The old things I repaired have become fine

Chapter 697 The Mountain and River Seal is a permanent solution, and I want to join the work too!

Shen Le sped dozens of miles in one breath, climbed out of the lake, and shivering, found a place to start a fire.

Once, twice, three times, damn it, I can't hit it!

He activated the Fire Gathering Technique three times in a row, failing each time without even a spark. Gritting his teeth, Shen Le decided to give up, closed his eyes, and prepared to meditate.

I refuse to believe I'll get cold!
Once your internal energy starts circulating within your body and your internal strength fills your entire body, you won't catch a cold even if you can't light a fire, okay?

As his breathing gradually became more even, a surge of heat rose within his dantian, flowing through his Ren and Du meridians. Shen Le breathed a sigh of relief, about to sink deeper into his meditative state, when a long "whoosh" sound came from afar, landing right in front of him!

Pong!
The flames were in my face.

That tiny spark, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, landed on the pile of dry grass and fallen leaves that Shen Le had been painstakingly gathering, instantly igniting a three-foot-high flame.

Shen Le reflexively leaned back, almost rolling behind a tree to hide himself completely. Then he heard a series of clapping sounds approaching from behind the tree, and a somewhat familiar Taoist priest, his robes fluttering, emerged with a smile.
"Junior brother, congratulations! You've finally figured it out..."

"Brother!"

Shen Le jumped up in surprise. The person who came out from behind the tree was none other than Lou Yun, the senior brother who had initially picked him up from the riverbank, helped him take revenge, and introduced him to the sect.

He was spotless, his long sword gleaming behind him, only his shoes were damp, soaked with dew for who knows how long. He walked over, smiling.
"If you really join us, I'll have to think about how to find an opportunity to pull you out—it's too damaging to our Daoist heart to be tainted by worldly affairs!"

"Thank you so much, Senior Brother, for coming to see me in person." Shen Le was overjoyed and grateful. While vigorously patting her entire body with magic to clean and dry herself, she laughed and looked up.

"Senior brother, please tell me what you need. I will go through fire and water for you!"

"...I don't have any instructions." Lou Yun looked at Shen Le's suddenly bright and cheerful expression with a bit of speechlessness, and shook his head:
"Our sect has something to say. The sect's opinion is that the world is about to descend into chaos and cannot be saved. All disciples should return to the mountain, bury themselves in research, and prepare. We will only go to slay demons and monsters once things have calmed down!"

Shen Le gave him a big thumbs up.

At this time, Wang Bo had just been defeated by Zhang Xutuo, and Dou Jiande had just started his uprising at Gaojibo, around 613 to 614.
Emperor Yang of Sui was killed in Jiangdu in 618, four years before that;

Li Shimin launched his decisive attack at the Battle of Hulao Pass in May 621, which was about six or seven years away.

The Tang Dynasty basically pacified the country in 624 AD, which was roughly another ten years of turmoil. During these ten years, a group of Taoist priests descended the mountains and wandered around, getting caught up in one bandit group after another, and most of them died a horrible death.

However, to be able to judge "the world is beyond saving, we must leave" when the world is in chaos, and to immediately withdraw their forces, truly befits a long-established sect that is adept at protecting itself!
"Alright, I'll go with you. You name a place, and I'll go—but on one condition: in a few years, I want to come down the mountain and witness a great battle that will decide the fate of the world! Just witness it!!!"

Lou Yun sighed and helplessly extended his hand to Shen Le. The two brothers clasped hands, transformed into a streak of sword light, and shot westward.

Go back to the mountain!

Go back to the mountain!

The flying sword pushed aside layers of swirling clouds, streaking across the gloomy sky. Shen Le, enveloped in the sword's aura, looked down and quickly frowned.

The land beneath his feet had changed drastically compared to what he had seen two years prior. At first glance, everything was gloomy, with large swaths of haze piled up in many places.

Some of the gloom lay flat on the ground, some had gathered together, and some even bared their fangs, revealing concrete shapes. Shen Le nudged his senior brother and pointed to a flat area at the foot of the mountain below:
"Senior brother, look..."

"Oh, there was a battle here a while ago, and tens of thousands of people died." Lou Yun raised his escape light slightly, expressionless.
"Let's go. These people, one by one, can't be saved even if we both are drained dry—breaking up one place will exhaust all our strength. Let the mortals pacify the world, and we, the Daoist disciples, will act when the world is at peace!"

He forcefully dragged Shen Lefei across Hebei, over the Taihang Mountains, over the Yellow River winding south, and then plunged headlong into the Zhongnan Mountains.

The sword light suddenly vanished, and the unique crisp air of Zhongnan Mountain, mixed with the fragrance of grass, trees and soil, filled my lungs.

