Xiao Wenbing sighed inwardly, "As expected of the number one Taoist sect in the world, this style and scene are incomparable to the Secret Talisman Sect."
Following the main road, they entered the mountain gate. Xiao Wenbing gasped.
Within the gates of each sect lies a place where spiritual energy is exceptionally concentrated. The mountains and rivers here are not products of the mortal world.
These are all mustard seed spaces opened up by the ancestors and founders of various sects with great abilities and supernatural powers. The size of the space and the concentration of spiritual energy within it depend on the individual's cultivation level.
The mountain gate of the Secret Talisman Sect is not small, but compared with this place, it immediately pales in comparison, being at least ten times smaller.
“What a magnificent mountain gate…” Xiao Wenbing exclaimed sincerely.
Chen Shanji smiled proudly. Every disciple from another sect who entered the mountain gate for the first time inevitably had this feeling.
“Junior Brother Xiao, the glory of our sect today is the result of the combined efforts of over a thousand patriarchs across dozens of generations.”
Xiao Wenbing withdrew his admiring gaze. He knew that only cultivators who had passed through the Heavenly Tribulation and were on the verge of ascension to immortality had the ability to expand this mustard seed space that would never disappear or shrink. This was because only they could use a trace of immortal spiritual energy, and it was precisely this immortal spiritual energy that maintained the eternal power of this space.
"Over a thousand?" Xiao Wenbing murmured. Many hands make light work; this famous saying of a certain great man truly contains a profound truth.
Inside the mountain gate, the view stretched endlessly into the distance. Chen Shanji led them to a residence and said, "Please rest for now. My master will emerge from seclusion the day after tomorrow. At that time, he will meet with disciples from various sects and open a reading room according to your specialties and interests."
Xiao Wenbing was stunned. Why was it a meeting with disciples from various sects? And why was there a reading room? What kind of place was this? Was it a Taoist mountain gate or a library?
Volume Two: The Fairy in White, Chapter Fifty-Four: The Reading Room
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As soon as Chen Shanji left, he grabbed Zhang Jie and asked, "Senior brother, why are there so many sects here?"
Zhang Jie smiled slightly and said, "The matter of sending our disciples back to the Heavenly Dao Sect to learn the various arts of Taoism was proposed by Grandmaster Baihe. Originally, it was only our Secret Talisman Sect, but later, the sect leader of the Heavenly Dao Sect took pity on us and allowed all lineages that originated from the Heavenly Dao Sect to send their Golden Core stage disciples into the mountains to learn the various arts of Taoism."
"Ah... so what is a reading room?"
"It's where the cultivation methods of the Taoist arts are stored. I heard from my senior brother that there are countless jade slips there. As long as you have the ability, you can learn as many as you can."
"Aren't there any restrictions?"
"No."
"Aren't they afraid that other sects will learn what they've learned here?"
Zhang Jie chuckled and said, "Junior brother, the Daoist arts encompass everything. To be proficient in even one or two of them is already a sign of exceptional talent. As for learning them all, I'm afraid even the patriarchs who ascended to the Immortal Realm wouldn't dare to boast about it. Besides, with our cultivation level, we can only study some basic techniques. If you want to learn more advanced ones, first of all, you need to see if you have the talent and ability."
"What if I had that ability?"
Zhang Jie stopped smiling and said seriously, "Junior brother, with your talent, I believe that no matter which skill you choose, you will be able to excel. However, you must remember that you can't bite off more than you can chew. It's better to learn one skill at a time."
"Yes, senior brother."
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.
The two brothers were taken aback. This person was obviously doing it on purpose. They hadn't expected that a guest would visit them so soon after they arrived at the Tianyi Sect.
"Is he a senior brother from the Secret Talisman Sect?"
Zhang Jie gave Xiao Wenbing a wink, and the two went out side by side. Outside the door stood a burly, muscular man with a rather fierce face, but at this moment he had a friendly expression.
"Indeed, may I ask who you are, senior brother...?"
Since we've come to the Heavenly Dao Sect, we must all be from its lineage. Because there are so many people, we mostly disregard seniority and instead address each other as fellow disciples based on our individual cultivation levels.
This person's cultivation had reached the peak of the Golden Core stage, which was even three points better than that of their senior brother Lu Jun, so of course they dared not be impolite.
"Uncle Shang Ling of Tianfeng Sect has come to express his gratitude to my two senior brothers."
