Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune starts from Tianshi Mansion.

Chapter 431. Chu Kun's Heartache (Two Chapters in One)

Xu Yuanzhen did not enter the city.

She had no curiosity about Zhou Pu.

The reason for this trip is because of something that the Later Han Dynasty currently has.

To be precise, what was once controlled by the Later Chu Dynasty now fell into the hands of Zhou Wei, who established the Later Han Dynasty.

After entertaining Master Zhiquan, the abbot of Liuli Zen Temple and seeing him off, Zhou Wei summoned Zhou Pu to the palace.

"You don't like Liuli Zen Temple?"

There was no one around in private, so Zhou Wei and Zhou Pu got along very casually and asked each other to sit down.

Zhou Pu did not hide his opinion in front of those around him: "Father, those monks are just like the evil spirits in the witch sect. They have no good intentions."

Zhou Wei: "Your status and mine are different from before. People in high positions should be tolerant of others."

Seeing Zhou Pu about to say something, Zhou Wei interrupted him and said, "I have also heard about the affairs of Saṃsāra. That is why we need to treat these monks with courtesy."

He emphasized the pronunciation of the word "currently".

Zhou Pu nodded: "Father is right, I understand."

Zhou Wei nodded.

Although Zhou Pu seemed aloof when dealing with Buddhists and seldom interacted with them, he was still polite on the surface, which showed that he knew the importance of each matter.

Zhou Wei has always admired and valued this adopted son.

On the other hand, the other party's estrangement from Buddhism may not be a bad thing for Zhou Wei himself at the moment.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, there were wars everywhere. Behind the ever-changing situation, there was not only a lot of bloodshed, but also a lot of betrayal.

For example, Zhou Wei himself was once an important military official of the Later Chu Dynasty. Now he has overthrown the Later Chu regime and replaced it.

Such situations have been happening in this world for hundreds of years and are not new.

Not to mention the emperor and his subjects, even among the same royal family, there were many cases of fathers, sons and brothers fighting for power and killing each other.

If one wants to overthrow a country, in addition to one's own strength, external assistance is often required.

Like Zhou Wei, who overthrew the Later Chu Dynasty and established the Later Han Dynasty, he had the help of Liuli Zen Temple.

When the Chu Dynasty was founded, there was also help from masters of witchcraft.

Even before their demise, there were many great witches active in the Later Chu Dynasty, and they participated in the war to quell the rebellion of the Black Unicorn Army. However, in the end, it was Zhou Wei who led the Black Unicorn Army to capture the Later Chu, thus changing the dynasty.

There are countless precedents, and the same was true when Zhou Wei founded the Later Han Dynasty.

Even if we don't talk about the change of dynasties, similar things will happen more frequently among any powerful forces or military towns in normal times.

In such an era and surrounding environment, it is obviously impossible for Zhou Wei to have complete trust in his soldiers.

Zhou Wei himself has close ties with Buddhism, and some of his subordinates also have close ties with Buddhism. Will there be someone who will replace him in the future?
Under such circumstances, Zhou Pu, who secretly hated Buddhism, actually made Zhou more prestigious.

He had already realized that the other party was not pretending.

Moreover, while Zhou Pu was hostile to Buddhism, he also clashed with the witch sect many times and killed many great witches with his own hands.

The Buddhist and witch sects, which were most likely to support the rise of new strong men within the Later Han Dynasty, had very remote relations with Zhou Pu.

This made Zhou Wei, who already trusted him, even more reassured.

Of course, Zhou Wei also noticed that his nephew and adopted son usually interacted more with some Confucian scholars.

But in this world, Confucian scholars are not a big deal. Even if they have some ideas, given the general environment and strength, it is difficult for them to make things happen like Buddhas and witches. Instead, they can become a balancing force.

Therefore, Zhou Wei admired Zhou Pu's vision and judgment even more for his behavior.

but……

"In these troubled times, this is still the most important thing for people of my generation!"

Although Zhou Wei was wearing a dragon robe, he had a knife hanging from his waist. He took off the knife and slapped it on the table in front of him:

"Only with this can we control the others. No matter what others are thinking, we can use them for our own benefit."

