A Scroll of Infinite Glory

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they returned to the Tianzun Temple, where the Taoist priests arranged a courtyard for Guan Luoyang to stay in.

This Tianzun Temple is divided into three main halls, six courtyards and twelve courtyards, covering a large area and with well-organized buildings. It extends from the top of the small mountain to the back mountain and down to the mountainside.

In fact, Guan Luoyang was full of energy and did not feel tired at all. However, Daoist Jiuhe and Qiudi had been working all night and were exhausted. They said they would rest for a few hours after taking a hot bath.

Guan Luoyang naturally followed the host's lead, took a hot bath, and changed his clothes again, wearing a white straight-collared outfit with a blouse and long trousers with a soft belt around his waist.

Over the outside was a round-necked robe with wide sleeves, blue background and black trim, the hem of which was only an inch off the ground.

The clothes were all bought by Qiu Di in town, and because the robes were loose enough, even if they didn't fit well, it wouldn't be noticeable.

The shoes were cloth shoes with a thousand-layer sole, and a pair of white socks.

After putting on this outfit, he sat quietly in the guest room to rest, trying to understand the warm current he had gleaned from the fragmented map.

Although the term "descendant of the bluebird" sounds somewhat mystical, this power, which we can tentatively call primordial energy, is currently confined to the area of ​​the head, shoulders, and arms.

It cannot be mobilized to other parts of the body, let alone released outside the body to injure people from a distance.

However, within the range of his head, shoulders, and arms, once Guan Luoyang wants to concentrate his strength on a certain part, this energy will spontaneously surge towards that location, adding a more ferocious quality to the attacks from his arms.

During extremely intense combat activities, this vital energy will also be depleted. After calming down, it will slowly recover on its own. Moderate exercise can accelerate the recovery process.

Guan Luoyang wanted to understand two things: how to increase the ways to use this vital energy, and how to increase its upper limit.

He tried many training methods he knew, but with little success, and finally had to seek help from outside sources.

"Since magic exists in this world, there might be a way for me to better understand this energy. But they're probably still sleeping. Hmm, let's practice a few rounds of punches first."

Putting aside the matter of the Azure Bird's Vitality for the moment, Guan Luoyang got out of bed and began practicing his boxing techniques in the small bedroom.

He has only mastered two of the four training methods, and there is still much to explore.

Moreover, practicing boxing has become a way of life for him; he feels uneasy if he doesn't practice whenever he has free time.

Inside the bedroom, figures moved back and forth, never far apart, but the strong winds they generated caused the doors and windows to shake slightly.

Around noon, the Tianzun Temple became slightly noisy.

Guan Luoyang listened intently and heard the voices of Daoist Jiuhe and Qiu Di. He then left the courtyard of the guest room and headed forward.

The people of Tianzun Temple were gathered in the front hall at this time, because they were there to welcome a Taoist priest with a square face, thick eyebrows, short beard, and a swastika-patterned turban.

This man is the abbot of Tianzun Temple, Daoist Jiuying.

Terms like "abbot" and "master" were originally Taoist titles. After Buddhism was introduced and flourished, it was borrowed to make it easier for the common people to understand. In any case, since the Han and Tang dynasties, Taoism and Buddhism in China have copied each other, and most things have long been unclear about their origins and who was the originator.

As Master Jiuhe introduced the situation, Master Jiuying and Guan Luoyang exchanged greetings.

"Qiu Di, with such an honored guest at our door, how can we not show him the sights of Zhenwu Temple? Treat him well and do not neglect him."

Master Jiuying gave an instruction, implying that the two brothers had something to discuss privately.

Guan Luoyang also wanted to find Qiu Di, this talkative Taoist priest, to ask him some questions, so he went with Qiu Di.

Master Jiuying then dispersed the disciples and, together with Master Jiuhe, entered the main hall.

In the center of this hall is a statue of the True Martial Emperor, with disheveled hair and bare feet, wearing golden armor and a black robe. One hand is forming a sword gesture, the other holds a precious sword, and both feet are resting on tortoise and snake statues.

Master Jiuhe looked up and sighed with a smile, "Senior brother, you told people to go and admire the scenery, but after that great earthquake three months ago, these statues were all knocked and broken, and some of the smaller ones in the side hall were even damaged. What's left to see?"