The two brothers exchanged a surprised glance. They had never seen this person before. What was he thanking them for? Could it be that the Secret Talisman Sect had done them a favor?
"You're too kind, Senior Brother Shang." Although she didn't understand what he was saying, she still had to maintain a polite facade.
Uncle Shang smiled slightly and said, "It is impossible to know how long the Tianyi Sect has been passed down. Over the years, countless sects have emerged. However, most sects only have one skill. Once they cannot find a suitable successor, these unique skills will inevitably be lost."
“Exactly.” Zhang Jie agreed repeatedly, but he had no idea what Shang Lingshu meant by saying those words.
"Fortunately, your sect's founder, Master Baihe, persuaded the then Tianyi Sect Master to allow our disciples from various sects who left Tianyi to return to the mountain to cultivate. This act of kindness has preserved countless Taoist arts and is truly a great merit."
"Not at all," the two brothers said modestly, but they were very puzzled. This was just opening a door for disciples of various sects, what kind of great merit was this?
Although Shang Lingshu had a rugged appearance, he was a thoughtful person. Seeing their expressions, he knew that they knew nothing about this matter. He then smiled and said, "Since the White Crane Ancestor performed this good deed, thousands of years have passed. In these thousands of years, many sects have been born, but many sects have also disappeared. However, their special skills and unique techniques have rarely been lost."
"Why?" Xiao Wenbing became interested. Could it be that this was related to the Tianyi Sect opening up the various Taoist arts?
"If a sect cannot find a good successor to inherit its mantle, it will often seal its most advanced skills in secret scrolls and entrust the Tianyi Sect to find a suitable successor. Over thousands of years, the Tianyi Sect has sealed at least several hundred secret scrolls."
"If this is true, then it is indeed a great act of kindness. However, how exactly does the Heavenly Dao Sect find a successor for them?"
“Every year during the centennial celebration of the Tianyi Sect, these secret scrolls are taken out. Under the guidance of the Tianyi Secret Method, once a suitable successor is found, the scrolls will emit white light to recognize their owner. Of course, whether or not one is willing to accept the successor is entirely voluntary, and the Tianyi Sect does not interfere.”
"A centennial celebration? This is it?"
"Haha." Uncle Shang Ling laughed loudly, "It is this time. The Heavenly Dao Sect opens its doors once every ten years to enroll disciples from other sects, but the number of people is usually the largest during the centennial celebration, even exceeding the total number of the previous ninety years. To put it bluntly, besides wanting to see the grand ceremony, everyone wants to obtain a secret scroll."
Xiao Wenbing nodded silently. Those who can establish their own sect must have their own special skills. Once they can inherit these skills, it will naturally be beneficial in every way.
For example, once a disciple of his sect inherits the natal golden talisman of the Secret Talisman Sect, the benefits they can obtain are absolutely unimaginable.
To say that one is completely unmoved by these secret documents is simply self-deception.
"Senior Brother Shang, you're here for these secret scrolls too, right?" Zhang Jie suddenly asked with a smile.
"I dare not lie, I do have this intention, but this matter depends entirely on fate, and cannot be forced."
Hearing Uncle Shang frankly admit his intentions, the two brothers found him much more approachable.
"Junior Brother Zhang, Junior Brother Xiao."
Suddenly, Chen Shanji's voice came from outside the door, which surprised the two of them even more. Hadn't they just left? How come they're back in the blink of an eye?
"Senior Brother Chen, please come in." They dared not be negligent towards this chief disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect.
Chen Shanji walked in slowly and immediately saw Uncle Shang Ling. He was quite surprised and said, "Junior Brother Shang, so you two know each other."
Uncle Shang bowed respectfully to him and said, "Senior Brother Chen, I have come here to make friends with you because I admire the Secret Talisman Sect."
Chen Shanji nodded slightly to him, then turned to Xiao Wenbing and the other two and said, "Junior brothers, my master just came out of seclusion early. As soon as he heard that your disciples had arrived, he instructed my brother to invite them to meet him."
“Ah…” Zhang Jie immediately said, “It is our honor to be able to pay our respects to the sect leader.”
Volume Two: The Fairy in White, Chapter Fifty-Five: The Master of Tianyi Sect
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Uncle Shang Ling beside him looked on with envy, thinking to himself that as expected of a disciple of the Secret Talisman Sect, even if he went to the Heavenly Dao Sect, he would still be regarded differently.
