Early the next morning, the first rays of the morning sun were revealed. In his dream, Ding Yuan saw himself holding the three-foot-long Dragon Spring Sword and killing the three brothers of Old Third Ba, who were crying and begging for mercy. He vaguely heard a voice urging him anxiously,""Little Brother Ding, wake up!"
Ding Yuan reluctantly opened his eyes and saw Ah Niu standing by the bed, shouting at him nervously. He yawned lazily and complained,""Why did you call me? It's still early.”
"Still early?" "Master and I have been up for more than two hours." Little Brother Ding, get up quickly. Master is waiting for you to wash up and eat breakfast before the apprenticeship ceremony.”
"What apprenticeship gift?" Ding Yuan asked curiously.
"It's a ceremony to acknowledge my master as your master. I did it back then.”
Hearing Ah Niu's interesting words, Ding Yuan couldn't help but laugh."How can it be so troublesome? I admit that he's my master, and he just admits that I'm his disciple. Why do I have to bow?”As she spoke, she turned around and wanted to sleep again.
"No, I must!" said Ah Niu anxiously. Moreover, you have to pay your respects to the memorial tablets of our Emerald Cloud Sect's ancestors!”
Ding Yuan was even more unhappy." I'm afraid those people have been dead for hundreds or thousands of years. What does it have to do with me? I'm not going to bow!"”
When Ah Niu heard him comment on his sect's seniors, he was so frightened that his face turned white. He hurriedly whispered,"Don't let Master hear you, or you'll be in trouble.”
Ding Yuan's sleepiness was gradually dispelled by him. Seeing that he would not leave until he dragged himself out of bed, he sat up and said,"Alright, I understand. Wasn't it just taking him as a master? Why did he have to make it so troublesome!”
After washing up and eating breakfast, the three of them left the Black Bamboo Pavilion. Ah Niu also used a bamboo basket to carry incense and other sacrificial items.
At this moment, the mountain mist was thick, and the clouds on Zuowang Peak were surging with mist. The morning breeze was gentle, and all kinds of rare birds were singing. Countless exotic flowers and plants were blooming all over the mountain.
The three of them walked out of the Purple Bamboo Forest. This time, it took less than an hour, but they saw that the forest was still lush and beautiful.
Along the mountain path, they went up a small slope, and a huge villa appeared in front of them. Looking from afar, there were many dangerous buildings and flying beams. In front of the villa was a small blue lake, and all kinds of rare birds and animals were leisurely bathing in the morning glow.
Ah Niu and Ding Yuan walked side by side behind the Immortal Danyan. Ah Niu had seen these sceneries countless times before, but Ding Yuan couldn't help but be dazzled by them for the first time, so he slowed down his pace.
The Immortal Danyan didn't urge them either, but he kept a distance of three or four steps away from his two disciples, as if he had eyes on his head.
Ah Niu pointed at the villa and said,"Little Brother Ding, that is my Martial Uncle Ji's 'Billow Jade Village'. There are many people living there."”Then, he glanced at the Immortal Danyan in front of him and whispered into Ding Yuan's ear,""However, Martial Uncle Ji and Master's relationship is very bad. When they meet, they ignore each other. His disciples are not allowed to come to our Black Bamboo Pavilion to play.”
Ding Yuan's heart stirred as he thought of the few people in the Purple Bamboo Forest yesterday. Could they also be the disciples and grand-disciples of this Martial Uncle Ji?
After walking for a while, the mountain gradually rose, but the scenery on both sides became more elegant. On both sides of the mountain path paved with gravel, the green pines and cypresses reached the sky. Looking up, the lush branches and leaves seemed to be inserted into the clouds. The quiet chirping of birds could be heard from the forest. Occasionally, a few unknown small beasts would jump out from the grass under their feet and disappear behind the rocks in an instant.
Although the mountain path was quite long, Ding Yuan did not find it difficult to walk. Instead, he felt a thick warm current circulating in his body, making him as light as a swallow. However, he could not control the warm current, so he could only let it go.
At the end of the mountain road, a towering Taoist temple stood on the peak of Zuowang Peak. It was surrounded by colorful clouds and mist, as if it was a fairyland.
"Little Brother Ding, the 'Emerald Afterglow Monastery' where the Sect Master is located is right in front of us. The 'Immortal Temple' where we are going to worship the memorial tablets of our ancestors is in the Emerald Afterglow Monastery," Ah Niu said excitedly.”
After saying that, the three of them walked up the stairs to the entrance of the Emerald Afterglow Temple. The four third-generation disciples standing on both sides of the mountain gate bowed to the Immortal Danyan and Ah Niu.
The Immortal Danyan nodded slightly and walked through the door, but Ah Niu smiled and bowed to both sides, saying,"Don't stand on ceremony. Everyone, don't stand on ceremony!”
Ding Yuan ignored him and followed the Immortal Danyan into the temple. Inside was a square that could accommodate thousands of people, but there were not many people now. After passing through the square, they walked through several winding corridors and courtyards. The number of people coming and going gradually decreased, and the surroundings became more quiet.
