Chapter 207: Master of the Myriad Dharmas
“Tired?”

Ok?
Cheng Xinzhan looked at the headmaster with some doubt.

Ji Hehe then repeated it,
“Tired?”

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head, not understanding what he meant.

The joy on the headmaster’s face disappeared without a trace, and he said,
“Xu Zhenjun’s Dharma is naturally profound, mysterious and all-encompassing, but I think the only thing you need to go out of your way to seek the true scriptures is the water method of cutting down water monsters!”

Cheng Xinzhan remained silent upon hearing this and nodded.

“You are a child who has mastered the Five Elements and governed Yin and Yang. You are on a steady path. Now you want to practice Xu Zhenjun’s water magic. Are you trying to prepare for the elimination of the Southern Demon Sect and the Overseas Demon Sect?”

Cheng Xinzhan nodded again.

“My child, you have great ambitions, but I am afraid that you are living too hard. Let me ask you, you came to see me with your bamboo body and Shuangling Yuanshen, what are your life fetus Yuanshen, Youjing Yuanshen and physical body doing?”

Cheng Xinzhan was stunned for a moment, then whispered, “The soul of the fetus is in the body, opening up the acupoints to make up for the gaps in the second realm. At the same time, it is refining the treasure to ward off disasters. The soul of the spirit is driving the lotus incarnation and returning to Xiangxi.”

Ji Hehe shook his head and sighed.
“Before, when you returned from your trip outside the mountains, you always rested and relaxed for a while, and you had a good balance between work and rest. Especially when you came back from Longhu Mountain, you took care of the flowers and plants and took a break from your busy life. I thought that was great. But after that time, not only did you not continue this habit, but you became even busier.

“I know your soul is stable, and I also know you have many clones, but has Su Kong ever told you that long-term splitting of the soul and body will shorten your lifespan!”

Ji Hehe’s tone already carried a hint of blame.

“Master said so.”

Cheng Xinzhan hurriedly replied that it was not Master’s fault that he did not remind him of this matter. Master had mentioned this matter when he gave him the bamboo stick. Moreover, Cheng Xinzhan could also feel that the reduction of his lifespan on his life wheel seemed to be slightly faster than the passage of time in the outside world.

He calculated that if the three souls were separated into three bodies, one year of life would be reduced in the Crimson Palace Fate Wheel, and only about eleven months would pass in the outside world.

But it doesn’t matter, I still made money.

He thought so, but Ji Hehe didn’t.
“Do you know why you are so anxious? Good and evil have never coexisted, and in recent years, the devil has been rampant, and suppressing the devil atmosphere has gradually become a consensus of the righteous. We have jointly established the Haoran League, Longhu Mountain has established the Zhengyi League, the North Road has established the Chongyang League, and the Shu Road has established the Xuantian League. We are all fighting against demons and monsters, and we don’t need you! Take care of your own affairs first! Even if you have a longer life after breaking through the realm, is your life span for you to squander like this?!”

Ji Hehe rarely got angry.

Cheng Xinzhan was silent for a long time. He knew the good intentions of the headmaster, but he was not a hermit who meditated alone and lived on the food and drink the dew. He was a Taoist who traveled around China and entered the devil’s cave many times!

He had seen the Southern Demon Cult using humans to make poison, he had seen the Northern Demon Cult treating humans like slaves, he had seen the overseas Demon Cult eating humans like vegetables, and not long ago he had seen the Xiangxi Demon Cult seducing people’s souls, slaughtering villages and refining corpses.

After seeing such a hellish scene, how can I calm down and sit in the mountains?

After a long silence, he raised his head, looked at the headmaster, and answered slowly,
“The common people are still in a state of distress, so why should we avoid it because we value our lives?”

Ji Hehe choked, then took a deep breath and said,

“It’s not that I don’t want you to save the people, I just want you to cultivate yourself and cherish your life. Wait until you have enough cultivation before doing those things. Forget it, I know what you mean. You can’t wait, and you can’t sit still.”

