Li Yundong heard Su Chan’s cry, a sharp jolt running through him. He walked over calmly, inquiring, “What’s wrong? You look terrified.”
When Li Yundong approached, he saw Ziyuan and Ruan Hongling there as well. The group was huddled around a laptop, pointing and murmuring at the screen.
Ziyuan nodded to Li Yundong and said, “You’re here? Come take a look.”
Li Yundong leaned in closer and saw a video playing on the webpage. The footage was shaky at first, but Li Yundong quickly realized something was amiss. He spotted numerous trees adorned with talismans and prayer bags. He gasped, “Isn't this the Xiyuan Temple?”
Su Chan clutched his arm from the side, pointing at a figure in the video. “Yes, yes! Look quickly, who is that?”
Li Yundong looked, and the sight made him draw a sharp, cold breath. He exclaimed, “Isn't that me?”
Ruan Hongling let out a cold laugh and remarked, “The best part is yet to come!” As she spoke, the video showed Li Yundong engaging in combat with a middle-aged monk. The two moved like figures in a blockbuster special effects film—Grand Hand Seals meeting Vajra Buddha Law—fighting until the heavens and earth blurred in a dazzling, dizzying spectacle.
The video concluded after Li Yundong hurled the Cold and Brilliant Serrated Vajra Wheel, blasting past the middle-aged monk, followed by a final bout of intense shaking, as if someone were fleeing in panic.
Li Yundong was overcome with shock and rage. “Who filmed this! And why was it uploaded online?”
Su Chan blinked her eyes and said, “Yundong, now everyone on Earth knows you’re a cultivator.”
Li Yundong’s face darkened as he remained silent. Ziyuan sighed nearby. “Fortunately, this video hasn't been up for very long. Many people are just taking it as some computer-generated effect. Look at the comments below…”
Ruan Hongling cooperated by scrolling down, allowing Li Yundong to see the commentary thread.
The comments were a chaotic mix: “What is this? Special effects for some movie? Pretty good, when’s the release date?”
“Seriously, is the camera too shaky? What is the director even doing?”
“Hey, where is this place? It looks awfully familiar to me?”
“Xiyuan Temple, this is the Xiyuan Temple in Dongwu City. I visited there last time, hahaha!”
“Don’t talk nonsense if you don’t understand. This is clearly a genuine video from a ** sect. I almost lost my life when I was **!”
“Huh? The uploader showed up? A genuine video from your ** sect? Is it a movie from the ** sect? Doesn't look like it, the realism of the scene is intense!”
“Sigh, let the Truth Master enlighten you all. This is just CG special effects made by a student from the Beijing Film Academy, released to blur the lines between real and fake, just to grab attention, you know how it is!”
Seeing this, Li Yundong could only offer a wry smile. “It’s a relief they all think this video is just computer effects. Otherwise, I’d be famous.”
Su Chan giggled, “It’s fine, they only see your back, you won't get famous! However, Master Fakong has become famous; someone even doxxed him!”
Li Yundong forced a bitter smile. “What a calamity, what a calamity. If Master Fakong finds out, he’ll probably curse me.”
Zhou Qin, who had walked out with Li Yundong earlier, understood the situation. She suddenly asked, “Judging by your reactions, you seem very afraid of the truth behind this video getting out. Why is cultivation something that cannot be shared with outsiders?”
Ziyuan explained, “The cultivation world has always been a realm kept secret. Every cultivator strives to maintain the secrecy of this world; it’s an unwritten rule everyone adheres to. Why is this the case? Because every cultivator possesses immense destructive power; they are a special group of people, and this group happens to be connected to religion. Our nation’s government currently promotes atheism and maintains strict control over religious belief, which extends to cultivators as well. However, because cultivators and their sects are largely unruly, the government fears that high-pressure tactics might cause many sects to flee and fall into the hands of hostile foreign powers. Therefore, the current approach is one of laissez-faire, but publicly displaying one's cultivation is absolutely forbidden.”
Zhou Qin gasped, realizing the gravity of the situation. “I understand now. So that’s why.”
