After the Great Dao died

Chapter 59 Xuanhuo Temple, Mysterious Stone

Chen Lingxi pushed open the door, and the moonlight was falling on the old locust tree in the courtyard.

Liu Changle stood under the locust tree, his Taoist robe fluttering slightly in the night breeze.

He was taller and had broader shoulders than before.

Those eyes were still deep, but they were calmer and less fierce than before.

"I thought you were dead."

When Liu Changle saw Chen Lingxi, he grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

Chen Lingxi smiled as well.

The two were overjoyed to see each other.

Liu Changle spoke first: "Let's go inside and talk."

His voice was a little lower than before, but still clear.

The two entered the room and sat down at the table. Chen Lingxi lit a lamp, and the candlelight cast their shadows on the wall, swaying gently.

After several months apart, Liu Changle's demeanor had become much more composed.

He sat cross-legged on the futon, his back straight, his breathing long and deep.

Chen Lingxi focused her attention and examined him closely, but she couldn't quite see through his cultivation level.

His aura was restrained and did not leak out, like a deep pool of water, calm on the surface but with undercurrents surging beneath.

Chen Lingxi didn't ask any questions, but simply brewed and poured tea for him.

Liu Changle picked up his teacup and took a sip. Before Chen Ling could ask, he took the initiative to say, "Several months ago, I was saved by a Taoist priest and became a disciple of the Xuanhuo Temple in Yuanjiang Prefecture."

Xuanhuo Temple.

These three words made Chen Lingxi raise his eyebrows slightly.

He had previously overheard Lin Suri talking to the cultivator surnamed Chao when he met You Lin Suri.

The cultivator surnamed Chao said that among the various forces coveting the ancestral mountain's mother energy was the Xuanhuo Temple.

"The Xuanhuo Temple is a place of immortals," Liu Changle said, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "There are immortals in the temple. Don't think I'm crazy. I have personally seen the Taoist priest in the temple stand in the air, and with a wave of his hand, the clouds and mist on the mountaintop fall into his palm."

"Divine skill." Chen Lingxi nodded, her expression unchanged.

Seeing that he was not surprised, Liu Changle continued, "In the past few months, I have been practicing diligently in the temple and have made some progress."

He paused, his gaze falling on Chen Lingxi, and said smugly, "So, I've come here specifically to rescue you."

Chen Lingxi was slightly taken aback.

Liu Changle said, "The temple no longer accepts other disciples, but we will not go to Xuanhuo Temple. If you are willing, I can rescue you from the manor tonight and escort you to the Great Zhou."

As he spoke, he took a map from his sleeve and spread it on the table.

The map was drawn with great detail, clearly marking mountains, rivers, prefectures, and passes.

The territories of the nineteen rebel kings of Dali were outlined with cinnabar, while the boundaries of Da Zhou were drawn with ink lines.

"Rebellions have broken out in Dali, and wars are raging everywhere."

Although the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty was also incompetent, the situation was still relatively stable.

Although Yuanjiang Prefecture is far from the border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, by walking along mountain paths and bypassing passes, with my stamina, carrying you on my back, we can enter the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty in about twenty days.

As Chen Lingxi listened to Liu Changle's words, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

Having served as a slave in the Marquis's mansion for over two years, he had become accustomed to the coldness and warmth of human relationships. Even someone like Lin Longyue was merely using him.

Only Liu Changle truly cared about him.

He suppressed his emotions and asked, "Changle, have your masters at Xuanhuo Temple given their approval?"

Liu Changle's smile froze for a moment before returning to normal.

"My master said that to cultivate the Tao, one must follow one's true nature and abandon distracting thoughts in order to attain the Tao." He paused, his gaze falling on Chen Lingxi, a faint emotion flashing in his deep eyes.

He said frankly, "You know me, Lingxi. I have no attachments in this world. My parents, brothers, and relatives are all dead. If I have any attachments... it is only you."