Ding Yuan soon discovered something strange. He met dozens of Green Afterglow Sect disciples along the way, but unless he ran into them head-on, he would always avoid them. Sometimes, when Ah Niu saw familiar faces and greeted them happily, those people would only give them a cold glance and respond indifferently. Most people pretended not to hear it.
Ding Yuan was angry and finally could not help but say,"Ah Niu, why are you greeting them? Can't you see that they are ignoring you?”
Ah Niu scratched his head and said with an honest smile,""No, they're usually very good to me. Senior Brother Sun even took me to swim in Laojun Lake last time. I didn't know how to swim and almost drowned, but he saved me. They didn't respond. I must not have heard them.”
Ding Yuan thought that maybe those people knew that you couldn't swim and deliberately bullied you. Then, they saved you because they were afraid that things would get out of hand. You were sold and you still thanked them. However, he understood that Ah Niu was like this, so he was too lazy to say anything else.
The Immortal Danyan stopped in front of an ancestral hall. The two disciples at the door bowed and said,""Disciple greets Third Martial Uncle!"
Dan Yan nodded in response and walked into the ancestral hall. Ah Niu and Ding Yuan hurriedly followed him in. Inside, candles were burning brightly and incense was burning vigorously. In the center of the hall, there were three golden clay statues that were dozens of feet tall. Ding Yuan recognized them as the ancestors of the Heavenly Continent Taoism.
The Immortal Danyan kneels on the futon in front of the clay statue, lights the candle and kowtows respectfully. Ah Niu does the same. Ding Yuan stood aside and didn't move. The Immortal Danyan didn't even bother about him.
After paying their respects to the Three Pure Ones 'ancestor, the three of them walked into the back hall. It was also shrouded in smoke and lit by candles, but there were nearly a hundred memorial tablets worshiped inside.
Ah Niu whispered," Little Brother Ding, this is the place where the sect leaders and elders of our sect have been worshipped for thousands of years. Only those who have made great contributions to our sect are qualified to erect memorial tablets here. Although our grandmaster, the Kongji Immortal, was not the sect leader, he was also ranked among them because of his high prestige."”
As they spoke, the three of them arrived in front of the Kongji Immortal's memorial tablet. Compared to the other memorial tablets, the incense offerings here were much colder. The Immortal Danyan knelt down and offered incense, then said to Ah Niu and Ding Yuan,"Kneel down!"
Hearing this, Ah Niu obediently knelt down and kowtowed, muttering something. "Old Taoist, can we not kneel?" Ding Yuan asked.”
This time, the Immortal Danyan was no longer easy to talk to. He said in a deep voice,"No!"
Ding Yuan dawdled for a long time and finally knelt down beside Ah Niu, who was next to the Immortal Danyan.
With a pious and solemn expression, the Immortal Danyan said in a low voice,"Master, I have lived my life without virtue in the mortal world and without merit in our sect. I have failed you by living in the mortal world. Today, I want to accept Ding Yuan as the thirty-fifth generation disciple of our sect. I don't want him to be famous in the world, but I want him to be upright and worthy of heaven and earth. Then I can also comfort my teacher, otherwise it will all be my fault. I beg my teacher to bear witness!”After saying that, he respectfully kowtowed to the ground.
At first, Ding Yuan thought it was fun, but soon, he was influenced by the Immortal Danyan's solemn and sincere words, and his face unconsciously became serious. He thought to himself,'I don't care why the Emerald Clouds Sect wants to accept a disciple like me, but I will definitely be a dignified person and live up to my achievements!”
He had suffered from the coldness of the world since he was young, and his heart was filled with cynical thoughts. However, he was still young after all. After listening to the Immortal Danyan's words, he could not help but gradually feel that he should behave himself, or else he would be letting him down.
However, the world was unpredictable. How could a twelve-year-old Ding Yuan be able to control and predict many times?
After the ceremony, the three of them packed their things and walked out of the ancestral hall. The courtyard outside was still silent. Suddenly, there was the sound of voices as a large group of people walked in.
The one in the lead was Ji Bietian. Behind him were more than thirty people of all ages and genders, probably not including those who had not been brought along. Ding Yuan's eyes were sharp as well. He found the few people he had met in the Purple Bamboo Forest yesterday among the crowd. Among them, the young girl had changed into a plain dress today and was standing not far behind Ji Bietian.
The young girl was also stunned when she saw Ding Yuan. She subconsciously lowered her head and blushed involuntarily. Then, she quietly raised her head and quickly swept a glance at Ding Yuan.
Ji Bietian and the Reverend Danyan bumped into each other, and it was not good to ignore them in front of so many people, so he laughed and said,"Third Senior Brother, did you bring that child to pay respects to Martial Uncle Kongji?”
"Yes!" Immortal Danyan replied.
"Today is the 72nd anniversary of my former master, Fei Tian. I was about to bring my disciples here to pay my respects, but I didn't expect to meet Third Senior Brother.”
"Go ahead!" The Immortal Danyan nodded.”
Ji Bietian moved aside to make way for him." Third Senior Brother, please."
The Immortal Danyan thanked him and walked out of the courtyard with Anuding Yuan. However, Ding Yuan felt two pairs of eyes flash behind him.