Zhou Pu: "I understand, kid."

Zhou Wei nodded, then motioned for Zhou Pu to draw his sword: "Take a look at this sword yourself."

Zhou Pu was a little surprised, but did not hesitate. He stood up, took the sword, took a few steps back and drew the sword.

He had long recognized that this sword was not the magic sword that Zhou Wei usually used.

As soon as he got the knife and before it was unsheathed, Zhou Pu could feel more clearly that this knife was unusual.

After he drew out the long sword, the look of surprise on his face became even more intense.

This is because the entire knife is made of stone. It is a stone knife, not a magic weapon in the general sense.

Zhou Pu fell into deep thought as he carefully pondered the power and artistic conception emanating from the knife.

Seeing that he was quite composed and calm, Zhou Wei's eyes were filled with even more admiration.

After a long while, Zhou Pu finally spoke: "Father, the sword spirit contained in this sword is similar to the sword art of the King of Chu, but it seems to be very different overall.

No, it should be said that the royal swordsmanship of the King of Chu was largely derived from this stone knife. After pondering and comprehending it, they combined it with what they had learned to create the swordsmanship that best suits them.

This stone knife is the main trunk, and the Chu King's sword technique is a branch of it."

Zhou Wei looked at Zhou Pu: "What else?"

Zhou Pu pondered: "The top martial arts skills of the royal families of Nanyue and Beiliang also seem to be related to this."

There were endless wars among the countries, and Zhou Pu had fought many battles with masters from all sides, both as a general of Chu in the early days and as a general of Han in recent years.

He is gifted with both aptitude and comprehension, especially his aptitude which is inclined towards spiritual perception.

Zhou Pu had keenly felt earlier that the most advanced skills of the royal families of several countries had something in common.

It’s just that the differences between them are greater. But now it seems that they are all related to this stone knife and are branches branching out from it?

"You are very accurate." Zhou Wei took the stone knife from Zhou Pu: "But not all of them may come from this stone knife."

Zhou Pu: "Are there multiple similar stone knives?"

King Zhou Wei of Han: "I also killed someone from the Chu royal family before, and after obtaining this knife, I have been thinking about it for a long time. I also got some information from Liuli Zen Temple, and now I have a rough idea of ​​what happened."

He sheathed his sword and asked Zhou Pu to sit down again: "The martial arts of today's world have changed a lot compared to the ancient times, you know that."

Zhou Pu: “Yes.”

Han Wang Zhou Wei: "This is due to the environment of the times, as well as the push of Buddhism and witchcraft, but in addition to this, there is another important source."

Zhou Pu's eyes fell on the stone knife that had been sheathed: "Is it related to this stone knife?"

King Zhou Wei of Han: "Yes, you know the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Saha and Lingshan are both among them. In addition, there is a place in the Ten Earths called Daju. Have you heard of it?"

Zhou Pu nodded: "I have heard of it. I heard that in ancient times, warriors and Confucian scholars first entered together to explore and master it. The name 'Da Ju' even came from Confucianism.

It experienced some ups and downs afterwards, and was once dominated by Confucianists, but in the end, like Youyin and Dahuang, it fell into the control of military men.

But I also heard that during the catastrophe at the end of the Han Dynasty, the situation was in chaos, and there are no written records of what happened next, so people today can only guess."

He looked at the stone knife and said, "Father mentioned this matter today. Could this stone knife... no, these stone knives come from Daju?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'm just guessing at the moment." Han Wang Zhou Wei said, "But the martial arts implications are likely to have a wide impact. After hundreds of years, it will cause changes in today's martial arts."

Zhou Pu thought for a moment and asked, "Father, do Saha and Lingshan know the truth, or even part of the inside story?"

Han Wang Zhou Wei: "Very likely."

Zhou Pu said softly: "The origin of these stone knives is unknown, and for many years I have not heard of anyone actually opening the portal of Daju to connect Daju with the human world again.

Maybe those monks and witches also want to find a way to open the Great Principle through warriors like us.”

