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

Chapter 318 The Test, The Decision (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Gyeonggi-ro, Tokyo-seong, Baekyun-san in the west of the city.

This mountain is serene and secluded, with lush forests and beautiful scenery. The mist and fog rise like white clouds, hence its name.

Baiyun Temple at the foot of the mountain was built during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Despite the changes of the times, it was not destroyed by war, but instead became more and more prosperous.

Five miles north of the temple is a cluster of buildings, old in shape but showing signs of recent repairs, with two lacquered doors and a horizontal plaque above them bearing the three characters "Lecture Hall".

The building originally belonged to Baiyun Temple, but it was recently purchased by the imperial court, which made some renovations and converted it into this hall.

The lectures on Taoist practices and mystical arts, involving various unbelievable feats, were not suitable for practice in the city, so Zhao Xu set up the lecture hall here.

The lecture hall was nominally to be presided over by Huang Shang, but Huang Shang was currently compiling Taoist scriptures and had no time to attend to it, so the abbots of several major Taoist temples in Jingji Road were stationed there to manage it.

Each family also has its own scriptures, which have been accumulated and collected since the establishment of the temple. They have studied them for countless years and generations. Originally, some of the cultivation methods in them were ineffective and were only used to regulate the breath and calm the mind, or to deceive people.

But at this moment, the world changed drastically, and among those ancient cultivation methods, only a very few could be practiced and developed into some magical power. This was immediately reported to the imperial court.

After Zhao Xu's observation and verification, the information was handed over to Huang Shang for processing, and then these abbots were granted official titles.

These abbots suddenly became real people and were sent by Zhao Xi to work in the Dharma Hall.

There are many scriptures and cultivation methods in the temples of Gyeonggi Province, but not all of them can be practiced. Each temple can only read one or two scriptures. The rest are either forgeries or have missing or incomplete lineages, so practicing them is ineffective.

Although these Taoist temples did not possess any special magic, they had genuinely cultivated magical power, which is why Zhao Xu valued them highly.

At this moment, a procession of carriages and horses, numbering several thousand, stopped in front of the main gate of the lecture hall. The guards in front of the hall stood solemnly, their weapons gleaming coldly. In the middle, a canopy fluttered in the wind, and a gilded dragon carriage with vermilion wheels and bright yellow dragon patterns was placed there. The ceremonial banners fluttered in the wind. It was Zhao Xu who had arrived.

Entering directly through the main gate, one finds a vast hall. On the back wall, the character "道" (Dao) is written in plain white, below which are thousands of characters of the Tao Te Ching in tiny regular script. There are no other decorations. Zhao Xi sits on a chair below this character, listening to several Taoist priests report on the situation.

At this moment, the lecture hall has already recruited several sons of noble families in the capital and is testing their aptitude for cultivation. In addition, after the imperial decree was issued, various prefectures and counties successively recommended people who had cultivated magical power or had extraordinary skills, and wanted to serve the country and enter Tokyo.

After listening to the Taoist priests talk about cultivation and the trials that had been taking place in the lecture hall for some time, Zhao Xu nodded and asked, "Have all those extraordinary individuals who came from outside been verified?"

Master Qingxuanzi of Baiyun Temple said, "Your Majesty, it has all been verified. They all possess magical power, and some have even learned magic arts. They are indeed inheritors of some ancient, severed lineages who, by chance, obtained the inheritance."

Zhao Xu said, "Since the Qin and Han dynasties, Taoist sects have risen and fallen from time to time, leaving a deep mark on the world. Those who were able to inherit the tradition can be considered as heroes who emerged in response to the times."

Qingxuanzi said, "That's right. However, from what I've observed, all the techniques are minor; I haven't mastered any major ones."

Zhao Xu pondered, "When the world first changed, spiritual energy was still scarce, and cultivation was not something that could be accomplished overnight. Magic power was not accumulated in a short time. Even if one possessed great skills, one still had to practice them little by little."

