Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1448 The Golden Palace Awaits Distant Visitors

The young scholar said, "Senior's judgment is accurate; I am indeed a disciple of the Duanchen Sect."

Ming Chengzi asked, "Which fellow disciple of the Duanchen Sect are you?"

The young scholar shook his head: "It's not that I don't want to speak, but I'm afraid of causing trouble for my master. Please understand, senior."

Ming Chengzi sneered.

"Even if you don't tell me, I can guess who it is. Fine, I won't make things difficult for a junior like you. I'll ask you, is this 'Heaven Beyond the Body' also the work of your Duanchen Sect?"

The young scholar said, "This... I really don't know. I've only been here for three days. Perhaps you and Chen Xuanji could ask my senior master?"

Ming Chengzi looked suspicious: "Your senior uncle is here too?"

"Yes, my master has been here for over a hundred years."

The young Taoist priest lowered his head and said respectfully, then bowed to the two men, "It was my senior master who sent me here to greet you and invite the three distinguished guests to come and have a chat."

Ming Chengzi's mind raced. He wasn't very familiar with the younger generation of the Duanchen Sect, but he knew all the people of his generation from the past. However, no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't figure out which one was here.

Chen Chuan said, "Then lead the way."

The situation is unclear. Since the other party is treating him with courtesy, he doesn't need to immediately start shouting for violence. He should first observe the specific situation before deciding on a course of action.

Getting in is a little troublesome, but getting out is much easier.

"Please follow me, esteemed guest."

The young Taoist priest led the way, heading towards the palace as expected. As they crossed the lake below, their arrival may have disturbed something, for a huge wave suddenly erupted from the lake's surface, and a white dragon soared out from it, its long body drawing an arc in the air before falling back into the lake.

This situation prompted the three of them to take a look.

Chen Chuan was able to recognize that this was a real dragon, not the kind of strange creature that looked slightly similar in later generations.

These kinds of exotic species were quite common before the Middle Ages, but due to extensive hunting and alchemy, they became increasingly rare in the late ancient period, and there are probably only a few left in the fusion lands now.

Places that can keep such animals are generally related to the royal family.

Ming Chengzi then used telepathy to say, "Xuanji, there are no extra secret ritual arrangements here, but I don't know if there are any in the palace opposite."

Chen Chuan nodded slightly. Although he wasn't afraid of anyone playing tricks, he still needed to be vigilant.

The young Taoist priest landed on the plaza in front of the golden hall, but instead of heading towards the main hall, he turned around and gestured to a mountain path that led to a higher temple, saying, "Please come this way, all three of you."

Ming Chengzi glanced inside the Golden Hall, where palace servants appeared to be moving about. He said, "Oh? Doesn't your master uncle live here?"

The young Taoist said, "My master said that is the residence of an emperor in the mortal world, not a place where we cultivators should stay for long." He then made a gesture of invitation, "Please follow me, the three of you."

Chen Chuan followed him up the mountain path. The slope was paved with neat stone steps, and exotic flowers and trees were planted on both sides. Every step revealed a new view. After turning a few corners, they arrived at the Shangfang Palace.

Thin clouds drift by, mist condenses on leaves, and peach blossoms fill the valley, making it seem like a fairyland. But who would have thought that just a hundred steps away lies the Golden Palace and Jade Terrace, the residence of emperors?

However, both the palace in front of us and the palace below are in the style of three or four hundred years ago, so they should have been built in the same period.

The young Taoist priest said, "My senior master is waiting for you all inside, so I will not go in."

Chen Chuan immediately stepped inside, and after passing through the gate, the scene before him made his eyes flicker slightly.

Just a dozen steps from the gate, a vast, bottomless ravine appeared. High above, rocks of varying sizes floated in the air. A black-haired, black-clad hermit stood on one of the rocks, his hair ribbon and robes fluttering in the wind.

This person looked to be no more than twenty years old, and was enveloped in a layer of bluish-green flames, giving him an air of being detached from the world.

He then spoke loudly, "Greetings, three distinguished guests. I am Bi Lingzi of the Duan Chen Sect, and I am half the host of this place."

