Chapter 86 Refinement 5 Lines
Chapter 86: Refining the Five Elements
"Xinzhan, do you think this change in formation was the intention of Lord Hongwu or Lord Yongle?"
Zhu Jianmo looked at the golden light escaping into the heaven and spoke slowly.
Cheng Xinzhan shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Senior Jin Mingzi is a man who is cruel to his enemies and generous to his friends. That's enough."
Zhu Jianmo nodded and didn't think about it anymore.
Sun Miaoshu and the other three also came over from a distance and saw the same scene.
"Is that Senior Jin Mingzi?"
someone asked.
"Yes, the senior has ascended."
Cheng Xinzhan said, "By the way, how did you cut off the connection between the capital dragon vein and the imperial city so quickly?"
Sun Miaoshu said, "Our Sanqing Mountain is known as the ancestral temple, so it naturally has branches all over Jiangnan. We went straight to the branch in Fengyang, Qingzhou, called Qinglin Temple, and asked them to contact the local government to evacuate the crowd and bury the gunpowder, and the matter was settled."
"Oh, I see."
It is simpler than Cheng Xinzhan imagined.
"But I didn't expect that Senior Jin Mingzi would ascend directly. We still have to go to Qinglin Temple to discuss the explanation."
So they went there immediately. Qinglin Temple was not much different from Yulin Temple, both were grand temples in the mortal world.
Several people told the temple master that the land had been breeding corpse fairies since before the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Coincidentally, the Ming Taizu also took a fancy to this precious land and moved his ancestral tomb here.
The Zhuming dragon vein suppressed the corpse fairy. If the corpse fairy came out, it would overturn the dragon vein and cause disaster. Fortunately, this corpse fairy was a kind corpse. When he saw the few of them traveling here, he summoned them and asked them to release the dragon vein. Now the corpse fairy has escaped and ascended.
However, we will not mention the corpse immortals in the mortal world. We will just say that the ancestor of the Zhu family has been worshipped for four hundred years and has completed his merits and virtues, and has shed his body and ascended to heaven.
The abbot agreed, and after seeing the few people off, he went on to appease the people.
----
After Cheng Xinzhan and the other six returned to Sanqing Mountain, they were led by Sun Miaoshu to fly to Yuhua Peak in the heart of Sanqing Mountain.
The three peaks of Yuhua, Yuxu and Yujing in the heart of Sanqing Mountain are the three highest peaks in the entire Sanqing Mountain area. They are the administrative hubs of Sanqing Mountain. Those who practice and work there are all at a level lower than the second realm.
Yujing Peak is in charge of all daily affairs inside and outside the sect, and has jurisdiction over the Capital Affairs Office, Capital Kitchen Office, Capital Education Office, Examination and Planning Office, Examination and Evaluation Office, Examination and Engineering Office, Medical Office, Foreign Affairs Office, etc.
Yuhua Peak is responsible for responding to various emergencies and has the power to mobilize all people and things in the sect. For example, this time when Taoist Jianxian and Cheng Xinzhan discovered that the earth veins had changed and were connected to the mortal city, it was Yuhua Peak that took the lead in coordinating, dispatching people, discussing measures, checking information, and finally sending a group of people to support.
Yuxu Peak is responsible for the protection and overall planning of the mountain gate, is responsible for presiding over and maintaining the mountain protection formation and the legal prohibitions in various parts of the sect, is responsible for the layout of the mountains and the direction of rivers in the sect, etc.
Yujing Peak, Yuhua Peak and Yuxu Peak are regarded as the incarnations of the three saints Taiqing, Yuqing and Shangqing in Sanqing Mountain. Therefore, to show respect, disciples mostly do not call them by their real names, but call them Taiye Mountain, Jianxin Mountain and Tiaoyun Mountain.
Everyone landed on Yuhua Peak, where there were many palaces. Several people came to Hongchen Palace, which was in charge of worldly affairs, and were received by the elder on duty.
