Apprenticeship at Qingcheng Mountain, Senior Brother Yu Canghai

Chapter 242 Is this still the Qingcheng Sect from before?

"Master, you are back?"

"The master is back!"

As the group went up the mountain, all the Taoists they met on the road greeted Chu Yuan.

Many Taoists looked very happy and went up the mountain first to inform their elders.

More than two years ago, when the Qingcheng Sect was founded.

Almost all the Taoists on Qingcheng Mountain have joined the Qingcheng Sect.

There are very few who have not joined, as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Therefore, Chu Yuan was not surprised that when he came back this time, he met the Taoist priest on Qingcheng Mountain and was greeted so warmly and respectfully.

Entering from the front mountain and climbing over several peaks, they soon returned to the location of the Qingcheng Sect.

Shangqing Temple!
"Master Qingyang, your Qingcheng Sect is quite large!"

"That's right. The Qingcheng Sect can own such a huge temple on the famous Taoist mountain Qingcheng Mountain. The strength of the Qingcheng Sect should not be underestimated."

Wanwan and Shi Feixuan looked at the huge palace in front of them and spoke one after another.

Shi Feixuan even felt that the scale of the Qingcheng Sect in front of her was much larger than the "Cihang Jingzhai" on the Emperor's Peak.

Moreover, in front of the Qingcheng Sect's Shangqing Temple, there is a very wide training ground paved with bluestone slabs, which is about two acres in size. At this time, there are many ordinary young boys and girls who are practicing martial arts with a group of Taoists in Taoist robes.

There was also a constant stream of people coming in and out of the main hall to burn incense.

It can be seen that this palace is very popular.

Chu Yuan looked at the Shangqing Temple in front of him, which had expanded nearly ten times in size compared to when he left, and he felt numb for a moment.

It was clearly not like this when he left Shangqing Temple!

At that time, this was just a small Taoist temple with three or five rooms.

How come such big changes happened here when he was only away for two or three years?

"I was away for only two or three years, not five or six, or seven or eight years. Is it true that such a big change has occurred in just two or three years?"

Chu Yuan was puzzled.

He also keenly noticed that the "Shangqing Temple" plaque, which had been worn out by the years, was replaced with a brand new "Shangqing Palace" plaque with gold characters on a black background.

"The master is back!"

At this moment, someone shouted.

All of a sudden, both the Taoist priests from Shangqing Palace and the young men and women who were practicing martial arts with the Taoist priests in the square, gathered around Chu Yuan.

Chu Yuan discovered that the leader was his junior fellow apprentice Kunyang and a group of old Taoist priests.

Compared to when he left, his junior fellow apprentice Kunyang now has his hair tied up with a hairpin and wears a dark black Taoist robe. Although he is still strong and the loose Taoist robe is bulging like an iron tower, he seems to be more filled with an indescribable sense of majesty.

In comparison, those old Taoist priests are not much worse.

They also wore the same dark black Taoist robes as Kunyang, and with their white beards and hair, they looked like immortals.

Coupled with the crowd of ordinary Qingcheng disciples wearing dark blue Taoist robes, the Qingcheng Sect today no longer looks like a makeshift group like when Chu Yuan just left, but has the feeling of a famous and upright sect.

"Junior brother, you are finally back."

Kunyang was very happy when he saw Chu Yuan, as if he had seen a savior.

"Cough cough~"

"Cough cough~"

At this moment, several old Taoist priests nearby coughed, which seemed like some kind of reminder.

Kunyang, who was originally smiling and looking very happy, immediately changed his expression.

He straightened his appearance and bowed to Chu Yuan: "Master has been down the mountain for a long time. We are waiting to welcome you back to the mountain."

With Kunyang taking the lead, the other old Taoist priests and young Taoist priests of Qingcheng Sect followed suit and bowed, saying, "We respectfully welcome the master back to the mountain."

Including those young boys and girls who were not wearing Taoist robes and looked like the descendants of the common people living at the foot of the mountain, but who had just been practicing martial arts with the Qingcheng Sect Taoists in the martial arts training ground, also followed along.

Not to mention, there are a lot of people.

Seeing so many people and Taoists, they all bowed to him.

Chu Yuan suddenly felt that what was originally just an ordinary return to the mountain suddenly became quite a ritual.

"Everyone, please get up. No need to be polite."

Chu Yuan pretended to be calm.

"Everything remains the same. Elders of the sect and Senior Brother Kunyang, take me to the meeting place of our sect."

Chu Yuan continued.

Seeing Chu Yuan speak, Kunyang waved his hand and said to the Taoist priests and the young men and women practicing martial arts around him, "Did you hear what the master said? Disperse and do what you need to do."

Then everyone dispersed, but many people's attention was still attracted by the three girls behind Chu Yuan, Shi Feixuan, Wanwan, and Fu Jun'er.

