Chapter 48
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It is said that within the Three Realms of Heaven and Earth, while clarity and purity reign in many places, there also exist realms where demons and fiends dwell.
Above the celestial dome, in the Xuandu Purple Palace, a place of supreme Daoist mysteries, stood a grand hall. On either side of the hall were two young Daoist attendants, appearing to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, their hair styled into twin buns. They were exquisite in appearance, like figures carved from jade, and were tending to the place, preparing to light candles.
However, when they raised their heads to glance at the Jade Tablet of Names hanging on the wall, they froze, their expressions shifting dramatically.
On the jade tablet, which originally bore only a sparse few names, a faintly discernible new name was beginning to appear.
The two attendants, flustered, hurried off to report the matter, causing an uproar throughout the entire Purple Palace.
Before long, a Daoist emerged in haste. With an air of graceful composure, he approached the jade tablet, where the shadow of a new name was flickering in and out of existence. The two young attendants, nervous beyond measure, clenched their hands tightly, while even the otherwise calm and elegant Daoist stared intently at the tablet.
The first character to fully emerge was “Wei” (微).
The Daoist nodded with approval and said: “Wei… good. Excellent indeed.”
“Struggling yet unable to grasp, it is called subtle.”
“Struggle is to soar upward in circles, to charge left and right; it is the pursuit above and below, embodying the image of the Xun Wind. Looking at this child, his Dao cultivation does not seem high.”
“It seems he hasn’t even reached the state of gathering the Three Flowers at the Crown.”
“And yet, he has a Dao heart that seeks tirelessly, above and below. Thus, he is given the title “Wei”. Very fitting.’
“Those who excel in the Dao are subtle and mysterious, profoundly interconnected, and unfathomable. The character “Wei” also carries such aspirations.”
As the Daoist spoke, the jade tablet began to shimmer and shift, faintly revealing the first character of the name.
The extremely handsome Daoist stared at it with intense focus.
The two thousand-year-old attendants, overwhelmed by anxiety, almost clung to each other.
Finally, the first character emerged clearly—
玄 (Xuan).
The handsome Daoist suddenly burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Xuan, it’s Xuan!”
“Indeed, it’s Xuan! Hahaha!”
“It seems our teacher holds this disciple he has accepted in high regard!”
“But I wonder when this disciple will truly set foot in this place.”
He raised his hand to calculate but could only discern the Daoist name, realizing that this was merely a registered disciple. Even so, for such a disciple to be granted this Daoist name indicated the teacher’s high expectations and deep hope for him. The Daoist muttered with a hint of amusement: “Xuanwei, Xuanwei…”
He swayed his head back and forth in thought, his surroundings simple and humble, though the scene outside seemed chaotic.
It sounded like a commotion was brewing.
The noise grew louder and louder until it became a full-blown argument, escalating into a fight.
Someone threatened to break down the door; others tried to restrain them or mediate, while yet more simply stood by, watching the spectacle. It resembled a bustling marketplace rather than the revered Xuandu Purple Palace.
Yet the Daoist remained unbothered, swaying his head and immersed in his appreciation of the newly granted Daoist name.
Finally, the disturbance outside grew into a cacophony of banging sounds, as if heaven and earth were overturning. The intruders seemed increasingly desperate to break through the gates of the Purple Palace. The two young Daoist attendants, visibly uneasy, seemed ready to open the doors.
The Daoist waved his hand dismissively and said: “Ignore it.”
The two attendants exchanged glances before speaking in unison:
“You may not care, but we are just humble Daoist attendants with mere millennia of cultivation, far from reaching the level of the Three Flowers at the Crown.”
“If something truly goes wrong, we won’t be able to bear the consequences!”
The Daoist laughed heartily and, with a sweep of his robe sleeve, sent out a golden rope. The rope flew out and immediately bound the two young attendants together, suspending them from a beam in the grand hall, where they dangled back and forth. Lazily, he remarked: “Is this not sufficient to settle things?”
“Xuanwei, hmm…”
Lowering his gaze, he murmured with a sigh:
“Knowing the teacher’s ways, acting without action, what could have transpired to prompt you to accept him into the path?”
“Still, from this point forward, the road is his own to walk.”
“One day, when he reaches the stage of Three Flowers at the Crown and Five Qi Converging to the Origin, he may step through this gate and inscribe his name beneath his Daoist title.”
The dashing Daoist was lost in thought, pondering something deeply. However, the incessant banging and clamor outside eventually grated on his nerves. Unable to bear it any longer, he stood up and threw the doors wide open. His sharp gaze swept across the gathered crowd as he bellowed: “Who dares to cause such a racket?!”
Silence fell.
The Daoist’s expression darkened. “Who among you doesn’t want their elixirs anymore?!”
In perfect unison, the crowd took a collective step back.
The Daoist, growing more impatient, continued: “Or is it that someone here is at the end of their lifespan and wants to be tossed into my alchemy furnace?”