At this time, Ji Hehe clapped his hands and sighed,

“That’s fine! If we weigh the pros and cons of everything and make decisions after careful consideration, it would be inhumane. Maybe you are right and we are wrong.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan said, “Master, if you cherish your body, you will lose your chivalry; if you forget your body, you will lose your immortality. I naturally understand the principle that too much is as bad as too little. I have been trying to eliminate the demon for a long time.”

Ji Hehe nodded, and his worry turned into joy.

Cheng Xinzhan added, “I know how to act, and I have never complained or regretted anything. But this time I want to go to the Wanshou Palace to seek the true scriptures, but I still need the face of my master. This is what makes me ashamed.”

The request for scriptures and the transmission of teachings between different religious sects is not a simple matter of a few words; there are huge consequences involved!
Master Sa of the Shenxiao Sect asked Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain to learn thunder magic. Since then, the thunder magic of the Shenxiao Sect has been inferior to that of Longhu Mountain. Even now, many people believe that the thunder magic of the Shenxiao Sect has been extremely complete, profound and well-developed after thousands of years of meticulous research and development. It can be called the Department of Thunder on Earth and is the best in the world in the field of thunder magic alone.

But just because Master Sa once asked Master Zhang for Dharma, Longhu Mountain can openly say that Longhu Mountain’s thunder method is the best in the world, and the Shenxiao Sect has to admit it even if they have to hold their noses.

Patriarch Ge Hong of Sanqing Mountain once asked Patriarch Ge Xuan of Gezhao Mountain for the magic of talismans and elixirs. Therefore, to this day, even though the two Ges are from the same clan, people from Moya Mountain and Danxia Mountain still send people to Gezhao Mountain every year to pay homage to the statue of Ge Tianshi.

If there is any celebration or ceremony where both families are present, then Sanqing Mountain will have to give up its position to Gezhao Mountain. This is because of both the seniority of Tianshi Ge Xuan and the fact that he once sought Dharma.

However, something like Juqushan’s initiative to let Cheng Xinzhan read ancient books is rare in thousands of years and is definitely not a common practice.

Now, Juqu Mountain and Sanqing Mountain can be regarded as close friends. There are people from each family who serve as elders who teach the other the scriptures. This is a relationship of seeking scriptures and spreading the Dharma that many people envy.

However, with such a relationship, the cause and effect between the two families is naturally deep. If the inheritance of the divine method of one family is interrupted, the other family will do its utmost to continue its legal tradition.

Among all the major religions passed down from generation to generation, the Jingming sect is well-known for not passing on its teachings to outsiders. It has never asked for the teachings from anyone, nor has it ever passed on the teachings to outsiders.

Even now, the southern faction and the coastal evil are rampant, and the Haoran League is in urgent need of water magic practitioners. The Jingming faction has the heart to subdue demons and can be said to hate evil. Its disciples are basically divided into Sanshi Island, Yuyang, Nanhuang and other places, and the casualties are the highest in the Haoran League.

But even so, the Jingming Sect never said a word that the demon-slaying water method could be passed on to outsiders.

This is the most difficult part.

If Cheng Xinzhan rashly went to ask for this matter, being chased out would be a small matter, but it would be a big matter that the relationship between the two sects would be damaged.

After hearing what Cheng Xinzhan said, Ji Hehe wanted to feign anger, but he couldn’t feign anger towards this disciple, so he just laughed out loud.
“Xinzhan is willing to sacrifice his life, so how can I, as the headmaster, retreat just because I want to protect my reputation?”

Cheng Xinzhan also smiled when he heard this. Looking back over the past forty years, whether in Zhangxiang Town or in Sanqing Mountain, his elders had never let him down.

Ji Hehe said,

“You go back and wait for my news. I will talk to the master of Jingming Sect first, and lower our attitude, and then go there with full ceremony. In addition, they still owe us a favor for the seal of Longhu Mountain, so this matter may not be impossible.”

Cheng Xinzhan nodded in agreement and stood up to leave.

—-

Five days later, Cheng Xinzhan was summoned to Sanqing Palace again.

“Master Bao Yuan has given in.”

The first thing Master Ji said when they met was good news.

Cheng Xinzhan was also delighted to hear this, as Master Baoyuan was the headmaster of Wanshou Palace.

