Qingyan

Immediately afterwards, the crane's cry rang out again.

Su Yao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a boy dressed in white feathers standing not far ahead.

The feathered garment shimmered and glowed, as if woven from the feathers of an entire white crane, layer upon layer, perfectly formed by nature.

Most importantly, the boy held a round jade talisman in his palm.

The Taiji Diagram on the talisman slowly rotated, and countless runes around it appeared and disappeared, emitting an ancient and gentle light.

Even though he couldn't see the boy's face, Su Yao thought to himself that the other party was at least Divine Core Perfected One. And that talisman... was probably the origin of all talismans, the Jade Void Treasure "Taiji Talisman Edict".

Before Su Yao could speak, the boy spoke, his voice melodious and enchanting:

"A decree has been issued from the Jade Void Palace!"

Upon hearing this, Su Yao bowed and said:

"The decree from the Jade Void Emperor is of great importance, and I dare not accept it here. I trouble the Supreme True Person to accompany me to Golden Ao Mountain, where I will set up an incense table to receive the decree."

Upon hearing this, the boy shook his head slightly, then smiled and said:

"Urgent matters require urgency; such measures are unnecessary."

Then he added:

"Qixia Temple, receive the imperial decree!"

Su Yao straightened his clothes, bowed deeply, and said loudly:

"Disciple receives the decree!"

As Su Yao finished speaking, the boy gently lifted the Taiji Talisman Edict in his hand, and the jade talisman slowly rose and hung in the Great Void.

The Taiji Diagram on the talisman rotated faster and faster, and countless rays of clear light burst forth between the yin and yang fish, illuminating the entire Great Void as if it were daytime.

All the surrounding energy melted away like ice and snow under this clear light, leaving no trace.

Then the boy took out a scroll that shone with Jade Pure One and ethereal light, slowly unfurled it, and it transformed into countless runes that swirled in the Great Void.

Then the boy read aloud, his voice echoing through the Great Void like the ringing of bells and chimes:

"The Mysterious Gate Jade Pure One Great Chan Sect Master, the Primordial Beginning Jiansu Heavenly Venerable of the Jade Void Palace, decrees: 'You, Su Yao, the abbot of Qixia Temple, possess the essence of Rainbow Clouds and inherit the lineage of Zhongnan. Since descending the mountain, you have protected the reincarnation of the Proclaiming Earth True Lord in Longchuan. Your merits are evident, and your heart is clear. Now that you have ascended to the Purple Mansion, your Divine Ability are solidified, and your Daoist practice is beginning to take on great responsibilities.'"

"In the present land of Nanzhao, the Proclaiming Earth is on the verge of collapse, and all spirits await salvation. The opportunity for the renewal of the Five Virtues is not a matter for one person or one temple, but a great undertaking to be discussed by the Three Pure Ones and jointly undertaken by the Heavenly Court. Since Qixia has already established its presence in Liyuan Pear Garden, the Golden Ao lineage should become the pillar of the Xuanmen sect Mysterious Gate Nanzhao. Therefore, it is hereby decreed that Su Yao, as the abbot of Qixia Temple, shall have full authority to oversee the southward journey of the Proclaiming Earth in Nanzhao. All those under Qixia jurisdiction of Jade Pure One Temple, the Pear Garden lineage, and all Yuqing Temples and Daoist monasteries within Nanzhao shall be at his command. All lineages of the Three Pure Ones and all Daoist protectors in Nanzhao shall cooperate wholeheartedly to accomplish this task. If any obstruction is encountered, they shall be permitted to act expediently using the Qixia Law Seals and the Jade Void Talisman, acting first and reporting later."

"I hereby bestow upon you the Daoist name ' Qingyan '. In the Qixia lineage, the name is now Qing. Qing means the first color of the sunset, the beginning of the East; Yan means the continuous lineage of the Dao, which is everlasting. This bestowal of the name is not merely an honor for myself, but a testament to the enduring legacy of the Qixia tradition for ten thousand generations."

Once the Nanzhao is pacified and the Proclaiming Earth is successful, you shall return to the mountains to report to your ancestors, thus completing the proper rites. At that time, your name will be inscribed in the Jade Void and recorded in the Jade Register.

After the imperial edict was read aloud, the myriad runes floating in the void did not dissipate, but slowly converged, transforming into a beam of clear light, which, along with the azure light of the previous imperial edict from the Hall of Complete Illumination, disappeared into the Daoist Gate Talisman Edict on Su Yao's waist.