The three girls were simply too beautiful. Even Fu Jun'er, who looked the worst among them, was a beauty that many of them had never seen in their entire lives.

Many people wondered whether this was the leader's wife whom the leader brought back from the mountain.

Before Wang Chongyang founded the Quanzhen Sect, there was no doctrine in Taoism that forbade marriage.

Kunyang's eyes swept over Wanwan, Shi Feixuan, and Fu Jun'er: "Master, these three are..."

Chu Yuan said: "Among the three of them, one is a guest I invited back, and the other two are the saints of the Yinkui Sect of the Demon Sect and the Cihang Jingzhai of the Buddhist Sect. Send someone to entertain them well and don't lose etiquette, understand?"

Kunyang agreed, "Yes, Master."

Chu Yuan turned around and said to Wanwan, Shi Feixuan and Fu Jun'er, "Since you are here, please stay in the mountains for a while. Except for Miss Fu, Miss Wanwan and Miss Shi can come and go freely. I just returned to the mountain, and there are some matters in the sect that need my attention, so I will not accompany you for the time being."

Wanwan smiled and said, "Sorry to bother you then."

Shi Feixuan said: "Master Qingyang, please focus on your business first, don't worry about us."

After asking Kunyang to arrange three young Taoists to lead the way for the three of them and introducing some matters in the Qingcheng Sect, Chu Yuan left with Kunyang and the elders.

Together they walked around the main hall of the Qingcheng sect where the Taoist founder Laozi, Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling, and Ningfeng Zhenjun were enshrined.

At the back of the main hall, in a room with two rows of cushions, the Taoists sat down one after another.

Seeing that the other Taoists were sitting in two rows, Chu Yuan sat at the top seat at the signal of his senior brother Kunyang.

"Can anyone tell me what happened to the Qingcheng Sect during the time I was away? Why did it undergo such a big change? And why did they do that just now?"

After sitting down, Chu Yuan looked around at the Taoists and asked them.

"Master, let me tell you about this matter. Not long after you left, following the advice of the elders, we felt that the previous Shangqing Temple was too small and looked too shabby to be the seat of the Qingcheng Sect, so we came up with the idea of ​​expanding the Shangqing Temple."

Kunyang told Chu Yuan what happened after Chu Yuan left Qingcheng Mountain more than two years ago.

"But where does the money come from? Moreover, to expand the previous Shangqing Temple to its current size, it would require a lot of manpower and resources, right? This cannot be done in a short period of time."

Chu Yuan then asked again.

In ancient times, large-scale projects would take several years or even decades to complete, let alone expanding a Taoist temple in the rugged roads of Qingcheng Mountain.

There is only one possibility that Shangqing Temple was expanded into Shangqing Palace in more than two years.

That was to spend a huge amount of money and recruit a large number of craftsmen and laborers.

But Chu Yuan really didn't understand where the impoverished Qingcheng Mountain and Qingcheng Sect got the huge amount of money to recruit so many craftsmen and laborers.

"Master, you really have a keen eye. In fact, the reason why our Qingcheng Sect has been able to develop to its current size in two years is entirely due to the help of the people living down the mountain. The money was donated by wealthy families with strong financial resources."

"As for the craftsmen and laborers, the common people voluntarily helped to build it. At the peak, we had more than 10,000 laborers and 2,000 craftsmen on Qingcheng Mountain, helping to expand the Shangqing Temple."

Kunyang explained.

"The people living down the mountain will not help us for no reason. They must have something to ask for. What is their request?"

Chu Yuan asked Kunyang.

This is the same principle as people worshipping gods.

"Yes, the people living at the foot of the mountain helped my Qingcheng Sect expand the Shangqing Temple. They did have something to ask for. What they wanted was to avoid being robbed by mountain bandits and exploited by the government, so many of them moved to the foot of Qingcheng Mountain to live."

"In addition, they hope that their children will join our Qingcheng Sect to learn martial arts and acquire martial arts skills so that they can protect themselves in troubled times."

"But the problem is that there are too many people who want to join our Qingcheng Sect. We simply cannot accept them all. So after discussing with the elders, I came up with a solution. That is to only accept disciples with good martial arts aptitude and comprehension. Those with average aptitude will be allowed to become "laymen" of our Qingcheng Sect and can also practice martial arts in our Qingcheng Sect, but they are not official disciples of the Qingcheng Sect and do not have to wear Taoist robes on weekdays."

Kunyang told Chu Yuan everything that had happened during the time Chu Yuan was away from Qingcheng Mountain.

"Are all those who are not wearing robes lay Buddhists?"

Chu Yuan asked.

Kunyang nodded: "Yes, they are all lay Buddhists." This reminded Chu Yuan of the lay disciples of Shaolin Temple in later generations.

