Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1208 Shouhan

'Chi Buzi.'

Yuan Shang was deeply shocked. Various words swirled in his mind, and finally the face of that boy from back then appeared.

'he?'

But looking at the person in front of him again, even though he had only said a few words, Yuan Shang felt that this person could not possibly be Chi Buzi—that person would scheme against others three times with a single sentence, and even if he was trying to get close to someone, he would never utter such words!
Seeing the disbelief in his eyes, Dangjiang was about to speak when he met Shao Hui's warning and disapproving gaze. His words caught in his throat again, and he awkwardly said:
"The old man misunderstands. By a series of coincidences, I saw the world through his eyes..."

The old man, however, was very perceptive.

'Borrowing my eyes...that means Chi Buzhi actually received guidance from Taiyin...'

When Chi Buzi became famous, Yuan Shang had already begun to live in seclusion on the island, rarely venturing out. He combined the Way of Taiyin to prepare for the Canzi. In fact, he was not very familiar with it. The place that impressed him the most was Fenkuai Island.

This junior is still only at the Foundation Establishment stage… yet one can already see that ruthlessness in him. He went to Fenkuai Island to see Qingzhou. The True Person of Qingchi Sect had just left, and he was listening to two True Persons of Ziyan Sect reminiscing about Qingchi. Yuan Jing then said:
“Yuanwu is arrogant and not liked by his fellow disciples, but he is quite capable of carrying on the Dao and inheriting the destiny. Both his disciple and son have the potential to become Daoists and are outstanding individuals. On the contrary, neither of my fellow Daoists Si Ning has been able to achieve anything worthwhile.”

Wen Qingzhou was already quite famous at the time, and without comment, he said:
"The Si family's Purple Mansion has been continuous for generations, but it has suffered many man-made disasters, so its lineage is shallow. The Ning family started from humble beginnings, and its main lineage is chaotic, so it is mixed and biased. This is a sign of its shallow lineage. Yuan Xiu is arrogant and ruthless, indifferent to his disciples and grandchildren. Yuan Su is capricious, hates superiors and is arrogant to inferiors. This is the source of the lack of continuity of the Dao lineage. They cannot be compared with Yuan Wu."

Yuan Shang, who was reading the scroll beside him, smiled and said:
"How is Commander Chi?"

The Chi family has not formally taken on any master for generations, but rather cultivated within the sect as a clan member. Chi Wei should have had the title Yuan Tui, but he didn't use it, so he was always addressed by his given name. Unexpectedly, Wen Qingzhou said softly:
"That Chi Buzi is as ruthless as a Yuan Xiu, as unpredictable as an element, yet he is neither arrogant nor unrestrained, and his mind is treacherous. If he had not been born in Luchi, he would have been a demon."

Yuan Shang took note of this from then on, and later, one thing after another left him speechless. He once remarked to his disciple Fu Xuan with deep emotion:
"Wen Qingzhou was right—staying in Luchi really hindered his ability to become a demon!"

Could such a person be a foreshadowing of Taiyin?

'How is that impossible?!'

Yuan Shang felt a chill run down his spine:
'Wasn't it he who retrieved the [Xuan Dan Taiyin White Moon Laurel Branch] back then?'

Now it seems that there was no cave dwelling at all, nor any legacy left by the patriarch. It was clearly Chi Buzhi who obtained the Taiyin item from the powerful backer behind him and secretly gave it to his own family!

'So much for needing the Xi family bloodline…so much for using spiritual materials as collateral! Not a single word this junior utters is true. This whole grand show is just a pretext to send over spiritual items!'

'At the time, I thought he might be backed by Lushui, sending the spiritual item to continue testing Taiyin... I never expected... I never expected... it turns out there was someone else entirely!'

With just this one crucial point grasped, Yuan Shang had already connected everything in his mind, and a sudden realization dawned on him:
'In this way… as long as the line connecting Jie Lin is reached… it will be possible to communicate with the [Zhong Han Palace], and revive within that palace through some mysterious means. To the many adults outside, it will appear that I have perished, but in reality, I have already escaped unscathed…'

"So... giving that spiritual item to Fuxuan was ostensibly another test from the lords, but in reality, it was to ensure he reached that threshold, thus ascending to the [Zhonghan Palace] like me—truly helping him succeed!"