Qingxuanzi said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Such methods of summoning wind and rain and turning beans into soldiers cannot be learned overnight."

Zhao Xu said, "That's right. Have someone skilled in magic come and demonstrate it so I can see."

Upon hearing this, Qingxuanzi did not give any orders to others, but went out himself. A moment later, he brought in six people, of all ages and builds, who bowed respectfully and said, "Long live Your Majesty."

Zhao Xu glanced at the six people and asked them to introduce themselves so he could use some methods to observe them.

An elderly man with white hair, dressed in an earth-yellow robe and with a silk sash around his waist, stepped forward first and bowed again, saying, "Your subject, Cui Xingwu of Mount Daluo, is here to demonstrate magic to Your Majesty."

After they arrived at the capital and entered the lecture hall, Zhao Xu granted them official ranks, so they referred to themselves as "subjects" rather than "commoners."

Zhao Xu nodded, noticing that although he wasn't dressed in Taoist robes, he was wearing a silk sash, indicating that he was a follower of Taoist tradition, not a practitioner of unorthodox methods.

The old man named Cui Xingwu muttered incantations, then made a hand seal, and a wisp of white vapor rose from his palms.

He rubbed his palms together, and the white mist actually turned into small cloud shapes. Then he exhaled and his body trembled. The palm-sized cloud actually flew up, more than ten feet off the ground, and rain began to fall from it.

The rain continued for about ten breaths, then the clouds disappeared and the rain stopped. He said, his face pale, "I have made a fool of myself. My magical power is exhausted, and this is all I can do."

Zhao Xu asked, "This method is good. What is it called?"

Cui Xingwu said, "This is the Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique. When mastered, it can stir up wind and clouds within a radius of a hundred feet, causing clouds and rain that are no different from natural rain."

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "It's somewhat useful."

Then a second person stepped forward. He was a middle-aged fat man with light eyebrows, round eyes, and strong hands and feet. He bowed and said, "Your subject, Sun Liutian of Lushan, will demonstrate for Your Majesty."

After finishing speaking, he made a hand seal and chanted an incantation, then pointed to the ground in front of him and said, "Hurry!"

Suddenly, the ground sank a foot square and half a foot deep, but the blue bricks on top remained intact.

"Your Majesty, this is the Earth-Trapping Technique. If mastered, it can trap a hole ten feet in diameter and ten feet deep."

Zhao Xu said, "This technique is useful and can be used in the army, especially during night raids. I wonder if it can be restored?"

Sun Liutian said, "Your Majesty, it can be restored, but the magic power used needs to be multiplied by the amount used when the earth was trapped. I will demonstrate for Your Majesty."

After saying that, he muttered something to himself again, then suddenly pointed to the ground. His face instantly turned ashen, and the ground slowly rose up and returned to its original state.

At this moment, sweat dripped from his forehead, his body swayed, and his voice was somewhat weak: "Your Majesty, my cultivation is not up to par, please forgive my shortcomings."

Zhao Xu said, "Indeed, my dear minister, there is no need for such modesty."

Then another person stepped forward, a thin Taoist priest, and said, "Your Majesty, I am Liezhen from Chishui Temple on Siming Mountain, here to demonstrate for Your Majesty."

"Chishui Temple on Siming Mountain?" Zhao Xu said, "How come I don't recall there being such a Taoist temple in the world?"

The Taoist priest Liezhen looked ashamed and said, "Your Majesty, Chishui Temple is a small temple in the mountains and has no incense offerings. I am the only one in the temple."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu looked at Qing Xuanzi, who said, "Your Majesty, his lineage is the Chishui Dao from the Sui Dynasty. It is a single lineage that has been passed down through generations and became prominent in the world during the Tang Dynasty. If it weren't for his visit to the capital this time, I would have thought that it no longer existed in the world."

Zhao Xu nodded upon hearing this, and Daoist Liezhen began his demonstration. As he circulated his magical power, suddenly clusters of blazing flames rose around him, each the size of a fist, like fire butterflies, constantly swirling around him.