“Shall we see whether they turn into ashes or forge a Primordial Unified Physique?”
Another step back, this time accompanied by visible changes in their faces, pale with alarm.
“We merely heard that you had accepted a disciple. The Emperors themselves bore witness to the Daoist name [Xuanwei], so we were sent here to offer congratulations.”
“Yes, exactly!”
The Daoist’s demeanor softened, a faint smile appearing on his face. “Oh, congratulations, is it? Very well, then, very well. But where are the gifts?”
“You’ve all come, surely not empty-handed?”
The crowd exchanged awkward glances: “Ah, this…”
With no other choice, they had to take out all kinds of treasured artifacts they carried. Those with jade ruyi placed a jade ruyi, and those with spiritual swords placed their spiritual swords.
The passing Dragon God disciple had two scales plucked, and the nearby Qilin left behind five drops of fresh blood.
Even the passing Luan bird had three tail feathers plucked.
About two incense sticks’ worth of time later, the Daoist leisurely returned. He placed his weapons, swords, armor, and numerous pills on the ground. Clouds and mist rose up, and then, slowly, he began to check through them. If something caught his eye, he casually stuffed it into his robe, without the slightest hesitation. Two young Daoist boys were suspended in the air, swaying back and forth, glancing at each other but not daring to speak.
The great door was closed.
Outside, the onlookers exchanged looks.
In the end, they had no choice but to disperse.
“Forget it, forget it. Looks like he’s just a registered disciple.”
“Registered disciples aren’t many. Over such a long period of time, there are some, but no one has really made it this far.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Only the ‘Xuan’ character has shaken them. That lineage has only twelve disciples, which is already rare. They are particularly strict with their disciples—strict in accepting them, strict in their cultivation. They must self-cultivate, endure hardship, sever karmic ties, and break their own cause and effect. Ordinary cultivators only need to complete a thousand meritorious deeds, and even if they’ve had a past, they can ascend to immortality with some luck. But this lineage requires them to have eight hundred years of cultivation, with three thousand meritorious deeds, before they can enter the inner circle and receive the true inheritance.”
“After such a long time, there are registered disciples, but almost only one person has made it here.”
“If one cannot walk to this Purple Palace on their own, then it’s all in vain…”
“Should we still prepare the gift?”
As these words were spoken, everyone fell silent. One person sighed and said: “Although it’s extremely difficult…”
“However, if it truly succeeds, its status would be unparalleled and could rightfully be called a ‘Sacred Disciple of the Daoist Sect’ without exaggeration.”
“They would be ranked higher than both you and me.”
“Failing to reach this place is one thing, but if that individual truly manages to make it here, and is of the ‘Xuan’ generation, they would undoubtedly become the second unparalleled figure in history. How could we not prepare a gift for such a moment?”
“We must be prepared. I’ll start by selecting a few peaches with sufficient years of growth.”
“I must also make some preparations.”
“Even if it turns out to be all for nothing, should they truly reach this place, we mustn’t be caught unprepared.”
“Let us go together!”
Inside the profound Xuandu Purple Palace, the handsome Daoist sat on the ground, one hand propping up his chin while playing with a pill furnace in the other. With a faint smile, he said: “All for nothing? How laughable. Is meeting not a form of destiny? Is knowing one another not worth cherishing? To focus only on the ultimate benefits while neglecting the slow journey of the Dao—meeting only to part—it’s no wonder one’s cultivation stagnates after a thousand years.”
“But come to think of it, how many has it been over these millennia? Let me see… I seem to have lost count. Ah, I wonder if this time, I can finally pass on this furnace…” He fiddled with the pill furnace for a while. It had three legs, its color a dim, bronze-like hue, inlaid with seven treasures of the Daoist path, emanating a subtle brilliance.
After toying with it for a moment, he casually tucked it into his sleeve, propped his chin on his hand again, and gazed at the jade plaque bearing the characters “Xuan Wei.” Suddenly, he chuckled and said:
“Only by cultivating to the point of gathering the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and Five Qi Converging to the Origin, completing three thousand meritorious deeds, may one enter this place. At that time, the title ‘Taishang’ may be added before their Daoist name.”
“From that moment on, they shall be addressed as such.”
He paused for a moment, then softly recited in a gentle voice:”[Lush and boundless, mysterious and sacred aura, opening the three luminous realms, revolving through the five constants.]”
“Taishang Xuanwei True Person, Protector of the Wondrous Dao True Sovereign.]”
“Quite pleasant to the ear, isn’t it?”
“This title—your senior brother keeps it for you. Let us see if you can claim it within a thousand years.”
“But don’t end up like those junior brothers and sisters of the past, who only shared a fleeting connection of destiny.”
The Daoist sighed deeply, rose to his feet, his flowing sleeves falling gracefully, and his gaze calm and distant.
He seemed like the Dao itself, eternal and ever-turning.
On the path to immortality,
Bones lay scattered everywhere.
“Before even meeting, they had already withered.”
“A truly lamentable fate.”
