I forge immortality with spiritual treasures.

Chapter 6 Entering the Taoist Temple

"!"

Although, in Ying Chan's view, the crane did not seem to have agreed.

But since Lü Cheng said so, he had no choice but to comply. He approached the crane, greeted it, and then climbed onto it.

Before it could even come to a complete stop, the crane let out a long cry and suddenly flapped its wings, soaring into the sky.

Ying Chan relied entirely on his cultivated composure to refrain from exclaiming, but he still narrowed his eyes and subconsciously wrapped his arms around the crane's long neck.

After a short while, I came to my senses and found myself in the vast expanse of clouds, surrounded by a white mist.

He didn't know why, but he wasn't afraid at all. Instead, he was somewhat immersed in the feeling of traveling through the clouds.

"I wonder when I will be able to learn how to fly?"

Just as he was lost in thought, the crane descended again, and Ying Chan saw that the clouds had parted, revealing a verdant landscape.

Before us lies a vast expanse of peaks and forests, with strangely shaped rocks in every possible form, and vigorous trees growing from every crevice, vying for the sky and displaying their beauty, full of vitality.

Every now and then, you can see the waterfall cascading down from the mountaintop, piercing through the clouds and mist, its roar echoing through the valley, truly like a jade dragon singing and dancing in these mountains.

All that should be seen is revealed, and one feels that no amount of words can fully capture its splendor.

The crane continued forward, and soon a clear blue sky and white clouds appeared amidst the embrace of the mountain peaks.

Ying Chan was initially dazzled, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was a mirror-like lake. The water was so clear that it reflected the azure sky, making it difficult to distinguish between water and sky.

Surprisingly, a large number of courtyards were built along the lake, with black tiles and white walls, standing side by side.

Ying Chan immediately realized that this place must be the Xuandu Taoist Academy.

Sure enough, the crane quickly descended, but instead of stopping there, it swept across the lake and headed towards the other side.

Ying Chan looked out and saw a long causeway on the lake, spanning both banks, with many people walking on it, creating quite a lively scene.

As he got closer, he discovered that the mountains on the opposite bank were also covered with brick and tile buildings, palaces, temples, cloud towers and pavilions, cave dwellings and Taoist temples, all built against the mountains and connected by floating corridors.

The crane then headed in and soon landed in front of a building, glancing sideways at Ying Chan.

Ying Chan wisely turned and dismounted, watching the crane soar into the sky and disappear into the clouds before turning his gaze back to the present.

The building was extremely tall and covered a vast area. Its purpose was unknown. There was some writing on the plaque, but it was in an unfamiliar script. It looked familiar, and it was somewhat similar to the "Xuan Du" on the blue stone tablet, but its meaning could not be directly understood.

Ying Chan had no choice but to go inside.

Upon entering, one finds a large hall, sparsely furnished except for a table directly opposite the entrance, behind which sits an old Taoist priest and a young Taoist apprentice.

The old Taoist priest lowered his head and nodded slowly, as if he were dozing off.

The young Taoist was idly flipping through the scriptures when he suddenly noticed someone entering. He was quite startled and quickly called out, "Master Taoist! Master Taoist! Someone's here."

"Hmm!" The old Taoist seemed to respond, but showed no sign of waking up.

The young Taoist had no choice but to shake him and call out several times before the old Taoist groggily opened his eyes: "What's going on?"

The young Taoist was somewhat embarrassed and whispered, "Master, there's someone here."

"Hmm?" The old Taoist wiped his face, appearing quite composed. He glanced at Ying Chan and said calmly, "Who is it?"

"Greetings, Daoist Master." Ying Chan thought for a moment, then stepped forward and bowed: "Junior Ying Chan."

"Hmm." The old Taoist priest accepted it calmly, then added, "You look unfamiliar."

"Yes," Ying Chan said. "This junior came from outside the mountain. It was the Taoist priest from the outer mountain who brought me here..."

"Oh, you wish to enter a Taoist academy to study the arts?"

"Exactly."

The old Taoist nodded and said to the young Taoist, "Take a look."

The young Taoist had already placed a bronze mirror on the table. Upon hearing the sound, he addressed Ying Chanyan, saying, "Please, fellow Taoist, take a look in the mirror."

Ying Chan was confused and looked into the mirror, only to meet the gaze of 'himself'.

