Knife splashing

Chapter 354: The Secret of Xuanmen
All the orthodox religions of Taoism have their own foundation.

This old man, Tiechan, was born during the Daxing period. He was originally the son of a hunter at the foot of Mount Wudang. He had a fortuitous encounter in the mountains, awakened his supernatural powers, and began to practice.

He was considered to be a disciple of the Taoist Master Sanfeng.

The Daxuan Dynasty was established only a hundred years ago, and he is now 110 years old. Although he has profound Taoist skills, his body has long been exhausted.

When ordinary people think, they need to consume their own energy, so there is a saying that it consumes energy and hurts the mind. For example, after deep learning, people often feel hungry.

If you think too much, it will harm your body.

Form and spirit are inseparable as long as one is living.

However, the soul of the Iron Toad Patriarch was too powerful. Even with the health-preserving secrets from Mount Wudang and even with the elixirs made from various spiritual treasures, his body could not avoid decay.

You know, when the Iron Toad Patriarch was young, he was a tall and strong man. He once walked with a sword and killed several monsters that were born in the war in Daxing.

At this point, he couldn’t even do the Yin Spirit Parade.

It’s not that the Taoism is not enough, but once the Yin Spirit leaves, the physical body will immediately decay, which means that the life span will come to an end completely.

Looking at the Iron Toad Patriarch in front of him, Yu Longzi bowed respectfully and said, "Master, I'm afraid Junior Brother Wang is still dissatisfied and feels that you have ruined his chance."

"No need to pay attention."

An old voice sounded, and the face of the Iron Toad Patriarch showed no joy or sadness, "Senior Brother, this child is obsessed with alchemy. Although it is a strength, it is also the biggest weakness. He is being used by others without knowing it."

"Although these people on the mountain are our predecessors, they have already embarked on that path after all. It is not tolerated by the way of heaven, so we must always be on guard."

"Last year, Jingmingzi of Huashan Chunyang Palace preferred to die in battle and stay to guard the palace. Wasn't it because he was afraid that those seniors would have evil intentions and bring disaster to Chunyang Palace?"

"On this path, few people can succeed. There are always people who are unwilling to give up. Do you know why Master suppressed those old dragons back then?"

Yu Longzi bowed respectfully and said, "Please give me some advice, Master."

There is a biggest secret in the Five Dragon Palace.

The "Zhenwu Dragon Cave" has not existed since ancient times, but it was only after Zhenren Sanfeng practiced in it that this mysterious realm was achieved.

the reason is simple,
The Five Qi Dragon King was suppressed inside!

You should know that the Five Qi Dragon Kings are very ancient, with a history far older than that of Wudang Mountain. In the Tang Dynasty, they once caused wind and rain, so the Five Dragon Palace was built for this purpose, and there was also a temple dedicated to them, which is second only to the Zhenwu Hall.

No one could have imagined that he had been suppressed in the Zhenwu Dragon Cave.

In the Five Dragon Palace, apart from the ancestor Tiechan, only the abbot Yulongzi knows this secret.

But he didn't know why he did this.

Patriarch Tiechan looked around and said in a deep voice, "This Hidden Immortal Rock is where the immortal Yin Gui became enlightened. He practiced Taoism here. There were five mountain pythons in Wudang Mountain. They listened to the sutras day and night. After death, they dissolved into the earth veins and merged with the dragon energy to become dragon fetuses. However, they are still monsters after all."

"During the Tang Dynasty, there was a severe drought. Five dragons were born, causing wind and rain. They were worshipped as the Five Qi Dragon Lords and entered the path of deity from then on."

"Originally, he protected a region, which was also the righteous way. However, at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the world was in chaos, the devil increased and the way declined. The Five Dragon Palace was also destroyed by war for the first time. There was no incense offering for decades, and the altar of the Five Qi Dragon Lord almost collapsed."

"Fortunately, when the ancestor Chen Tuan came here to live in seclusion, the Five Qi Dragon Lord saw that he was extraordinary, and met him in a dream. He taught him the Hibernating Dragon Method and helped the ancestor Chen Tuan achieve enlightenment. Later, he discussed this matter with Emperor Taizu of Song in Huashan and rebuilt the Five Dragon Palace."

