I changed the world.

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In particular, as the abbot, Zhou Jingyuan knew many secrets that others did not. He knew that not long ago, His Majesty's special envoy went to Yunxiao Mountain and had a long private talk with his senior brother, the sect leader. Although he did not know the specific details, judging from the reactions of all parties in the end, the matter should have been accomplished.

Director Qian of the Religious Affairs Bureau had previously told him that His Majesty intended to bestow upon Abbot Li the honorific title of "Master Tongxuan." The imperial edict was expected to arrive at Yunxiao Mountain in the next few days.

In addition, the imperial family will allocate land to build a large-scale branch temple on Yunxiao Mountain in the southern suburbs of the capital!

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History: Chapter 693 Senior Brother! You've Attained Enlightenment?!

Previously, there was already a Xuantong Temple near the capital. If a larger one is built now, it will undoubtedly be extremely important for Yunxiao Mountain’s influence in the capital and its development in the north of the empire!

Zhou Jingyuan naturally knew what this meant. It meant that the Yunxiao lineage was about to truly flourish in the core area of ​​the empire's power!

Since the Yongchang persecution of Buddhism and the Northern Zhao emperor's "Decree to Abolish the Religion," which ordered the complete annihilation of the Xuanmen sect in the north and the destruction of its temples, more than 1,500 years after the Yunxiao lineage migrated south, Yunxiao Mountain has always been considered a major religion in the south. This time, it is a real opportunity to expand its influence in the north of the empire.

It can be said that, in the hearts of all the disciples of Yunxiao Mountain, the current abbot, Master Li Jingxin, truly deserves the title of "the student surpasses the master."

But at this moment, how could the abbot have any thoughts of retiring! Zhou Jingyuan's first reaction was disbelief, and then he hurriedly tried to persuade him.

As the supervisor, he was genuinely afraid of disrupting the current excellent development momentum of Yunxiao Mountain.

However, before he could finish his advice, Li Jingxin interrupted him with his hand.

“Jingyuan, I know what you’re worried about, but I also have my own plans. Please let me finish.”

Hearing his senior brother, the sect leader, say this, Zhou Jingyuan had no choice but to patiently continue listening, while secretly planning how to persuade his senior brother to retract his decision.

"Look..." As he spoke, Li Jingxin stretched out his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined together like a sword, and drew a line in the air in front of him. Then, a bolt of lightning flowed from his fingertip, and as his fingertip slid across the air, it formed a talisman. This talisman made of lightning did not dissipate, but appeared out of thin air.

"This...this is..." Zhou Jingyuan was stunned when he saw this scene. As the abbot of Yunxiao Mountain, he naturally knew some secrets. In fact, he was also present on the day his master, Xiao Daoguang, passed away.

However, knowing is one thing, but seeing your senior brother demonstrate it in front of you is another.

But then Li Jingxin clenched his fist, and the talisman that was hanging in the air beside him vanished without a trace with a "boom" as it turned into a bolt of lightning.

"Sect Leader Brother... this... could it be... that those rumors are true? You have truly attained enlightenment?!"

“I have indeed made some progress…” Li Jingxin waved his hand: “However, I am still far from becoming an immortal. That is why I do not want to be troubled by worldly affairs and focus solely on advancement. Therefore, I have the idea of ​​resigning from the position of abbot.”

"This..." Zhou Jingyuan's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, but he still frowned and said, "However, our sect leader's reputation is now widespread, and even the current emperor trusts him greatly. The sect's development is also progressing rapidly. If our sect leader were to retire now, I'm afraid..."

“Junior brother, you are mistaken.” Li Jingxin shook his head upon hearing this.

"Why do you say that, Senior Brother Sect Leader?"

"In recent years, there have been many supernatural events both at home and abroad. Even the Empire has begun to pay attention to these developments. Others may not know about this, but Junior Brother should know about it."

"Of course I know. Just like what happened not long ago, if it weren't for Senior Brother Headmaster's intervention, I really wouldn't know how to handle it..."

Zhou Jingyuan was thinking about the Fengsui Fort incident not long ago. At that time, His Majesty sent his personal attendant to inquire about the matter. The attendant from the capital, Wang Zhangshi, was personally received by his senior brother, the sect leader. He had personally witnessed that the attendant, who was so polite to the cabinet ministers, was extremely respectful to his senior brother and never showed the slightest airs.

Later, he also heard from Director Qian of the Religious Affairs Bureau that the matter had been resolved... Director Qian not only sent over some more classified "information," but also revealed that His Majesty intended to bestow the title of "Master Tongxuan" upon his senior brother, which made him think a lot...

In fact, in Zhou Jingyuan's eyes, every time he saw his senior brother recently, he seemed to sense some changes in him. At the same time, his senior brother gradually stopped receiving outsiders. Even high-ranking officials like Director Qian of the Religious Affairs Bureau were usually received by him.

Interestingly, the more senior brother acted this way, the more people flocked to see him. Recently, he's been quite overwhelmed by simply refusing requests from various parties...