But then Ji Hehe said,
“But he wants to see you first. Master Baoyuan said that Master Xu’s water method is not that easy to learn. If you are really gifted and can inherit Master Xu’s method, then our two families can follow the story of Juqu Mountain. If your talent is not as good as the legend says, then we can just go through the motions for the sake of face.” Cheng Xinzhan smiled and nodded, “I will definitely not disappoint the two masters.”

Ji Hehe also laughed when he heard this, and then mentioned another matter, “You are going to Wanshou Palace to seek scriptures, but it is not good to have a status that is too low. You are now the direct descendant of Mingzhi Mountain, the White Tiger Envoy, and the Lord of Lixue Mountain. These statuses are acceptable in the sect, but no one will recognize you when you go out. I want to think about what other status I should give you before you leave.”

Cheng Xinzhan kept declining.

Ji Hehe glared and said, “Although I don’t care about my reputation, I don’t disregard it either. Just listen to me on this matter.”

Cheng Xinzhan had no choice but to agree.

As soon as Cheng Xinzhan left, Ji Hehe started to call people into Sanqing Palace to discuss matters.

Two more days passed.

Then news spread from Pingdingshan that Cheng Xinzhan, the direct descendant of Mount Meizhi, the White Tiger Envoy of Mount Baihu, and the master of Mount Lixue, was appointed as the Master of All Dharmas of Mount Sanqing and took office on the same day. He was given a robe for preaching, a ruyi, a tablet, a wake-up bell, and a mirror.

After the news came out, the disciples in the mountain were shocked, but after the shock wore off, they quickly accepted it.

Naturally, not everyone can be the Master of All Dharmas. Generally speaking, it is a position that the Lord of the Eight Veins Mountain in the Lotus Blessed Land will hold before being promoted to the Deputy Master of the Pure Yang and Yuan Yin Halls. He can also be simply considered as a candidate for the Deputy Master.

A master of all laws must of course be well versed in the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, the classics of each peak, and the magic of hundreds of schools. Cheng Nandou is indeed a suitable candidate.

More than half a month passed like this, and Sanqing Mountain picked an auspicious day, prepared all the ceremonial objects, and prepared to go to Wanshou Palace to seek the true scriptures.

This day is June 17th, the 448th year of the Ming Dynasty. It is a good day to travel, make alliances, fast and offer sacrifices, and break ground, but there is nothing to be taboo about.

The president of the Metropolitan Affairs Council personally went to the Muyou Cave on Mount Meiji and presented Cheng Xinzhan with a Dharma robe and other instruments for preaching. When Cheng Xinzhan came out of the cave fully dressed, the president of the Metropolitan Affairs Council looked at him and clapped his hands in applause, saying that he had never seen anyone so young wearing a Dharma robe and he looked so good.

Gu Xinshu’s eyes refused to leave Cheng Xinzhan for a moment.

The third sister, the second brother, and Lao Bai were naturally amazed.

I saw this young Taoist priest:

On the head is a lotus crown of the Five Mountains, and on the five petals are painted the true shapes of the Five Mountains.

He wore a plain white undershirt and a sky-blue silk robe with a pattern of black cranes flying up into the sky embroidered on the collar. He had a five-colored sash tied around his waist with a two-colored yin-yang fish jade ring in the middle.

The outermost garment he wore was a purple shawl, which was a large-collared, wide-sleeved robe with golden embroidery of the sun, moon and stars on the front. On the chest was a picture of the Three Pure Ones Mountain and on the back was a picture of the Yin-Yang Bagua.

The purple clothes are like clouds, the sun and the moon rise and fall, the mountain mists are swaying, and the yin and yang rotate.

In addition, he held a dragon-tiger Ruyi in his hand.

This Ruyi is carved from a piece of warm green and yellow jade, one foot and three inches long, with a warm and lustrous luster. The yellow end of the head is carved with a swimming dragon, with Ruyi clouds wrapped around its body, and a little red in its mouth, like a fire bead. The tail is carved from green jade into a crouching tiger, with its tail curled back into a handle, and a ball of white dots under its paw, like ice and snow.

The four characters “Wanfa Hunyuan” were engraved in the middle of Ruyi. The magic weapon inside Ruyi was slowly moving around these four characters like stars.