It was almost noon when they returned to the Black Bamboo Pavilion. After dinner, the Immortal Dan Yan led Ah Niu and Ding Yuan into his bamboo house. Slightly different from the house where Ding Yuan and Ah Niu lived, the Immortal Danyan's bamboo house had two rooms inside and outside. The outer room seemed to be used as a hall and was decorated very simply.
The Immortal Danyan sat down on a bamboo chair in the middle of the hall, with Ding Yuan and Ah Niu on either side.
The Immortal Danyan took a sip of the fragrant tea prepared by A Niu and said to him,""Tell him the sect rules."
"Yes, Master!" Ah Niu replied. He cleared his throat." The founder of our sect has passed down 999 rules. All disciples must remember them." The first rule was to respect the teachers. Third, do not form any ties with the Devil Dao. The fourth rule was to obey his master's orders. Take care of the younger generation-"
He read it easily, but Ding Yuan felt a headache coming on. He thought that if he read all 999 lines, the sky would be dark. Fortunately, when Ah Niu mentioned the ninth rule,"Abstinence from greed", the Immortal Danyan interrupted,"Let's start with these nine principles, and leave the rest to him to memorize.”
"Yes, Master!" replied Ah Niu.
Ding Yuan heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that the Immortal Danyan would be teaching him kung fu next. Who knew that he would order Ah Niu again,"Go and bring the book!"”
Ah Niu ran all the way into the house and quickly came out with a pile of books, piled up almost above his head.
Ding Yuan looked at the books and thought to himself," Could these be the secret manuals of the Green Clouds Sect's immortal techniques? Perhaps this old Taoist doesn't like to tell me about them himself, so he let me read them myself." Fortunately, my mother taught me a lot of words in the past. Otherwise, I would have made a fool of myself.”
Unexpectedly, the Immortal Danyan said indifferently,""These are all the historical books left behind by the sages of the continent, as well as the classics of Taoism. You should learn these first.”
Ding Yuan stared at the books in shock and asked,""No way, old Taoist priest. You want me to read these books?”
The Immortal Danyan nodded. Ding Yuan called out,""I want to learn kung fu from you!”
Although he was smart and had a strong memory since childhood, he only had a headache and a stuffy nose when he saw books. When the Immortal Danyan asked him to digest all the books, Ding Yuan's head started to ache again.
"You have to learn kung fu, but you have to read books even more!”
"I'm not reading!" Ding Yuan said angrily. He vaguely felt that he had been tricked by this old Taoist priest.
"Little Brother Ding, you should read it." Master is doing this for your own good. Back then, I also studied for five whole years. Now, I still have to spend four hours studying every night.”
Five years? Wouldn't he be able to become the top scorer? Ding Yuan almost fainted from anger. He shook his head and said,""I won't do it!"
"A page of the book in exchange for an incantation," said the Immortal Danyan.”
Ding Yuan immediately felt hopeful when he heard this. He discussed,"There are at least dozens of sentences in one page of the book. Isn't it too little to just exchange for one chant?”
"Quite a lot!" The Immortal Danyan shook his head.”
"Two sentences?"
The Immortal Danyan ignored him. Ding Yuan shouted,""I want to go down the mountain. I don't want to learn anymore!"
The Immortal Danyan didn't even lift his eyelids as he said,""Up to you."
Ding Yuan strode to the door and Ah Niu shouted,""Little Brother Ding, so be it. Only by reading more can you understand the truth of life and not do wrong things and confuse right and wrong.”
Ding Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but he chuckled and said,""Who said that? Those villains who do all kinds of bad things, which one of them isn't well-read?”
Ah Niu's speech was not as nimble as Ding Yuan's. He was stunned and scratched his head. He felt that Ding Yuan was not wrong.
Ding Yuan stepped over the threshold, but the Immortal Danyan still didn't respond. He stood there and thought for a moment. Then, he turned around and gritted his teeth."Alright, one sentence is one sentence. This time, you're not allowed to go back on your word!”
"It's a deal!" The Immortal Danyan nodded.”
Ding Yuan snorted and did not answer.
The Immortal Danyan turned to Ah Niu and said,"You urge him to study. Tell him if he doesn't understand." Every day after dinner, I'll pass on the chant after the test.”
Seeing that Ding Yuan had changed his mind, Ah Niu was very happy and replied readily," Yes, Master!”
"Can't you say something else besides being a yes-man?" Ding Yuan said unhappily.”
Ah Niu scratched his head in a daze." Obey your master's orders. This is the sect's teachings. What's wrong with that?"”
Ding Yuan really couldn't say anything to him, so he could only snort.
As a result, Ah Niu followed his master's instructions and spent the entire afternoon "urging" Ding Yuan to study. Ding Yuan sat beside the small pond with the sect rules of Emerald Clouds Sect. Every time he memorized a goldfish, he would reach into the water to play with it. The two cranes were also the targets of Ding Yuan's provocation, but no matter how he teased them, the cranes would never wake up.
Although there were nine hundred and ninety rules in the sect, each of them was written with four words, and without exception, it was the "rule x of the teachings of the sect's founder, Immortal Qingxia", so it was not difficult to remember. The young monk Ding Yuan chanted the scriptures without meaning it. With his amazing memory, he actually memorized all 990 sect rules by nightfall.
