Mount Laojun, Taiqing Palace.
This was an offshoot of the Qinling Mountains, which stretched for eight hundred li. Clouds and mist wreathed the mountain, white cranes took wing, and verdant pines and cypresses flourished. What an immortal paradise in the mortal world.
Mount Laojun had a great many Taoist temples, all built on the summits. The temple buildings stretched one after another, looking from afar as though they floated above the cliffs.
As a poem went: Ten thousand layers of cloud-clad ridges, clear in autumn here. Emerald hues greeted the face; turning away, one bade farewell to murmuring springs. Purple Qi poured over golden roofs; an immortal breeze drifted through stone forests. All the deep ravines lay silent, with butterflies whose names none knew.
Even a single breath of the mountaintop air felt intoxicating.
Taiqing Palace had originally been called Laojun Temple.
After repeated renovations, a massive temple had gradually taken shape on the summit, earning the name Taiqing Palace.
In his previous life, Zhang Qingyuan had never visited Mount Laojun in Henan. He had only read introductions to the mountain online.
The geography and Taoist culture of the two worlds still differed somewhat, and he had no idea what differences there were between these two Mount Laojuns.
Beyond Middle Heaven Gate, farther up the mountain path, lay Taiqing Palace.
Quite a few Taoist temples stood on the mountain's other peaks, all recognizing Taiqing Palace as their ancestral seat.
They had found the first difference between this world's Mount Laojun and the one in Henan in his previous life: at least, Zhang Qingyuan had seen no stone steps.
They were walking on a dirt path. Without help from a tourism bureau, relying on Mount Laojun's incense offerings alone, it would be very difficult to build it into what Zhang Qingyuan remembered.
Still, the dirt path up the mountain was not difficult to walk. Only the less accessible stretches had been paved with bluestone slabs.
Upon reaching Taiqing Palace's main peak, they were greeted by a sprawling complex of Taoist halls.
The cliff peaks were not far apart, with corridors connecting each of them.
The Taoists busied themselves with their own affairs, cultivating their bodies and temperaments, nurturing their Qi, and reciting scriptures.
Following Chen Xugu onto the main peak, they found a magnificent Taoist temple standing there, overlooking the world. Its plaque read: Taiqing Palace!
In his previous life, Zhang Qingyuan had wanted to travel, but had rarely gone anywhere.
Fortunately, Mount Laojun in this world did not have so many tourists. All was quiet and peaceful.
There were outsiders, though, mostly worshippers who had come to offer incense, as well as cultured scholars who believed in Taoism and came here to refine their sensibilities.
Although Taiqing Palace was the Taiqing Sage's sacred ground, its halls enshrined a great many immortals and deities.
Practically every Taoist deity one could name was worshipped here.
The Three Pure Ones, the Four Sovereigns, the Heavenly Venerables, and the stars filling the heavens.
Upon entering Taiqing Palace, they encountered the scent of burning incense.
The Taoists were solemn, the worshippers devout.
Chen Xugu led the two of them toward the rear, where Laojun Terrace stood, the residence of Taiqing Palace's successive heads.
It was said that the Supreme Lord Lao had once expounded the Dao there in his later years.
On Laojun Terrace, a Taoist hall stood wreathed in purple Qi, appearing and disappearing within it.
Two Taoist priests stood at the entrance, one on either side.
Upon seeing Chen Xugu, both hurried forward to greet him.
"Welcome back, Senior Uncle Tianxu."
They then bowed to Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao. "Greetings, martial uncles."
The two hastily returned the courtesy, and Chen Xugu nodded.
"Are they all inside?" Chen Xugu asked.
"Yes, Senior Uncle. All the sect heads are inside, waiting for your return."
"Understood."
Chen Xugu turned back to Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao. "Come on. Why have you lost your nerve?"
That was right. Zhang Qingyuan was nervous.
He did not know why, but he kept feeling as though everyone would scrutinize him, or rather, as though he were an ugly bride meeting her parents-in-law.