Several people recounted their experiences going out in detail, and also said that the one who ascended today was a corpse immortal, the source of the harm to the earth veins, and explained all the grievances clearly.
The elder on duty nodded repeatedly and praised them.
"So there are so many twists and turns. We can ask the Foreign Affairs Department to go to Yanzhao to inquire about the health of Emperor Ming and verify it. You have done a good job. There are no casualties. It is rare that you have considered the impact of the mortal world, unified your statements, and even formed a good relationship with a corpse fairy. If this mission can be rated as the best, I will contact the Examination Institute to distribute the bonus to you."
Everyone thanked him.
At this time, Cheng Xinzhan said again, "Elder, Senior Jin Mingzi also told us about his life experience. He has a long history with the ancestor and also told us some things about the ancestor. We would like to see the headmaster and report to him in person."
The elder on duty was surprised when he heard this, and said, "You guys wait a little longer."
After saying this, the elder on duty left in a hurry.
The few of them waited for about quarter of an hour before the elder on duty came back and said that the headmaster wanted to invite them and that he had already informed Yuxu Peak. The spiritual restrictions along the formation had been cleared, and they could go to the flat-topped mountain in the center of the Lotus Blessed Land on their own.
So everyone left Yuhua Peak and rode on the clouds to Pingdingshan, the blessed land of lotus.
Pingdingshan is a mountain shape. The name of this mountain is actually Liangyi Mountain, but the name Pingdingshan is too vivid, so most people in the clan usually call it Pingdingshan, and fewer people call it Liangyi Mountain.
This was not the first time Cheng Xinzhan came to Pingdingshan, but this time, he saw the whole picture.
The top of Pingdingshan Mountain is smooth and flat, as if it had been cut with a knife. The square bricks on the ground were either laid later or carved out of the original mountain top. Each brick is thirty steps wide, dividing the top of the mountain into a chessboard.
The mist on the top of the mountain fell on the stone bricks, moistening their surface. Each brick seemed to be covered with a thin layer of water, creating a mirror-like effect. When you looked down, your reflection was clearly visible.
Looking further away, the top of the mountain seemed to have turned into a large lake, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds and yellow cranes, and the people seemed to be walking on the water.
There are three halls quietly standing on the lake. These three halls are majestic but not gorgeous, with white walls. The one on the left is red glazed tiles, the one on the right is black and gold tiles, and the one at the back is sky blue jade tiles.
The three main halls are symmetrically arranged and stand on the flat mountain top. They are reflected in the water vapor on the bricks and stones, appearing quiet and solemn.
The group was originally talking and laughing. Except for Cheng Xinzhan, who had been brought here once by Wen Sukong, the rest of the people were here for the first time. Moreover, it was the first time for all of them to see the headmaster. They were wondering what kind of person the headmaster was. But as they walked, they were infected by the quiet atmosphere and gradually quieted down.
The group walked between Chunyang Palace and Yuanyin Palace and arrived in front of the last palace.
There was a plaque hanging on the palace gate, with three large characters written in simple cursive script:
Sanqing Palace.
The gate of Sanqing Palace was wide open. Everyone saw the jade statues of Sanqing enshrined in the main hall, which reached as high as the palace roof. The carvings of the jade statues were lifelike. The Taiqing saint in the middle was an old man with his hands clasped, the Yuqing saint on the left was a middle-aged man stroking his beard, and the Shangqing saint on the right was a young man with his hands behind his back. The three saints had compassionate and kind smiles on their faces, and people were like ants in front of the jade statues.
In front of the huge jade statue is an incense burner with green smoke rising from it.
There was a cushion placed in front of the incense burner, and a man was sitting there, watching the group of people coming.
Everyone walked in with their heads down, but they all secretly raised their eyes to look.
Cheng Xinzhan also took a peek and finally saw what the headmaster of Sanqing Mountain looked like.
Unexpectedly young.
