Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Zhang Zhiwei didn't disturb Tian Jinzhong. He stood quietly halfway up the mountain, watching the scene below and listening to the chatter of the passing pilgrims. The place was bustling with noise, but he was completely at peace.

What people talk about most about Tiantong Temple is the huge mirror in front of the temple, which covers several hundred square meters. It's simply a miracle.

This mirror was created by Zhang Zhiwei using the Purple Mansion Divine Thunder combined with the balance of the five elements to form a spherical lightning bolt.

At that moment, it was as if a small blue sun had risen in this mountain forest. Everything melted and solidified in an instant. A huge burst of energy erupted, but it did not release much heat, nor did it affect the nearby Celestial Master's Mansion.

It's as if it was formed in another form, in another space-time.

After offering incense, most believers will stop in front of the mirror and touch its cool, smooth surface. Even under the bright sun, the mirror can still clearly reflect their image.

It is worth mentioning that among these pilgrims were not only followers of the Tian Tong Sect, but also some curious tourists, and even scientists who came after hearing the news. They circled the mirror with incredulous expressions on their faces.

Although glass mirrors have existed for some time, they have not been widely adopted due to limitations in manufacturing processes, especially in many parts of China where bronze mirrors are still in use.

Now, a mirror with an area of ​​several hundred square meters has appeared here, and they exclaimed that this was impossible.

A middle-aged scientist wearing gold-rimmed glasses stood around a mirror, his face filled with disbelief.

"That shouldn't be the case. Making mirrors relies on chemical silver plating, which requires an even layer of silver to be applied to the glass surface. However, with the current glass industry technology in my country, the largest glass sheet that can be produced is no more than two meters in size."

"Even with the world's most advanced technology, we can only produce flat glass that is three to five meters long, and the yield rate is low and it is easily deformed. We wouldn't even dare to think about making glass that is hundreds of meters long, let alone try it!"

The middle-aged scientist squatted down, caressed the mirror surface, and carefully observed and pondered. He really couldn't figure out what technology could turn the ground into a mirror, and so smoothly at that.

He and his team conducted various measurements around the mirror.

During this time, Tian Jinzhong came out once and warned them not to damage the mirror.

Although the mirror was of little use, it was left behind by his senior brother, and so many believers liked it and called it a miracle. Tian Jinzhong felt it was necessary to protect it.

"Rest assured, Daoist Master, we certainly won't destroy such a miracle of nature!" the middle-aged man quickly replied.

Then, he asked Tian Jinzhong curiously how the mirror was formed.

Tian Jinzhong has answered this question hundreds of times recently, and even though he's a big mouth, he's starting to feel a bit reluctant to answer it again.

All I told him was that a few years ago, the leader of the Tian Tong Sect performed a miracle, and a huge blue sun rose here. After the sun disappeared, this mirror appeared.

The middle-aged man was shocked after hearing this. He jogged around the mirror, which was about the size of a playground, and then led a few students to Tiantong Temple, saying that he wanted to buy some incense to burn.

He was a scientist born at the end of the previous dynasty. He had studied abroad and was exposed to various advanced ideas from overseas. He had never believed in ghosts or gods, but now, his long-held beliefs were suddenly wavering.

Tian Jinzhong glanced at him and handed out a few sticks of incense to their group.

"By the way, Taoist priest, are there any rules for offering incense?" the middle-aged man asked.

“There are indeed some rules!” Tian Jinzhong said, “First of all, you don’t need to buy a lot of incense. It’s not about buying a large bunch to show your sincerity. Three sticks of incense are enough. Also, the incense should not be more than an inch long. If it is more than an inch long, it will not be effective.”

"Of course, most devout believers come with their own incense offerings and don't seek help from Buddha at the last minute—oh no, I mean, they seek help from the Heavenly Master or the Celestial Master..."

"Also, when offering incense, men should walk on the left and women on the right. Whether walking or crossing a threshold, do not walk in the middle."

"When offering incense and making wishes, do not make promises about future support. Those are things that only licentious shrines and wild temples do. This is the same in Taoist temples and Buddhist temples."

"Whether it's a Bodhisattva or a true immortal, it doesn't matter if you offer them a stick of incense. In my senior brother's words, don't make empty promises to the gods..."