This was the first time in his life that he had spent so much effort reading for half a day, and it was a sect rule. In fact, Ding Yuan was betting on this in his heart. The more he felt that the old Taoist priest was deliberately making things difficult for him, the more it aroused Ding Yuan's competitive heart. After all, he was only a twelve-year-old youth.
After dinner, Ah Niu cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks. The Immortal Danyan sat at the table and examined Ding Yuan's results for the whole afternoon. Ding Yuan wanted to show off in front of the old Taoist priest, but he did not even bother to recite the 990 sect rules. He recited them fluently from head to toe.
The Immortal Danyan was still expressionless, but Ah Niu was stunned. His face was full of admiration as he said enviously,""Little Brother Ding is really amazing. He actually remembered so much in one afternoon. Back then, when I was learning the sect rules, it took me a whole month.”As he spoke, he repeatedly praised and shook his head.
Ding Yuan glanced at the Immortal Danyan and thought to himself,"Old Taoist priest, now you know that I'm not that easy to make things difficult for, right?”But he said,"This dogshit sect rule is smelly and long. In my opinion, I don't need it."”
Ah Niu was so frightened that he almost let go of the broom in his hand. He said,""Little Brother Ding, this sect rule was set by our sect's founder. Every disciple of our sect needs to remember and abide by it.”
"Am I wrong?" Ding Yuan snorted. Although Perfected Qing Xia was amazing, everything he said might not be completely correct. For example, the third rule of the sect,"Do not form ties with the devil path", seemed to say that the righteous path and the devil path were irreconcilable and could not interact with each other. But were there no good people in the demonic path, and no scum in the righteous path? I'll be the first to not believe it! Another example was the second rule,"Love fellow disciples. If I see my fellow disciples doing evil, should I also love them first?" According to the 191st rule of the sect: Punishing evil and putting justice above family? It was simply nonsense and self-contradictory!”
Ah Niu couldn't argue with him. He opened his mouth a few times but couldn't say a word. Privately, she felt that what Ding Yuan said was not completely unreasonable, but she also vaguely felt that something he said was not right. However, he did not know what the problem was. But no matter what, how could a disciple who had just entered the sect for half a day make up the sect rules?
The Immortal Danyan naturally knew that Ding Yuan was twisting his words and changing the concept. However, he did not say it out loud. Instead, he said indifferently,"The sect rules are good, but the hearts of the people are bad.”
Ding Yuan was startled, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
Ah Niu said," But Master, Little Brother Ding is really amazing. He memorized all thirty-six pages of the sect rules in one afternoon."”
"That means you have to teach me thirty-six lines of our sect's mantra tonight."”
"It's even more difficult to do it if you don't know it by heart," said the Immortal Danyan.”
"Old Taoist, you won't go back on your word, will you?" Ding Yuan glared at the Immortal Danyan.”
The Immortal Danyan gently clapped his hands and said,""Ah Niu, tell him about the introductory outline of our sect's 'Green Mountains Nine Songs' mental cultivation method.”
Ah Niu cleared his throat and said," The Nine Songs of Cui Wei Sect created the Way of the King's Heart Technique by the founder of our sect, Immortal Qingxia. It nurtures the righteous qi of heaven and earth to drive away the evil spirits of the world. It gives birth to an indifferent heart and forgets all kinds of desires." The mental cultivation method was divided into nine parts according to the realm of the cultivator, which was called Nine Songs. From entering the door to success, the order is: peep path, climb hall, enter room, observe micro, know, pass seclusion, sit and shine, forget each other, Mahayana. Each realm had its own profound mysteries, but they all needed to be done step by step. One had to concentrate on cultivating to understand the true essence of the heart technique and the mysteries of the universe. Every step forward, there would be supreme dangers and dangers. They were called the 'Nine Tribulations', and both the righteous and demonic paths had them. Only those who have wisdom, perseverance, compassion and understand the heart of heaven can be converted. All those who study under Cuixia should remember this. Master Qingxia's teaching of the Nine Songs was not for personal reasons, but for the sake of future generations, for the sake of clarity for all generations.”
Ah Niu's words were catchy and he shook his head. Ding Yuan knew that he couldn't say such half-written and half-sincere words with his tone. Most likely, he had copied the Immortal Danyan's or someone else's admonition, and even learned the way he spoke.
After Ah Niu finished speaking, the Immortal Danyan said,"The so-called 'Nine Tribulations' are the dangers that cultivators encounter when they enter the next realm. They are 'Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Space, Illusion, Emotion, and Death'. Once they pass the Death Tribulation, they can fly into the sky and become immortals. If he couldn't overcome the Nine Tribulations, he would go berserk and lose his cultivation. If it is too heavy, it will go crazy and die, turning into rotten soil. Are you afraid?"
Ding Yuan felt a bit troubled at first, but the Immortal Danyan's question aroused his competitive spirit instead. He puffed out his chest and said,"I'm afraid that if I surpass you one day, you won't look good.”
The Immortal Danyan gives a rare smile and says slowly,""I hope so."