"We were both government slaves, as close as brothers! Now I am free, but you are still a slave in this mansion. This is my problem." His voice grew lower, but every word was clear: "Once you leave safely, I will probably attain enlightenment."

Chen Lingxi remained silent.

Liu Changle spoke these words with great candor.

There was no sentimentality, no choking back tears, and not even much emotional fluctuation.

He simply stated a fact in a straightforward manner.

For example, we can say what the weather is like today, or whether it will rain tomorrow.

But it was precisely this composure that made the warmth in Chen Lingxi's heart even stronger.

He was silent for a moment, then reached out his hand, his silver marrow qi and blood flowing through him, and gently patted Liu Changle's shoulder.

"Chang Le, I also have a secret."

He originally wanted to show his strength and vitality, to let Liu Changle know that he was not a lamb to be slaughtered.

But the moment Chen Lingxi touched Liu Changle's shoulder...

The divine chamber deep within his mind suddenly trembled!

It was as if something had awakened them from their slumber.

The line of golden tadpole-shaped characters began to flash violently, and the numbers jumped wildly.

The progress of replenishing vital energy in the Chejue Divine Power soared from the original 25%.

Thirty percent, fifty percent... seventy percent...

Until it finally settled at 74%!

Chen Lingxi's hand froze in mid-air, her pupils contracting slightly.

He was all too familiar with the changes in the progress of replenishing his energy.

Back in Willow Street, when he touched that unusually thick willow tree, the progress of his awakening supernatural power's energy replenishment jumped from 4.3% to 52%.

That willow tree is very likely a fragment of some kind of ancient bronze vessel, or some other extraordinary object.

Now, he only patted Liu Changle lightly on the shoulder, and the progress of replenishing his energy jumped from 25% to 74%.

It almost tripled.

Chen Lingxi's heart was churning, but she remained expressionless and simply withdrew her hand.

"What exactly is Liu Changle's background?"

He couldn't help but ponder.

Suddenly, Chen Lingxi remembered something Liu Changle had said to him a long time ago.

They were in the same room then. Liu Changle was curled up on the broken bed, her eyes deep, and she said to him...

"Lingxi, I have been having dreams lately, in which I dream of a long river hanging above my head. That river is like a white rainbow piercing the sun, with water vapor stretching across the sky. When it flows, silver mountains collapse and snow peaks crumble. It is vast like a million heavenly soldiers, running swiftly with gags in their mouths; it is turbulent like the earth's axis turning upside down, and the earth's axis shaking."

At that time, Chen Lingxi thought that Liu Changle had been trapped in the back room for too long and had some illusory dreams.

He didn't think much of it.

But now, recalling those words, he couldn't help but feel a chill.

Such a magnificent dream, such a grand imagery...

Chen Lingxi suppressed these surprises and doubts in her heart.

Liu Changle, however, seemed completely unaware of Chen Lingxi's unusual behavior just now. Instead, he sensed the powerful blood and energy transmitted from Chen Lingxi's strike.

He suddenly stood up, his eyes wide with surprise, and looked Chen Lingxi up and down.

After several breaths, he smiled sincerely: "You kid, I didn't expect that in just a few months, you have already cultivated your Qi and blood, and your cultivation level is already extraordinary, which can be described as miraculous."

As he spoke, the smile in his eyes deepened.

"Then I don't need to worry about you anymore."

He said this with great satisfaction.

But this relief didn't last long.

A cold glint gradually appeared in Liu Changle's deep eyes.

He said, "We brothers are destined to be together, so let's not part."

"The Great Li Dynasty is about to fall apart. Emperor Daye is incompetent and cruel to the people. That wicked Consort Chun uses the art of listening with a mirror to frame loyal officials."

"With rebel kings like Xiao Changlu and Wu Mohe all eyeing the throne covetously, the world is bound to descend into chaos sooner or later."

He paced around the room, the hem of his Taoist robe brushing against the bluestone floor.

Suddenly he turned around, and the flame in his eyes flickered silently.