Everyone in the hall looked astonished upon seeing this. This method seemed far more peculiar than the previous two, as it was a technique that could initiate an attack.

However, the scene lasted for less than five breaths before suddenly disappearing completely. Daoist Liezhen stumbled back several steps, almost falling to the ground, and said breathlessly, "Your Majesty, I beg your forgiveness. My cultivation is not up to par, and I can only maintain it for such a short time."

Zhao Xu said, "Cultivating magic is not something that can be done overnight; you've already done quite well."

Then two more people demonstrated things that ordinary people could not do. If it weren't for changes in the heavens and earth that made cultivation possible, these would all be things that only existed in legends.

The last person left was a young man dressed in ordinary cloth clothes. He had an average appearance, but he had a calm and composed demeanor.

He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I, Tao Zixu of Wuling, have by chance obtained a fragmented cultivation method and developed magical power, but I have not acquired any Taoist arts."

"Oh?" Zhao Xu glanced at him. "You only have magic power, but you don't know how to use it?" "Your Majesty, although I don't know any Taoist arts, I learned alchemy from that incomplete book," Tao Zixu said.

"Alchemy..." Zhao Xu looked at him and pondered for a moment.

Alchemy is a general term that includes alchemy. This term has existed since ancient times. The Book of Wei, Treatise on Buddhism and Taoism, mentions that "there was a man named Zhang Lian, a Taoist priest from Minshan. He ingested wood essence and boiled stone marrow. After a year, it was effective, and he was able to transform things. However, he also used the technique to control his mind and did not like to do anything frivolous. Therefore, people at the time called it alchemy."

"So what kinds of things can you refine?"

"I can craft pleasing objects and also beneficial tools for the people," Tao Zixu said. "Let me demonstrate for Your Majesty."

Zhao Xu said, "Granted."

Tao Zixu first took out an antique-style three-legged beast-shaped incense burner from his person, placed it on the ground, and then lit the incense inside.

Then, he took out a pink pill and placed it on the mesh cover of the beast furnace. At this moment, he activated his magic to help the incense in the furnace burn, and the pink pill immediately rose into the air.

The mist was a pale white-pink color, and it slowly covered the void for about half a zhang, revealing images within it.

It turned out to be a picture of a stream and peach grove, with peach blossoms growing on both banks, no other trees in sight, the pink blossoms were lovely, and the petals were falling in profusion.

The scene in the mist slowly changes, the forest ends and the water source appears, then a mountain appears, with an entrance. In a daze, one sees fine bamboo and beautiful ponds, and magnificent palaces, as if in a fairyland.

People were coming and going inside, all dressed in ancient Qin and Han dynasty clothing, their robes fluttering, their postures unrestrained, like immortals.

At the innermost part, there is a tall building with carved railings and jade steps, reaching to the sky, as if one could reach out and pluck the stars. Through the windows, one can see a beautiful young woman with almond eyes and pink cheeks, as beautiful as peach blossoms, dancing gracefully in the building.

Everyone in the hall was amazed by what they saw. Zhao Xu said, "This place is wonderful. I wonder if there really is such a place in the world."

Tao Zixu replied, "Your Majesty, it is likely so."

Zhao Xu asked, "How so?"

Tao Zixu said, "This pill is called the Peach Blossom Spring Pill. The scene it manifests is the legendary Peach Blossom Spring. The Peach Blossom Spring has been a legend for a long time, and it was recorded in a book by Mr. Wuliu. Therefore, I believe it exists."

"Peach Blossom Spring Pill?" Zhao Xu nodded. "This name is..."

"It is based on the incomplete cultivation method I obtained. The senior who left the cultivation method said that he had entered Peach Blossom Spring and seen this place, which is why he created this alchemy method," Tao Zixu said.

Zhao Xu pondered and said, "The description in The Peach Blossom Spring is simpler than the one shown by this Danwu. I wonder which one came first."