Ziyuan nodded. “Why is the cultivation world so weak now? A large part of the reason is related to the nation’s policies and whether the government offers support or not. During the Han Dynasty, Emperors Wen and Jing, along with Empress Dowager Dou, believed in Laozi and Zhuangzi, which led to the emergence and flourishing of Taoism. During the Tang Dynasty, the emperor favored Buddhism, so Buddhism thrived. The Song Dynasty emperors favored Taoism. Emperor Zhenzong summoned the 24th Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain and bestowed upon him the title of ‘Sir.’ Especially during the reign of Emperor Huizong, the 30th Celestial Master, Zhang Jixian, gained the emperor’s favor, leading to the construction of the Chongdao Temple in the capital. The Shangqing Temple on Longhu Mountain was also upgraded to the Shangqing Zhengyi Palace, which is why our Zhengyi School gained worldwide renown and became the supreme authority among all Taoist schools.”
“In the Yuan Dynasty, both Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan revered Taoism, particularly the Quanzhen Longmen Sect. In 1227 AD, Genghis Khan granted Qiu Chuji the Golden Tiger Token, putting him in charge of all Taoism in the realm. Consequently, Qiu Chuji’s Quanzhen Longmen Sect flourished across the land, rising to become a great Taoist power comparable to our Zhengyi School.”
Saying this, Ziyuan turned to Li Yundong. “Du Fei, whom you fought last time, is the Eldest Brother of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect, a direct descendant of Qiu Chuji’s lineage. The Quanzhen Longmen Sect is also the head of the Six Great Sects, holding significant influence. If Du Fei hadn't agreed to withdraw with the Quanzhen Longmen Sect last time, the matter on Tianlong Mountain might not have been settled so easily.”
Li Yundong nodded. “You are right. Du Fei is indeed an upright and honorable man.”
Ziyuan nodded and continued, “During the Ming Dynasty, the emperor once again began to favor our Zhengyi School. Zhu Yuanzhang conferred the title of ‘Great True Man’ upon the 42nd Celestial Master, Zhang Zhengchang, commanding the Zhengyi School to oversee all Taoism. From then until the 52nd generation, except for the 50th Celestial Master, Zhang Guoxiang, every successive master was titled ‘Great True Man.’”
Hearing this, Zhou Qin nodded with emotion. “Imperial power is supreme, in ancient times and now! But why has the cultivation world declined so severely now?”
Ziyuan smiled faintly. “In the Qing Dynasty, when the Manchus entered the passes, the Qing emperors favored Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhism and Taoism are inherently opposed; in any era, when Buddhism rises, Taoism must be suppressed, and vice versa. As soon as the Qing emperors embraced Tibetan Buddhism, our Taoist path began to suffer successive suppressions, and even Central Plains Buddhism was incidentally affected. This continued until the Republican era. Taoism showed signs of revival; in 1912, the 62nd Celestial Master, Zhang Xiaochu, organized a national organizational body for the Zhengyi School in Shanghai: the Republic of China National Taoist Association. Unfortunately, however…”
Li Yundong rarely heard Ziyuan recount the rise and fall of the cultivation world and listened with rapt interest, prompting him, “Unfortunately what?”
Ziyuan sighed softly. “Unfortunately, the May Fourth Movement broke out in 1919. This movement completely destroyed the foundation upon which the entire cultivation world relied. Western culture invaded wholesale, and traditional culture was cast aside like worn-out shoes. The prosperity of Taoism was built upon the flourishing of Taoist culture; the same is true for Buddhism. But when the traditional cultures of both paths were destroyed, they lost the very soil needed for survival. How could they possibly thrive? Consequently, Celestial Master Zhang Xiaochu’s organization only managed to establish its Shanghai branch before fading into oblivion.”
Zhou Qin had an epiphany. She looked toward Li Yundong, understanding more deeply the sentiment he had expressed earlier.
Li Yundong glanced at her, smiled slightly, and said, “Ziyuan, please continue.”
Ziyuan nodded and resumed, “Everything that happened after that, you all know. The civil wars between the Nationalists and Communists resulted in the victory of a party that believed in atheism, ushering in the darkest period for the cultivation world. This was followed by the campaign to Destroy the Four Olds, the Great Leap Forward, and the Ten Years of Upheaval. This string of events caused the cultivation world, already severely wounded, to virtually disappear from the public eye. Many cultivators fled abroad, establishing branch centers and altars for their various sects overseas. This situation only slightly improved with the Reform and Opening-Up, when the state’s control over cultivators loosened considerably. Especially in the last two years, cultivators have only just begun to slowly re-emerge into the world.”
