Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1333 Asking about Merit in the Palace

Master Chonghua bowed to the Celestial Master and said, “Celestial Master, no matter what, Ranming almost caused the downfall of our Tianji Sect, and countless believers perished. I need to give the believers an explanation.”

Long Xian also said, "Yes, there is still a trace of Ran Ming's divine energy residing within the Heavenly Secrets Plate. I don't know what to do with it."

Master Lu nodded and said, "This matter should be brought to a close."

He flicked his whisk, and a radiant light emanated from the center of the Heavenly Mystery Hall, accompanied by the sound of flowing water, as if underground water was surging and overflowing from below.

Where the light and mist gathered, the stone slab melted away, revealing a hollow, and then an octagonal golden disc with many mysterious runes floated up.

This is one of the most important treasures of the Heavenly Secrets Sect, the Heavenly Secrets Plate, which controls the secret rituals of the thirty-six administrative centers and the seventy-two scenic spots.

The object spun out of thin air and landed in Master Lu's hand. With a gentle flick, a wisp of divine energy was pushed out and landed on the hall, instantly transforming into the figure of the python.

He looked around without glancing around, silently bowed to the seated Celestial Master Lu, and then stood there in silence.

All the disciples in the main hall were looking at him, their eyes filled with different emotions—some hating, some pitying, and some sighing.

Master Lu said, “Ranming, the calamity of the Heavenly Secrets Sect has passed. Your calculations have all failed, and your secrets have been destroyed, causing many believers to die as a result. This matter must be investigated. However, considering that you have taken the calamity upon yourself, I can still include your name in the sect and not expel you, but you will not receive any offerings. You should explain yourself.”

Ranming looked up at the Celestial Master, then at the people seated, and finally his gaze fell on Chen Chuan. As their eyes met, a wisp of spirit was transmitted over.

This action was made without any attempt to conceal it, and both Master Lu and the three True Immortals saw it, but no one said anything.

Chen Chuan sensed the spirit he was transmitting, observed it for a moment, and then surprisingly transmitted a secret technique to him.

This is where the final use of the seven-colored rainbow light reveals the meaning conveyed within its spirit. This was not taught by An Shijun, but rather a protective technique that he deduced in an instant after obtaining that invisible body, based on his past knowledge and An Shijun's many memories.

If Ranming were given the chance, he could continue to deduce the secrets. He couldn't pass on the secrets, but he hoped that this secret technique could be preserved and further improved.

Chen Chuan glanced at it and instantly understood everything about the secret technique. However, this method was not compatible with his own cultivation system, so he could only use it as a reference rather than copy it.

However, he always felt that Ran Ming had other intentions. After a moment of thought, he had some guesses, but he couldn't be sure at the moment and needed to wait and see.

He also sent a message back, indicating that he had memorized this secret and would try to pass it on to the right person in the future.

After receiving his reply, Ran Ming bowed to him, then turned around and bowed again to the person seated in the center.

He then straightened up, his entire body gradually becoming dim and ethereal. Then, a wisp of clear light flashed, and his entire body dispersed into a thin cloud of white mist, which then dissipated with the airflow surging from outside the hall.

Once his divine aura dissipated, Ranming ceased to exist.

The three immortals on the throne sighed and silently recited the name of their ancestor.

Master Gao Xu pondered for a moment, then bowed and said, "Celestial Master, I have a question. If the Celestial Master only addresses internal matters and not external ones, can this calamity be averted?"

Master Lu nodded slightly and said, "If we do not abandon this burden outside the heavens and focus solely on guarding the inner realm, this calamity may be reduced by half, but this is not the way of our Heavenly Secrets Sect."

I will go beyond the heavens to vanquish demons; this journey will at least extend Xuanhuan's lifespan by three years. What does it matter if it adds half a more tribulation to my Heavenly Secrets for these three years?

Chonghua, Gaoxu, and Longxian nodded unconsciously, all deeply agreeing.

The method of the Heavenly Secrets Sect lies in finding a glimpse of heavenly secrets to guide others. If one only seeks to protect oneself, then in the end, the sect will use its full power to guide only a few people, or only one person, while the rest will be left without guidance.

If the Celestial Master did not harbor such thoughts, but instead protected and saved the world, then the Heavenly Secrets Sect would have a chance to survive. If it did harbor such thoughts, it would not survive for long. Just like now, because of the Heavenly Secrets Sect's righteous actions, in times of crisis, someone came to help, and a glimmer of heavenly secret came to save us.

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan felt that the Tianji Sect was not purely selfless, but rather combined self-salvation with world protection.

Regardless of their thoughts, what they did did indeed benefit people all over the world.

According to Master Lu, gaining three years may not seem like a long time, but in the context of the world, countless heroes could seize the opportunity to rise up.

Given the current state of technological development, an extra three years of preparation time could allow countless technologies still under development to overcome bottlenecks, potentially drastically altering the situation.

To put it bluntly, if it weren't for what the Heavenly Secrets Sect did sixty years ago, the Great Collision might have already occurred.

So, putting aside what the Celestial Master did not long ago, just considering the merit he made sixty years ago, he should not be treated like this this time.

After a moment's thought, he suddenly remembered something else and looked up to ask, "May I ask the Celestial Master, are the secrets of Heaven predetermined?"