There are many monks with profound martial arts skills in Shaolin Temple, but there are also many talented lay disciples.

Chu Yuan’s sworn brother in his previous life, Qiao Feng, was one of them.

Shaolin Temple was first built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. According to the time, Shaolin Temple should have been established by now.

But after all, the world is different and the situation is different.

The most famous Buddhist sects in the world are Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Zen Temple.

Just like Goguryeo, which became the Kingdom of Goryeo.

It’s not certain whether Shaolin Temple still exists.

Chu Yuan praised: "Yes, during the time I was away from the mountain, you and the elders have managed the Qingcheng Sect in an orderly manner, and the development is thriving."

Whether it is to allow the people living at the foot of the mountain to take refuge around Mount Qingcheng, or to teach martial arts to lay Buddhists similar to lay disciples, these are all excellent development strategies for the Qingcheng Sect.

Speaking of which, when he passed by Qingcheng Mountain on his way back, he saw that there were a lot more people living at the foot of the mountain, and he thought it was his illusion.

Now it seems that this is not the case.

It makes sense. Now that the world is about to be in chaos, the court is unjust, and bandits are everywhere, the people must want someone to rely on so that their lives can be more stable.

And the Qingcheng Sect is this support.

"In fact, this is all thanks to the five supreme elders Xuancheng, Hanguang, Yuanfeng, Shouyang, and Youxu."

Kunyangzi felt a little embarrassed to be praised by his junior fellow apprentice Chu Yuan, and then he told all about the five supreme elders who had discussed these plans together.

"Thank you very much, elders, for taking care of the affairs of the sect during my absence."

Chu Yuan said to the five elders sitting in the front row.

He remembered that these five elders were all supreme elders in the sect and were also the ones who had initially inspired him to found the sect.

"As elders of the sect, this is what we should do. Now that the Qingcheng Sect is led by the Sect Master, it has become famous all over the world. We all share the same fate."

The Grand Elder smiled.

This is a short old Taoist priest with white hair and beard who always has a smile on his face.

"You guys are on the mountain, do you know what's happening down there?"

Chu Yuan heard the hidden meaning of the old Taoist priest and said with some doubt.

Grand Elder You Xu said, "Of course. It turns out that the Sect Master has been down the mountain for several years to look for the 'Eternal Life Secret', one of the four great books in the world. I didn't expect that the Sect Master not only found the 'Eternal Life Secret', but also mastered it."

You Xu is a skinny old Taoist with a thin body, bright eyes and a horse face.

"Brother, don't underestimate the Qingcheng Sect. We now have 2,000 formal disciples and 3,000 lay disciples, totaling 5,000 disciples. In Bashu, this is already a big sect in the Bashu martial arts world. We also have our own news channels in the martial arts world, so we naturally know what's happening in the martial arts world." Kunyang said unconvincedly:
"After the news that you, Senior Brother, had mastered the Secret of Immortality and defeated Yu Wenzhi, the chief of the Imperial Guards, came out, it didn't take long for us on the mountain to know about it."

Chu Yuan nodded: "I did come down the mountain this time to find the "Eternal Life Secret", and I got it as I wished. Just as the rumors in the martial arts world, I also practiced the "Eternal Life Secret", but I only practiced part of it, not all of it."

Chu Yuan's eyes swept over his senior brother Kunyang and a group of old Taoists: "The conditions for practicing the "Eternal Life Art" are harsh. You need to not have any other martial arts' internal energy in your body. In other words, you have to give up your own martial arts before you can practice. If you want to practice and are confident in yourself, you can give it a try."

When they heard that they had to give up their martial arts, Kunyang and a group of old Taoists who had originally had some interest in "The Secret of Immortality" all shook their heads.

"No need!"

"I think the 'Nine Heavens Scriptures' created by the headmaster is pretty good."

"It's just immortality. The Nine Heavens Scripture can also achieve that."

"We are already old, there is no need to do such thankless work."

Kunyang also said: "It was you, Junior Brother, who helped me open up the meridians in my body. I even relied on your help to practice the Nine Heavens Sutra. Although the Longevity Sutra is good, I will not join in the fun."

Seeing that no one was willing to practice "The Secret of Immortality", Chu Yuan was not surprised. This was within his expectations.

Others are not like him. They are born with all their meridians open and can practice faster than ordinary people, so they have time to waste.

Chu Yuan said: "The 'Nine Heavens Scripture' I created is a little worse than the 'Eternal Life Secret' in that it cannot break the void. The reason why I went down the mountain to look for the 'Eternal Life Secret' is to perfect the 'Nine Heavens Scripture'. Maybe one day the 'Nine Heavens Scripture' will also be able to break the void."

Kunyang asked doubtfully: "Broken void?"