"Ahem." The young Daoist boy probably guessed Ying Chan's doubts, so he said in a low voice, "Brother Daoist, please don't be offended. This inspection is just to prevent demons and heretics from mixing in the truth."

"I see."

Ying Chan then understood and stood confidently in front of the mirror. He was only nineteen years old this year, having basically shed his boyishness, yet showing no signs of the hardships of life. Therefore, although he was travel-worn and his clothes were disheveled, his handsome and dashing appearance was still undeniable.

Naturally, there will be no demons or heretics present.

Seeing this, the young Taoist whispered, "Master, the observation is flawless."

The old Taoist priest nodded and said, "Put it away."

The young Taoist readily complied, putting away the bronze mirror and opening a thick book, dipping his brush in ink.

Almost simultaneously, the old Taoist priest asked, "Where are you from? Where did you originally cultivate? What Taoist practices did you learn?"

Ying Chan hurriedly replied, "I was born in Changguo. I used to cultivate at Yunshan Temple and learned an unnamed breathing technique..."

Upon hearing this, the young Taoist priest picked up his pen and began to record everything. The old Taoist priest paused, then asked, "Changguo?"

"Exactly."

"Changguo is thousands of miles away; the journey must have been difficult."

Ying thought for a moment and replied, "Although it is not easy, it is what I wish for."

"Oh?"

The old Taoist squinted at Ying Chan for a moment, said nothing, and then asked a series of miscellaneous questions, including his birth year, his cultivation progress, his experiences along the way, and even whether he believed in any deities...

You should answer each question truthfully.

Finally, the old Taoist priest stopped asking questions and suddenly praised, "Not bad, lad."

Then, without waiting for him to be modest, he said to himself, "Originally, this old Taoist priest hated talking nonsense the most."

"But since you come from a secular background, you must only have a superficial understanding of many things, so this old Taoist priest will have to waste some words on you."

Ying Chan should listen attentively.

The old Taoist priest was quite pleased with the sight. He cleared his throat and began to explain in a leisurely manner: "Our academy inherits the system of ancient Taoist temples. Anyone with a heart that seeks the Tao and aspiration to follow it can enter the academy to learn the methods..."

Ying Chan listened attentively, and his understanding of the Taoist academy gradually became clearer.

Legend has it that in ancient times, many immortals and saints established Taoist temples to guide all living beings to cultivate the Tao.

At that time, anyone seeking the Dao could enter the Daoist temple to cultivate, and there was no distinction between sects or factions, which is why the Dao spread throughout the world.

Although this grand occasion eventually disappeared with the passage of time and the changing of the world, some of its charm has been passed down through the evolution of Taoism.

Xuandu Taoist Academy came about in this way, though it is quite different from the ancient Taoist temples.

In ancient times, there was no distinction between sects; now, however, there are sectarian divisions.

Entering a Taoist academy to study the arts is not the same as becoming a disciple of Xuandu. However, while in the academy, one must still abide by the rules of Xuandu. After leaving the academy, one must not tarnish the name of Xuandu. If one joins another sect, one must not privately transmit the arts. If one achieves success in cultivation and wishes to establish one's own sect, one should revere Xuandu as the superior sect...

"And so on, I will not list them all," the old Taoist said. "Do you understand now?"

It should be explained that this is what should be done.

The old Taoist nodded and instructed the young Taoist boy, "Go and fetch the things."

The young Taoist boy rose from his seat in response. Turning back, he seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, right, the Dharma is not easily passed on. To study the Dharma at the Taoist academy, one must pay a tuition fee of ten coins..."

"Hmm, so you don't have any?"

"Yes." Ying Chan said, "I have heard that if one has a heart that seeks the Dao and possesses a firm will, the Dao Academy may temporarily waive tuition fees?"

"good."

Ying Chan didn't hesitate and bowed, saying, "Please teach me, Daoist Master, how can I obtain permission?"

The old Taoist priest chuckled and said, "I grant your permission."

That simple?
Ying Chan was taken aback upon hearing this.

Seeing this, the old Taoist priest said in surprise, "You have come from thousands of miles away, facing many hardships and dangers along the way. Can't you still have faith in yourself?"

Ying Chan smiled wryly, then cupped his hands and said, "Of course I can."

(End of this chapter)