The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 317 Abbot, Power

When Zhao Ti left the secret room, it was already morning outside. The sky was cloudless, and the autumn air was crisp and clear.

He quickly tidied himself up, ate something, and then saw Bai Zhan hurriedly approaching: "Your Highness..."

Zhao Ti asked, "What is it?"

Bai Zhan reported in a low voice. Zhao Ti smiled slightly after hearing this. It turned out that Murong Longcheng wanted to see him.
After a few moments of contemplation, he nodded and headed forward from the palace into the government office.

Then Bai Zhan went out to call for help, and Murong Longcheng walked in cautiously.

Zhao Ti looked him over from behind the desk. He still had white eyebrows and a white beard, and his long hair was flowing behind him. However, his temperament was different. He was still elegant, but he no longer had the kind of domineering and dignified air that he used to have.

It seems that he has forgotten too many things, which has caused him to be restless and his demeanor is quite different from before.

Murong Longcheng stood before the table, scrutinizing Zhao Ti. "Is this the young master? Indeed, he possesses the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, profound and imposing. He is truly a dragon among men. The saying 'a gentleman like jade on the road,' and 'a peerless gentleman in the world' must be just like this."

He felt a surge of admiration and bowed, saying, "Li Longcheng greets you, young master, and apologizes to you."

Zhao Ti looked at Murong Longcheng and smiled: "What crime has Senior committed to utter such words?"

Murong Longcheng said, "Young Master, I have forgotten the past, I don't even remember my own name, and I have even forgotten you, Young Master. This is a serious offense."

Zhao Ti's eyes shone brightly, and after a long while he said, "Senior is an honest person, so all of that is fine. Senior, just consider it a fresh start."

"Start over?" Murong Longcheng smiled bitterly: "If Young Master Meng doesn't blame me, then this is the only way. If Young Master has any orders, this old man would not dare to disobey, and I will make amends for my mistakes."

Zhao Ti nodded: "Senior, did you gain any insights from suppressing the demonic possession with the Great Zhou Tian Star Shift technique? Has your skill improved?"

Murong Longcheng said, "His skill level remains at the level of the Twelve-Story Azure Dragon Ridge, and has not improved..."

"The Twelve-Story Azure Dragon Spine?" Zhao Ti's eyes gleamed as he smiled, "It should be at its peak, and I'll break through soon."

Murong Longcheng said, "Young master has keen insight, that is indeed the case. However, although I have not advanced to the next realm, I had a strange long dream while I was in a state of suspended animation."

"A strange, long dream?" Zhao Ti raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what kind of dream it was. People say that what you think about during the day, you will gain insights from in your dreams. Perhaps it is related to your past thoughts?"

Murong Longcheng shook his head and said, "That's how it should be normally, but it doesn't really matter. It's all inexplicable, leaving people completely confused and bewildered."

"Oh?" Zhao Ti said, "Senior, why don't you tell me?"

Murong Longcheng said, "Since you are interested, young master, then I will tell you the story. Please don't be impatient."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "How could I be annoyed? I have nothing to do today, so this is just a way to relax. Please speak, senior."

As Murong Longcheng pondered, he said, "In my dream, I was a young man living in a fairy mountain. Spiritual clouds hung high in the sky, waterfalls cascaded like silver ribbons, cranes flitted about, white mist swirled around, and spiritual springs flowed around the steps. It seemed like a scene that could not exist in this world."

"Is this the place?" Zhao Ti stroked his chin.

"That's right. I'm not the only one living here. There are also two junior brothers. The second junior brother is upright and rigid, while the youngest junior brother is lively and unrestrained. He practices martial arts every day and also learns... some magic."

"Spells?" Zhao Ti asked. "What kinds of spells?"

Murong Longcheng looked embarrassed: "It's those legendary spells, like flying through the clouds, turning into a rainbow, or scattering beans to create soldiers."

Zhao Ti said, "I see. Do you still remember the cultivation method?"

