. Does Junior Brother Lei need any?"

Lei Jun said, "Some senior brothers have people from their families come to serve them. What about those whose families do not have anyone left?"

Wang Guiyuan said, "There are quite a few households in the towns outside the mountain. Some fellow disciples have brought their families over to reunite. Since everyone can only bring a limited number of people up the mountain, some have attached themselves under the names of other senior brothers. If you need someone, I can introduce you."

It was another kind of network, another kind of exchange of favors... Lei Jun nodded.

But he smiled. "I have no need for it for now. We can discuss it if the need arises. If there is an urgent matter, I can temporarily call dao children from the Dao Child Courtyard below the mountain to lend a hand."

Wang Guiyuan nodded and waved. Someone came forward carrying several trays, each holding various items, and handed them to Lei Jun. "Once one becomes a Transmission Disciple of this sect, the master's sect provides supplies for cultivation. This is the first batch. Use it for now."

Lei Jun thanked him. After someone carried the items into the room and he bade Wang Guiyuan farewell, he returned to his room to take inventory.

Fifty Qi Spirit Pills for assisting cultivation.

Fifty sticks of Mind Stabilizing Incense.

Ten jars of Nurturing Essence Paste.

One vat of Medicinal Bath Mother Liquid.

A number of other medicinal bath ingredients.

One pair of Spirit Warming Jade Walls.

Three Raven Hair Talisman Brushes for making spirit talismans.

Twenty ingots of Cinnabar Talisman Ink.

Ten reams of yellow paper, totaling a thousand sheets.

There were also various incense candles, rice wine, and other items.

Setting aside those who had accumulated merit to exchange for things, or who had family wealth of their own, dao children at the Dao Child Courtyard received only one Qi Spirit Pill per day and shared a single stick of Mind Stabilizing Incense during large classes... Lei Jun thought.

After becoming a direct lineage disciple, the supply of resources had indeed taken a great leap forward.

Lei Jun put everything away, lit a stick of Mind Stabilizing Incense, then took out the first volume of the Great Dao Scripture of True Orthodox Dharma passed down by Yuan Mobai and began reading it in advance.

Even before awakening his Hidden Dragon Spirit Body, many people had already remarked that Lei Jun possessed outstanding comprehension.

Yet as he read Celestial Master Mansion's direct lineage scriptures now, he still found them obscure and difficult to understand.

Fortunately, he had already built a foundation at the Dao Child Courtyard. Otherwise, he would not even understand the meaning of many terms or what they truly referred to.

If he misunderstood certain passages and strayed a thousand miles off course, the consequences would likely be far worse than merely taking a detour.

After an entire night, Lei Jun had only managed to understand one or two pages halfway.

Yet he felt no frustration. Instead, his interest only grew.

After putting away the Dao scripture, Lei Jun first took a Qi Spirit Pill, then consumed a small amount of Nurturing Essence Paste before regulating his breath.

The spiritual energy flowing through the Main Mansion on the mountain was abundant. Nourished by the Qi Spirit Pill and Nurturing Essence Paste, the twelve Qi Seas within Lei Jun filled to the brim while his True Qi became increasingly condensed.

After regulating his breath, Lei Jun slept soundly. Early the next morning, refreshed and full of energy, he went with Wang Guiyuan to see his master, Yuan Mobai.

"Your condition is quite good."

Yuan Mobai smiled, making others feel as though bathed in spring breeze. "Chonggui, give your junior brother a simple explanation first."

Lei Jun had originally guessed that Wang Guiyuan's Taoist name was Wang Chongyuan. He had not expected it to be Wang Chonggui instead, which made him privately mull it over.

Wang Guiyuan cleared his throat. "Junior Brother Lei, when we were at the Dao Child Courtyard, we all learned that our sect's Daoist methods emphasize cultivating both nature and life.

"But upon closer examination, life comes before nature. That is not to say Life Cultivation is more important, but rather that it is the beginning and foundation.