"Also, when burning incense at Tiantong Temple, praying for peace and good fortune is most effective. It's also effective if you encounter a ghost or are haunted by something unclean. But if you're praying for promotion or wealth, it's probably not going to work. Also, when making a wish, don't make it too ambitious..."

"Also, if your wish comes true, don't forget to fulfill your vow..."

Tian Jinzhong kept rambling on, revealing his big mouth, which made the middle-aged scientist's mouth twitch.

"Master, is it true that worshipping the Heavenly Master is effective?" one of the middle-aged man's students asked.

Tian Jinzhong glanced at him: "Of course it will come true, provided that you are sincere."

The power of faith, simply put, is the power of belief. The power of an individual is weak, but the power of a group is very strong.

When this force becomes powerful, it will inevitably affect the surroundings and thus provide feedback to individuals. As for whether this feedback is positive or negative, that's hard to say.

It's like how many people in later generations say that a certain place is very effective, but it's easy to be "adjusted" – they only care about achieving the goal and don't care about after-sales service.

One immediate benefit of worshipping the leader of the Tiantong Sect is that as long as one is sincere, one will experience a sense of peace from the inside out.

This is an ability that Zhang Zhiwei possesses after making progress in his meditation skills. Furthermore, because his divine mask has reached perfection and he has become a god, he can sense, accept, and withdraw the power that believes in him at any time.

When he looked at the believers, they were naturally looking at him too, but their perception was too low to see him.

Even so, that faint, unseen connection still brought them a sliver of comfort and brought them peace.

Tranquility may seem useless, but a restless person is definitely not a good thing.

If a person can remain calm and composed in many situations and make rational judgments, then he will certainly not have a bad life; he might even be able to take exams a few minutes longer.

This is also why the faith of the Tian Tong Sect Leader has become increasingly widespread.

However, maintaining this state does have an impact on Zhang Zhiwei.

This is equivalent to having millions of people watching you every moment, whispering in your ear. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have already lost their mind.

But Zhang Zhiwei was unharmed, just as he said when he discussed Taoism with Master Zuo, he subjectively ignored these objective factors.

In fact, he was intentionally using these objective troubles to refine his subjective consciousness, which was also a kind of spiritual practice for him.

As for the specific effects...

Zhang Zhiwei didn't pay too much attention to it; it was a slow and steady process, and the effects wouldn't be seen in a short time, just like how Master Zuo maintained his reversal of aging for decades.

This is a gradual change; when you get used to it, or even stop caring about it, you'll often be pleasantly surprised. Of course, even if it's ineffective, Zhang Zhiwei isn't discouraged. He considers it as bringing some peace to his followers—giving roses leaves a lingering fragrance, after all.

Inside Tiantong Temple, a middle-aged scientist held three incense sticks, following Tian Jinzhong's instructions to cover his right hand with his left and place his thumb against the end of the incense stick, symbolizing the harmony of yin and yang and the preservation of oneness.

Then, he raised the incense above his head, neither lowering his head nor raising it, standing upright and dignified, showing reverence for Heaven and ancestors, and then devoutly offered the incense.

The middle-aged scientist was not a devout person, but perhaps what he saw today was too shocking and shocking for him to explain scientifically. In this state of bewilderment, he subconsciously turned to metaphysics, and in this state, he was often devout.

So, the moment he inserted the incense stick, he immediately received a response.

His heart, which had been filled with confusion, bewilderment, and restlessness, instantly calmed down, and his emotions became peaceful. Although the noise around him continued, he felt much quieter.

"Worshiping the Heavenly Master really works?" The middle-aged scientist was greatly surprised.

In previous years, he studied abroad and had heard of some big names who had achieved extraordinary success in the scientific community, but who, in their later years, began to study theology.

However, back then he was young and impetuous and thought it was just nonsense, but now he has experienced it firsthand.

"Could it be... that there really is a Heavenly Master in this world, watching over me from the shadows?" he murmured to himself.

In fact, at this moment, the leader of the Tiantong Sect was indeed looking at him.

Zhang Zhiwei stood on the mountainside of Tianmen Peak, watching the scene below, but he did not deliberately respond to the middle-aged scientist.

That was merely the effect the middle-aged scientist experienced while gazing at his figure. Even though he didn't actually see it, in that instant of his devout faith, a force of belief had already connected them in the unseen realm.

As the middle-aged scientist gazed at the statue of the Heavenly Tong Sect Master in the main hall, an indescribable feeling lingered in his mind.