King Zhou Wei of Han: "It's good that you know this. From today on, unless you go to war, as long as you are in the capital, take some time every day to come to the palace and study this sword. Even if you can't figure out the secret of Da Ju, you can also use this opportunity to practice and hone your martial arts."

Zhou Pu bowed to him and said, "Thank you, father, for your gift."

.....................

The world of the Tang Dynasty.

In the Tianshi Mansion of Longhu Mountain.

Lei Jun talked to Xu Yuanzhen on the phone: "So, what you think, Senior Sister, is that not only are many warriors in the human world looking for Da Ju, but even the Saha Buddhist sect and the Lingshan witch are also working hard to find him?"

Xu Yuanzhen: "Not bad."

Lei Jun knew why Daju aroused the interest of his senior sister.

The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are naturally good, but the Buddhists and the Witches showed great eagerness, as if they knew that Daju had something special and unique.

Considering that there are Buddhist masters in charge of the Saha world, Lingshan is probably not a simple place either.

It is possible that there were masters in these two places who had ascended to heaven before the great catastrophe at the end of the Han Dynasty and who still exist today.

"Are those stone knives really from Daju?" Lei Jun asked.

Xu Yuanzhen: "If it is not the Great Rule, it must be one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."

Lei Jun seemed to be thinking: "It may be similar to the situation of the alien race and the Great Wilderness."

The foreign races trampled on culture and destroyed the Daliang Dynasty in the Ming Dynasty and the Song Dynasty in the Song Dynasty. Their martial arts were unique, with a wild and desolate atmosphere, and they were unique.

Lei Jun had speculated earlier that it might be related to the Great Wilderness.

The current influence of Da Ju on the martial arts of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms may be the same.

However, it is still very subtle at present, and the influence is only subtle, not as drastic as the impact on the alien tribes on the grassland and the wilderness.

"I got a stone knife in a dynasty called Beiliang and am studying it," Xu Yuanzhen said casually.

...As expected of you.

Lei Jun blinked when he heard that.

"What's going on in the Han Dynasty these days?" Xu Yuanzhen asked.

Dihai and Datong were closed one after another, and both used the arrangements she left in the old Song Dynasty and the present Han Dynasty respectively. Xu Yuanzhen had already known about it, but did not take it to heart.

What interests her most among the Han people today is the Longhu Mountain lineage of the Han Dynasty.

"The storm is brewing." Lei Jun replied: "Although Huang Jinhan and Xumi had a quarrel before, some things have been prepared for many years and are ready to be launched. At least the people in Kongsang Wu Sect are more likely to make some adjustments and take advantage of the situation."

Xu Yuanzhen: "Very good."

After the two sides chatted for a while, Xu Yuanzhen took the initiative to end the contact.

Lei Junze sat quietly, looking up at the sky and thinking for a long time.

After a long time, he gathered his scattered thoughts.

For Yu Leijun, the rest of his life will continue at his usual pace.

While practicing in silence, he also nurtured his magic weapons, handled affairs in the mansion, and taught his disciples.

In terms of teaching apprentices, Lei Jun and his mentor Yuan Mobai are of the same lineage.

Although he often had various sparks of inspiration about the practice of Taoism, he always used the most orthodox way to teach Zhuo Baojie and Han Xiaofei.

At least, that's the case during the foundation-laying stage.

After the foundation was solid, the two had their own ideas, and Lei Jun didn't mind them expressing them freely.

I practice meditation quietly in the mountains, not knowing how long it will take.

After the summer, Lei Jun celebrated his 82nd birthday.

After the Spring Festival of the following year, the Tianshi Mansion of Longhu Mountain welcomed Lei Jun's fourth ordination ceremony as the Tianshi. Cheng Rongrong and Han Xiaofei are both extremely talented, but they will miss this ordination and can only wait until next time.

Considering their current progress, the situation will be uncertain if we wait another six years.

It is still unclear whether an exception will be made for them.

Although there are no extraordinary talents like Han Xiaofei and Cheng Rongrong in this ordination, there are also seed players valued by the elders in the mansion.