“Although the incense has been renewed, the Five Qi Dragon Lords have since developed a mindset and are trying to make a plan to regain their physical bodies and ascend to godhood. Their second target is none other than the Immortal Sanfeng.”

"Who knew that the True Man Sanfeng was so powerful? Their efforts were in vain, and they were suppressed in the Zhenwu Dragon Cave, achieving the Wudang Mysterious Realm."

"But the Five Qi Dragon Lords are righteous gods after all, and offering incense and offerings to them can bring peace to the area. So Master Sanfeng left them a glimmer of hope, so that they can shed their dragon fetuses, reincarnate as humans, and start the path to becoming gods again."

"Now the Five Qi Dragon Lord has been reincarnated, waiting for the opportunity to come and awaken his wisdom, but whether it can be accomplished depends entirely on fate."

Yu Longzi was shocked, "Where are they now?"

The Iron Toad Patriarch glanced at him calmly and said, "It's in my Five Dragon Palace."

"It's Gu Linzi and the others!"

Yu Longzi understood instantly and was shocked.

He recalled that in the past, the ancestor Tiechan went down the mountain personally and brought back five young men, named them Lin, Claw, Horn, Xu and Ya, and asked them to be his disciples.

These five young men all had special eyes and extraordinary talents. Over the years, they had already cultivated to the third level and were well-known throughout Wudang. They were collectively known as the Five Dragon Sons.

But the strange thing is that ancestor Tiechan never let them go down the mountain. Even though the younger disciples who were far inferior to the five of them had already made a name for themselves at the foot of the mountain, the five of them still stayed in the Taoist temple to practice.

Seeing this, Patriarch Tiechan said, "When Grandmaster Sanfeng left, he left behind some arrangements, so I named you Yulongzi, so that you can subdue these five people."

"When the opportunity comes and they regain their wisdom, whether it will help Wudang reach a higher level or bring disaster upon us, it all depends on how you handle it."

"Now that humanity has changed, I think the opportunity has arrived..."

"The same is true for Wang Jingxiu. When I cut off his chance, wasn't that saving his life?"

As he said that, he turned his head and said, "Senior, am I right?"

Yu Longzi's heart trembled and he looked behind the Iron Toad Ancestor.

There was a mural painted on the stone wall behind him. It was very old and a little mottled, but one could vaguely see that it was a landscape painting with dense forests and towering mountains.

There is a Taoist temple hidden in this landscape painting.

There was a crack at the gate of the Taoist temple. It was only as thick as a little finger and dark black. There was white mist rising from it, and it was impossible to tell how deep it was.

After waiting for a while, an old voice came out from the crack, "If it weren't for Zhang Sanfeng's obstruction, I wouldn't have been trapped. I helped you establish the Wudang Zhenwu lineage, but I didn't expect to end up like this..."

The Iron Toad Patriarch was unmoved and said calmly: "Senior has become an earthly immortal, which means he has achieved immortality. Why do you need to go out and stir up trouble again?"

"Humph!"

A cold snort suddenly came from the gap.

After saying these words, the Iron Toad Patriarch seemed to have exhausted a lot of his strength, and even panted a little. He continued, "Even if I change to the black tortoise statue, I can't hold on for a few more years. I will unseal the sword and guard this place forever to suppress the luck of the Five Dragon Palace."

After hearing this, the being in the gap was immediately a little furious, "Little Taoist, you are harming others without benefiting yourself. Do you really think that being an earthly immortal is so good? It's dark and hopeless here..."

Before he finished speaking, the Iron Toad Patriarch waved his hand and a strong wind blew up, sweeping up the dust on the ground, wrapped in cinnabar mud, which blocked the gap.

The Iron Toad Patriarch sighed, "To live forever is a calamity. To go against the will of heaven, how can you just eat meat without getting beaten..."

Seeing this, Yu Longzi's eyes flashed with murderous intent, "Master, since he has already broken the precepts, why do you still want to keep him? As far as I know, the Li Yan that Junior Brother Wang just mentioned is the famous Yincha."

The Iron Toad Patriarch shook his head and said, "It's not that simple."