This was Cheng Xinzhan's first reaction. He thought the headmaster was an old man with a white beard, but he didn't expect him to be so young, only about 30 years old.
The headmaster was wearing a green Taoist robe. The fabric did not look luxurious, and there was no shining light. Instead, it was very ordinary. He wore a lotus crown on his head, and his hands were empty, resting naturally on his knees.
The headmaster's face was naturally very handsome, very fair, and a little thin, with a pair of phoenix eyes and light eyebrows, like a scholar, but the whole person exuded a sense of relaxation and absolute confidence. There was a smile on the corner of his mouth, as if he didn't care about anything, and as if everything was under his control.
If he had to make an analogy, he thought the headmaster was a person like a phoenix.
"Now that you are all here, sit down and talk."
The headmaster told them that the sound was as clear and elegant as the cry of a phoenix or the sound of a flute.
Six cushions appeared out of thin air opposite the headmaster.
Everyone bowed and said yes, then each found a cushion to sit on.
"You guys are strangers. We probably haven't met each other before. Can you introduce each of you first?"
The headmaster did not ask about Jin Mingzi right away, but instead gently asked them to introduce themselves.
"The 46th generation disciple, Sun Miaoshu from Ziyan Mountain greets the headmaster."
"The 48th generation disciple, Xu Jishen from Yaoguang Mountain greets the headmaster."
"The 47th generation disciple, Zhu Jianmo from White Tiger Mountain greets the headmaster."
"The 46th generation disciple, Miaoyuan, the King of Baicao Mountain, greets the headmaster."
"The 48th generation disciple, Feng Jihu of Dujuan Valley greets the headmaster."
"The 26th generation disciple, Cheng Xinzhan from Mingzhi Mountain greets the headmaster."
Several people answered respectfully.
The headmaster smiled and nodded, "All right, you are all young people, practice hard and don't waste your time. The future of Sanqing Mountain depends on you young people. Here, I have six lotus seeds that can be planted and used as medicine. You take them."
The headmaster took out six lotus seeds emitting green light from his arms, opened his palm, and six lotus seeds flew out by themselves and stopped in front of the six people.
"Thank you, Master!"
There was no need to refuse the gift from the headmaster. The six of them responded in unison and put away the lotus seeds.
"Okay, tell me more about that senior who ascended to heaven."
Seeing that several people accepted the gifts, the headmaster smiled and asked about the business.
The few of them had already discussed on the way that if the headmaster asked, Cheng Xinzhan would answer, because he was the only one who was there from the beginning to the end of this matter.
So Cheng Xinzhan briefly recounted the whole story, but emphasized the experience of Jin Mingzi who was surrounded and killed when he ascended to heaven as a celestial immortal in his first life, and then ascended to heaven as a corpse immortal in his second life. He then repeated the two questions raised by Zhu Jianmo and himself, and explained in detail the fact that there are no golden immortals in heaven, the fruitless search for the ancestor by Qilin in his first life, and the explanation of the nature of gold.
The headmaster listened quietly without interrupting once. After Cheng Xinzhan finished speaking, he said,
"Senior Jin Mingzi's every word is like a pearl. You should also try to comprehend the nature of gold. I already know what happened. You don't need to tell anyone about Jin Mingzi and the ancestor, including the matter of the Red Dust Dragon Vein. Your master doesn't need to tell anyone either. I will ask them not to ask too many questions. You've taken the trouble to come here. Go back and practice. Xinzhan, you stay for a while."
The other five people looked at Cheng Xinzhan in surprise, then stood up, bowed and left.
Cheng Xinzhan didn't know why the master wanted to keep him here, and felt a little nervous.
"Xinzhan, how many years have you been in the mountains?"
The head teacher asked.
"Master, this is the third year."
The headmaster nodded and said, "You probably know the situation at Meiji Mountain, right?"
Cheng Xinzhan thought that the headmaster was talking about the few inheritances and the high seniority, so he said, "I probably know something."