Some of them have slightly special backgrounds.

The young elder Yu Yichen came to watch the ceremony on behalf of Chunyang Palace.

Next to him was a female nun dressed in cloth and hemp shoes. She was Xie Yiying, the representative of the Shushan School.

Their gazes were now fixed on a yellow-robed disciple from the Tianshi Mansion who was participating in the ordination ceremony.

"Is that young man from Datong?" Xie Yiying asked softly.

Yu Yichen nodded: "He is a young man from Rong State, one of the Sixteen States of Datong. His name is Qiu Ming. He has a very good talent and foundation."

Xie Yiying nodded slightly.

She had heard that there was actually another person in Datong who also joined the Longhushan sect.

He was the only son of the Zhou emperor of Datong, named Xinlu, and it was said that his talent was no less than Qiu Ming's.

But it seems that Xin Lu did not make it in time for this ordination.

Xie Yiying was reluctant to ask Yu Yichen about this person.

Because as far as she knew, there was a rumor back then that Xin Lu's foundation was actually more suitable for the Taoist alchemy school.

No matter whether it is the Chunyang Palace of the Han Dynasty or the Chunyang Palace of the Tang Dynasty, if he enters the Danding Holy Land to practice, his current progress in cultivation will not fall behind that of Qiu Ming, the son of Rong State.

But in the end, no matter it was the order of Emperor Zhou or Xin Lu's own idea, he still went through many twists and turns and entered the Tianshi Mansion of Longhu Mountain in the Tang Dynasty to practice the Taoist talisman school.

To this day, it is said that he has reached the state of perfect foundation building in the second heaven and is only one step away from the altar of the third heaven.

However, the rules and customs of the Longhu Mountain Tianshi Mansion have always been that one must at least reach the first level of the Three Heavens Altar Realm before one can participate in the ordination ceremony.

Just like one needs to complete the twelfth level of Qi Refining in the first heaven before one can participate in the transmission of ordination.

Because of this one step, Xin Lu missed the ordination this year.

Fortunately, it does not affect his future progress.

In the next six years, he can continue to practice diligently in order to reach the Three Heavens Dharma Altar realm, and continue to work hard.

The first level of the altar is the lower limit, not the upper limit, for participating in the ordination.

This year's ordination ceremony also saw the participation of many disciples who had reached the state of perfection on the second and third levels of the altar.

However, Xie Yiying didn't dare to mention Xin Lu in front of Yu Yichen from Chunyang Palace.

The reason why Xin Lu chose the Fu Lu School over the Dan Ding School was not complicated.

For the current cultivation world of the Tang Dynasty, the Tianshi Mansion in Longhu Mountain is undoubtedly the leader in Taoism.

If Xin Lu were alone, he might give more consideration to his future development.

But his family background determined that he could only choose Longhu Mountain.

Especially when Qiu Ming, the son of Rong State, also formed a fairy bond with Longhu Mountain and converted to Taoism, Emperor Zhou and Xin Lu had no other choice.

Unless Longhu Mountain is determined to keep him out.

But the Longhu Mountain Tianshi Mansion would not do this deliberately.

Everyone in Chunyang Palace in Zhongnan Mountain didn't mind either.

If Xie Yiying didn't mention it at the moment, Yu Yichen wouldn't care.

The choice is made by each person himself, it is a personal choice and personal responsibility.

What's more, as early as when Chunyang Palace received the Longhu Mountain Edict, Lu Jinduan, Wang Xuan, Jiang Yu, Yu Yichen and others had psychological expectations for similar situations and would not be shaken by it.

The Tianshi Mansion in Longhu Mountain has been blessed with great fortune. In the past few hundred or even thousand years, unless there is an overall dramatic change in the general trend of the times, the structure of Taoism in the Tang Dynasty will not change.

Even if the holy places of the Danding Sect such as the Chunyang Palace of the Tang Dynasty, the Chunyang Palace of the Han Dynasty, the Chunyang Palace of the Song Dynasty, and the Zhenwu Temple of the Ming Dynasty were to merge again, it would be difficult to change this.