"There are many old ghosts hiding in various parts of Shenzhou, and many of them are seniors of Xuanmen. The reason why they dare not stir up trouble is because they are afraid of the heavenly rules. Xuanmen gives them a place to stay, and they help Xuanmen continue its incense."

"This is the agreement we made back then. If not, how could the Xuanmen have turned the tide during the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty and the rampant ghost cults in the Song Dynasty?"

"For thousands of years, the land of Shenzhou has been home to the Qin King's Immortal Palace, the Immortal Caves of the Immortal World, the Demon God Wuzhiqi, and the Divine Palace of the Lord of the Clouds... I don't know how many things are hidden there."

“If we use thunder and lightning, I’m afraid we will force them into a dead end. Together with those who ascend to the gods, we will cause chaos. Then those in heaven will be reincarnated into the mortal world, and it will be another catastrophe for Shenzhou.”

After that, he pondered for a moment, and then said to Yu Longzi: "As for the matter between the late Tang Dynasty and the Ghost Cult, only one in ten ghost messengers in the underworld survived. I'm afraid that many inheritances have long been forgotten, and those who are interested have deliberately not mentioned it." "Since there is a ghost messenger coming up the mountain, you can make this matter clear and tell him about the agreement made that year."

"The Xuanmen protects the earthly immortals, but it is also their cage, and they just use each other. As long as someone goes down the mountain to cause trouble, he will be the common enemy of the Yinchai and the Xuanmen!"

"After I have unleashed my sword, I will seal this Hidden Immortal Rock. I will then leave behind a Five Dragon Flying Sword. If the Five Qi Dragon Lords go astray, you will have to cleanse them up yourself."

"Yes, Master."

Yu Longzi prostrated himself on the ground, his eyes red...

…………

The top of Wudang Mountain, Taihe Palace.

This palace was built after the establishment of the Daxuan Dynasty. It was funded by the imperial court and built into a huge palace located on the top of Wudang Mountain, with a total of more than 500 buildings of various sizes.

"I've met Senior Brother Wang."

"I've met Uncle Wang."

At this time, the sky was dark, the moon was shining brightly, the mountain wind was howling, and the sea of ​​clouds was surging below. Wherever Wang Jingxiu passed, many Taoists came to greet him.

This is where the head master of Wudang Mountain lives. It is also the center of Zhenwu Palace, commanding all the palaces and temples on Wudang Mountain.

The center of Taihe Palace is naturally the Golden Hall, which houses bronze gilded statues of Zhenwu and his subordinates such as Leishen and Lingguan, so it is also called the "Pilgrimage Hall".

This hall is not open on weekdays. Even the Taoists of Zhenwu Palace can only burn incense and kowtow from afar when they pay homage to the Great Emperor Zhenwu.

This hall will only be open under two circumstances.

First, on the third day of March every year, which is the birthday of Emperor Zhenwu, grand ceremonies are held all over Wudang Mountain, and open sacrifices are offered.

Secondly, when a heavy rainstorm comes, there will be thunder breaking the sky, like a sharp sword falling into a golden palace, thunder and fire rolling, and the Golden Summit of Wudang Mountain will be shining with golden light. The red light from the top of Wudang Peak can be seen rising into the sky dozens of miles away.

This is the "Thunder and Fire Refining Hall".

At this time, people would be allowed in to comprehend the thunder method. It was also the most dangerous of the three mysterious realms.

The reason why Wang Jingxiu came up so late was because he went to Zixiao Palace on the way and met his father, "Golden Toad Ancestor" Wang Daozon.

"Where's the headmaster?"

"Reporting to Uncle Wang, it's in the Imperial Sutra Hall."

After asking some questions, Wang Jingxiu walked towards a hall.

This hall has red walls, high tiles, and brackets and bricks and stones, all of which are embossed with rare birds and animals and Taoist stories of gods and immortals. In the middle of the front of the hall hangs a huge plaque with the words "Born in Heaven and Standing on Earth", and below it are the three words "Huang Jingtang".

The door was wide open, and the candlelight inside was like stars in the sky. The statues of gods, offerings, and ritual instruments were dazzling, with not only densely packed soul jars, but also golden plaques.