Shen Le finally stepped onto solid ground, took a deep breath, and looked around:
The familiar pine breezes, the familiar stone peaks, the familiar grottoes and palaces carved into the mountainside. Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, cranes soar and circle, their clear cries echoing through the heavens.

The bloodshed and death that had lingered around him just moments before now seemed as distant as a distant dream. Amidst the mountain mists and clouds, the Taoist essence, accumulated over thousands of years, flowed gently, and the idyllic tranquility instantly calmed his mind and body.

"Hey, Junior Brother Mingde, you're back!"

A loud shout rang out from afar. Shen Le looked up in the direction of the sound and saw a head with gray hair emerge from the ridge to his left:

"Get to work! The formation here still needs some modifications, and we're just missing you!"

"Senior brother should come work for me!" another shout rang out from the foot of the mountain.
"Senior brother! Senior brother! Come quickly and help! This ghost king is about to be out of control—"

Shen Le lowered his head, pointed his fingers, and with a light tap, the long sword on his back and the thin porcelain sword hanging on his belt both flew out.

Two sharp whistling sounds rang out, followed by a muffled roar from below. The swirling black clouds retreated even faster.

Immediately, a chorus of chanting arose from below, mixed with rapid footsteps and the whooshing sound of waving flags. Twenty or thirty beams of light streaked across the sky, pressing the dark clouds down, making them smaller and smaller.

The dark cloud darted left and right, finally letting out a helpless roar before being stuffed into—some jar? Or some coffin?

Shen Le smiled slightly. With that roar, the entire mountaintop seemed to come alive:

Some people squatted in front of the alchemy furnace, vigorously waving palm-leaf fans; some were hammering iron with clanging sounds; some were performing ritualistic steps; and some were drawing cold spring water from the pool.

In short, the entire sect was bustling with activity, everyone was busy, and although they were living in seclusion, they were by no means idle.

"Mingde, these are the records of the sect's efforts in regulating the earth's energy and slaying ghosts over the past two years." Lou Yun led him briskly to a hall supported by giant trees and attached to the rock wall, and pushed him inside: "You've been away from the mountains for too long, take a good look around here first. There will be a sect meeting in three days, come and listen in then, and see which senior brother you can work with!"

Shen Le plunged headlong into the library. Despite its name, the library's furnishings were quite different from those of the libraries Shen Le was familiar with. Shelves were piled high with everything from tortoise shells to bamboo slips, from silk to paper.

Shen Le picked up a scroll, which contained records of suppressing the Corpse Forest, including his records of making Soul-Suppressing Figurines;
I picked up another scroll, which contained records of the rituals performed for the deceased near the canal a few years ago.
Picking up another scroll, it contained a comparison of the sealing techniques used to exorcise two ghost kings, one from Liaodong and the other from near Hanjiacang...

Shen Le buried himself in the book pavilion for two days and two nights, finally putting down the scroll in his hand and shaking his head violently, as if trying to shake what he had just seen out of his ears and out of his head.

What we saw before was less a record of analyzing the earth's energy and slaying ghosts, and more a collection of experimental records:

Over the years, disciples have traveled far and wide, capturing, sealing, and torturing all sorts of ghosts and spirits, and setting up arrays in various places. Their purpose is singular:
Find a way to ensure peace and tranquility in the mountains, cities, and villages, so that every minor disturbance doesn't lead to trouble and every major disturbance doesn't result in evil spirits, and instead everyone has to come down from the mountains to deal with it...

Unfortunately, Shen Le saw no path to success in these experimental records. The vast majority could only be killed directly; sealing them would cause the sealing material to slowly wear down until it was destroyed.

The idea of ​​pre-setting up certain formations to absorb and obliterate ghosts when they first appear is more like a fantasy...

Shen Le fell into deep thought, his fingers unconsciously gesturing back and forth in the air. He felt that what they needed was one, or many, things like a "large-scale garbage collection and processing station":
It can automatically absorb and incinerate waste, and the energy produced after incineration can be supplied to the waste station, allowing its energy to enter a positive cycle...

So what he needs is... what they need is...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. At dawn, as the first rays of rosy light and purple aura faded, the members of the Daoist Hall convened for a general discussion.

The sect leader, Master Qingxu, sat high on a cloud bed, flanked by the sect's elders and core disciples, who took turns speaking.

When it was Shen Le's turn, he stepped forward and gave a detailed report on everything he had seen and heard along the way, especially his observations and analysis of the pervasive and "demonic" Yin energy:
"...As I observe, this energy is not the resentment of living beings, but the calamity of a chaotic world. It gathers and disperses unpredictably, is formless yet has substance, and seems to be closely connected with the earth's veins, people's hearts, and the flames of war."