"Man is a small heaven and earth, while the cosmos is the great heaven and earth. Cultivating Life Cultivation first is not meant to sever the inner and outer, great and small heavens and earth. On the contrary, it establishes a bridge between them.

"Just as we cultivate Talismans, which are another bridge for borrowing the power of heaven and earth. Human strength is finite, while heaven and earth are infinite. Thus human strength may become as limitless as heaven and earth. That may be called attaining the Dao."

Lei Jun listened and pondered slightly.

Yuan Mobai smiled. "What did you think of?"

Lei Jun said, "I once heard that our Talismans are memorials submitted to the heavenly gods, the merit officials, and the patriarchs of old, requesting that divine powers descend..."

Wang Guiyuan looked at Yuan Mobai. After seeing Yuan Mobai smile and nod, he turned back to Lei Jun.

"Did Junior Brother Lei hear that at the Dao Child Courtyard, or did Eldest Sister and Junior Sister Tang mention it?"

Lei Jun said, "It was when I was at the Dao Child Courtyard. I cannot remember who mentioned it in passing."

Wang Guiyuan said, "Once, it was indeed as you said. All the Talismans of this sect requested edicts from the various patriarchs of the Taoist Sects.

"Later, after several generations of this sect's patriarchs spent many years organizing our Daoist methods, this sect's Talismans changed to directly borrow the power of heaven and earth.

"Of course, all ritual procedures and regulations remain as they were in the old days, without alteration."

Lei Jun nodded. "So that is how it is."

Yuan Mobai said, "The Dao Child Courtyard has already laid the foundation for you. Today, we will begin directly with the True Orthodox Dao Scripture."

His cultivation realm was unknown how many levels above that of the other instructors at the Dao Child Courtyard. He explained profound principles in simple terms and struck straight to the heart of the matter.

The Dao scripture that Lei Jun had found obscure and difficult the previous night often became crystal clear after only a few words from Yuan Mobai.

He first taught Lei Jun the Dharma, then, while Lei Jun reflected and absorbed it himself, instructed Wang Guiyuan, who had entered the sect much earlier and progressed faster.

In terms of procedure, Yuan Mobai did not use any fancy tricks. Everything was upright and proper, similar to lessons at the Dao Child Courtyard, only far more profound.

After the Morning Lesson, master and disciples discussed matters through the morning, answering doubts and resolving confusion. Lunch was served normally at noon. The afternoon was free time, and the Evening Lesson followed dinner.

"The Morning Lesson explains scriptures and transmits the Dao, while the Evening Lesson teaches techniques such as talisman arts and alchemy."

During lunch, Wang Guiyuan explained, "However, Master's intention is for you, Junior Brother Lei, to focus fully on preparing for Foundation Establishment first. Once you have established your inner Great Dao foundation, you can study external techniques afterward."

Lei Jun said, "That is precisely my intention as well."

Wang Guiyuan said, "Besides the things I delivered to you earlier, take stock yourself. Tell me if anything is missing. Over the next few days, I will be helping Martial Uncle Liu. Before I leave, I will make sure everything is settled for you."

"Thank you for the trouble, Senior Brother." Lei Jun asked, "What is happening with Martial Uncle Liu?"

Wang Guiyuan replied, "Nothing major. Martial Uncle Liu is merely developing a special talisman ink, using Azure Pine Stone Marrow as its main ingredient. He takes it very seriously. Dao children cannot handle the work, so he has borrowed several Transmission Disciples to assist. Master asked me to go take instructions."

Lei Jun had heard of the Martial Uncle Liu he mentioned. He was another elder in the mansion.

Although Elder Liu and Yuan Mobai did not share the same master, they interacted frequently as fellow disciples and had a good relationship.

As for Azure Pine Stone Marrow, Lei Jun had never heard of it, but he could guess that it was an exceedingly rare treasure.