Behind the sect leader, there are more and more things that he can't see through...

Unexpectedly, my senior brother now has the idea of ​​completely abandoning his responsibilities...

"I'm just a messenger," Li Jingxin said, shaking his head as he looked at Zhou Jingyuan. "I dare not take credit for what I've earned."

After a moment's hesitation, Li Jingxin finally spoke: "At this critical juncture of change, there are some things I must reveal to you, so that you may know the true origins of my family..."

Zhou Jingyuan was taken aback upon hearing this, and subconsciously said, "Isn't my Yunxiao Mountain derived from Master Lu back then?"

Li Jingxin chuckled: "Junior brother, do you know whose lineage Lu Shouyan, the Celestial Master Lu, inherited?"

“Ah…” Zhou Jingyuan considered for a moment before hesitatingly saying, “It is said that Master Lu searched far and wide and met a great sage who imparted to him the twenty-four volumes of the Stone Box Book…”

"Junior brother, do you believe me?" Li Jingxin slowly suppressed his smile and asked directly.

Zhou Jingyuan originally wanted to say that this was how it was described in the sect's scriptures... but seeing his senior brother's ambiguous smile, he swallowed his words. He subconsciously recalled the scene of his master's passing that he had witnessed, and then he thought of the extraordinary magic that his senior brother had just demonstrated for him. Thinking of the miraculous deeds of his senior brother that were rumored outside, he was certain that his sect must have some secrets that he did not know about...

Putting aside everything else, just look at these things right in front of us... Have we met a great sage?

Why would I pass on the twenty-four volumes of the "Stone Box Book" to you when we have no relatives or friends?

The law should not be passed on lightly!

Even among skilled farmers, if there are one or two secret teachings, the principle is to pass them on to sons, not daughters, and to legitimate sons, not illegitimate ones. How much more so this orthodox method of the Xuanmen!

That was such a precious thing; even after decades of studying it, I had never been taught a single move or technique.

If Master Lu was simply seeking the Dao, then why would the great sage, who had no relatives or friends, pass on the twenty-four volumes of the "Stone Box Book" to him?

Upon closer examination, the accounts in those ancient texts simply cannot withstand scrutiny…

In particular, since my senior brother asked this question, he must have a secret to tell me...

Zhou Jingyuan's breathing quickened slightly, and his gaze towards his senior brother held a mixture of curiosity and longing. He respectfully said, "Please enlighten me, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

Li Jingxin remained silent for a moment, only staring at Zhou Jingyuan, making him somewhat uneasy, before slowly and solemnly saying, "Junior brother, what we said today concerns a fundamental secret of our sect. No one else here can hear it; what comes from my mouth will enter your ears..."

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 694 The Great Tree Behind Cloud Peak Mountain

Seeing his senior brother speak like this, Zhou Jingyuan quickly said seriously, "Sect Leader, rest assured, don't you know what kind of person I am? I will never tell anyone else what I said here, otherwise, I am willing to accept the severe punishment according to the sect rules!"

Seeing Zhou Jingyuan say this, Li Jingxin slowly nodded and continued, "Back then, you must have heard of Lu Shouyan, the master Lu Tianshi's, mentor..."

As he spoke, Li Jingxin gave a perfunctory bow: "Lord Zhang, whose given name is Taiping."

“Master Zhang, whose given name is Taiping…” Zhou Jingyuan was taken aback at first, then after pondering it carefully twice, his eyes suddenly widened: “Zhang Taiping… that’s not… that’s not…”

"The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise..." Li Jingxin's gaze was profound, as if piercing through the mists of history:

"More than 1800 years ago, the Xuanmen Uprising swept across the entire country and ultimately destroyed the Great Xia Dynasty, which had lasted for more than four hundred years... Huang Tiandao, the Great Teacher of Virtue, Zhang Taiping!"

"This... Senior brother, this is no joke!"

"It's true."

"The so-called twenty-four volumes of the Stone Box Book also has another name..." Li Jingxin stared at his junior brother and said slowly, "It is... the Yellow Heaven Non-Action Scripture."

“This…I never imagined…I never imagined that my Yunxiao Mountain would be…I never imagined that…” Zhou Jingyuan murmured.

“My Yunxiao Mountain is a remnant of the Huangtiandao sect from back then,” Li Jingxin said calmly.

"Senior brother, be careful what you say... You must be careful what you say..." Zhou Jingyuan subconsciously looked around again and even lowered his voice a few octaves.

Although a monk, Zhou Jingyuan, as the abbot, was not ignorant of worldly affairs. He clearly knew that although more than 1800 years had passed, Huang Tiandao's actions were still far too shocking. The matter of Yunxiao Mountain concerning Huang Tiandao, once spread, might cause the officials of the current court to become wary and view Yunxiao Mountain differently…

Zhou Jingyuan composed himself before asking in a low voice, "But... according to historical records, wasn't the Yellow Heaven Path... wasn't it... wasn't it wiped out?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jingxin couldn't help but recall the scenes he had witnessed in the Chengzong Tower. After a moment of silence, he said with a sigh, "How could a sect backed by a true immortal possibly be truly wiped out..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingyuan subconsciously recalled the supernatural scene he had witnessed outside his teacher's hospital room years ago, and thought to himself that his senior brother really did know something, managing to keep it from everyone back then...