“Especially the Sect Master of the Gexou School, Wan Zhenyuan. Seeing that the state began to relax its management of the cultivation world, he resumed the refining of the Three Elixirs in pursuit of immortality. He spent two years and finally refined the Human Yuan Golden Elixir, which led to your meeting with Su Chan…”
Li Yundong and Su Chan exchanged a look and both laughed. Li Yundong said, “It was a convergence of coincidences; everything is determined by fate.”
Ziyuan stated, “The reason I explained all this is to tell you not to think that because the state has relaxed its management of cultivators now, you can act recklessly. Especially you, Li Yundong, you are now a famous figure in the cultivation world. You must be mindful of your every word and action; absolutely do not be flamboyant or high-profile. Drawing the state’s attention would be an absolute disaster. With your power, you could run, but what about your disciples, the ones from your Fox Zen Gate? Where could they run?”
Li Yundong’s expression grew solemn. “Thank you for the guidance! I will remember.”
Ziyuan added, “However, this video alone is not enough to make the state target you immediately. This is because the state manages the cultivation world through a method of ‘self-governance’—meaning cultivators manage the cultivation world themselves, but they must never propagate it externally or make it public. Therefore, now that this video has been exposed, there will certainly be dissatisfaction within the cultivation world, especially since you are currently the acknowledged head of the Fox Zen Gate, which is inherently controversial. If others use this incident to challenge you now, you will be very passive.”
Li Yundong, who had been listening with a serious face, suddenly relaxed. He chuckled, “Since matters of the cultivation world are managed by cultivators themselves, I have nothing to fear. If these people want to confront me, it will ultimately lead to duels of cultivation. Speaking of which, I’m not afraid of them. At worst, we’ll meet force with force, or water with earth.”
Seeing Li Yundong speaking with such heroic confidence, Ziyuan cautioned him, “Don’t be careless. Last time, the experts who came from the cultivation world were all from the younger generation; not a single elder or senior master from the major sects appeared. Moreover, who knows how many cultivation sects are lurking, hidden across the Divine Land. Although the May Fourth Movement, the destruction of the Four Olds, and the Ten Years of Upheaval destroyed the soil and foundation they relied on for survival, these cultivators have hidden themselves deeply. Now that the nation shows signs of thawing from its long winter, they will certainly emerge to become active. Since you are heralded as the foremost young expert in the cultivation world, many cultivators will be eager to test themselves against you. Defeating you means instant, widespread fame!”
Li Yundong felt a sharp realization. He nodded to Ziyuan. “You raise a good point. I recall the ambush attempt by that person from the Biyuan Sect in Sichuan. If my cultivation hadn't been higher, I probably would have fallen into his trap. I will be more careful in the future.”
Li Yundong then turned to Su Chan, Cao Yi, and the others from the Fox Zen Gate. “From now on, try not to go out if possible. If you must go out, be much more cautious and travel in groups.”
Su Chan and the others responded in unison, “Yes, Sect Master!”
Li Yundong nodded with a smile. He was about to say more when a knocking sound suddenly came from the door. Li Yundong paused, asking, “Who is it?”
The person outside shouted loudly, “Delivery!”
Li Yundong was surprised. “Who delivers packages this late? Are you kidding me? Did one of you order something?”
He looked towards Su Chan, who shook her head like a rattle drum. Zhou Qin also shook hers. “None of us.” Ziyuan and Ruan Hongling also confirmed, “Not us.” Cao Yi, Liu Yuehong, and Zhuang Yating glanced at each other and shook their heads; the little foxes simply asked, “What is a delivery?”
Li Yundong laughed. “This is strange. Perhaps it’s a mistake? I’ll check.”
He walked to the door and opened it, finding a man standing outside who was roughly his height. The man wore a motorcycle helmet and dark sunglasses that covered most of his face.
This person held a parcel bag and looked at Li Yundong, asking, “Are you Li Yundong?”
Li Yundong nodded. “I am.”
The man handed over the bag and then a pen, saying, “Your delivery.”
Li Yundong, suspecting nothing, took the pen and bent down to sign the slip. But just as he lowered his head, the man’s finger shot out like a spear, viciously stabbing toward Li Yundong’s Baihui acupoint at the top of his head.
========================================== Thank you all for your concern. I woke up to many greetings and P-tickets; Tangtang feels incredibly heartwarming and warm. Thank you, everyone~ Last week’s Flower Chart ranking was eighth. This week will feature three updates, sticking to the usual schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.