"I remember it in the dream, but it became blurry after I woke up. I have forgotten those methods." Murong Longcheng said with shame, "Young master, it was just a dream. How can you take it seriously? Perhaps I was just having some wild thoughts before, which is why this happened."

Zhao Ti nodded and asked, "Anything else?"

Murong Longcheng said, "There was another master in my dream, but he never showed up. I only knew that he existed, but I couldn't remember his voice or appearance."

"Don't you remember from your dream?" Zhao Ti pondered. "What are the names of those two junior brothers?"

Murong Longcheng thought for a moment and said, "I am ashamed to say that I did not remember what Master looked like in the dream. I do know the names of my two junior brothers, but I have forgotten them when I woke up."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti pondered for a moment, then asked, "What other scenes were there in the dream?"

Murong Longcheng said, "I've been practicing martial arts and techniques in the immortal mountain day after day, never leaving. I don't know how many years have passed. It seems to be true that there is no time in the mountains, and one doesn't know the years, but..."

"But what?" Zhao Ti asked.

"However..." Murong Longcheng pondered, "As far as the eye can see, the distant immortal mountain seems to reach the sky, where colorful rays of light bloom every day. I wonder what that place is."

"In a distant place, where the sky meets the earth, colorful rays of light bloom?" Zhao Ti frowned.

“That’s right. Junior Brother said it must be where the treasure is hidden and wanted to go out to investigate, but Second Brother stopped him, saying that Master forbade him to leave without permission. Even if it really is where the treasure is hidden, he still needed Master’s permission to go and pay homage.”

"Is that so...?"

"The junior brother was not convinced and even fought with the second junior brother. In the end, the junior brother lost and stayed in his room for three days in a huff."

“That is interesting…” Zhao Ti nodded: “If you have any more strange dreams like this, please tell me about them, especially those involving magic. Please write them down as much as possible, as I am very interested.”

Murong Longcheng nodded: "I understand. The dream was so vivid, but I don't know why I forgot so much when I woke up. Alas, those spells were just absurd creations in the dream, so please don't take them seriously, young master."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Senior also knows that the world has undergone great changes and cultivation is gradually becoming possible. This is just for your reference."

Murong Longcheng seemed to understand upon hearing this: "I understand."

Zhao Ti said, "In that case, senior, please go back and practice your skills. If you need anything, just come and find me."

Murong Longcheng bowed and took his leave. Zhao Ti watched his figure disappear and said, "Go and summon Kumārajīva and Xuzhu."

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhan went out. A moment later, the two arrived, chanting Buddhist mantras. One chanted "Mahavairocana Buddha," while the other recited "Amitabha Buddha."

Zhao Ti first looked at Kumārajīva: "Great monk, you have been living in Xingzhou for a long time and rarely return to Tibet. Would you be willing to preside over a temple here?"

Kumārajīva shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, Benefactor Zhao. I have been the abbot of Tibet for many years and my mind is already weary. Now I only want to focus on practicing the Buddha's teachings and I am no longer willing to engage in worldly affairs."

Zhao Ti nodded and looked at Xu Zhu. Xu Zhu hurriedly wanted to decline like Kumārajīva, but Zhao Ti said, "Since you have little experience, you should take charge of a place. You shouldn't be lazy like the great monks."

Xu Zhu hesitated, then Zhao Ti laughed and said, "Moreover, in Shambhala, I call myself the leader of the Confucian sect. Once you join my sect, you should obey my orders."

Xu Zhu reluctantly put his palms together and said, "This humble monk will obey Your Highness's orders."

Zhao Ti said, "There is a temple west of Xingzhou City called Hongzhao. Because its monks had close ties with Li Qianshun, they all fled with him when Western Xia was destroyed, and it has been empty ever since. Let's go and become the abbot there." Xu Zhu exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that a large temple? Didn't Your Highness say before..."