After undergoing the Chuan Du Initiation and becoming direct lineage disciples of Celestial Master Mansion, they were generally called Transmission Disciples or Transmission Taoist Priests. They cultivated the True Orthodox Great Dao and the True Disciple Talisman Scripture, and could make spirit talismans themselves.

The materials Transmission Taoist Priests used to make spirit talismans generally consisted of talisman ink boiled from cinnabar, paired with Raven Hair Talisman Brushes, yellow paper, and the like.

Those were precisely the items Wang Guiyuan had delivered to Lei Jun yesterday.

When Transmission Taoist Priests cultivated to the Third Layer Altar Realm, continued accumulating merit, underwent trials and experience, and fulfilled certain conditions, they could apply to cross the second great threshold after Chuan Du Initiation: talisman conferral.

After crossing that threshold, they were called Ordinance Disciples or Talisman Conferral Taoist Priests.

What Ordinance Disciples learned and the treatment they received naturally far surpassed those of Transmission Disciples.

For example, the talisman ink Elder Liu was preparing now was no longer simple cinnabar. Instead, it used the rare treasure Azure Pine Stone Marrow as its main ingredient, combined with various supplementary materials.

The spiritual power contained within it was naturally beyond comparison with cinnabar.

Correspondingly, the talisman brushes and talisman paper were no longer basic goods either.

Elder Liu had no disciples under him. The talisman ink he wished to refine was rather important, and dao children could not help with it, so he needed to borrow Transmission Disciples. Thus Yuan Mobai had loaned his own disciple, Wang Guiyuan, to him.

This was also one of the powers held by Talisman Conferral Taoist Priests.

Just as Transmission Taoist Priests could select and summon dao children, Talisman Conferral Taoist Priests could also select and summon Transmission Taoist Priests to temporarily serve under their command.

The difference was that, as official direct lineage disciples of Celestial Master Mansion, Transmission Taoist Priests required their own Ordination Master not to object.

Out of respect, the young dao children in the Dao Child Courtyard had to use honorifics for all Taoist priests of the Talisman School who had undergone the Chuan Du Initiation.

Likewise, in matters of etiquette, Transmission Taoist Priests had to address Talisman Conferral Taoist Priests as Taoist Priest or Elder.

Conversely, Talisman Conferral Taoist Priests did not need to do so, unless the two sides shared a very close line of inheritance.

Thus, the Taoist Talisman School in this world sometimes had the saying: "Transmission Taoist Priests, Talisman Conferral Taoist Priests."

"As Taoist priests, only after talisman conferral are we permitted to travel independently through the world beyond the mountain, open an altar and perform rites, save people and benefit the world."

Wang Guiyuan explained, "Otherwise, if a Transmission Taoist Priest opens an altar alone, he must do so under his own master's name. Naturally, that requires his master to have received talisman conferral."

Moreover, according to Celestial Master Mansion's rules, once direct lineage disciples received talisman conferral, they became qualified to found a sect while traveling outside, spreading branches and leaves for the Dragon Tiger Mountain Lineage of the Taoist Talisman School. All sects they established would honor the Dragon Tiger Mountain Ancestral Home as the orthodox lineage.

Transmission Disciples could choose to follow Talisman Conferral Taoist Priests to branch sects or Taoist temples as key members.

This was one of the ways Celestial Master Mansion distributed its personnel and expanded its influence.

Wang Guiyuan said, "After talisman conferral, leaving aside Taoist robes and vestments, besides the existing Ordination Certificates, scriptures, and magical artifacts in our hands, the master's sect will also bestow Talisman Certificates, Hu Tablets, Magic Swords, Command Flags, Command Medallions, Ghost Beating Rods, Tianpeng Rulers, and other treasures."

Lei Jun smiled. "Set your sights high, but keep your feet on the ground. I will first work hard at cultivation and break through to the Second Heaven Foundation Establishment Realm."