"This..." Chen Shanji looked embarrassed but couldn't say anything.
"Senior Brother Chen, we're all family, so please just give us your instructions."
“Alright.” Chen Shanji glanced at Xiao Wenbing and said, “My master instructed that only Junior Brother Xiao be invited to meet me.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jie immediately understood, and a hint of jealousy arose in his heart. However, he quickly sighed and stopped thinking about it.
Because Xiao Wenbing's achievements were too outstanding, compared with the other disciples, they were like heaven and earth, as different as clouds and mud. Zhang Jie had lived for over a hundred years, and while he dared not say anything else, he still had this much self-awareness.
“Senior Brother Chen, before I came here, my master instructed me to follow your lead. If you don’t go, then I don’t need to go either.” Xiao Wenbing was very clever. As soon as he saw Zhang Jie’s expression, he immediately knew what he was thinking and declined.
“Junior Brother, it is your good fortune to be able to meet the Sect Master. Why don’t you hurry and go with Senior Brother Chen?” Zhang Jie’s expression changed and he urged immediately.
"No need, we can see it the day after tomorrow anyway," Xiao Wenbing said calmly, but his voice sounded extremely firm.
Zhang Jie's expression changed drastically, revealing a look of panic. In his heart, the orders of his elders were not to be disobeyed, but Xiao Wenbing had openly defied the orders of the Daoist sect leader, so how could he not be filled with fear and trepidation?
However, even an idiot could see why Xiao Wenbing did this: while Zhang Jie was terrified, he was also extremely grateful. At that moment, any trace of jealousy had vanished without a trace.
Uncle Shang was completely baffled. What kind of status did the Tianyi Sect Master have? He could be said to be the number one person in the cultivation world of Earth.
The fact that Xiao Wenbing would disobey his orders for the sake of a fellow disciple left Shang Lingshu feeling utterly bewildered.
He could no longer care about politeness. He used his divine sense to look at Xiao Wenbing and immediately exclaimed in surprise. With just one glance, he could see that although Xiao Wenbing was only a disciple in the mid-stage of Core Formation, he possessed a unique spiritual root.
Chen Shanji's smile froze on his face. This was the first time he had ever seen such an ungrateful person. However, the other party's identity was indeed extraordinary. The old Taoist Xianyun was also a close friend of the sect leader. Even if it was necessary to punish him, it could not be done by him.
"Shut up..." Zhang Jie suddenly shouted, "Since Master told you to listen to me, you are not allowed to disobey. The Sect Master summoned you alone, which is an immense blessing. If you don't listen, I..." Zhang Jie's voice suddenly stopped. What should he do if Xiao Wenbing didn't listen?
This junior brother has always been unruly, and even Master has never scolded him. Who am I to him? If I hit him, I'm afraid it will be me, the senior brother, who will be blamed by Master Xianyun in the end.
He sighed sadly, turned around, bowed deeply to Chen Shanji, and said, "Senior Brother Chen, my junior brother has only been in the Taoist sect for less than three years, so he has not yet fully learned the etiquette. It is all my fault, please forgive me, Senior Brother."
"What……"
Chen Shanji and Shang Lingshu exclaimed in surprise at the same time. They looked at each other and almost doubted that even with their Golden Core cultivation, they could misunderstand.
Zhang Jie ignored them and looked at Xiao Wenbing, saying softly, "Junior brother, I'm begging you, please go quickly."
Seeing the pleading look in Zhang Jie's eyes, Xiao Wenbing finally nodded and said, "Yes, I will obey."
As Shang Lingshu watched Xiao Wenbing and his companion's departing figures, he suddenly asked Zhang Jie, "Senior Brother Zhang, how many days did you say Senior Brother Xiao has been cultivating? Is it thirty years?"
"No, three years."
“Three… years…” Uncle Shang stammered, as if he had lost his soul.
"Ah... I misspoke."
With his soul finally returning to his body, Uncle Shang immediately regained consciousness. He took a breath and said with a slightly reproachful tone, "Senior Brother Zhang, don't scare people like that. It should be thirty years. Although Senior Brother Xiao has spiritual roots, thirty years is still an extremely rare achievement. Even your sect's ancestor, True Man White Crane, took twenty-five years to form his inner core."
"Ahem, Senior Brother Shang, I did misspoke earlier. Junior Brother has only been a disciple for two years and three months."
“Two years…and…three months…” Uncle Shang murmured, his eyes already glazed over.