This feeling brought him not just a simple shock, but an unprecedented and groundbreaking baptism.

This baptism came not merely from faith in God, but from a torrent of values ​​that were completely unknown and beyond his comprehension.

Not only him, but several of his students also found peace.

Of course, there were also a few who didn't believe at all and were perfunctory when offering incense, with no change whatsoever.

The middle-aged scientist, accompanied by several students, left Tiantong Temple and returned to the enormous mirror. He had been restless before, but now, having calmed down, he gained a different perspective.

It's not that I've stopped believing in God and science; there's no conflict between the two. It's just that my soul has found a place to belong, and I'm no longer lost and adrift, so I've begun to feel calm and peaceful.

He stood silently with his students in front of the giant mirror, watching it reflect the beautiful sunset in the west, and then the first star to appear in the night sky. He didn't leave until the next morning.

…………

…………

The next morning, at the summit of Tianmen Peak.

Zhang Zhiwei sat cross-legged under the crooked tree, his body shimmering with golden light. It was not the light of the Golden Light Mantra, but the morning sun's essence, which transformed into two golden rays, like two small dragons, and entered Zhang Zhiwei's body.

After finishing the breathing exercise of the three elements of Heaven, Earth, and Man, Zhang Zhiwei opened his eyes.

At the same time, the bronze bell of the Shangqing Palace resounded.

On the training ground of the Celestial Master's Mansion, Taoist priests of all ranks sat in neat rows, attending their morning lessons.

In the fields not far away, Lü Ci carried a hoe and worked methodically, each swing of the hoe seemingly carved perfectly, with no deviation, smooth and even, balanced and peaceful.

In fact, Lü Ci also tried touching the ground in the training ground, since there was plenty of innate Qi there and the cultivation environment was good.

But there, he couldn't be as unrestrained as he was in the fields; after all, he couldn't just leave the training ground in ruins.

He also tried cultivating without a hoe. At his current level, it wasn't difficult, but he just felt awkward and didn't have that smooth, immersive feeling when digging.

So after a few tries, he gave up and decided to dig in the field instead. He needed to hoe the ground to do the job properly; only in the field could he fully immerse himself in the task.

At this moment, he was touching the ground in the field, while several tenant farmers sat on the ridge, watching Lü Ci hoe the land and chatting.

"This kid is a pro. He can dig better than a dozen full-time laborers. Any girl who marries him will definitely be blessed."

"What's the point of enjoying happiness? No matter how good you are at hoeing the land, you're still just hoeing the land. It's better to marry a landlord and enjoy happiness."

"Speaking of landlords and rich people, do you know that in some places around here, many landlords and rich people have been eliminated, and their land has been distributed to poor people in the surrounding areas who have no land!"

"Really? Those landlords' clans and their militias are useless! They have guns and cannons, yet they still get their land stolen..."

Standing atop Tianmen Peak, Zhang Zhiwei surveyed the panoramic view. A gentle morning breeze blew, naturally filling the mountain with mist, creating an ethereal and enchanting atmosphere.

The harmony between man and nature was unparalleled. Zhang Zhiwei gazed at it for a long time, then slowly closed his eyes. It was as if the world had gained an extra axis, and as he looked back, his thoughts seemed to travel back to ancient times.

He seemed to see the Celestial Master refining elixirs here, with the Marshal of the Mysterious Altar riding a black tiger guarding him on both sides. When the elixir was completed, the dragon and tiger appeared.

Although nearly two thousand years have passed, the principles and concepts imprinted within them have not disappeared. Instead, they have been passed down from generation to generation and have been incorporated into Zhang Zhiwei's subjective thinking.

In an instant, the mind connects the past and the present, traversing time and space, as if there were no barriers in time and space.

Just then, the ancestral alchemist he had seen in the darkness seemed to sense something and turned to look at him.

However, before their eyes could even meet, Zhang Zhiwei withdrew from this state.

He stood atop Tianmen Peak, where the breeze remained the same, and in the training ground of the Celestial Master's Mansion, Taoist priests of all generations were still sitting and attending classes.

Halfway up the mountain, Lü Ci was still hoeing the ground.

However, it was no longer dawn, but dusk; the Taoists were holding their evening prayers, and Lü Ci was also about to finish his work and conclude his practice. (End of Chapter)