When Cheng Xinzhan saw that everyone was staring at him, he knew that this outfit was too ostentatious, but since the master had given the order, he had no choice but to obey.

He did not bring any of the mountain people with him. He bid farewell to the president of the Capital Affairs Council, thanked him for making the special trip, and told the rest of the people to stay in the mountains and wait for him to come back. Then, he walked into the air towards the mountain gate.

When he arrived at the mountain gate, he found that the sutra-seeking ceremony had been prepared and waiting for him. The scale of the ceremony was so grand that even he was frightened by the sight of it.

The ceremonial guards consisted of thirty-six disciples wearing black caps and crane cloaks, arranged in nine rows, holding banners with images of the Four Symbols, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, and the Three Mountains and Five Peaks.

Behind the “front guards” came the “Three Pure Ones’ Dharma Chariot”. The three-meter-high Three Treasures Cloud Chariot broke through the clouds and mist, with the images of the Three Pure Ones hanging high on the cloud chariot, and the mirror wheel behind the images was as bright as the sun. Jade maidens holding swords stood at each corner of the chariot, constantly throwing gilded cloud seal talisman paper into the air, which turned into thousands of golden butterflies.

Behind the “Three Pure Ones” is the “Scripture Protection Array”, where 72 blue-robed Taoists form the Beidou Xuanji Array, holding long swords and jade bells. In the center of the array is the Baoguang Sutra Sedan, which is of course empty now. Everyone must be looking forward to it being filled with scriptures on the way back.

Behind the “Scripture Protection Array” is the “Heavenly Music Procession”, in which twelve musicians sit on the backs of white deer in the clouds. The four in the front row hold drums, the three in the middle row hold chimes, and the five in the last row play flutes.

After the “Tianle Ceremonial Procession” came the “Five Elements Flags”, with twenty-five flag-bearing warriors, holding the green wood flags of Jia and Yi in the east, the red fire flags of Bing and Ding in the south, the white metal flags of Geng and Xin in the west, the black water flags of Ren and Gui in the north, and the yellow earth flag of Wu and Ji in the center.

Behind the “Five Elements Law Flag” are the “Dharma Guardian Divine Generals”, a total of 360 Yellow Turban Warrior puppets with angry eyes and weapons in hand, patrolling the four directions.

Cheng Xinzhan had been in Mount Sanqing for more than 20 years and had never seen such a scene.

“Xinzhan, come here!”

Dong Shouren and Huo Jingyan were standing in front of the statue of the Three Pure Ones. At this moment, Huo Jingyan was waving to Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng Xinzhan then joined the ceremonial procession.

“You are the protagonist today.”

Huo Jingyan looked at Cheng Xinzhan and said.

Dong Shouren, who was always serious, looked at Cheng Xinzhan and nodded with a smile.

“This purple shawl looks best on young people.”

As the deputy leader of Yuanyin Temple, Dong Shouren naturally wore a purple shawl.

Then, he looked at Huo Jingyan and said,
“Let’s go. Don’t keep the Taoist friends from Wanshou Palace waiting for too long.”

Huo Jingyan nodded and threw a piece of talisman paper into the sky, which suddenly turned into a firework.

Immediately, banners and music started and the ceremonial procession began.

Xishan Wanshou Palace is to the west of Yuzhang, and Sanqing Mountain is to the east, so the ceremonial procession went all the way west.

However, the procession made too much noise as it passed through the sky above Yuzhang. The mortals on the ground saw the immortal appearing and bowed down in worship. There were also disciples of his sect and independent cultivators in the clouds who were amazed to see such a grand ceremony and followed behind to see the excitement.

The ceremonial procession was meant to demonstrate solemnity and majesty, so it moved very slowly, and more and more people gathered behind to watch the fun.

However, even if the procession was slow, after all, they were all accomplished practitioners, and the Wanshou Palace and Sanqing Mountain were both in Yuzhang, so naturally it wouldn’t take too long.

Two hours after setting off, the Gan River came into sight. The Wanshou Palace was on the west bank of the Gan River, so the ceremonial guard was slowly descending.

(End of this chapter)