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Early the next morning, the first rays of the morning sun were revealed. In his dream, Ding Yuan saw himself holding the three-foot-long Dragon Spring Sword and killing the three brothers of Old Third Ba, who were crying and begging for mercy. He vaguely heard a voice urging him anxiously,""Little Brother Ding, wake up!"
Ding Yuan reluctantly opened his eyes and saw Ah Niu standing by the bed, shouting at him nervously. He yawned lazily and complained,""Why did you call me? It's still early.”
"Still early?" "Master and I have been up for more than two hours." Little Brother Ding, get up quickly. Master is waiting for you to wash up and eat breakfast before the apprenticeship ceremony.”
"What apprenticeship gift?" Ding Yuan asked curiously.
"It's a ceremony to acknowledge my master as your master. I did it back then.”
Hearing Ah Niu's interesting words, Ding Yuan couldn't help but laugh."How can it be so troublesome? I admit that he's my master, and he just admits that I'm his disciple. Why do I have to bow?”As she spoke, she turned around and wanted to sleep again.
"No, I must!" said Ah Niu anxiously. Moreover, you have to pay your respects to the memorial tablets of our Emerald Cloud Sect's ancestors!”
Ding Yuan was even more unhappy." I'm afraid those people have been dead for hundreds or thousands of years. What does it have to do with me? I'm not going to bow!"”
When Ah Niu heard him comment on his sect's seniors, he was so frightened that his face turned white. He hurriedly whispered,"Don't let Master hear you, or you'll be in trouble.”
Ding Yuan's sleepiness was gradually dispelled by him. Seeing that he would not leave until he dragged himself out of bed, he sat up and said,"Alright, I understand. Wasn't it just taking him as a master? Why did he have to make it so troublesome!”
After washing up and eating breakfast, the three of them left the Black Bamboo Pavilion. Ah Niu also used a bamboo basket to carry incense and other sacrificial items.
At this moment, the mountain mist was thick, and the clouds on Zuowang Peak were surging with mist. The morning breeze was gentle, and all kinds of rare birds were singing. Countless exotic flowers and plants were blooming all over the mountain.
The three of them walked out of the Purple Bamboo Forest. This time, it took less than an hour, but they saw that the forest was still lush and beautiful.
Along the mountain path, they went up a small slope, and a huge villa appeared in front of them. Looking from afar, there were many dangerous buildings and flying beams. In front of the villa was a small blue lake, and all kinds of rare birds and animals were leisurely bathing in the morning glow.
Ah Niu and Ding Yuan walked side by side behind the Immortal Danyan. Ah Niu had seen these sceneries countless times before, but Ding Yuan couldn't help but be dazzled by them for the first time, so he slowed down his pace.
The Immortal Danyan didn't urge them either, but he kept a distance of three or four steps away from his two disciples, as if he had eyes on his head.
Ah Niu pointed at the villa and said,"Little Brother Ding, that is my Martial Uncle Ji's 'Billow Jade Village'. There are many people living there."”Then, he glanced at the Immortal Danyan in front of him and whispered into Ding Yuan's ear,""However, Martial Uncle Ji and Master's relationship is very bad. When they meet, they ignore each other. His disciples are not allowed to come to our Black Bamboo Pavilion to play.”
Ding Yuan's heart stirred as he thought of the few people in the Purple Bamboo Forest yesterday. Could they also be the disciples and grand-disciples of this Martial Uncle Ji?
After walking for a while, the mountain gradually rose, but the scenery on both sides became more elegant. On both sides of the mountain path paved with gravel, the green pines and cypresses reached the sky. Looking up, the lush branches and leaves seemed to be inserted into the clouds. The quiet chirping of birds could be heard from the forest. Occasionally, a few unknown small beasts would jump out from the grass under their feet and disappear behind the rocks in an instant.
Although the mountain path was quite long, Ding Yuan did not find it difficult to walk. Instead, he felt a thick warm current circulating in his body, making him as light as a swallow. However, he could not control the warm current, so he could only let it go.
At the end of the mountain road, a towering Taoist temple stood on the peak of Zuowang Peak. It was surrounded by colorful clouds and mist, as if it was a fairyland.
"Little Brother Ding, the 'Emerald Afterglow Monastery' where the Sect Master is located is right in front of us. The 'Immortal Temple' where we are going to worship the memorial tablets of our ancestors is in the Emerald Afterglow Monastery," Ah Niu said excitedly.”
After saying that, the three of them walked up the stairs to the entrance of the Emerald Afterglow Temple. The four third-generation disciples standing on both sides of the mountain gate bowed to the Immortal Danyan and Ah Niu.
The Immortal Danyan nodded slightly and walked through the door, but Ah Niu smiled and bowed to both sides, saying,"Don't stand on ceremony. Everyone, don't stand on ceremony!”
Ding Yuan ignored him and followed the Immortal Danyan into the temple. Inside was a square that could accommodate thousands of people, but there were not many people now. After passing through the square, they walked through several winding corridors and courtyards. The number of people coming and going gradually decreased, and the surroundings became more quiet.