People like him who have just started practicing martial arts have no idea that there is such a thing as breaking the void in this world.

Chu Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, that is the realm above Grandmaster. It has reached the pinnacle of martial arts and the end of martial arts. It can cross space and ascend to another space or world, just like our Taoist predecessors. It is said that they have ascended to become immortals."

Another great elder Yuan Feng immediately laughed and said, "Master, you are joking. We are old and can't even hope to break the void, let alone become a Grandmaster. So this Nine Heavens Scripture is enough for us to practice."

"good."

"There are only three grandmasters in the world so far."

"Based on the qualifications of the headmaster, he has the potential to become the fourth grandmaster in the world, but we old bones forget about it."

The other supreme elders also echoed this, they all knew their own limitations.

It was too late for them to start practicing martial arts at this age, so they would be satisfied if they could reach the innate realm.

"Speaking of which, there is another matter for me to go down the mountain this time. There is a martial arts school in Yangzhou City that has joined my Qingcheng Sect and is willing to serve as my Qingcheng Sect's dojo in Yangzhou. The owner Shilong and I have agreed to send an elder to assist him. Who among you is willing to go?"

Seeing that everyone said so, Chu Yuan could only let this matter go. He thought of another thing and asked everyone about it.

Everyone looked at each other, no one said anything, and it seemed that no one wanted to go.

Chu Yuan directly skipped his senior brother Kunyang, as he was not going to let him go.

Kunyang was his right-hand man who was trained to help him handle the affairs within the faction.

Once Kunyang goes there, he will have to personally handle all matters big or small within the Qingcheng Sect.

The Qingcheng Sect today is no longer the small sect of two or three people. It is now a large sect with thousands of people to be managed. It takes a lot of effort to manage a sect in an orderly manner.

Seeing that no one spoke, Chu Yuan could only call out names. He looked at several supreme elders and asked, "Among the supreme elders, who has cultivated the highest level of Nine Heavens Gangqi?"

For a moment, the rest of the people all focused their attention on the Grand Elder Xuan Cheng.

Xuan Cheng is the best looking and most immortal among the five supreme elders. He has fluffy temples and flowing white hair, just like an old immortal who has descended to earth.

"You don't really want me to go?"

Seeing Chu Yuan's eyes fall on him, the old Taoist Xuan Cheng's face turned bitter. He was used to staying in Qingcheng Mountain and didn't want to go down the mountain at all.

"What is Elder Xuancheng's current level of Nine Heavens Gang Qi?"

Chu Yuan asked.

The supreme elder Xuan Cheng first stretched out one finger, then stretched out three fingers and gestured.

"The thirteenth level? Doesn't that mean he has already entered the innate realm?"

Chu Yuan was shocked.

According to his own classification, once the "Nine Heavens Gangqi" is cultivated to the thirteenth level and the twelve meridians are opened up, one can be considered to have entered the innate realm.

Looking at the entire martial arts world, the Xiantian realm is considered a master.

These old Taoists have spent most of their lives studying and comprehending Taoist scriptures. Their speed in practicing "Nine Heavens Gangqi" is definitely not slow, but practicing to the thirteenth level in more than two years is already an extremely fast speed.

"Not bad, Master. I just had a breakthrough not long ago."

Xuan Cheng nodded.

"Xuan Cheng's aptitude is much better than the rest of us. The rest of us have only practiced to the sixth level of the Nine Heavens Gang Qi at most, but he has already practiced to the thirteenth level of the Nine Heavens Gang Qi."

"There is no comparison, no comparison at all!"

"Comparing people with each other makes people angry!"

The other supreme elders all expressed their feelings.

Although Chu Yuan was a little surprised, he was not overly shocked.

With so many people in Qingcheng Sect now, it is normal for one or two to emerge with good talents.

Moreover, the beginning of "Nine Heavens Gang Qi" is easy but the end is difficult. It is possible that he could practice quickly in the beginning but got stuck at the last two levels, and would be stuck there for his whole life. It is not impossible.

"Alright, although the Yangzhou Dojo has voluntarily joined our sect, if I send a post-natal master to the Dojo, I'm afraid it won't convince the crowd. So it's just right for Elder Xuancheng to go there."

Chu Yuan said.

"Elder Xuancheng, this matter concerns the future development of our Qingcheng Sect. If you can help the Qingcheng Sect gain a foothold in Jiangnan, then our Qingcheng Sect will be able to spread across the east and west, supporting each other. This is tantamount to establishing a sect. After success, it will definitely be recorded in the sect's classics for future generations to admire. This will be a great achievement for the Qingcheng Sect, and this matter belongs to you."

Chu Yuan continued seriously.

"OK then."

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Xuan Cheng had no choice but to agree.

So the matter was settled.

(End of this chapter)