May 1189 AD.
King Mu Li led his army north, fled south after a defeat at Duzhou Mountain, and upon reaching Wushan, he t a hermit. He asked about the future, and the hermit answered: One should be like a mountain; the sun, moon, and rivers are free, and so should humans be.
Mu Li had a great epiphany, led his followers back, and presented a letter of surrender to the United Nations, feigning submission while secretly seeking immortal opportunities.
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Wushan.
The streets were filled with people dragging carts out of the city.
The chaos was beginning to be quelled.
The army entered the Great Capital, and within a few days, everything was stabilized. The rebellion of the five kings thus ca to an end.
Supported by the Great Dao Teaching and other sects, King Dongping ascended the throne and proclaid a general amnesty, establishing the Great Dao Teaching as the state religion.
This series of shocking news was delivered by carrier pigeons from afar, changes happening so quickly that many people and forces did not even have ti to respond before everything was over.
Yue Dewen united all participating sects into a Grand Sect Alliance. However, no judgnt was made against the Spirit Flying Church; instead, the absolute state religion status of the Great Dao Teaching was affird.
After ascending the throne, King Dongping appointed Yue Dewen as National Master, established the Great Dao Teaching as the state religion, and retracted the troops to defend, without any further actions.
The three great Spirit Generals led troops outside and showed no signs of returning to court for allegiance.
The situation remained in such a strange stalemate.
Instead, the Snow Rainbow Pavilion and the New Spirit Court tacitly began to sweep across the Red Turban Army rioters.
Great units of spiritual armies were suppressing the riots everywhere, while experts from the court moved covertly to assassinate high-ranking rebels.
In just one month, the main Red Turban riots were suppressed, although many small groups of rebels hid in the mountains and forests, temporarily unable to be completely exterminated.
"It’s finally completely settled." Zhang Rongfang slowly walked along the street, watching the farrs preparing various tools and driving their carts back ho, feeling a sense of calm inside.
"The previous turmoil left the towns and villages outside nearly empty, with most people gathering in the big city, where food supplies are scarce. If things didn’t stabilize now, there might have been a famine," said Ran Xinyue, who was also strolling alongside.
She looked at Zhang Rongfang’s profile. "The fact that you can also enter Dao Foundation in the Extre Realm, cultivating the immortal path, gives new hope to many within the society. Therefore, the leader values you highly. If given the chance, would you like to et?"
"What’s the point of seeing or not seeing? The fifth rank has already decided not to bring anyone into the Dao Foundation anymore." Zhang Rongfang replied. Having walked this path, unknowingly, he now possessed so power to protect himself and those around him.
The only danger now lay with the godly sect, but for the ti being, it seed they fully withdrew because of Yue Shi.
After things settled, they would certainly react.
And as his master, how Yue Shi would ultimately decide was what Zhang Rongfang was waiting to see.
Now, as the head of the Great Spirit Sect, what did Yue Shi truly think about his disciple’s godly taboo, and what would be the ultimate outco when facing the gods?
Zhang Rongfang didn’t know.
"Actually, you’re waiting, and we’re waiting too," said Ran Xinyue. "If Yue Dewen doesn’t want you, you can still co to our side. At least it’s safe here."
"We’ll see then." Zhang Rongfang smiled.
"By then, we might be the only ones in the world who can protect you," Ran Xinyue emphasized.
"What if my master cos in person?" Zhang Rongfang countered.
"It might be difficult, but we can take you and escape first," Ran Xinyue confidently said.
Zhang Rongfang said nothing more, suddenly stopping in his tracks, looking towards the far street.
There was a little girl with a ponytail, holding a human-shaped puppet, playing with it in various ways.
If soone looked closely at the puppet’s face, they would find it remarkably resembled Zhang Rongfang.
And puppets like this, hundreds were made during this ti by the Human Immortal Temple, all handed to vendors to be sold cheaply throughout the city.
This was Zhang Rongfang’s strategy.
Ran Xinyue was still talking, but Zhang Rongfang wasn’t really listening anymore.
"I plan to go back for an afternoon nap. I will consider your matters, but not now." He suddenly interrupted.
"Alright, but there’s not much ti. If you want to prepare, you must do so soon. Otherwise, changes will occur," Ran Xinyue said, noticing Zhang Rongfang’s reluctance to discuss further.
"I’ll leave then. My place is still the sa, co find if needed."
"Thank you." Zhang Rongfang nodded. He thought Ran Xinyue might be the most approachable Grandmaster in the world.
He had never seen anyone more humble than her.
Available when called, gone when waved away, often injured, lost even after performing the final form, yet always managed to recover, with her realm quite stable, showing no signs of regression.
In so sense, Ran Xinyue was indeed quite strong.
Zhang Rongfang continued walking for a bit longer.
Once Ran was completely gone, with no trace left.
An old Daoist carrying a divination banner stood up beside the road, brushing past Zhang Rongfang with a bamboo basket.
Just in that instant, a paper ball fell into Zhang Rongfang’s hand.
Without changing his expression, he continued walking, then in a corner, he picked up the paper ball, quickly glanced at it.
It contained an address and a sentence.
Squeezing the paper into pulp and discarding it, Zhang Rongfang did not hesitate, quickly heading towards the address.
Several minutes later.
Inside a private room of a teahouse called Humble Room.
Zhang Rongfang pushed the door open, took a glance at the person sitting cross-legged inside waiting, closed the door silently, and also sat cross-legged on a cushion by the side.