Ordinary talismans and thunder magic can dispel evil spirits temporarily and in one place, but they cannot eradicate their root cause, much less prevent them from regenerating elsewhere. If this continues, even if we can sweep away the evil spirits once the world is initially at peace, when chaos reigns again, I fear it will be another era of rampant ghosts!
I suggest setting up one or more formations capable of absorbing, suppressing, and transforming evil, or at least buying time for the immortal disciples to deal with it.

He spoke passionately and eloquently, and when he finished, Master Qingxu slowly opened his eyes. Looking down at the steps below, his eyes seemed to hold a galaxy of stars.

"What you have seen coincides with our deductions. This calamity is unavoidable, but the time is not yet ripe, and forcing it will only bring trouble."

The most urgent task is not to descend the mountain to eliminate the demons, but to find a long-term solution to prepare for a future eradication of evil!

"A long-term solution?" an elder pondered. "If we seek a long-term solution, we need something that can suppress, wear down, and even transform this kind of malevolent energy over a long period of time."

"Indeed." Master Qingxu nodded.
"I won't deny that this item is extremely rare:"
Firstly, the material must be compatible with heaven and earth, able to communicate with the earth's spiritual energy, and form its own cycle, so that it can work for a long time without us having to constantly watch over it.

Secondly, one must be naturally compatible with righteous energy in order to draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and suppress evil.
Thirdly, it must be solid, stable, and enduring to withstand the erosion of long years and immense Yin energy;

Fourthly... it must not be too precious, but can be found everywhere! Not just one or two places, but must be placed in famous mountains and rivers, in places with strong local energy, and even in places where there have been great battlefields and places where resentment has accumulated!
Only in this way can a vast net be formed to contain this chaotic and malevolent energy, preventing it from overflowing and breeding powerful demons, thus buying us time and laying the foundation for future cleansing of resentment and evil!

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall looked at each other, lost in thought.

The sect leader's request is not without reason, but it is far too high!
It must be powerful and mass-producible; it must connect heaven and earth and be sturdy and immortal.

What materials are suitable for this task?

Metal and stone? The idea that metal is immortal is just a claim. Whether it's a bronze tripod or a precious sword, if buried underground for hundreds of years, they will all decay.

Jade? Jade certainly meets most of the requirements, but unfortunately, it's just too precious...

Even if all the jade stones in the sect were used up, it would only be enough to set up an array around Zhongnan Mountain. If you wanted to spread it throughout the Nine Provinces, you would probably have to go all the way to Kunlun and hollow out Kunlun Mountain first.
Spirit wood? Spirit wood is indeed produced in the largest quantity, but it also rots the fastest.

Even if a spirit tree is planted at each node, given time, it will either rot away or naturally become a spirit, and it will not be able to serve as the foundation of the formation for long!

"Or else...we..."

Lou Yun looked left and right, took half a step forward, and tried to speak. "At worst, we can all tighten our belts, endure a few years of hardship, and use all the jade in the sect to set up an array."
Once it has proven effective and the country is at peace, then we can discuss with those in power and ask them to provide more resources.
"Disciple has a method that might be worth trying!" Before he could finish speaking, Shen Le stepped forward and offered his suggestion in an exceptionally enthusiastic tone:

"Porcelain! Use porcelain!"

The entire Daoist Hall fell silent. Shen Le took a deep breath and spoke each word with exceptional clarity:

"Taking the soil of heaven and earth, gathering the fire of the five elements, shaping it, imbuing it with patterns, and reborn from the ashes! Its texture is harder than metal and stone, its nature is warm and close to the Tao, and its form is ever-changing, capable of encompassing the universe!"

Furthermore, talismans and Taoist patterns can be carved onto the clay body, and spiritual materials can be incorporated into the glaze, endowing it with the ability to connect with the earth's veins, draw upon righteous energy, and suppress evil!

Moreover... there was another sentence he kept deep in his heart:

If there is enough clay and kiln workers, this method can be spread throughout the world!
Even if it's not the most top-tier ritual implement, but just an implement made by an ordinary kiln worker using ordinary clay, it can still form relatively small nodes to provide support for larger nodes. In fact, those small nodes can be replaced at low cost!

"it is good!"

The sect leader immediately made the decision:

"As you say! Lead a team of disciples who are proficient in talismans, formations, weapon crafting, and earth veins to try it out first. All resources within the sect can be used!"
Within three years, we must verify the feasibility of spirit porcelain and design the first prototype of the 'Demon-Locking Porcelain Tower'!

(End of this chapter)