What's more, if there really were to be earth-shaking changes, it might not necessarily be a blessing for the Chunyang Palace lineage to be part of it.

Therefore, Wang Xuan, Yu Yichen and others just practiced silently and restored the vitality of their own sect, and did not think about anything else.

"Fellow Daoist Yu and Fellow Daoist Xie have reached the eighth level of the heaven, which is cause for celebration."

After the ordination ceremony, Lei Jun entertained Yu Yichen and Xie Yiying who were the representatives.

The two of them had been in seclusion before, and they came out almost one after another last year. They also cultivated to the eighth level of the infant transformation realm in the alchemy lineage and the eighth level of the immortal travel realm in the weapon refining lineage respectively.

Going back fifty or sixty years, when we talk about them, it seems like they were competing with each other to see who was the best. The two were of similar age and both were extremely talented. They practiced in two major Taoist holy places respectively, and reached the seventh level at roughly the same age.

However, in the current situation of the Taoist world in the Tang Dynasty, Longhu Mountain stands out.

Chunyang Palace and Shushan Sect will not and have no need to compete for the second place.

Both parties are currently only focused on regaining their strength and rising again.

Because the older and middle-aged generations suffered heavy casualties, both Yu Yichen and Xie Yiying have gradually become the new generation of pillars in the sect.

As the master of Ziwei Sword, Xie Yiying’s reaching the eighth level is of great significance.

Regardless of Chen Donglou's whereabouts, since the deaths of Wang Dongchu, Wei Qiyue, and Zhang Dongyuan, the Shushan School of the Tang Dynasty finally had another great swordsman who reached the eighth level.

Chen Donglou is naturally the most suitable and powerful Ziwei Sword Master in the eyes of everyone in Shushan.

But as Chen Donglou had not returned to Shushan for many years and there was no news from him, Xie Yiying cultivated to the eighth level and was finally able to make the Ziwei Sword shine more brightly.

“I heard that Master Zhang of Shushan and Brother Yue Xiling of Chunyang Palace have both successfully reached the fourth level of the eighth heaven. This is cause for celebration and we can expect them to achieve great success.” Lei Jun continued.

Xie Yiying and Yu Yichen both said, "Brother, you have been practicing hard recently. As I said before, you regret missing the chance to see the Heavenly Master and the National Master accept new disciples. This time, you specifically asked us to bring gifts to congratulate you. I hope the Heavenly Master will not be offended."

Lei Jun: "Master Zhang and Brother Yue are too polite."

During the ordination ceremony last year, both Shushan Sect and Chunyang Palace had guests who brought gifts to express their greetings, and this time it was more of an expression of further gratitude.

In recent years, the three major Taoist holy sites have frequently visited each other, and both have benefited greatly from them.

After a period of rest and recuperation, the Shushan Sect and Chunyang Palace are gradually recovering their vitality.

In addition to Yu Yichen and Xie Yiying who achieved the eighth level of the realm, the younger generation of disciples from the two holy places began to produce outstanding newcomers and geniuses.

Although it was inevitable and not an isolated case for someone like Xin Lu to join Mount Longhu, the world was so big that even if the Shushan School and Chunyang Palace occasionally encountered difficulties, they would also gradually get out of the trough in a short period of time.

Especially now is the time when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is surging. Although there are occasional disturbances in the human world of the Tang Dynasty, it has generally entered a peaceful period, which is more conducive to the practice of monks.

As for the Shushan School, Xu Duan is getting older and Ji Dongquan has also entered a plateau period, but the rest, including Ye Dongming, are all young.

Compared to Xie Yiying who had just reached the first level of the eighth heaven, the sect leader Zhang Taigang had practiced hard and had successfully reached the fourth level of the eighth heaven and reached the state of perfection of traveling around the four seas.

About forty years have passed since he first reached the eighth level of heaven.

However, completing the journey of the immortal world does not mean that one can quickly break through to the ninth heaven Mahayana realm.

Zhang Taigang still has a long way to go.

If things don't go well, it's possible that you'll be stuck at the chasm between the eighth and ninth heavens. There are countless similar precedents.