Ding Yuan soon discovered something strange. He met dozens of Green Afterglow Sect disciples along the way, but unless he ran into them head-on, he would always avoid them. Sometimes, when Ah Niu saw familiar faces and greeted them happily, those people would only give them a cold glance and respond indifferently. Most people pretended not to hear it.
Ding Yuan was angry and finally could not help but say,"Ah Niu, why are you greeting them? Can't you see that they are ignoring you?”
Ah Niu scratched his head and said with an honest smile,""No, they're usually very good to me. Senior Brother Sun even took me to swim in Laojun Lake last time. I didn't know how to swim and almost drowned, but he saved me. They didn't respond. I must not have heard them.”
Ding Yuan thought that maybe those people knew that you couldn't swim and deliberately bullied you. Then, they saved you because they were afraid that things would get out of hand. You were sold and you still thanked them. However, he understood that Ah Niu was like this, so he was too lazy to say anything else.
The Immortal Danyan stopped in front of an ancestral hall. The two disciples at the door bowed and said,""Disciple greets Third Martial Uncle!"
Dan Yan nodded in response and walked into the ancestral hall. Ah Niu and Ding Yuan hurriedly followed him in. Inside, candles were burning brightly and incense was burning vigorously. In the center of the hall, there were three golden clay statues that were dozens of feet tall. Ding Yuan recognized them as the ancestors of the Heavenly Continent Taoism.
The Immortal Danyan kneels on the futon in front of the clay statue, lights the candle and kowtows respectfully. Ah Niu does the same. Ding Yuan stood aside and didn't move. The Immortal Danyan didn't even bother about him.
After paying their respects to the Three Pure Ones 'ancestor, the three of them walked into the back hall. It was also shrouded in smoke and lit by candles, but there were nearly a hundred memorial tablets worshiped inside.
Ah Niu whispered," Little Brother Ding, this is the place where the sect leaders and elders of our sect have been worshipped for thousands of years. Only those who have made great contributions to our sect are qualified to erect memorial tablets here. Although our grandmaster, the Kongji Immortal, was not the sect leader, he was also ranked among them because of his high prestige."”
As they spoke, the three of them arrived in front of the Kongji Immortal's memorial tablet. Compared to the other memorial tablets, the incense offerings here were much colder. The Immortal Danyan knelt down and offered incense, then said to Ah Niu and Ding Yuan,"Kneel down!"
Hearing this, Ah Niu obediently knelt down and kowtowed, muttering something. "Old Taoist, can we not kneel?" Ding Yuan asked.”
This time, the Immortal Danyan was no longer easy to talk to. He said in a deep voice,"No!"
Ding Yuan dawdled for a long time and finally knelt down beside Ah Niu, who was next to the Immortal Danyan.
With a pious and solemn expression, the Immortal Danyan said in a low voice,"Master, I have lived my life without virtue in the mortal world and without merit in our sect. I have failed you by living in the mortal world. Today, I want to accept Ding Yuan as the thirty-fifth generation disciple of our sect. I don't want him to be famous in the world, but I want him to be upright and worthy of heaven and earth. Then I can also comfort my teacher, otherwise it will all be my fault. I beg my teacher to bear witness!”After saying that, he respectfully kowtowed to the ground.
At first, Ding Yuan thought it was fun, but soon, he was influenced by the Immortal Danyan's solemn and sincere words, and his face unconsciously became serious. He thought to himself,'I don't care why the Emerald Clouds Sect wants to accept a disciple like me, but I will definitely be a dignified person and live up to my achievements!”
He had suffered from the coldness of the world since he was young, and his heart was filled with cynical thoughts. However, he was still young after all. After listening to the Immortal Danyan's words, he could not help but gradually feel that he should behave himself, or else he would be letting him down.
However, the world was unpredictable. How could a twelve-year-old Ding Yuan be able to control and predict many times?
After the ceremony, the three of them packed their things and walked out of the ancestral hall. The courtyard outside was still silent. Suddenly, there was the sound of voices as a large group of people walked in.
The one in the lead was Ji Bietian. Behind him were more than thirty people of all ages and genders, probably not including those who had not been brought along. Ding Yuan's eyes were sharp as well. He found the few people he had met in the Purple Bamboo Forest yesterday among the crowd. Among them, the young girl had changed into a plain dress today and was standing not far behind Ji Bietian.
The young girl was also stunned when she saw Ding Yuan. She subconsciously lowered her head and blushed involuntarily. Then, she quietly raised her head and quickly swept a glance at Ding Yuan.
Ji Bietian and the Reverend Danyan bumped into each other, and it was not good to ignore them in front of so many people, so he laughed and said,"Third Senior Brother, did you bring that child to pay respects to Martial Uncle Kongji?”
"Yes!" Immortal Danyan replied.
"Today is the 72nd anniversary of my former master, Fei Tian. I was about to bring my disciples here to pay my respects, but I didn't expect to meet Third Senior Brother.”
"Go ahead!" The Immortal Danyan nodded.”
Ji Bietian moved aside to make way for him." Third Senior Brother, please."
The Immortal Danyan thanked him and walked out of the courtyard with Anuding Yuan. However, Ding Yuan felt two pairs of eyes flash behind him.