The aroma of hot tea slowly wafted from a teapot at one side.
But neither of them intended to pour tea at this mont.
The person sitting cross-legged opposite Zhang Rongfang had an indifferent expression, a tall stature, and wore a black Daoist robe, with long hair tied high. He was none other than Ming Yuan, the trusted aide beside Yue Dewen, the long-unseen master of the Great Dao Teaching.
"The Sect Leader is busy, so I ca on his behalf." Ming Yuan’s voice was as simple as ever.
"Uncle-Master Ming Yuan is still the sa, hasn’t changed a bit." Zhang Rongfang smiled.
"The forbidden matter, is it true or false?" Ming Yuan asked in a deep voice.
"True."
Even though he had already received confirmation, hearing it directly from Zhang Rongfang himself caused Ming Yuan’s heart to sink.
He knew how important the Daoist of Qiankun was to the Sect Leader. All along, Yue Dewen, no matter how difficult his situation, would allocate resources to protect Zhang Ying.
But now, such a troubleso issue had arisen here.
Seeing him silent, Zhang Rongfang smiled.
"Master Yue sent you here, he must have given you so instructions, right? Uncle-Master, please feel free to speak."
Ming Yuan took a light breath, and for a mont, he seed to recall the image of the chubby figure of Yue Dewen pacing back and forth in the Celestial Sincerity Palace.
He didn’t reply, just picked up the teapot and poured Zhang Rongfang a cup of tea.
The clear green tea water, like a fine thread, slowly flowed into the jade-like teacup. White and green complented each other, appearing even more pure.
"The forbidden matter, can it be abandoned?" Ming Yuan put down the teapot and asked.
"... It’s an innate talent." Zhang Rongfang shook his head. He knew what Master Yue wanted to say, but that was impossible.
Ming Yuan fell silent again.
He seed to understand why Zhang Rongfang refused to worship the gods. With such a gifted ability, there indeed was no need to worship gods, nor was it necessary. More importantly, he couldn’t worship gods.
"I understand." After a long pause, he nodded slightly. "I will report this truthfully."
"Uncle-Master... please convey to my master," Zhang Rongfang restrained his smile, "no matter what decision he makes, he will always be my master."
Ming Yuan did not reply, just stood up, saluted with clasped hands, and quickly left.
With a swish, the door slid open and closed again.
Leaving Zhang Rongfang alone, staring at the clear tea in front of him, wordless for a long ti.
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Great Capital · Underground of the Celestial Sincerity Palace.
No one knew that a hundred ters underground directly beneath the Celestial Treasure Palace, there was an identical underground palace.
And it was at the entrance to this underground palace that a stone tablet stood upright, engraved with the three characters: Celestial Treasure Palace.
At this mont, in the central square of the underground palace’s main hall, the stone bricks on the ground were engraved with large swathes of various symbol patterns of different sizes.
A myriad of spiritual texts, sacrificial inscriptions, all drawn into various large and small circles.
And these circles together ford an even larger, gigantic circle.
This appeared to be a massive formation.
Around the formation, within smaller circles, were various peculiar sacrificial items.
Jade, jewelry, scrolls of calligraphy, everything was present.
But the most nurous among these was a type of silver, semi-transparent triangular pyramid.
This pyramid was only palm-sized, and from the outside, one could see a small blob of viscous gray-white substance contained within it.
This pyramid seed to be a container specifically designed to preserve this gray-white substance.
Each pyramid contained only a fingertip-size amount of gray-white substance.
And in this place, at a glance, there were at least thousands of such triangular pyramids. Massively scattered across the entire square.
At the center of the square’s formation, a person was sitting cross-legged.
This person had a plump build, a calm expression, wore a purple Taoist robe with gold belts, and a purple gold lotus crown on his head. Various Taiji and Bagua patterns weaved by silver threads adorned his clothing.
If anyone from the Great Dao Teaching were present, they would easily recognize this person as the current most prominent Sect Leader of the Great Dao Teaching—Yue Dewen.
Hiss...
Suddenly, along the edge of the square, a stream of silver light rapidly traced along the ground patterns, swiftly converging towards Yue Dewen following the formation’s paths.
After weaving through many formation routes, the silver light finally subrged beneath him.
Swish.
Yue Dewen opened his eyes at once, exhaling deeply.
Raising his hand, in his palm appeared a character woven from silver spiritual lines.
That was a ’spirit’ character.
"Finally achieved!!"
"Truly a grand sche." Around the great formation, Cosimo and Daoist Qingyi stood dispersed, gazing over this way.
It was Daoist Qingyi who spoke, watching the repeated array patterns on the ground, a trace of irrepressible awe in his eyes.
"Deceiving the heavens, substituting reality with illusion, Sect Leader Yue, indeed a supre Spirit General who could escape unhard from the great battles, truly admirable!"
Rarely did Qingyi admire anyone, but at this mont, he genuinely felt such a thought arise within.
"However, now that your disciple has beco a forbidden matter, how do you plan to handle it? There must be so explanation, right?" He spoke again.
"I ca here precisely for this reason." Cosimo said from the side. "Brother Yue, using the montum of stabilizing the dragon position to ascend further, now there seems none who can rival you in this great trend. This indeed is a cause for celebration.
But this matter with your disciple, a slight misstep, the consequences could be... surely Brother Yue understands."
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