"Is the True Immortal you speak of, Senior Brother?" He subconsciously leaned forward, as if wanting to hear more clearly.

"They are the true lineage of the great and virtuous Master Zhang, the ancestral lineage of my Yunxiao Mountain, the direct descendant of the Supreme Heavenly Venerable, the orthodox lineage of the Xuanmen, and the immortal sect Kunlun." Li Jingxin's expression was solemn as he cupped his hands towards the sky once more.

“Kunlun…” Zhou Jingyuan’s mouth dropped open upon hearing this, his heart pounding and his mouth dry. “Could it be the immortal mountain in the sea, the abode of gods and immortals, the Daoist temple of the Supreme Heavenly Venerable, mentioned in the Record of Fate…”

Among the myths of the Chinese civilization, there are many legends and myths about Kunlun. Although most of them are vague and many descriptions cannot be matched, such records can be found from the ancient times thousands of years ago to the ancient times hundreds of years ago. Therefore, when Zhou Jingyuan heard this, his first thought was of those myths and legends.

"Those ancient records are mostly distorted accounts of what people saw in ancient times, based on fragmentary glimpses of immortals," Li Jingxin said with a faint smile. "However, where there's smoke, there's fire."

"The term 'immortal' refers to a person who enters the mountains and becomes an immortal. However, this mountain is not that mountain. The abode of immortals is not on the overseas immortal mountains, but in the void and grotto heavens. Ordinary people cannot see it, nor can they go there."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingyuan seemed to ponder: "Sea travelers speak of Yingzhou, its vast expanse of misty waters making it hard to find... No wonder... No wonder..."

"Junior brother, do you still remember the immortal who appeared during the recent Beacon Tower incident?"

“Of course I remember, could it be…” As a high-ranking member of Yunxiao Mountain, Zhou Jingyuan had naturally obtained information from the Religious Affairs Bureau. He was also aware of the immortal who sat in the void of the universe with great supernatural powers. However, because it was too fantastical, it gave him a sense of unreality.

“Those are the people from Kunlun,” Li Jingxin nodded.

Zhou Jingyuan suddenly realized why his senior brother, the sect leader, had seemed so confident and in control. He must have had a way to communicate with Kunlun!

“If it weren’t for that great tree sheltering us from the wind and rain, my Yunxiao lineage would have long since vanished… Take the Yongchang persecution back then…” Li Jingxin clapped his hands and sighed, but did not continue, only saying, “The secrets behind this will be revealed when you, Junior Brother, step into the Chengzong Pagoda one day…”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingyuan was first taken aback, then his heart trembled. As a disciple of Yunxiao Mountain, he naturally knew what the Chengzong Tower was for! It was a forbidden area that only the abbot of each generation could enter!

My senior brother said that... Could it be?!

A possibility instantly flashed through his mind!

His heart pounded harder and harder, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. His senior brother had suddenly summoned him and then told him such a secret thing...

Thinking of this, and recalling his senior brother's actions today, Zhou Jingyuan suddenly had another idea and hurriedly said, "Could it be that, senior brother, the sect leader, has obtained a predestined affinity for immortality..."

"I am deeply grateful to my elders for not abandoning me and for bestowing upon me the true Dharma. I have decided to renounce worldly affairs and devote myself wholeheartedly to spiritual practice..." Li Jingxin did not continue with his cryptic remarks but spoke directly.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingyuan felt a surge of envy, and at the same time, she finally understood why her senior brother had suddenly relinquished his position as abbot—it was, after all, a matter of destiny…

To take that step towards immortality and roam freely between heaven and earth—which member of the Xuanmen sect wouldn't want that…?

However, given this situation, I really have no reason to dissuade my senior brother any further. After all, if I were to try to dissuade him again, wouldn't that be obstructing his path to enlightenment?

At the same time, Zhou Jingyuan also had some inexplicable expectations in his heart. After all, his senior brother, the sect leader, had hinted that if he stepped down, he would most likely take over the position of abbot.

For Zhou Jingyuan, this was truly an unexpected opportunity. According to the rules of Yunxiao Mountain, since Li Jingxin had already taken over as abbot, given his current age and physical condition, he would remain in this position for at least twenty or thirty years until his body could no longer bear it or he passed away, at which point the next abbot would take over.

When the time comes, the next abbot will usually be chosen from the abbot's disciples, or the abbot himself will designate a successor. After all, after twenty or thirty years, the abbot's lineage has long been firmly established, and the older disciples should be over fifty or sixty years old, so there are naturally enough candidates.