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "The size of a temple depends on one's mind. Besides, this temple is now empty of monks, so how can it be considered large? It seems that your Buddhist teachings are better suited to the Confucian school..."

Kumārajīva said, “Since the young monk has neither innate wisdom nor Buddha-nature, it would be better for him to return to secular life as soon as possible, get married, and have children.”

"Absolutely not, Master, absolutely not!" Xu Zhu frantically waved his hands at Kumārajīva, "This humble monk has been a monk since childhood, how can I possibly return to secular life?"

Kumārajīva said, "It's up to you."

Zhao Ti then stood up: "The weather is nice today, so let's go take a look. Xu Zhu can stay at the temple directly. We can slowly select the remaining monks. There's no need to rush."

He then ordered his men to prepare carriages and horses, and summoned five hundred ceremonial guards and five hundred soldiers, before heading towards the west of the city.

After a while, they arrived in front of Hongzhao Temple, where soldiers were on guard to prevent the monks from returning to the temple and causing trouble in the city.

Xu Zhu stood before the gates of Hongzhao Temple, gazing at the soaring eaves and carved ridges—such a massive temple! He was utterly dumbfounded, muttering, "This...this is just too big..."

Kumārajīva sighed, "This little monk has no comprehension whatsoever."

Zhao Ti smiled and ordered someone to open the temple gate and enter. Inside, the temple was magnificent and resplendent. The main hall was several meters high, and there were more than a dozen other Buddhist halls. In addition, there were all sorts of other places, all of which were luxurious and dazzling, occupying a huge area.

However, the place looked like it had been uninhabited for a long time, and many places were covered in dust. Zhao Ti led Xu Zhu and his group around the place, and then said, "From today onwards, you will be the abbot of this place."

Xu Zhu could no longer refuse, and scratching his head, he said, "Your Highness, this humble monk obeys. But since you are the abbot, there must be a few other monks to do things, right?"

Kumārajīva laughed and said, "As expected, once you have power in your hands, you want to issue orders. You kept making excuses before, but now you're about to take action."

Xu Zhu hurriedly put his palms together and said, "Master, you misunderstand. This temple is so big, how can I possibly manage it all by myself? Just cleaning and wiping would probably take a month to finish. I need the help of some fellow practitioners."

Zhao Ti said, "That's easy. First, select some people with clean backgrounds and abilities from the temples in the city to maintain the temples. Then, we can slowly recruit disciples who are wise and willing to convert to Buddhism."

Xu Zhu said, "That's good. Now I feel more at ease."

Returning to the main hall in front, Zhao Ti glanced inside and said, "The Buddhist temples of Xixia have both exoteric and esoteric practices, and both are upheld. This temple originally mainly worshipped the Five Tathagatas. Later, I ordered people to build a Buddhist hall and add the Dipankara Buddha to the main hall to receive incense offerings."

"Dipankara Buddha?" Xu Zhu was taken aback, then said, "This humble monk understands."

He then walked out of the temple. After exiting the mountain gate, Zhao Ti turned around and looked at the plaque of Hongzhao Temple above, and shook his head: "The temple name should also be changed."

"Your Highness, what name should we change it to?" Xu Zhu asked, surprised that even the temple's name needed to be changed.

Zhao Ti smiled and asked, "How about Little Thunderclap Temple?"

"Ah? Your Highness, you mustn't!" Xu Zhu immediately broke out in a cold sweat, while Kumārajīva beside him clasped his hands together in front of his chest and chanted Buddhist mantras.

Zhao Ti stroked his chin and said, "Does everyone think it's bad?"

The two nodded and waved their hands. Kumārajīva said, "Benefactor, since you are well-versed in Buddhism, please name the temple something else. This one is really not suitable."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Then let's change it to... Lingjiu Yuanjue Temple."

"Lingjiu Yuanjue Temple?" The two exchanged a glance and asked with puzzled expressions.

