On the first day of the new year, as dawn faintly broke, the rising sun cast purple clouds across the sky.
*Clang—*
*Clang—*
*Clang—*
Nine resonant, clear bell tolls echoed through Baiyun Mountain and Jizhou Prefecture.
The Spring Festival ceremony officially began!
…
Baiyun Temple’s Spring Festival ceremony was a grand annual event in Jizhou. Many local and nearby temples and monasteries either held their ceremonies at the end of the previous year or postponed them to the tenth or fifteenth of the new year.
This was not only to avoid clashing with Baiyun Temple’s event but also because their abbots and masters attended Baiyun Temple’s ceremony as guests.
With their leaders at Baiyun Temple, who could preside over their own ceremonies?
Adhering to Taoist principles, Baiyun Temple, though engaged with the world, avoided extravagant displays. The Spring Festival ceremony invited only fellow practitioners to observe, not the general public.
Thus, many devout merchants, gentry, and farmers gathered at the mountain’s base, offering solemn salutes to Baiyun Mountain, but temple Taoists barred them from ascending.
…
After the nine bell tolls, chanting filled the air. Even Lu Zheng donned a Taoist robe, mingling with the Yuan-generation Taoists, reciting scriptures as part of the backdrop.
Then, the Ming-generation Taoists formed ranks, set up altars, lit incense, and offered prayers.
Moments later, dozens of Taoists with centuries of cultivation performed rituals together. Countless white clouds gathered, drifting ethereally, enveloping Baiyun Mountain in a misty veil, transforming it into a celestial wonderland.
Master Mingyu suddenly appeared in the sky, riding a cloud, gracefully descending to the altar in the front hall plaza, holding a silk scroll.
After a prayer honouring ancestors and heaven, the scroll flew skyward without wind, transforming into radiant white light. People within a hundred-mile radius felt their minds and bodies lighten.
Next, the clouds spread a thousand miles, radiating from Baiyun Mountain, then turned into a fine, misty rain, gently falling.
Following this, a master delivered a sermon.
Each year, a highly accomplished master from Baiyun Temple lectured on the path of cultivation, a key reason many practitioners eagerly attended.
Ordinary people rarely had the chance to hear a millennium-cultivated master preach.
Though Lu Zheng had relied on his own efforts in cultivation, he welcomed the chance to hear a master’s insights.
…
The Spring Festival ceremony ran from mid-morning to late morning. When the preaching master departed on a cloud, the event concluded.
Master Mingyu invited the attending practitioners for a vegetarian meal, and Lu Zheng joined his temple peers in the rear hall to dine.
By late noon, Baiyun Temple bid farewell to the visiting practitioners. The waiting crowd at the mountain’s base then surged forward, eager to burn incense and pray for a smooth new year.
…
The Spring Festival ceremony proceeded smoothly without any mishaps.
In the following days, Lu Zheng and Yuanjing continued as before, exploring and socializing within Baiyun Temple.
…
On the fifth day, they descended the mountain.
Travelling swiftly, Master Mingzhang led Lu Zheng and Yuanjing to the junction of Sanjiang Road and Yinan Road, a three-way fork. One path led west to Lingbei Road, another southeast to Yinan Road’s prefectures.
“From here, past Yangzhou, you’ll reach Huizhou,” Master Mingzhang told Lu Zheng.
“Yes,” Lu Zheng replied, bowing to Master Mingzhang and Yuanjing. “Master! Senior Brother! I’ll take this road then!”
Yuanjing cautioned, “Be careful on your journey. Stay vigilant and don’t be reckless.”
Master Mingzhang, “…”
Lu Zheng, “…”
Lu Zheng nodded. “Rest assured, Senior Brother, I understand.”
Travelling from Yizhou to Jizhou required passing through Yinan Road, and the return was no different. The Jinhua Sect was in Huizhou, east of Yinan Road.
Lu Zheng could visit the Jinhua Sect to return the *Nine Heavens Golden Palace True Transformation Technique*.
As an outer lay disciple of Baiyun Temple, he wouldn’t embarrass the Jinhua Sect as a direct disciple might, yet his affiliation with Baiyun Temple ensured their respect.
If Master Mingzhang accompanied him, it might make the Jinhua Sect uncomfortable.
The best approach was for Lu Zheng to go alone. The Jinhua Sect would recognize Baiyun Temple’s gesture, and since Lu Zheng was merely an outer disciple, they wouldn’t deceive him but would sincerely offer a suitable gift in return.
Thus, they agreed that Master Mingzhang and Yuanjing would return to Tonglin County, while Lu Zheng set off for Huizhou’s Jinhua Sect.
“With two hundred years of cultivation and mastery of the Earth-Travelling Technique, even a millennium-old demon can’t catch you if you escape early. Just be cautious and avoid traps,” Master Mingzhang advised.
“Yes, I understand,” Lu Zheng nodded, increasingly grateful for his encounter with the cave elder. The Earth-Travelling Technique was truly formidable!
With a wave, Master Mingzhang and Yuanjing headed west, while Lu Zheng turned southeast.
…
“Jade Seal! Traverse!”
*Whoosh!*
At Baiyun Temple, Lu Zheng avoided using fortune’s light to boost his cultivation or traversing, wary of attracting the attention of the old masters in the back mountains.
After parting with Master Mingzhang and Yuanjing, he slipped into a forest beside the mountain path, found a secluded spot, climbed a tree, and traversed to the modern world.
As expected…
Despite prior notice, his phone was flooded with messages.
Lu Zheng first called Lin Wan back, then spoke with his mother for half an hour, promising to be more attentive, before returning to the ancient world.
“Jade Seal! Enhance!”
After handling modern messages, the priority was boosting his strength.
*Buzz!*
Eight strands of fortune’s light were consumed, evenly enhancing his abilities, then entering a cooldown period.
“Jade Seal! Enhance again! This time, the stealth technique!”
During his days at Baiyun Temple, though he didn’t cultivate, Lu Zheng had grasped the principles of his new techniques.
*Buzz!*
“Now the dream-entry technique!”
*Buzz!*
“Finally, the puppet technique and Spirit-Attachment Charm!”
*Buzz!*
“Phew—”
Lu Zheng exhaled, feeling the techniques flow effortlessly, stretching contentedly, fully satisfied.
…
“Onward!”
This wasn’t an official road, so Lu Zheng followed a small path. Though he soon left the mountains, he entered a dense forest.
Glancing up, it was nearly noon, sunlight filtering through the trees, a fine day.
Looking ahead, the path stretched endlessly. “Good grief, this road is long. I’ll walk a bit more, then go find Lin Wan for lunch.”
Continuing, Lu Zheng rounded a bend and saw a small caravan stopped by the roadside. Several people, escorted by guards, were disembarking, while a dilapidated temple loomed faintly in the forest nearby.