It was almost noon when they returned to the Black Bamboo Pavilion. After dinner, the Immortal Dan Yan led Ah Niu and Ding Yuan into his bamboo house. Slightly different from the house where Ding Yuan and Ah Niu lived, the Immortal Danyan's bamboo house had two rooms inside and outside. The outer room seemed to be used as a hall and was decorated very simply.
The Immortal Danyan sat down on a bamboo chair in the middle of the hall, with Ding Yuan and Ah Niu on either side.
The Immortal Danyan took a sip of the fragrant tea prepared by A Niu and said to him,""Tell him the sect rules."
"Yes, Master!" Ah Niu replied. He cleared his throat." The founder of our sect has passed down 999 rules. All disciples must remember them." The first rule was to respect the teachers. Third, do not form any ties with the Devil Dao. The fourth rule was to obey his master's orders. Take care of the younger generation-"
He read it easily, but Ding Yuan felt a headache coming on. He thought that if he read all 999 lines, the sky would be dark. Fortunately, when Ah Niu mentioned the ninth rule,"Abstinence from greed", the Immortal Danyan interrupted,"Let's start with these nine principles, and leave the rest to him to memorize.”
"Yes, Master!" replied Ah Niu.
Ding Yuan heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that the Immortal Danyan would be teaching him kung fu next. Who knew that he would order Ah Niu again,"Go and bring the book!"”
Ah Niu ran all the way into the house and quickly came out with a pile of books, piled up almost above his head.
Ding Yuan looked at the books and thought to himself," Could these be the secret manuals of the Green Clouds Sect's immortal techniques? Perhaps this old Taoist doesn't like to tell me about them himself, so he let me read them myself." Fortunately, my mother taught me a lot of words in the past. Otherwise, I would have made a fool of myself.”
Unexpectedly, the Immortal Danyan said indifferently,""These are all the historical books left behind by the sages of the continent, as well as the classics of Taoism. You should learn these first.”
Ding Yuan stared at the books in shock and asked,""No way, old Taoist priest. You want me to read these books?”
The Immortal Danyan nodded. Ding Yuan called out,""I want to learn kung fu from you!”
Although he was smart and had a strong memory since childhood, he only had a headache and a stuffy nose when he saw books. When the Immortal Danyan asked him to digest all the books, Ding Yuan's head started to ache again.
"You have to learn kung fu, but you have to read books even more!”
"I'm not reading!" Ding Yuan said angrily. He vaguely felt that he had been tricked by this old Taoist priest.
"Little Brother Ding, you should read it." Master is doing this for your own good. Back then, I also studied for five whole years. Now, I still have to spend four hours studying every night.”
Five years? Wouldn't he be able to become the top scorer? Ding Yuan almost fainted from anger. He shook his head and said,""I won't do it!"
"A page of the book in exchange for an incantation," said the Immortal Danyan.”
Ding Yuan immediately felt hopeful when he heard this. He discussed,"There are at least dozens of sentences in one page of the book. Isn't it too little to just exchange for one chant?”
"Quite a lot!" The Immortal Danyan shook his head.”
"Two sentences?"
The Immortal Danyan ignored him. Ding Yuan shouted,""I want to go down the mountain. I don't want to learn anymore!"
The Immortal Danyan didn't even lift his eyelids as he said,""Up to you."
Ding Yuan strode to the door and Ah Niu shouted,""Little Brother Ding, so be it. Only by reading more can you understand the truth of life and not do wrong things and confuse right and wrong.”
Ding Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but he chuckled and said,""Who said that? Those villains who do all kinds of bad things, which one of them isn't well-read?”
Ah Niu's speech was not as nimble as Ding Yuan's. He was stunned and scratched his head. He felt that Ding Yuan was not wrong.
Ding Yuan stepped over the threshold, but the Immortal Danyan still didn't respond. He stood there and thought for a moment. Then, he turned around and gritted his teeth."Alright, one sentence is one sentence. This time, you're not allowed to go back on your word!”
"It's a deal!" The Immortal Danyan nodded.”
Ding Yuan snorted and did not answer.
The Immortal Danyan turned to Ah Niu and said,"You urge him to study. Tell him if he doesn't understand." Every day after dinner, I'll pass on the chant after the test.”
Seeing that Ding Yuan had changed his mind, Ah Niu was very happy and replied readily," Yes, Master!”
"Can't you say something else besides being a yes-man?" Ding Yuan said unhappily.”
Ah Niu scratched his head in a daze." Obey your master's orders. This is the sect's teachings. What's wrong with that?"”
Ding Yuan really couldn't say anything to him, so he could only snort.
As a result, Ah Niu followed his master's instructions and spent the entire afternoon "urging" Ding Yuan to study. Ding Yuan sat beside the small pond with the sect rules of Emerald Clouds Sect. Every time he memorized a goldfish, he would reach into the water to play with it. The two cranes were also the targets of Ding Yuan's provocation, but no matter how he teased them, the cranes would never wake up.
Although there were nine hundred and ninety rules in the sect, each of them was written with four words, and without exception, it was the "rule x of the teachings of the sect's founder, Immortal Qingxia", so it was not difficult to remember. The young monk Ding Yuan chanted the scriptures without meaning it. With his amazing memory, he actually memorized all 990 sect rules by nightfall.