“The ancient Buddha Dipankara once had a sacred site at Lingjiu Mountain, Yuanjue Cave, so this name is fitting,” Zhao Ti said.

“Yuanjue Cave on Mount Lingjiu?” Xuzhu asked in surprise, “Your Highness, wasn’t Dipankara Buddha the first of the thousand Buddhas to appear in the past Glorious Kalpa? Some scriptures mention that he was born into a royal family in a past life. His father was King Dengsheng and his mother was the Magnificent and Wondrous Lady. Later, he became a monk and attained Buddhahood?”

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "It could be the last one after several lifetimes or eons, or some other reason that needs to be manifested, that would lead to this kind of saying. Besides this, there are other explanations for one's origin, too many to list."

“This humble monk understands,” Xu Zhu said. “His Highness has decreed that this temple be renamed Lingjiu Yuanjue Temple.”

Zhao Ti nodded: "You can stay here for now. I will have someone select some monks to help you take over this place. Also, don't forget to practice your cultivation techniques and dissolve the imprint seed as soon as possible so you can cultivate the Yaksha King's Divine Art."

Xu Zhu agreed, and Zhao Ti led his men back to the palace. It was afternoon, so he ordered Tong Guan to guard the palace gate and headed straight for the secret chamber.

Upon entering the secret chamber, he began his cultivation. Having refined the imprint seed, he directly practiced the techniques recorded in the Great Freedom Sutra.

Taoist cultivation differs from martial arts in that it requires the acquisition of spiritual energy. He circulated his cultivation technique, absorbed the energy, and focused wholeheartedly on his practice. Before he knew it, three days had passed.

That morning, he suddenly opened his eyes, and then his internal magical power circulated, and the figure of the Treasure Elephant King slowly appeared in front of him.

This king was eighteen feet tall, with an elephant's head and a human body. He wore golden armor, adorned with various jewels that shone brightly, and held a long axe and a short hammer in his hand.

The King of Treasure Elephants has a body with four, eight, ten, or twelve arms; at this moment, he is depicted with four arms.

This elephant king was magnificent and extraordinary, with astonishing power. Although it was an illusory image, it looked more like a god. Light radiated from all around, and its feet did not touch the ground, but stood in the void.

Seeing this, Zhao Ti let out a long breath and was about to command Bao Xiang Wang to move forward when the king suddenly turned around. His serious face suddenly turned ferocious, and he raised his giant axe viciously, as if he wanted to chop him down.

Zhao Ti's expression turned cold. He rapidly circulated his internal magical power, almost completely draining it, and shouted, "Hey, go!"

King Baoxiang's body trembled violently, seemingly unwilling, and he turned around and flew into the void toward the door of the secret chamber.

As he approached the entrance to the secret chamber, he raised his long axe, which gleamed with golden light, and slashed down with unparalleled ferocity.

With a deafening roar, the stone door to the secret chamber was smashed open, sending billowing dust and scattering rubble everywhere.

"This visualization technique is incredibly powerful!" Zhao Ti wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He had just visualized the Treasure Elephant King, and the Treasure Elephant King had turned around and tried to attack him, which really startled him.

It seems that one must possess magical power to suppress the visualized deity, otherwise one is very likely to suffer a backlash, which is an extremely dangerous matter.

My magical power is still insufficient. I need to hurry up and cultivate. Now that the world is undergoing a great change, who knows what kind of demons and monsters might appear. Although martial arts may be able to restrain them, Taoist magic is always more effective against supernatural and bizarre things.

Zhao Ti stepped down from the couch and went to the door of the secret chamber. Tong Guan and a group of guards had already rushed over: "Your Highness, this..."

Zhao Ti said, "It's alright, it's just magic. By the way, how's your practice going?"

Tong Guan said, "Your subordinate has not yet fully refined the seed of the mark."

Zhao Ti nodded: "Focus on your studies and don't slack off." After saying that, he walked outside.

(End of this chapter)