civilwarnovels Chapter 165 Celestial Master's Ordination, the Existence of Restrictions, Changchun Zhenren
Chapter 165 Celestial Master's Ordination, the Existence of Restrictions, Changchun Zhenren
"Master Fang, don't be in such a hurry to leave. This junior would like to invite you to ascend to the Ninth Heaven together!"
Lu Qian's figure transformed into a vast golden radiance, spreading across the void. In the blink of an eye, it seemed to transform into thousands of intricate chains and ropes, binding Fang Dongtian's dissipating Yang God.
"Kid, let go."
Fang Dongtian's somewhat ethereal voice rang out from the void, and those scattered Yang Gods were bound and re-manifested from the void, but many new fragments of golden light disappeared into the void.
"I have devoted myself to cultivating the Tao for twenty-six years, but I have closed my heart and gradually become like the mundane person I was in my previous life. Today, thanks to Master Fang's enlightenment, I have broken through my mental barrier, and the Lü Qian of this life should begin to grow."
The chains and ropes, like swimming dragons and serpents, constantly evolved and surged, restraining the ever-dispersing fragments of the Yang God.
"In my past life, I followed the will of Heaven and lived an ordinary life."
As soon as he finished speaking, the golden chains suddenly tightened, pulling sharply into the void. The fragments that had been constantly dissipating were now stuck in place, and the scene became somewhat tense.
"In the past, I said I wanted to become a new Lu Zu, but I didn't know how Lu Zu actually did it. I was trapped in a delusion without realizing it, but now I have an epiphany."
"Even immortals are human; Lu Zu is none other than myself, Lu Qian!"
His voice echoed in the void like a thunderclap. With this angry shout, the golden chains in the void suddenly shone brightly, overshadowing everything in the room.
In the darkness, a white light seemed to bloom in the void, like a portal.
Outside, the Longmen Sect disciples guarding the door were about to step forward when they saw this, but Liu Xingyang stopped them with his hand.
"Junior Nephew Liu, what do you mean by this?"
Faced with everyone's questioning, Liu Xingyang adjusted his sunglasses and said seriously, "The advisor had previously instructed that no one is allowed to enter during the ascension period."
"But how do we know if the advisor has passed away? There's only one kid from Wudang inside."
"The advisor has his own reasons."
Liu Xingyang did not argue. He raised his hand and pointed upwards, then walked to the door and stopped the other disciples who wanted to enter.
"You mean...?"
Some of the older cultivators present understood something from Liu Xingyang's demeanor, and they immediately backed down, suppressed the other disciples, and waited outside again.
Seeing the crowd quiet down again, Liu Xingyang glanced towards the Ancestral Hall and sighed inwardly, "Sigh, they're all powerful figures, I can't afford to offend them."
Outside the room, all was quiet again. Inside, only Fang Dongtian's physical body remained seated, but there was no sign of Lü Qian or the fragments of the Yang God.
In the instant the white light burst forth, Lü Qian felt a sense of familiarity. He immediately relaxed his mind, and with a thought, he found himself in a familiar place.
"After breaking through my mental barrier, I didn't expect to become a bit dull."
Lü Qian looked up at the plaque above, which read "Baiyun Temple".
"Master Fang must also have a restriction similar to the [Celestial Master's Degree] on him. There are gains and losses; he gave up some freedom but gained some opportunities."
He smiled and shook his head, then walked up the steps to the familiar door. He straightened his clothes, knocked, and said, "Lu Qian of Wudang requests an audience!"
"Squeak—"
The door turned, but Lu Qian didn't see the person who opened it at first glance. The next moment, someone patted his leg.
"Young man Lu, snap out of it."
Upon hearing this, Lü Qian looked down and saw a short, young-looking Taoist priest.
"Master Fang?"
Looking at the somewhat familiar face, he tentatively asked, "Have you entered the [Inner Realm] with your Yang Spirit?"
"Hehe, that's right, but this cultivation is still incomplete."
Fang Dongtian shook his head, turned around and led Lü Qian into the temple. "The true path of the Yang God should achieve the unity of form and spirit, but right now I only have spirit, not form."
Ultimately, the ban was both its strength and its weakness.
He sighed, but there was no trace of regret on his face, as if attaining enlightenment was as trivial as eating and drinking for him.
"Because of that legendary restriction, I was able to preserve my Yang spirit and enter the inner realm, but because of this, I was unable to achieve true unity of form and spirit."
Fang Dongtian's words also explained Lü Qian's doubts. He seemed to understand, "So those circulating restrictions not only need to ensure that you don't leak secrets while you're alive, but also that you must keep your mouths shut after you pass away?"
"right."
Fang Dongtian nodded. In this inner realm, he could relax a little and no longer had to be completely silent like he was in the mortal world.
"To prevent us from leaking secrets, they even specially placed our primordial spirits into the ancestral master's [inner vision], so that even if someone searches our physical bodies, they won't find anything."
"Isn't this just a form of imprisonment?"
Lu Qian looked at Fang Dongtian walking ahead and asked in surprise.