Perhaps it was his first time entering such a solemn sacred place, and its gravity had overwhelmed him.
Or perhaps he felt like an outsider and feared something would be discovered.
His feelings were complicated, difficult to put into words.
His heart raced, and his hands and feet tingled.
Zhang Junbao was the same. He was nervous too, but compared with Zhang Qingyuan, he also felt a measure of excitement and solemnity.
"Let's go!"
Taking a deep breath, the two steadied themselves.
When they stepped inside, they found several dozen people in the room.
They sat on rush cushions on the floor, with an old immortal master seated cross-legged at the very back.
His skin was heavily wrinkled, his beard and hair white. He wore a blue-green Taoist robe and a purple-gold lotus crown.
Chen Xugu led the two of them to the front of the gathering and bowed respectfully.
"This disciple, Tianxuzi, has fulfilled his mission. Today, I have brought my two junior brothers, Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao, back to the mountain."
Li Xuanzhen had been resting with his eyes closed. Upon hearing his voice, he raised his eyelids, revealing profound eyes that seemed to hold the entire universe.
A single glance gave one the feeling that there was nowhere to hide.
Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao bowed together. "This disciple, Zhang Qingyuan (Zhang Junbao), greets Martial Uncle Xuanzhen. With courtesy borne aloft like a sail among the clouds, this disciple bows in trepidation."
The sect heads behind them also directed their gazes at the pair. In fact, their eyes had never left them since they entered the room.
These heads of the various Dao sects included both men and women, and not one was to be trifled with.
Their eyes held bewilderment, envy, and incomprehension.
Weren't these just two little brats who happened to be a bit good-looking? What made them worthy of such attention from their martial uncle?
Li Xuanzhen looked at the two of them, and a trace of expression appeared on his impassive face for the first time in a long while.
"This humble Taoist should have ascended yesterday. To wait for you two, I insisted on remaining a little longer."
The old Taoist's voice was resonant, nothing like his aged appearance.
"Today, this humble Taoist shall guide my two martial nephews into the fold. Miaoxin."
A Taoist priest in his sixties came forward carrying a spirit tablet and stood beside Li Xuanzhen.
"This is your master, Daoist Li Xuanxin.
Come and pay your respects."
A Taoist attendant brought each of them three sticks of incense. The two performed the rites of disciples and bowed three times before the tablet.
"The ceremony is complete!" Miaoxin called.
Zhang Qingyuan was still puzzled. Wasn't a Taoist supposed to receive a register upon entering the fold? Was that it?
As though seeing what was on his mind, the old Taoist suddenly said, "The sages opened up three thousand Great Daos and created countless worlds. These are your register plaques. Keep them safe."
A Taoist attendant held up a tray bearing two metal register plaques covered in talismanic inscriptions.
Zhang Qingyuan was shocked after accepting his plaque, his heart racing fast enough to take to the expressway.
This old Taoist truly possessed Profound Comprehension. His seemingly disconnected words were telling him that each world had different rules, and so their methods of conferring registers differed as well. He really had guessed right.
He's that incredible!
I'm done for, done for! If the other Taoist masters in this world also possess Profound Comprehension, won't I be exposed?
"This old Taoist does not cultivate martial arts, only Daoist arts. The Dao follows nature, and the heart senses what comes. Those with Profound Comprehension possess extraordinary gifts, all able to divine the past and present. But of those who can behold the universe, there is only me, and no other.
Now that the ceremony is complete, my two martial nephews may go wherever they please within Taiqing Palace and read any of the books on the mountain.
After this old Taoist ascends, Miaoxin shall take charge of Taiqing Palace."
"We disciples shall obey your decree!" everyone bowed and replied in unison.
Miaoxin turned and asked, "Senior Uncle, this disciple is slow-witted. Are my two junior brothers to join our Taiqing lineage?"