"Yes," the headmaster nodded, "Headmaster of Sanqing Palace, deputy headmaster of Chunyang Hall, deputy headmaster of Yuanyin Hall, deputy headmaster of Yujing Peak, and deputy headmaster of Shennv Peak. Except for the deputy headmaster of Shennv Peak, all the other five heads have been held by everyone from Meiji Mountain."
Cheng Xinzhan was shocked when he heard this and looked straight at the headmaster.
The man smiled and shook his head. "No, I came from Feixiantai in Ziyan Mountain. It seems that you don't know this yet. I tell you this because I see that you are practicing the Five Elements, right? There is an unwritten rule in Sanqing Mountain that only those who practice the Five Elements and Yin and Yang can be qualified for the position of leader."
Cheng Xinzhan was a little confused, so he asked, "Master, what does it mean to practice the five elements?"
"Oh, so you don't know this yet. Didn't Su Kong tell you? Yes, she has always been careless and only focused on practicing Taoism, so it's difficult for her to take on a disciple."
The man laughed and continued, "In fact, most practitioners will find an element that best suits their hearts when practicing the Five Elements. Then, in the Qi Refining Realm, they will focus on the corresponding organs and comprehend their innate or acquired Dharma essence. They will pay less attention to other elements and organs, and only seek to open up and gather the five elements to open up the Crimson Palace. They will have preferences when practicing spells, incantations, and talismans. When they reach the second realm, they will lean towards Yang or Yin according to their favorite elements. When they form the elixir and wash the elixir, they will also have a focus. Even when they merge with the Dao, they will be affected. This influence will last throughout their lives."
"Just like your fellow disciples just now, it is obvious that Sun Miaoshu likes earth, Xu Jishen and Wang Miaoyuan like water, Zhu Jianmo likes gold, and Feng Jihu likes wood. We can also guess from now on that Sun Miaoshu and Zhu Jianmo like yang, and Xu Jishen, Wang Miaoyuan and Feng Jihu like yin."
"But you are different. Although you open your heart first and use visualization to eat Yang fire and form the inner scene of the Pleiades, this is very good. But from the question you asked Senior Jin Mingzi about the gold element, I know that you don't just focus on the fire element, right? And I see that there is already some gold element left in you. You want to use Yang fire to refine Yin gold, and have the five elements, and Yin and Yang complement each other, right?"
Cheng Xinzhan nodded. He really didn't favor any particular profession. He just felt that every profession had infinite mysteries.
The headmaster smiled and said, "What you are doing is called practicing the five elements. You have to figure out every element. Every element is the key to your understanding of the great way of heaven and earth. Your master Su Kong is not like that. She prefers water and gold, and the two elements are in the yin. This has to do with talent and cognition. Some people want to practice the five elements, but they don't have the ability. When their lifespan is over, they pick an element to practice in a panic. Some people have the ability, but they only prefer one or two elements in their bones. Su Kong is the latter."
"I wonder what the Master has to teach me?"
The headmaster sighed, "Nowadays, the cultivation world is becoming more and more impetuous, and fewer and fewer people are cultivating the five elements. When I saw you, I knew that you could continue on this path, so I kept you here to remind you that in your future cultivation, don't just focus on the present moment, but have a long-term vision. You see, the Taoist name Su Kong gave you is very good, you should have a long-term vision.
"Moreover, among the eight veins of the Lotus, only the Dharma of Ziyan Mountain and Meizhi Mountain points directly to Yin and Yang and takes into account the Five Elements, so most of the headmaster positions come from these two mountains. Also, Meizhi Mountain has not had a headmaster for many generations. You have few disciples, and Su Kong cannot be relied on. You have to work harder."
The headmaster suddenly smiled mischievously, "In our generation, the number of headmasters coming out of Ziyan Mountain and Meizhi Mountain is exactly the same. The rest will depend on you younger generations."
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(End of this chapter)