The Blessing or Curse of Favor; the Dream-Collecting Disciple Breaks His Appointment
In the Mount Laoming, Zuo Qiu and the other three monks temporarily left the trial courtyard and retreated into the forest.
Before leaving, Chu Tianshu told them to stay far away.
However, when so many people from the Divine Machine Battalion approached the foot of the mountain, they also brought artillery carts. Even the four men who were hiding in the mountains and forests, whose hearing was still sharp, could not help but come out to investigate.
Zuo Qiu, who was the least injured, used his lightness skill to climb to the treetop and look out into the distance. When he saw the group, he was first startled, but then he spotted Chu Tianshu and the old monk and was overjoyed.
"Uncle Daoben is still alive!"
"I thought Uncle Daoben had been beaten to death by the abbot and the others, but it turns out he went to find reinforcements!"
The four young monks emerged from the woods and returned to the mountain path.
Before long, the Divine Machine Battalion's team went up the mountain. Considering that the abbot of Laoming Temple was also a real first-class master in the martial arts world.
For the Divine Machine Battalion to be involved in such a matter, it would probably be led personally by the Commander-in-Chief of this prefecture, who is also the commander of the battalion.
But among the crowd, there were no military officers in fine clothes and riding spirited horses.
On the other hand, on the artillery carriage behind, lay the corpse of a military officer whose robes were quite brightly colored—well, he might not be dead yet.
Zuo Qiu sensed that the atmosphere among the crowd was rather strange, and a sense of unease crept into his mind.
The Great Xuan was incredibly populous, with countless martial arts practitioners, making it a less than ideal place for ordinary soldiers.
But the Divine Machine Battalion is different. They are the elite of the elite, with exceptionally good treatment. When recruiting soldiers, they always select the best of the best, and their doors are always overwhelmed with applicants.
Therefore, those who could Divine Machine Battalion were all extravagant spenders who lived for the moment, squandered money like water, and were fearless of death.
The imperial court praised the Divine Machine Battalion, saying they possessed the spirit of ancient warriors from the Spring and Autumn Annals and Warring States periods.
In layman's terms, they are generally regarded by the common people as outlaws disguised as officials.
This group of people, hurrying up the mountain, were surprisingly obedient, their eyes darting around, yet they all remained silent.
There were also several tall, burly Great Han with full beards who walked with graceful, swaying steps. Even Zuo Qiu felt a little uncomfortable looking at them.
"Zuo Qiu, you're still alive?!"
Daoben rushed out of the crowd and excitedly looked at his disciples.
Zuo Qiu and the others finally couldn't hold back their tears, and the monks, young and old, embraced and wept bitterly.
The Divine Machine Battalion members first went to the back courtyard and cleaned up the corpses.
It is quite lamentable that hundreds of young and strong disciples died unwittingly at the hands of their own master.
Daoben was overcome with grief, looking at the corpse and then at his fellow disciples who stood there like statues.
"My senior brother Abbot's ascetic practices over the past two years have become increasingly excessive. He fights against sleep, boils in oil, and sits in a furnace. He often tells us that he is always uneasy in his dreams, worrying that his ascetic practices are not enough and that the extraordinary power he has gained from the Heavenly Ranking will not be as abundant as before."
The power of the Heavenly Ranking is a subtle phenomenon. By cultivating the same techniques as those listed on the Heavenly Ranking, it is possible to communicate with and borrow their power.
However, the extent to which one can leverage external forces is not only related to a martial artist's cultivation level, but also to their temperament and behavior.
Every year, a few legends emerge in the martial arts world.
For example, a young man from a certain place, whose life is full of twists and turns and who suffers greatly, may obtain a fragment of a martial arts technique and barely manage to enter the realm of it, but he will be favored by a certain true name on the Ancient Heavenly Ranking.
This heart is similar to the heart of the ancients, and this journey is similar to the journey of the ancients.
Thus, the power of the Heavenly Ranking descended, cleansing the young man's meridians, enhancing his aptitude, and imparting the complete set of divine skills.
From then on, he had a beauty in his arms, avenged all his grievances, rode White Horse through the west wind, and wielded a precious sword to be his hero.
However, such stories often have two completely different endings.
One possible outcome, which is a good one, is that after achieving success, one has their own career, lives a happy and fulfilling life, has children, and passes on the family business.
The other one is much worse.
This is because the power of the Heavenly Ranking that these people initially obtained exceeded the normal range that their own cultivation could wield.
If, after they grow up, their character and behavior still resonate with those of the predecessors on the Ancient Heavenly Ranking, then that's fine.
However, if there is a significant deviation, or even if it goes against the grain, the blessing of the Heavenly Ranking will become fluctuating.
It should be understood that the power of the Heavenly Ranking is like a furnace fire, enveloping one's body and mind, repeatedly tempering and forging them. If the fire remains stable, it is relatively easy to resist.
The most terrifying thing is the ups and downs.
Even the finest sword, if not properly tempered and quenched, can be ruined on the spot, bending, cracking, and becoming unrecognizable – these are all common occurrences.
He rose to prominence due to the extra favor of the Heavenly Ranking, and yet, because of the Heavenly Ranking, he easily succumbed to demonic possession, leading to a tragedy.
Such things have happened countless times in the martial arts world over the years.
Abbot Laoming Temple did not rise to prominence solely through the Heavenly Ranking; he was already quite famous in his youth.
However, during his prime, he did indeed experience a period of time that coincided with the true essence of Venerable Changti's ascetic practice, and thus received extra favor.
Once he tasted this sweetness, he couldn't stop and was no longer willing to return to the old, methodical, and steady way of cultivation.