"Let's take revenge together!"

He said with certainty, "Emperor Daye is incompetent. I will overthrow his throne sooner or later, and then I will be the emperor, and you will be my prime minister!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lingxi couldn't help but chuckle and shook her head, saying, "You certainly have big ambitions."

Liu Changle laughed along, "My master interpreted my dream and said I have the appearance of an emperor."

As he said this, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "Lingxi, you've also read books on dream interpretation, why don't you help me interpret that dream of the surging river?"

After listening, Chen Lingxi recalled for a moment and said, "A river hanging overhead, with a white rainbow piercing the sun, is indeed the dream of an emperor. In ancient times, the first king of Zhou dreamed of a great river hanging in the sky before he started his uprising at Yaoshui."

After Emperor Taizu of Dali found the tortoise shell, he also dreamed of the Milky Way flowing backwards.

These dreams were later interpreted as omens of imperial power.

Chen Lingxi looked at Liu Changle, her expression shifting slightly, and said, "But your dream is different from those emperors' dreams."

An emperor's dream of rivers and mountains typically involved a great river bursting its banks, flooding the land and symbolizing the cleansing of the old order and the establishment of a nation through military might.

"But your dream is a long river like a white rainbow piercing the sun, water vapor stretching across the sky, flowing and causing silver mountains to collapse and snow peaks to crumble. It is vast like a million heavenly soldiers, surging like the earth's axis to overturn."

He paused, then repeated: "A white rainbow pierced the sun, yet the water vapor did not cause a flood; rivers rushed, yet nothing was submerged; a million heavenly soldiers marched swiftly with gags in their mouths, yet no sound of fighting was heard."

"This doesn't seem like an emperor's dream." He looked up at Liu Changle. "It's more like a dream of attaining enlightenment through water."

Liu Changle was taken aback.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly grinned and laughed heartily.

"Attaining enlightenment through water? Whether it's an emperor's dream or attaining enlightenment through water, it's all a good dream." He waved his hand casually, "Perhaps I was a river in my past life?"

Chen Lingxi shook her head slightly.

The two had not seen each other for a long time, and they sat down for a long talk, reminiscing about many things that had happened in the back room.

The flickering candlelight cast their shadows, making them appear longer and shorter.

Before I knew it, midnight had passed.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from outside the window; it was already past midnight.

Liu Changle stood up and straightened his Taoist robe: "It's getting late, I should go back."

He walked to the door, then turned back to look at Chen Lingxi again: "I'll come see you again in a few days."

Chen Lingxi also stood up, and suddenly remembered something.

He knew more about the strange and wonderful things in this world than Liu Changle did.

Those extraterrestrial cultivators, those fragments of cauldrons and artifacts, those hidden torrents in the great and small worlds.

"Xuanhuo Temple..." he thought to himself.

Although Liu Changle was studying at the Xuanhuo Temple and had achieved some success, he might not know what was hidden within the temple.

After all, a master who can impart Taoist teachings may not necessarily be sincere towards him.

Even immortals who can fly through the air and summon clouds with their hands are not necessarily benevolent.

In this world, there is never any opportunity that falls from the sky.

Chen Lingxi walked up to Liu Changle and whispered, "Changle, you need to be careful. Even the Xuanhuo Temple cannot be completely trusted."

Upon hearing this, Liu Changle was taken aback at first, then chuckled.

The laughter wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of slyness, and he winked at Chen Lingxi.

"Don't worry." He lowered his voice, his tone carrying an undisguised shrewdness.

"After all the upheavals, you and I are no longer the naive teenagers we once were." He patted Chen Lingxi on the shoulder: "You know what to believe and what not to believe."

Chen Lingxi looked into his eyes, those deep eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight, bright and composed.

He nodded and said no more.

He walked to the base of the wall, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his body rose up, gracefully vaulting over the courtyard wall and disappearing into the night.

Chen Lingxi stood in the courtyard, gazing in the direction where Liu Changle had disappeared, motionless for a long time.