Tao Zixu replied, "I do not know that."

Zhao Xu asked, "Is there anything else you can show?"

Tao Zixu said, "I have also refined some items that benefit the people, which are quite large in size, but I did not bring them with me from my residence..."

Just as Zhao Xu was about to speak, he saw a person stride in from outside. It was Tan Zhen, the chief eunuch of the Inner Palace.

"What's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, an urgent military report from the Hebei border." Tan Zhen approached and whispered, then presented a memorial with both hands.

"The Hebei Road Military Report?" Zhao Xu asked. "Has Zhang Dun read it?"

"The messenger said that Prime Minister Zhang has examined it, and since the matter is urgent, he sent it here to inform His Majesty."

Zhao Xu took the folded document, opened it, quickly glanced at it, and said indifferently, "The Liao Kingdom is making trouble, actually gathering a large army on the border. Is it planning to invade?"

As soon as he said this, the hall fell silent; no one dared to make a sound.

Zhao Xu stood up from his chair, tossed the memorial to Tan Zhen, glanced at the six people in front of him, and said: "You should cultivate diligently. You may go to the battlefield in the future. If you make meritorious contributions, you will be rewarded. Even being granted a title is not out of the question!"

Upon hearing this, the six men's faces lit up with joy, and they bowed together, saying, "We obey your command and will certainly live up to Your Majesty's wishes, diligently cultivate ourselves, and strive to achieve merit and establish our careers as soon as possible."

Zhao Xu nodded, led his men out of the hall, and then out the main gate.

The soldiers outside saluted in unison. He glanced up at the weather, his expression shifting between several emotions, and muttered to himself, "Time waits for no one, and years pass swiftly. It's time to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun..."

Northwest, Xingzhou, Xingqing Prefecture.

It was already midnight when a sudden gust of cold wind swept through a large mansion in the south of the city.

This mansion belonged to a merchant who, although Han Chinese, had lived in Western Xia for generations, making a living through trade and accumulating considerable wealth.

At the westernmost part of this house, there is a small courtyard with high walls and a closed gate. The cold wind comes out from here and blows into the house.

The courtyard was not a normal house layout, but a temple, with lights flickering inside and eerie noises emanating from it.

This was a place where merchants worshipped the shaman gods. The Western Xia believed in Buddhism and the Great Shamanism, but after the Song army captured Xingzhou, Zhao Xu ordered the annihilation of all the shamanistic temples and even destroyed and burned the main altar.

The various shamanic deity statues enshrined in people's homes are also said to be destroyed, but there are always people who secretly hide the statues, waiting for the storm to pass before bringing them out again and continuing to offer incense.

This merchant family was like that; they hid once after the city fell, and then again during the city search. Because the shamanic deities were strangely shaped, some not humanoid but resembling natural objects, many went undiscovered.

A chilling wind swirled around the temple, and the sounds inside resembled gnawing noises, which were quite eerie.

Suddenly the temple door burst open with a bang, and inside, the lights flickered. A sculpture, seemingly made of wood or clay, sat on the altar, tearing and swallowing a leg of lamb.

The statue was terrifying in shape. It had a human head but an insect-like body, with eight legs at the bottom. It raised its body and had blood-red eyes that revealed a ferocious light.

After the statue finished eating a moment later, it twisted its neck and looked around, then jumped down from the shrine and came outside.

He looked around, making sharp, inhuman noises, and finally his gaze fell to the northeast.

Then, with a leap, he jumped out of the small courtyard, swayed a few times, and then jumped out of the mansion.

Then He rode on a gust of wind, His feet barely touching the ground, hovering about three inches above the ground, and headed towards the main altar of the Great Witchcraft Cult.

Upon reaching the main altar, He paused briefly amidst the ruins, then let out another sharp, low cry and turned to run north.

The lights to the north were dim and flickering, with the royal palace right in the center.

(End of this chapter)