This is where the Taoists of Zhenwu Palace chant scriptures and hold rituals in the morning and evening, and it also enshrines Wudang soldiers and Xuanmen Lu soldiers.

The hall was deep and dark, with a caisson above that was completely dark. Only seven Taoist priests were sitting cross-legged in front of a huge altar table below.

These are the Seven Elders of Wudang, the people in charge of Zhenwu Palace.

Wang Jingxiu's father, the Golden Toad Patriarch, and the Five Dragon Palace's Iron Toad Patriarch, are both the seven elders of the previous generation, and are now the second generation.

The old man in the lead was tall and thin. He wore a loose Taoist robe, had narrow eyes, a towering crown on his head, and a white beard that hung down to his chest.

He looked younger than Wang Jingxiu, and more importantly, some of his white hair and beard had turned black again.

This is a sign that the Wudang self-cultivation method has reached an extremely high level. Not only will the hair turn black, but even the teeth will grow back.

Of course, when one reaches a certain age, the body will also begin to decay.

This is the Wudang headmaster Yu Chanzi.

Although Zhenren Sanfeng no longer takes care of the Zhenwu Palace lineage, it is generally recognized that he is the first headmaster and Qiu Xuanqing is the second headmaster.

And this Yu Chanzi was a disciple of the then deputy leader Sun Biyun.

In terms of prestige and reputation at that time, Sun Biyun was no less than Qiu Xuanqing. He also presided over the construction of the Wudang Taoist temple and the arrangement of the formation. He made great contributions and was the first disciple of Taoist Master Sanfeng.

After Wudang was completely built, Sun Biyun said to his disciples: The sect has flourished, and I will go there.

The next day, he changed his clothes and bathed, burned incense, expressed his gratitude from afar, and passed away while sitting upright.

It can be said that half of the reason why Yu Chanzi was able to become the headmaster was because of his master.

Of course, Yu Chanzi is equally powerful.

Whether it was the orthodox rituals or the thunder magic and flying sword, he had already learned them all, reaching the seventh level of Taoism and suppressing the fortune of Wudang Mountain.

The imperial court appointed him as the imperial teacher and summoned him many times, but he declined every time and stayed in Wudang Mountain.

"Meet the Headmaster."

Wang Jingxiu bowed respectfully.

Seeing this, Yu Chanzi smiled and said, "Junior brother, why are you going up the mountain so late at night?"

Wang Jingxiu is the son of the Golden Toad Patriarch. Although he is obsessed with medicine, his talent for cultivation is average and his Taoism is only at the third level, but Yu Chanzi likes this junior brother very much.

Not only because they were from the same school, but also because they had been following him since childhood, and when they grew up they cured illnesses and saved lives, promoting the reputation of Wudang.

Just ask, who doesn’t like this kind of junior brother?

"There is one thing..."

Wang Jingxiu recounted the whole story, then shook his head and said, "The Five Dragon Palace has agreed to the exchange, but whether or not to take the alligator dragon is still up to the headmaster to decide."

After hearing this, Yu Chanzi burst out laughing, "Junior brother, you are an honest person, but you almost got fooled."

"I know that Master Tu has some extraordinary background, and the Black Tortoise Statue is also far superior to the Dragon Ball, but it is not enough to enter Wudang Mountain."

"Look at this Wudang Mountain, from the Great Emperor Zhenwu to the True Man Sanfeng, and even the Five Qi Dragon Lords, which one of them didn't go through tribulations before they got the opportunity?"

"Even if you and I don't have great merits, we are not worthy of being worshipped by younger disciples. Master Tu wants to enter the mountain, but he is far from qualified."

"If he performs well in the battle in the southwest, he will become a water god. Tell him that he has been the god of the Han River for hundreds of years and has benefited the world. He will naturally be worshipped by the court like General Yang Si..."

"Yes, Headmaster."

Wang Jingxiu was not surprised, because his father, the Golden Toad Patriarch, had already said that there was basically no hope for this matter.

He was just entrusted by someone and didn't want to fool around.

After he left, Yu Chanzi narrowed his eyes, looked towards the southeast, and murmured: "My fellow apprentice brothers, with the changes in humanity, could it be that Yun Zhongjun is also unwilling to be lonely..."

(End of this chapter)