The boy retrieved the Taiji Talisman Edict from his palm, looked at Su Yao, and spoke in a tone that was gentler than when he had delivered the decree:

"Qingyan True Person, the Master has a few more words for you to convey privately. Although your appointment as Abbot is a temporary one, in the Master's heart, you are already the official head of Qixia Temple. As for Senior Qizhenzi, the Master will discuss it with him. As for the matter of Proclaiming Earth in Nanzhao, the Master says, go ahead and do it. You don't need to ask for instructions on everything. Just act according to your own conscience. If the sky falls, Jade Void Palace will hold it up for you."

After the boy finished speaking, he didn't linger any longer. He nodded slightly to Su Yao, and then his figure transformed into a beam of clear light, disappearing into the depths of the Great Void along with the cry of the crane.

Su Yao stood alone, gazing in the direction where the boy had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.

The air currents in the Great Void gradually subsided.

That soaring ray of light still stands between heaven and earth.

Golden Ao Mountain appears even more extraordinary under the night sky and the glow of the sunset.

The lights still shine in the mountains, and under the moon in the Pear Garden, the banquet is ready, awaiting only the host's seat.

Su Yao slowly withdrew his gaze and gently stroked the Daoist Gate Talisman Edict at his waist.

The Jade Void Immortal Edict and the Ochre Yellow Immortal Edict from the Hall of Complete Illumination have now been completely sealed inside.

From this day forward, this talisman will no longer be a Daoist Gate token that can only mobilize mountain gods and earth spirits, but will become the main Law Seals of Qixia Temple, connecting the Netherworld above and the netherworld below, linking the Three Pure Ones on the left and the Heavenly Court on the right.

He suddenly recalled the bewilderment he felt when he received that wooden box at the foot of Qixia Mountain twenty-three years ago, the words Mianning uttered when he led him to the outskirts of Yongzhou City, "Go see your biological parents," and Chen Hai's words, "Master, this play is over," after he was forced to perform three plays in the mines of the Two Rivers Gorge.

It turns out this play was never meant to be performed for anyone else.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts, put away the Nine Heavens Auspicious Cloud Banner and the Autumn Steed Sword, and then turned and headed towards Golden Ao Mountain.

The mountain was brightly lit, Liu Yunhe and others had been waiting in the Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall for a long time.

When Su Yao landed, everyone bowed in unison, their voices several degrees more solemn than usual.

"Welcome back to the mountain, Daoist!"

Su Yao paused, then suddenly smiled.

Then he took the Daoist Gate Talisman Edict from his waist, which had changed its appearance, and waved it in front of the group.

Upon seeing this, Liu Yunhe and the other four were initially shocked, then Zhang Ziyan bowed first and said loudly:

"Greetings to the Abbot of Qixia Temple."

The words lingered in the night sky Embracing Rosy Clouds Hall.

Liu Yunhe paused for a moment, then straightened his clothes and followed closely behind, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Your subordinate Liu Yunhe congratulates the Daoist Master, no, congratulates the Abbot on taking charge of Qixia, may the Daoist cause prosper forever!" Li Siyi and Zhu Xuejie exchanged a glance and bowed at the same time, with Han Ziyi following closely behind, his Zhang Su silent face now full of solemnity.

Not far away, disciples such as Lu Yuan, Ren Han, Zichuan, Yang Zhao, and Li Xu knelt down in unison, and even the Spirit Wood Child put down their ever-burning lamps and prostrated themselves on the ground in a similar manner.

Su Yao stood before the hall, the Daoist Gate Talisman Edict in his hand gleaming faintly in the moonlight.

He first looked down at the talisman in his hand, then suddenly smiled.

"Get up, all of you." He heard his voice was a little hoarse, so he cleared his throat and adopted a nonchalant tone. "Why are you kneeling? It's not like this is your first time seeing me."

Then, he waved his hand again, just as he had done countless times in these mountains over the past ten years:

"No need for formalities. Tonight, a banquet will be held at the Pear Garden. We won't leave until we're completely drunk."

At midnight, moonlight bathed the Pear Garden.

Su Yao sat in the main seat, raising his wine cup to the sky in a toast to Daozheng, Zhen True Lord, Gui Hong, Qing Qingzhu, Zilin, Yang Xiu, and others. He also toasted Gu Wanniang, who had tucked him in with a thin blanket in the Boundless Sea of Illusions, and to another version of himself who was slowly growing old amidst the locust blossoms in the courtyard.

Then he tilted his head back and drank it all, placed the empty cup on the table, and laughed loudly:

"Pour the wine!"

A poem says:

Nine years of rosy clouds have condensed into a feathered robe; the rainbow first appeared in the Great Void.

The Ziwei) is waning in the south, the phoenix's cry is faint.

The celestial order still turns on its own; why bother asking about east and west?

I now hold the new mandate, the Golden Ao shines brightly under the low-hanging clouds.

Where the sword's light gleams, the Milky Way shifts.

The cranes of the Ming Dynasty have departed, Qingyan over the western sea.