"[Loss, deficiency, deficiency, and concealment are the rituals of Taiyin, which in turn benefit my Dao]—this is the true method of Taiyin!"

The old man formed his own judgment almost instantly, and a surge of emotion welled up within him, nearly bringing him to tears.

"My lord has never abandoned us... My master and I will have a chance to meet again!"

His eyes reddened for a moment, but Shao Hui was at a loss. Regardless of whether the person in front of her was Jie Lin or not, once they arrived at this place, they were all family, and there was nothing to hide. She was worried that it might be wrong for them to talk about Chi Bu Zi's matter, and that it might cause trouble and give Dang Jiang a reputation for being a gossip.

Dang Jiang was also secretly pondering. He had originally wanted to ask about Chi Buzhi, but after being glared at by Shao Hui, he dared not do so. Shao Hui sighed and said:
"In that case... Fellow Daoist, please come with me to the Taiyin Mansion!"

Yuan Shang, naturally overjoyed at not getting what he wanted, stepped forward with her. Seeing this, Dang Jiang immediately lowered his head and followed, pleading softly:

"I know him somewhat... It's better for me to go and meet the celestial general together than for the celestial maiden to go alone..."

The three of them flew on the wind for a while, passing through the vast and empty realm of clouds and the layers of celestial palaces, and soon arrived at the innermost mansion. Even though Dang Jiang had been here several times, he still couldn't help but look around at the various sights, let alone Yuan Shang.
His emotions had completely shifted; while he felt a great sense of relief, a wave of doubt washed over him.

'The Zhonghan Palace is dilapidated, yet this place rises as high as a celestial palace; it's likely either subordinate to or a branch of it… The complexity here far exceeds our imagination.'

He walked for a short while and soon arrived at the foot of a high white jade platform. A long, silvery-white bridge hung over the lake. The fairy maiden in tea-white robes stepped forward and inquired of the guards in front of the hall. The fairy said:
"Your Excellency has arrived at just the right time. The Immortal General has just seen off a Divine Pill cultivator and is currently in the center of the platform."

So he ascended the jade steps, and finally came upon the magnificent Cold Palace. The main seat was high and elegant. Shao Hui paid his respects and said:
"Reporting to your Excellency, someone has arrived from the mortal realm, claiming to be from the [Zhonghan Palace]!"

Yuan Shang followed suit, his heart pounding with apprehension. A brief silence fell over the high hall, before a surprised voice could be heard:
"The [Zhonghan Palace] is open? Is any Jie Lin still alive?"

The moment this person spoke, their words were completely different from Shao Hui's, clearly indicating they knew this hall. Yuan Shang immediately bowed. Hearing the sound of rustling above, the voice became serious and said:

"The Taiyin has not responded—the [Zhonghan Palace] has not appeared, so how could there be a Jielin? Which cultivator from the Qingxuan sect is it?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shang finally broke his silence, his heart tightening instantly, and he bowed:

"The Later Revision of the Gonghua Dao Gui Shenjing Taiyang Dao Lineage..."

"Gonghua?"

The man rose and descended steadily from above, seemingly deep in thought. Dangjiang, ever the talkative type, shifted forward slightly and said respectfully:

"Your Excellency, it is the lineage of 'Lushui'. The Sun Lineage was established by his master, and according to him, he is the successor of Gonghua!"

Zhengao asked:

"But is it the Changjing lineage? I am currently in seclusion in heaven and have not descended to the mortal realm, so I am not very clear about the origins of the sun..."

"Exactly!"

Upon hearing those two familiar words, Yuan Shang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, lowered his head, and answered. The person above, though still surprised and seemingly puzzled, politely stood up and said:

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist! Now that you have successfully formed your bond, you are a figure in the heavens!"