Li Xuanzhen shook his head gently. "These two immortals have missions of their own. There is no need to restrain them."
"This disciple understands."
This meant that although the two had taken Li Xuanxin as their master, it only gave them a nominal identity.
Whether they wanted to cultivate on the mountain or descend and establish an undertaking was entirely up to them.
These two were immortals who had come with missions, so they were destined to stir the winds and clouds, establish their own Dao sects, and become founding patriarchs.
The others' gazes upon the pair became even more meaningful.
Li Xuanzhen continued, "This old Taoist originally wanted to arrange a grander occasion to welcome my two martial nephews to the mountain.
But my body cannot keep up. This humble Taoist must go above to report the fulfillment of his duty.
Everyone, remain in the mortal world for now. This humble Taoist takes his leave."
With that, the old immortal master breathed his last and ascended to heaven.
"Farewell, immortal master!" Everyone bowed again.
The next few days were spent handling Li Xuanzhen's funeral affairs and attending Wu Miaoxin's succession ceremony as the head of Taiqing Palace.
Only then did they learn that Wu Miaoxin was the disciple of Li Xuanzhen's junior brother, Zhang Xuanming.
The reason Taiqing Palace enjoyed an unending stream of incense offerings was precisely its practice of appointing people solely on merit.
Taiqing Palace was not a sect that cultivated martial arts, so the next head was not chosen based on whose martial arts were strongest or whose talent was greatest.
Rather, as in this case, whoever had the steadiest Dao heart became its leader.
After paying their respects to Martial Uncle Li Xuanzhen, the Taoist masters instantly surrounded the pair, all examining them for anything unusual.
What the hell? You two are immortals descended to earth? What makes you two kids so damn amazing?
Some came to forge friendly ties, some refused to accept it, and others were simply there to watch the excitement.
It was like the divine right of kings: an old emperor dreamed that his eldest legitimate son was a true dragon descended to earth and could become emperor.
The other princes refused to accept it. Why was he the true dragon? Where was the truth in it? Where was the dragon?
But the gathering did not mean to deny Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao's identities. They wanted to see just where the two surpassed them!
Daoist Miaoxin took the pair around to meet everyone, introducing the various sect heads.
Zhang Yunlu, the current Celestial Master of Mount Longhu and the current State Preceptor of Great Qian.
Zhou Wangji, the current head of the Quanzhen Sect, whose fame in the jianghu rivaled Chen Xugu's, along with his disciples, the Seven Masters of Quanzhen.
There was also Chen Shouzhuo, abbot of the Three Pure Ones Temple,
Mei Jiansu, head of the Supreme Yin Mysterious Purity Dao Sect, who was a female Taoist.
Ye Cangzhen, leader of Kunlun's Jade Purity Jade Void Palace; Lu Changli, leader of the Taiyi Sword Sect; Li Changli of the Pure Yang Wuji Sword Sect; Jiang Hanzhou, leader of the Numinous Treasure Pavilion of Xiangyang's Shangqing Palace; Liu Xuanshuang of Kunlun's Holy Mother Palace; Han Bailu of the Mysterious Maiden Pavilion; and others.
Everyone surrounded the two, calling them "junior brother" at every turn, yet each wore a smile that went no deeper than the skin, making his scalp prickle.
Zhang Junbao knew that unless he produced something substantial today, he would never get past this hurdle.
With no other choice, he took out the martial arts manuals he carried, along with his annotations and insights.
Come on, take a look! Let shame kill the lot of you!
Earlier, he might have modestly said that Martial Uncle Li Xuanzhen's praise was undeserved and should not be taken seriously.
Now, however, he simply flipped the table.
That's right, this humble Taoist is Zhenwu descended to earth. What of it?
Just the fact that we brothers created these martial arts at eighteen-you can't do that. Hmph!
Yet as he looked at Zhang Qingyuan, he found something strange.
Shouldn't Senior Brother be handling a situation like this? Why is his mind elsewhere?