For many years, he was afraid of losing this favor, afraid that his connection with the Heavenly Ranking would fall back to normal, and his actions became increasingly extreme.
However, his ascetic practices mainly involved torturing himself, so apart from his peers, even his disciples rarely sensed anything amiss with the abbot, and outsiders were completely unaware.
The seeds of disaster sprouted quietly, and eventually erupted, causing a great calamity.
"Since you knew he was showing signs of something being wrong all along, didn't you think of finding other ways to resolve it?"
Chu Tianshu took a sip of sweet wine, walked over to the Daoben, and asked a question.
The Daoben wiped away his tears with his sleeve and sighed, "We have considered some methods, such as using medicine to calm the mind and inviting monks to discuss the Dharma."
"Just recently, we even considered asking one of our Dream-Gathering Sect, to see if he could take away the abbot's nightmares."
Dream-Gathering Sect?
Chu Tianshu recalled that he seemed to have glimpsed such a term on the Heavenly Ranking.
He raised his glass and drank again, remaining calm and collected, his mind secretly observing the Yanxia.
Ancient Ranking and Present Ranking lists of the Heavenly Ranking contain over a hundred people.
The Ancient Heavenly Ranking, from top to bottom, includes: Prince Xuan Taizu, the Twenty-Eighth Venerable Sadāprarudita, the Transcendent Preceptor and Chancellor, the Death-Claiming Sword God, and the Great Immortal Zongheng ----
Yes, that term doesn't belong to the Ancient Heavenly Ranking.
Chu Tianshu's mind raced, and he quickly identified a name on the current Heavenly Ranking.
The seventh on the Heavenly Ranking in this era, the Dream-Eating Marquis.
Born into a wealthy merchant family in Daming Prefecture, he studied under eight renowned masters from a young age, surpassing them all in his learning. He read extensively, reached the Heavenly Ranking, and created the "Dream-Savoring Divine Art".
His three thousand dream collectors traveled to all corners of the world, specializing in buying beautiful, strange, and unusual dreams, which they sold to noble families and wealthy relatives, earning a fortune every day and becoming famous throughout the land. They also bartered with other goods, tasting all kinds of rare and precious medicines.
Most talented scholars and literary figures in the world strive to become disciples of the Dream-Eating Marquis, and flock to him in droves.
After reviewing it once, Chu Tianshu had a general idea of what was going on.
In this world, among the nations, royal families, nobles, and high-ranking officials, those born into wealth and comfort have already obtained very little.
Perhaps, another life, a completely new perspective, and incredibly novel sensory experiences are the most irresistible treasures for them.
An old farmer in the mountains may have toiled half his life with blood and sweat, but he may also fall asleep one evening, under the bright moon and gentle breeze, amidst the fragrance of rice flowers and the croaking of frogs.
That sweet and serene dream was perhaps the result of decades of sensory accumulation and emotional transformation, something that even many princes and nobles were curious about.
The boy was curious about the old man's dream, while the old man reminisced about his youth.
Even those who have indulged in refined pursuits sometimes become curious about the dreams of beggars.
Dream-Gathering Sect specialize in this kind of business.
They practice the "Dream-Savoring Divine Art," travel the world, and can see what kind of dreams a person might have in the near future, and offer to trade for dreams they deem valuable.
They can buy the dream as long as the original owner of the dream is willing to cooperate.
The abbot of Laoming Temple was always in nightmares, feeling that he would lose the extra favor of the Heavenly Ranking.
Dream-Gathering Sect, if you could remove the abbot's nightmares during the day and then grant him a good dream instead.
If this continues day after day, over time, the Old Fang's mind may change.
Of course, providing this service wasn't about the Dream-Gathering Sect buying things and paying them a fee; rather, it was about the temple asking him to do something and paying him a considerable amount of its treasures.
"We had already contacted the post station under the Dream-Eating Marquis and paid a deposit to their manager for three bottles of ' Imperially Decreed Heart-Calming Pill,' which the temple had painstakingly refined."
The monk Daoben said, "The shopkeeper replied that the one who took on this task is a very famous Dream-Gathering Sect, known as ' Ailao Scholar '."
"Ailao Scholar has already accepted the three bottles of pills, and it's agreed that he will treat the abbot for three months straight, with a reward of seven bottles afterward."
"As agreed, he should have arrived at our temple ten days ago, but in reality, he has been late."
Chu Tianshu was also a little curious.
This "Dream-Savoring Divine Art" can even predict what a person will dream about.
In this world filled with Yanxia, the practice of martial arts over two hundred years has clearly produced some magnificent and profound results.
"Now that you've received the deposit, you can contact them again to inquire further."
Chu Tianshu said, "Where are all the books related to cultivation on the Heavenly Ranking kept in your temple? Let me see them too."
Daoben exclaimed with delight, "Senior wants to consult the scriptures? Could it be that Abbot and the others can still be saved?"
"It's hopeless."
Chu Tianshu stated bluntly, "Their souls have been molded into something else; you could say they were already dead from the moment they fell into demonic possession."
"I see from your scriptures that firstly, you're seeking repayment for your kindness, and secondly—do you really intend to abandon the Heavenly Ranking in the future?"
Daoben fell silent for a moment.
Zuo Qiu and the others moved their lips, but no words came out.
Despite the tragedy they had suffered, they asked themselves honestly, and decided that at most, they would refrain from summoning the power of the Heavenly Ranking for the foreseeable future.
Given a little more time, they still wanted to continue cultivating, strengthen their foundation, and draw upon more power from the Heavenly Ranking.
Chu Tianshu smiled knowingly.
"So, let me take a look. Maybe I can help you fix it and reduce the risk of you going mad."