Yuan Shang possessed no supernatural powers whatsoever and was extremely guilty. He sensed that the other party was not being entirely sincere and had a bad feeling. Sure enough, the other party said:
"This lineage of the Sun may not necessarily have the Great Dao of Jielin—when did you attain the Dao? Who is your True Lord?"

These words sent a shiver down Yuan Shang's spine. The three words in his mind hovered in the air, but he didn't know how to say them.

'Pure Dao.'

The threshold he had never crossed in the Mirage Heaven was a massive boulder that had weighed on Chunyi Dao's head for thousands of years. He could only lower his head and respectfully say:

"When I first asked about Jie Lin, I had never sensed the Taiyin. When I woke up, I was here. In the lineage, there has never been a True Lord. The patriarch's Daoist name is Jie Jun. He was a disciple of the later Taiyang True Lord Ying Ze."

There was a moment of silence above, then Yuan Shang paused before continuing:
“He… once cultivated in the Yuan Mansion, that place… is the Qingxuan Cave Hua Dao Gui, the way of forming a karmic bond should be obtained from there.”

"Oh?"

Zhengao paused for a moment, then said:
"Do you not know the name of this method?"

Yuan Shang said in a low voice:
"【Yuanxia Jielin Daojing】".

A barely perceptible smile flickered in Zhengao's eyes, but his tone remained indifferent as he asked:

"Although I don't know how you sensed the Taiyin and achieved the Jielin... the [Yuanxia Jielin Daojing]... is the Douxuan method!"

The heavy weight in Yuan Shang's heart finally lifted, and he fell silent, trembling with fear, unable to utter a word.

Indeed! He has already obtained many of the Daoist techniques of the Pure One Dao, and upon careful examination, he has long since discovered something amiss!

The current Sun Dao lineage, at a deeper level, originates from Yingze. According to Tianjiao, Yingze comes from Gonghua Heaven. From a macro perspective below Qingxuan, it can be called the Gonghua Dao track.

This instantly reminded Lu Jiangxian of another place.

【Donghuatian】!
This is where Yuehua Yuanfu is located!
In other words, Donghua and Gonghua are very likely to be listed side by side as the Great Dao Track below Qingxuan, which is a level higher than the Taiyang Dao Lineage. However, the Dao scriptures of Chunyi Dao do not have either of them, but have the words Yuanxia!
The name "Yuanxia" is famous; it refers to the True Lord of Douxuan!

This is extremely subtle. It's a terrifying matter that the cultivators of the Pure One Path have always avoided discussing—the Daoist scripture in Jie Jun's hands may not actually have come from Qingxuan, but was obtained by accident… This disciple of the Sun Dao lineage is indeed just a disciple in name only. The ancestral methods of the Pure One Path prove that Jie Jun has never stepped into the inner sect of Qingxuan in his entire life!
Now that Zhengao had clarified things in just a few words, Yuan Shang felt a chill run down his spine, and he said in a trembling voice:

"The patriarch cultivated in the green pine, resided in the Yuan Mansion, and all traces can be found; the sun once shone upon him... But the origins of the Daoist scriptures are beyond the comprehension of my humble cultivation..."

Lu Jiangxian knew there was something fishy about it. He deliberately raised the object high to find an excuse to avoid coming to the heavens so often and to talk more with Dangjiang. Besides, Yuanshang was not Dangjiang and did not have a soul... Everything was merely a construct of the Mirror World. His figure here was just a reflection of the Mirror World, and Lu Jiangxian was constantly transmitting various reactions... In other words, as soon as Lu Jiangxian relaxed his focus, the non-existent Yuanshang would disappear from the heavens!
'He can't stay here for long... Firstly, it's too much of a drain on my attention, and secondly... Dangjiang's mouth is just too much of a nuisance...'

Seeing that he looked as if he had fallen into an ice cave, Zhengao immediately changed his tone and softened, saying:

"Since this matter is unclear, I cannot concern myself with your place of origin. Moreover, seeing that all your supernatural powers have dissipated, as if you have been banished by the Qi of exile, I cannot allow you to enter the manor. However... the Douxuan Dharma Gate is fine too. It is just a Dharma Gate. Having reached the Zhonghan Palace, how can you be considered an outsider?"