"All scenery is left to nature. As long as you are willing to pay attention, there is beauty everywhere. I think that young friend Guan is no ordinary person."

Master Jiuying replied with a few words before getting down to business. “Earthquakes are not uncommon in Jiaozhi, but the location of Cheng Yin Mansion is a place where the feng shui is in harmony and the underground energy is concentrated. It has not been shaken for five hundred years. Once the earth shakes, the energy will surge, and there will inevitably be frequent corpse evils and disasters. It will also be an excellent place for all kinds of evil sorcerers to practice their magic.”

Master Jiuhe nodded and said, "Haven't we been busy dealing with these matters for the past three months? Look at all our disciples, not one of them has been idle these days."

"Is that enough?"

Master Jiuying countered with a question, “We are here at Zhenwu Temple, which is under imperial decree. There are only about thirty people who truly understand magic. In the entire Chengyin Prefecture, there are only five magic sects and about twenty martial arts schools. Even if we include the soldiers and constables who are there for disaster relief, in my estimation, we still don’t have enough manpower.”

Putting everything else aside, even a little ghost that can only appear at midnight to harm people requires someone who truly understands magic to subdue it. Ordinary constables who go over there will only increase casualties.

Therefore, after the earthquake, Master Jiuying was originally preparing to issue orders to all prefectures in Jiaozhi to summon sorcerers from various schools to come and assist Chengyin.

In reality, the situation was far less serious than Master Jiu Ying had predicted.

While many evil spirits and demons have indeed appeared, the number of heretical sorcerers who use this opportunity to practice their magic and those who create calamities through unorthodox practices is not large.

Master Jiuhe understood his meaning and said, "I think you don't need to worry too much, senior brother. Back then, we issued orders to all prefectures to surround and suppress the sorcerers among the bandits in the five prefectures, helped the government destroy more than 30 water fortresses along the Red River, destroyed more than 100 ships, and pursued the remaining bandits all the way to the sea. The momentum was huge, and everyone knows it."

"After this battle, they also know that we have the ability to urgently summon experts from various sects. They dare to come here to practice their magic because they want to fight us to the death, and they also have to deal with the encirclement and suppression by sorcerers from various prefectures."

"They might even have conflicts with each other, and the dangers outweigh the opportunities. It's normal that those on the evil path wouldn't dare to take the risk."

Daoist Jiuying pondered, "I hope it is true. Back then, among the bandits of the Five Prefectures, there were too many evil sorcerers and desperate outlaws who dared to make a ruckus as long as they had a little bit of confidence. Now that I think about it, perhaps I shouldn't compare these scattered demons with that giant bandit group back then."

Daoist Jiuhe chuckled, "Back then, you were stationed in the rear, managing information on sorcerers and dispatching various departments, so you never had the chance to personally demonstrate your skills. Are you so eager to do so this time because you're itching to show them your abilities?"

Master Jiuying shook his head, looking at the somewhat faded gold-lacquered statue of the True Martial Emperor, and said, "The True Martial Emperor vanquishes demons; this is our ambition. But if the world is at peace, what is there to regret even if we never lift a finger in our lives?"

Master Jiuhe also looked at the statue: "Speaking of which, after the earthquake, many Taoist temples and monasteries suffered damage to their statues. Those Taoist practitioners who did not know magic had already gone to the surrounding prefectures to beg for alms to rebuild the statues. Even those who knew magic were still traveling around exorcising evil spirits two months ago, but recently they have already gone on long journeys."

Master Jiuying turned to look at him and said, "Respecting gods and ancestors is all about sincerity. Even if it's just a painting on a yellow earthen wall, it's fine."

Master Jiuhe disagreed: "After all, our place is quite famous. The people who come to worship want to see the majestic statues and seek peace of mind. If there is only ruin, they will surely leave disappointed. Wouldn't that be letting them down?"

After a moment's thought, Daoist Jiuying nodded and said, "What you said makes sense. Then I'll have Qiudi and the others..."

"No need, I can manage on my own."

Master Jiuhe said, "I am going to Jiaozhou Prefecture, where there are many wealthy families and I have many friends. I think it will only take a few days to raise some funds."

"Alright, shall we leave today?"

"A Taoist's belongings are nothing more than a lamp and a bamboo hat. Why dawdle? Let's go now."