After a long time, he sensed the divine chamber again.

[Complete Awakening and Energy Replenishment Progress: 74.2%]

"It seems that this thorough awakening and replenishment of vital energy is not limited to cauldrons."

Chen Lingxi pondered silently in her heart.

It's not just the fragments of the bronze vessel, not just that mysterious willow tree, and not just Liu Changle.

Perhaps there are many things and many people in this world that can cause the replenishment progress of the Thorough Enlightenment Divine Power to increase dramatically.

He simply hadn't encountered it before and had no way of knowing.

"You can tell if something is extraordinary just by touching it."

He looked up at the cold moon in the sky and suddenly a thought popped into his head.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chen Lingxi went to find Liu Que.

Liu Que, the steward of the West Courtyard, still had that scholarly appearance, with a fair complexion, no beard, and gentle eyes and brows.

Chen Lingxi explained his purpose.

He was going to the city to buy some flowers and plants for flower arranging, and also mentioned that he wanted to buy some qi and blood elixirs for cultivation.

Liu Que listened without asking any further questions, simply nodded, gave him a few words of advice such as to go early and come back early, and then handed him the token for the side gate.

Chen Lingxi accepted the token, thanked him, walked through the covered walkway, and exited the Marquis's residence through the side gate.

The main street of Yuanjiang Prefecture was bustling with activity.

The breakfast stalls were steaming white pancakes on their stoves, the vegetable vendors were shouting their wares, and the peddlers carrying loads were shaking their rattles as they walked through the streets and alleys.

Chen Lingxi walked among the crowd, his Hidden Edge Technique circulating within him, completely enveloping his aura.

He walked into a deserted alley, and when he came out, he was a handsome young man dressed in fine clothes.

As he walked, he pondered in his mind.

"The sacred chamber is so wondrous that one can tell it is extraordinary simply by touching it."

Why don't I go and browse through the various antique markets in the city?

Although Yuanjiang Prefecture cannot compare to the prosperity of the capital, it is still one of the major prefectures in the capital region.

The mansion was home to many wealthy merchants and officials, and antique shops, pawnshops, and jade shops were scattered throughout the city.

If you're lucky, you might find one or two extraordinary items that have been buried in obscurity.

He made up his mind and decided not to delay any longer. He walked east along the long street toward the largest market in the city.

Jubao Fang in the east of the city is the largest antique market in Yuanjiang Prefecture.

The shops in the neighborhood were lined up one after another, selling porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, jade and bronze artifacts, and all kinds of antiques.

Chen Lingxi started by looking at the first shop and went through each one one by one.

From Chen Shi (7-9 AM) to Wu Shi (11 AM-1 PM), and then from Wu Shi to Shen Shi (3-5 PM).

The sun slid from the eastern rooftop to overhead, then shifted to the western side.

Chen Lingxi walked all over Jubao Fang, and then went to the antique street in the west of the city, the pawnshop in the north of the city, and the general store in the south of the city.

He had traveled to almost every one of the six markets and wards in Yuanjiang Prefecture, where antiques could be found.

After touching no fewer than three hundred items and spending an entire day, he finally found something in an old market.

As the sun set, Chen Ling washed and changed her clothes, then returned to the west courtyard of the Marquis of Baosu's residence.

Inside the house, Chen Ling was washing her hands while holding a stone.

The stone was shaped like a throwing knife, and when he held it in his palm, it was icy cold to the touch, as if he were holding a piece of ice.

The stone is smooth, as if it had been washed by the river for millions of years, which had worn away all its sharpness.

"This stone is like an unsharpened throwing knife."

He bought this stone for two taels of silver because, out of more than three hundred antiques, jade, stones, and calligraphy and paintings, only this one had a noticeable effect on his progress in replenishing his vital energy.

"The progress of replenishing energy has increased by 21%, reaching 95%."

"This is enough to prove that this stone, which resembles a throwing knife, is no ordinary object."