These words eased the old man's anxiety slightly, and his doubts became clear. The person above smiled and said:

"After all, this hall is where Jie Lin met. Although some have passed away and others have fallen, it still resonates with your achievements, which can be considered a kind of fate."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shang seemed to ponder. The immortal general, after laughing, became serious and said:
"This place is not in the sky, and it has been in disrepair for many years because Taiyin has gone into hiding. Now that you have succeeded, it can be said that you have come to life. I will report to the government now and temporarily register your name. I will still entrust you with the care of this hall, so that you can worship the Dao Ancestor and offer sacrifices to Taiyin. What do you say?"

Yuan Shang had escaped death, his life a mere fluke. Countless mysteries lingered in his mind, awaiting answers. Now that he had finally received a promise, his heart was at ease. How could he possibly refuse? He lowered his head and said:
"Thank you, sir! I, Shao Shang... will certainly live up to this honor!"

He bowed deeply, but the person before him solemnly helped him up, saying:

“Although you have lost your cultivation, your rank is still at the Foundation Establishment stage, no lower than mine. You must not do something that would be so disrespectful to me.”

This was indeed Lu Jiangxian's true feeling. Jie Lin's weight was not light. He had been secretly observing from the side and had long since realized the true feelings of this Yuan Shang Zhenren. Zhen Gao was just a Taiyin Immortal General he had created. When things changed, the one who could truly help him was still Yuan Shang!

'But these are all outstanding individuals; we should remain calm and collected, slowly but surely building up their background so they won't arouse any suspicion…'

He remained completely calm and said:
"Your matter is of great importance. Now that the Lord is in seclusion, I need to summon a few colleagues to inquire further... I've appointed you to a minor official post to oversee the [Zhonghan Palace]. I'm afraid this might be too much for you..."

Yuan Shang is a great help in overpowering Dang Jiang, especially in writing classics like the Three Yin Manual. He naturally couldn't let him go, so he turned to Shao Hui and said:
"Have all the books you are in charge of take down with you, fellow Daoist. On the one hand, this will enrich the Xuan Palace, and on the other hand, it will give him something to do... By sorting through these books, we might be able to find the origin of his family's lineage."

Shao Hui nodded quickly in response, and his gaze towards Yuan Shang became polite. The old man felt a great sense of reassurance and belonging. He nodded deeply, opened his mouth, but ultimately did not mention his many conjectures. Instead, he said:
"To guard Taiyin, I would gladly die ten thousand deaths."

Zhengao laughed and shook his head, saying:
"The [Zhonghan Palace] has collapsed, and the past events have been settled. Now, all we need to do is look after it carefully—and this isn't a trivial matter. Recently, a Divine Core cultivator from the [Lingbao Daoist Lineage] wanted to ascend to the heavens, but unfortunately, the celestial gods are shrouded in mystery, making it difficult for him to enter. It seems as if I have neglected him. Now that the [Zhonghan Palace] has you, it will at least give him a place to visit..."

His expression turned serious, and he said:
“He’s a senior figure in the industry, so you can ask him for advice on anything.”

Yuan Shang nodded immediately and silently made a mental note of it.

This was exactly what Lu Jiangxian intended, and it was also the biggest use of Yuan Shang in his plan at present!
'Dangjiang is talkative, Shaohui is ignorant, but Yuanshang is the perfect candidate! In his current state, he's also the best person to deal with Tangxie… He has every legitimate reason to ask the other party about the various changes in Qingxuan Taiyin!'

Lu Jiangxian deliberately stimulated Yuan Shang's interest in ancient matters, and took this opportunity to ask Tang Xielai a question:
'Ideally, we should extract the most crucial secrets and identity information about the [Moonlight Origin Palace] and Yingze from Tang Xie! Even if that's not possible, we must at least understand the Three Mysteries, especially the Taiyin True Lords of the Azure Mystery!'