A similar situation is Yue Xiling in Chunyang Palace.

To some extent, the relationship between him and Zhang Taigang is similar to that between Yu Yichen and Xie Yiying.

About forty years ago, the two of them also reached the first level of the Eighth Heaven at the same time.

Now, they are also working hard for the Ninth Heaven.

Yue Xiling is an introverted person. Because of his teacher Huang Xuanpu, he has become more low-key since then.

However, he has a stable state of mind and practices diligently. The vicissitudes of life have not obscured his charm that was once famous throughout the Tang Dynasty. Until now, he has become the cultivator with the highest level of cultivation in the Chunyang Palace of the Tang Dynasty.

The current head of Chunyang Palace, Jiang Yu, is not as advanced as Yue Xiling due to her age, but she is improving very quickly.

It remains to be seen who between Jiang and Yue will be able to attain the Mahayana stage first in the future.

"The next Nine Heavens cultivators in the Tang Dynasty will first look at the two laymen Shen and Fang."

After seeing off the guests, Lei Jun chatted with his fellow disciples: "Then it was Master Zhang of Shushan Sect, Master Jiang of Chunyang Palace, and Fellow Daoist Yue."

He turned to look at his third junior brother Chu Kun, who had already reached the middle level of the Divine Court, and said, "Junior brother, if you work harder, you might be able to catch up."

Chu Kun shook his head and smiled, "I can't compare to you, Senior Brother, and Senior Sister and Senior Sister Tang. I'd better take it slow and not rush."

He said with emotion: "In fact, there are two seniors from Shushan Sect and Chunyang Palace who were delayed a bit. Otherwise, their pace would be faster than it is now."

Lei Jun nodded slightly: "Elder Wang of Chunyang Palace and Elder Ye of Shushan Sect."

Wang Xuan and Ye Dongming are not that old now.

Among their peers, they are all extremely outstanding.

When Wang Xuan first served as the Vermillion Bird Elder of Chunyang Palace, he was the youngest of the four elders. Like Yuan Mobai, Ye Dongming, and Yue Xiling, he entered the sect late but his master was of a higher rank.

Unfortunately, his physical body was destroyed when Chunyang Palace was robbed. Although he escaped later, he could not possess another body and could only survive in the world as his Nascent Soul Yang Spirit.

Although he later received help from Lei Jun of Longhu Mountain to rebuild his body, his previous practice had already been delayed.

Considering his age, his potential has not been exhausted, but he no longer has the rapid development of his early years.

Ye Dongming was seriously injured when Shushan first appeared in the Yellow Springs, which also delayed his cultivation.

Fortunately, with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surging, they still have the opportunity to continue to make progress.

"Elder Wang and Elder Ye are indeed lessons for us. We should always think about them and learn from them." Wang Guiyuan also sighed.

He looked at Chu Kun: "Third Junior Brother, the next step is to go from the middle scene of the Divine Court to the outer scene of the Divine Court. This is another critical step. It is really never too careful!"

Chu Kun: "What Senior Brother said is true. I will always keep it in mind."

After leaving his fellow disciples and returning to his own cave, Chu Kun fell into deep thought.

He raised his hand and tapped his brow lightly with his fingers.

But under his own intentional control, Chu Kun did not disappear this time, but remained in the same place, concentrating on thinking seriously.

There, changes seemed to be gradually taking place... Chu Kun looked serious.

It was no accident that I accidentally entered the Ming Dynasty earlier.

Although Senior Brother Lei Jun and others never asked about it, Chu Kun knew it well.

The "paradise" that I have always had is gradually changing.

When exactly does it start?

It should be that it has been exactly fifty years since I got this good fortune?
The changes did not stop there, but continued quietly, but the magnitude of the changes was smaller.

But will there be earth-shaking changes in the future?

When will it start?
The sixty-year Jiazi period?
The period of ninety-nine and eighty-one return to the origin?

A hundred years?

Or tomorrow?

In the next moment?

Chu Kun leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling in a daze.

(End of this chapter)