Master Lu said, "If we talk about human affairs, things depend on human effort, but the secrets of Heaven are never fixed. If we talk about destiny, the course of Heaven is constant, but the secrets of Heaven never change."

Chen Chuan nodded, took out the Golden Scroll, flipped through it, and came to the last page.

"Are these words behind the scenes something that our predecessors foresaw about what our descendants would do?" Master Lu glanced at them and smiled, saying, "If it is a matter of human affairs, the secrets of heaven are never fixed. We can only deduce the general trend, and we cannot investigate the details. We must know that people's hearts are easily changed and their will is hard to maintain. Others may be able to guide and urge us, but how you, my esteemed guest, act is entirely up to your own will. No one can control you, and no one can predict your future."

Chen Chuan nodded. This was basically in line with his guess. The poem above was not predetermined, but rather it was generated spontaneously by his own connection with the heavens and the interaction of their energies.

Therefore, it can be said that this was not written by someone else, but recorded and written by myself.

He looked towards the head of the table and said with gratitude, "Thank you for your guidance, Celestial Master."

Master Lu smiled and said, "It's alright. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask."

Chen Chuanxin's heart stirred slightly. This was a rare opportunity to directly learn from a person with high-level power.

The most important thing right now is how to continue my cultivation, so after a moment's thought, I asked, "I would like to ask the Celestial Master for guidance on how to proceed with my cultivation from now on?"

These words also caught the attention of the other True Immortals, who had been pursuing the goal of gaining access to the upper echelons.

Master Lu stroked his beard and said, “Our Tianji Sect practices the methods of divine physiognomy, while you, esteemed guest, practice the methods of human physiognomy. I cannot say much about this path, but I can tell you some key points.”

The divine questions the path to enlightenment, the different seek to trace back to their roots, and the human cling to self in the pursuit of truth. How to cultivate oneself depends on self-reflection.

Chen Chuan seemed to be deep in thought. "Ask yourself?"

Master Lu nodded and said, "The key to the profound mystery lies in 'guarding the true form and gathering the spiritual form.' These six words reveal the true essence. The spiritual form is not a tool for fighting, but a raft for crossing over. All three paths need to use it for cultivation. After a person gathers the spiritual form, they must first do the 'asking for a name' thing."

"The moment you learn the name of the spirit, you will know what you seek and what it is. After that, you will naturally know how to cultivate yourself. I cannot say more to you here, otherwise it will be detrimental to you."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Chuan roughly understood the meaning of the Celestial Master's words, because the spiritual image is a reflection of oneself, and if there is anything that understands oneself best, it is the spiritual image of oneself.

Therefore, what one desires seems to be obtainable from spiritual visions.

Spiritual objects are not weapons for combat, but rather tools for cultivation. Since they involve specific practices, one may need to constantly perceive the other world in order to understand what one needs and how to do it.

Master Lu then said, "I observe that your cultivation methods seem to contain some of the secret teachings of my Xuanjiao?"

Chen Chuan nodded, "I was also guided by some former teachers and senior members of the Xuanjiao sect."

Master Lu smiled slightly and said, "My Heavenly Secrets Sect has a scripture repository containing many scriptures and teachings. I would like to borrow them from you, esteemed guest, so that you may gain some inspiration."

Master Chonghua said, “The sutra repository contains a vast collection of scriptures, including many works by predecessors outside the religion. It is not possible to read them all in a short time. Your honored guest may stay with our religion for a few more days.”

Chen Chuan thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Alright, then thank you, Celestial Master. I'll stay at the Celestial Mystery Sect for a few more days before I leave."

Master Lu laughed heartily. Then he turned his gaze and saw a brightly colored figure hovering and flying outside the main hall.

He asked, "Was this bird or beast brought by your honored guest?"

Chen Chuan nodded. "Its name is 'Chaoming'."

Master Lu smiled and said, "Looking up at the sun and singing in all directions, what a fine name. I observe that your bird or beast seems to have a special opportunity, but that opportunity has not yet materialized. Is there something to worry about?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan knew what he was referring to. He didn't hide anything and said, "It's like this. Back then, a deity of the Beginning People gave me a gift, but I couldn't resolve the trouble involved, so I haven't used it yet."

As he spoke, he took out the red round stone that Ikus had given him.

Master Lu glanced at it and immediately knew its origin. It turned out that it came from that person, and at the same time, he understood Chen Chuan's concerns.

He smiled slightly and said, "If you are willing, I can cleanse it of any impurities, and then you can use it with peace of mind. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan's eyes lit up slightly. Of course, he wouldn't turn down such a good opportunity, so he clasped his hands and said, "Then this junior thanks the Celestial Master in advance."

At that moment, a chirping sound came from outside, as if it were also giving thanks. The assembled immortals showed strange expressions, all feeling that Chaoming was intelligent and understood their intentions, which was extraordinary.

Seeing this, Master Lu smiled and stroked his beard, thinking for a moment. “Your bird and beast are very intelligent. In that case, I will add another item for your bird and beast. Long Xian, go and get my Ming Dan.”

Long Xian immediately stood up, bowed and said yes, then said to Chen Chuan, "Honored guest, please wait a moment, I'll be right back." With that, he left the main hall excitedly.

……

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(End of this chapter)