This was the first time in his life that he had spent so much effort reading for half a day, and it was a sect rule. In fact, Ding Yuan was betting on this in his heart. The more he felt that the old Taoist priest was deliberately making things difficult for him, the more it aroused Ding Yuan's competitive heart. After all, he was only a twelve-year-old youth.
After dinner, Ah Niu cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks. The Immortal Danyan sat at the table and examined Ding Yuan's results for the whole afternoon. Ding Yuan wanted to show off in front of the old Taoist priest, but he did not even bother to recite the 990 sect rules. He recited them fluently from head to toe.
The Immortal Danyan was still expressionless, but Ah Niu was stunned. His face was full of admiration as he said enviously,""Little Brother Ding is really amazing. He actually remembered so much in one afternoon. Back then, when I was learning the sect rules, it took me a whole month.”As he spoke, he repeatedly praised and shook his head.
Ding Yuan glanced at the Immortal Danyan and thought to himself,"Old Taoist priest, now you know that I'm not that easy to make things difficult for, right?”But he said,"This dogshit sect rule is smelly and long. In my opinion, I don't need it."”
Ah Niu was so frightened that he almost let go of the broom in his hand. He said,""Little Brother Ding, this sect rule was set by our sect's founder. Every disciple of our sect needs to remember and abide by it.”
"Am I wrong?" Ding Yuan snorted. Although Perfected Qing Xia was amazing, everything he said might not be completely correct. For example, the third rule of the sect,"Do not form ties with the devil path", seemed to say that the righteous path and the devil path were irreconcilable and could not interact with each other. But were there no good people in the demonic path, and no scum in the righteous path? I'll be the first to not believe it! Another example was the second rule,"Love fellow disciples. If I see my fellow disciples doing evil, should I also love them first?" According to the 191st rule of the sect: Punishing evil and putting justice above family? It was simply nonsense and self-contradictory!”
Ah Niu couldn't argue with him. He opened his mouth a few times but couldn't say a word. Privately, she felt that what Ding Yuan said was not completely unreasonable, but she also vaguely felt that something he said was not right. However, he did not know what the problem was. But no matter what, how could a disciple who had just entered the sect for half a day make up the sect rules?
The Immortal Danyan naturally knew that Ding Yuan was twisting his words and changing the concept. However, he did not say it out loud. Instead, he said indifferently,"The sect rules are good, but the hearts of the people are bad.”
Ding Yuan was startled, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
Ah Niu said," But Master, Little Brother Ding is really amazing. He memorized all thirty-six pages of the sect rules in one afternoon."”
"That means you have to teach me thirty-six lines of our sect's mantra tonight."”
"It's even more difficult to do it if you don't know it by heart," said the Immortal Danyan.”
"Old Taoist, you won't go back on your word, will you?" Ding Yuan glared at the Immortal Danyan.”
The Immortal Danyan gently clapped his hands and said,""Ah Niu, tell him about the introductory outline of our sect's 'Green Mountains Nine Songs' mental cultivation method.”
Ah Niu cleared his throat and said," The Nine Songs of Cui Wei Sect created the Way of the King's Heart Technique by the founder of our sect, Immortal Qingxia. It nurtures the righteous qi of heaven and earth to drive away the evil spirits of the world. It gives birth to an indifferent heart and forgets all kinds of desires." The mental cultivation method was divided into nine parts according to the realm of the cultivator, which was called Nine Songs. From entering the door to success, the order is: peep path, climb hall, enter room, observe micro, know, pass seclusion, sit and shine, forget each other, Mahayana. Each realm had its own profound mysteries, but they all needed to be done step by step. One had to concentrate on cultivating to understand the true essence of the heart technique and the mysteries of the universe. Every step forward, there would be supreme dangers and dangers. They were called the 'Nine Tribulations', and both the righteous and demonic paths had them. Only those who have wisdom, perseverance, compassion and understand the heart of heaven can be converted. All those who study under Cuixia should remember this. Master Qingxia's teaching of the Nine Songs was not for personal reasons, but for the sake of future generations, for the sake of clarity for all generations.”
Ah Niu's words were catchy and he shook his head. Ding Yuan knew that he couldn't say such half-written and half-sincere words with his tone. Most likely, he had copied the Immortal Danyan's or someone else's admonition, and even learned the way he spoke.
After Ah Niu finished speaking, the Immortal Danyan said,"The so-called 'Nine Tribulations' are the dangers that cultivators encounter when they enter the next realm. They are 'Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Space, Illusion, Emotion, and Death'. Once they pass the Death Tribulation, they can fly into the sky and become immortals. If he couldn't overcome the Nine Tribulations, he would go berserk and lose his cultivation. If it is too heavy, it will go crazy and die, turning into rotten soil. Are you afraid?"
Ding Yuan felt a bit troubled at first, but the Immortal Danyan's question aroused his competitive spirit instead. He puffed out his chest and said,"I'm afraid that if I surpass you one day, you won't look good.”
The Immortal Danyan gives a rare smile and says slowly,""I hope so."
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。