For sect leaders like the Old Celestial Master and Fang Dongtian, who have inherited the Xuanmen tradition, they all have a [restriction] passed down from their ancestors.
When he was young, the old Celestial Master was known for his "big mouth," his mouth being looser than the waistband of cotton pants. However, due to the existence of the "Celestial Master's Degree," he could only remain silent on certain matters.
As can be seen from Fang Dongtian, these restrictions not only prevent the guards from leaking secrets while they are alive, but also prevent them from being free after they pass away.
When the primordial spirit enters the inner realm of the patriarch, it seems that they have attained the Dao fruit and can enjoy longevity, but only the primordial spirit remains, and their future path is also cut off.
"Whether it's imprisonment or an opportunity, at least for us, those who lack the qualifications to maintain the status quo, this [restriction] at least provides us with compensation."
Fang Dongtian shook his head, neither agreeing nor denying in his words. He jumped onto the steps in front of him and led Lü Qian toward the square inside the temple.
Lu Qian frowned, pondered for a moment, and asked, "What about the Old Celestial Master?"
"As for Zhang Zhiwei..."
Upon hearing this, Fang Dongtian stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Lü Qian. "For him, this restriction is a calamity."
"If you can overcome it, the road ahead will continue. If you can't, then you can only become a Nascent Soul True Person under the guidance of the restriction, and be protected by the ancestral master's dojo, just like me."
He spread his hands at Lü Qian, indicating that Lü Qian should carefully observe his condition.
"Since we have inherited the Path to Heaven from our ancestor, we must also bear the debts left by him."
Seeing the golden-red flames flickering in Lü Qian's eyes, Fang Dongtian turned around and continued leading the way, "So, those thirty-six thieves back then really did a lot of harm."
"A perfectly good Taoist priest can only end up as an ordinary person trapped in Longhu Mountain."
He shook his head and took two more steps forward. When he saw Lü Qian stop in place, he smiled and said, "Alright, the existence of restrictions isn't all a bad thing."
"What trapped Zhang Zhiwei, this Taoist master of the Heavenly Way, was never the [Celestial Master's Salvation], but rather the mortal Longhu Mountain!"
"If he wanted to ascend to immortality, no one could stop him. He is simply choosing to remain in the mortal world to fulfill his responsibilities."
The unparalleled reputation of the Old Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei has overshadowed the world of supernatural beings for sixty years, and its prestige has been certified by everyone.
"Let's not talk about that anymore, young master Lü. How was my performance today?"
Lu Qian followed, a fleeting look of embarrassment on his face, before smiling and giving Fang Dongtian a thumbs up.
"Your acting is truly superb. I really thought you had failed to attain enlightenment and your Yang spirit had collapsed."
Fang Dongtian laughed heartily upon hearing this. He nodded, impressed by Lü Qian's vivid performance. "Hahaha, today's scene was a great success. At least you've opened your heart."
"Thank you for your kindness, Master Fang."
Lu Qian waved his sleeves, like a mischievous boy, "Although my state of mind has always been calm, it was only because I was trapped in the illusion of my past life. I was a boy pretending to be old, but in reality, I am still that boy."
"Having been given a second chance at life, one must adjust their mindset. A young man need not dwell on the past; what's wrong with calling himself Lu Zu?"
The previous Lü Qian continued the path of his previous life. Although he seemed calm and steadfast, unmoved by anything, he had only fallen into old age, his mind was arrogant, and he had detached himself from the mortal world.
Now he has embarked on his life's journey, and the spirit of youth has returned to him once more.
Just after Lü Qian finished speaking these spirited words, a teasing voice suddenly came from ahead.
"Haha, young man, now that you've broken through your mental barriers, you're so lively!"
The two arrived at the temple square, which was much more lively than when Lü Qian last visited. In addition to Yin Zu and others whom they had met before, there were many more figures of varying ages.
Upon hearing the voice, Lü Qian looked over and saw a middle-aged Taoist priest wearing a Taoist robe, a golden lotus crown on his head, and holding a long-handled jade ruyi in his hand.
Fang Dongtian bowed to the middle-aged Taoist priest before him, "Greetings, Ancestor Changchun!"
"Lu Qian of Wudang greets Patriarch Changchun!"
Lu Qian also bowed. When he stood up, the face of the middle-aged Taoist came into view. It was Lu Qian's face, but with the dignity of a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged Taoist was none other than the famous Qiu Chuji, and this Taoist was not the same as the one portrayed in novels.
In reality, this "Changchun Zhenren" can be described as "stopping the killing and saving countless lives with a single word," saving countless lives.
Even after the Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty, their barbaric nature remained unchecked. They engaged in widespread slaughter. This "Changchun Zhenren" personally met with the emperor and, at the age of 74, traveled to the Western Regions to persuade Genghis Khan to stop the killing and show compassion to his people.
This patriarch further promoted and developed the Quanzhen School, establishing the Quanzhen Longmen School as it exists today.
"Master, why are you using my face too?"
Faced with Lü Qian's question, he smiled and stroked his beard, "I also want to see what's different about this Lü Zu's face. After all, didn't you just say you called yourself Lü Zu?"