As they were speaking, three stones floated towards them.

Ming Chengzi immediately recognized that this was a separate ritual field. Without stepping on this stone, one could not reach the front and would simply pass through this area.

He immediately conveyed this message to Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan was not completely ignorant of the secret ritual, and he saw through its mystery. He stepped forward, and the stones beneath his feet were very stable, as if they could support a mountain.

Mu Xiaoren and Ming Chengzi followed, but Mu Xiaoren left a clone behind. Pi Lingzi saw it but didn't say anything, only smiled slightly.

The stone moved automatically, carrying the three people slowly away until it arrived in front of Pi Lingzi. The latter gestured with his hand, and three teacups flew into the air.

"My place has beautiful scenery, but it doesn't produce much. I only have coarse tea to serve you. I hope you three won't find it offensive." Chen Chuan thanked him, took the tea, sipped it, and nodded slightly. The tea here was not much worse than what Emperor Wen Guang drank.

Ming Chengzi then spoke up, "Fellow Daoist Biling, I heard from that junior that you are a member of the Duanchen Sect?"

Pi Lingzi said, "Indeed."

Ming Chengzi said, "I have had many dealings with fellow practitioners of the Duanchen Sect, so how come I have never heard of the name of the Biling Sect member?"

Pi Lingzi smiled slightly and said, "That is because I am a disciple of the Duan Chen lineage. After achieving success in my cultivation, I was ordered by my master to guard this mountain and have not had much contact with my peers."

"The one I enshrine here is also the founder of the Duanchen Sect, who chanted the 'Exquisite Chapters of Great Talent,' and I have a purple talisman as proof." As he spoke, he took out a purple bamboo talisman from his sleeve and showed it to the three of them.

Upon seeing it, Ming Chengzi immediately believed it, because this Purple Bamboo Talisman was a token of the Duan Chen Sect and had a unique aura that outsiders could not fake. So he nodded to Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan looked at Bi Lingzi and said, "High Master Bi Lingzi claims to be half the master of this place. Is this place the 'Heaven Beyond the Body' established by the Duan Chen Sect? Who is the other half master?"

Pi Lingzi smiled and said, "This brings me to a story from the past. Even if you don't ask, I will still tell you about it."

He said, “This ‘heaven beyond the body’ was originally established by a senior member of our sect. Before he attained enlightenment, he had been offered sacrifices by an emperor of the Chang Dynasty, thus incurring worldly karmic debts. As long as these karmic debts remain, he cannot escape them.”

A hundred years passed in this way. The Chang Dynasty declined and fell. At the time of its downfall, the last emperor of the Chang Dynasty came and said that three secret treasures needed to be hidden here. He also asked this senior to look after them and agreed that his descendants would come to retrieve them. He said that once his descendants came, his worldly ties would be severed.

The elder immediately agreed, but three to five years later, the Chang Dynasty was destroyed by the Yuan Dynasty. The descendants of the previous dynasty did not arrive; instead, the founding emperor of the Ding Dynasty appeared. This emperor found the place and intended to seize the secret treasure.

He smiled again as he said this.

"That senior was quite capable, only one step away from breaking free from the barrier. The Dingchao Dynasty could never do anything to him. In the end, the Dingchao Emperor personally went there and had a conversation with that senior. He said that the new dynasty was in the making and everything needed to be rebuilt. He needed to use money to circulate throughout the world. He was willing to borrow two secret treasures first and said that he would repay them slowly when he had more money later."

Even if he cannot repay the debt, his descendants will repay it, and a golden pillar will be erected in front of the palace as proof.

Seeing that this founding emperor of the dynasty was exceptionally brave and spoke sincerely, the elder recognized him as a true hero and thus agreed to the matter.

Pi Lingzi looked at Ming Chengzi and said, “Fellow believer Ming Chengzi, after being persuaded by your Fulong Sect, Emperor Taizu of the Ding Dynasty abdicated the throne twenty years later and went to seek a higher realm beyond the borders. Emperor Taizong of the Ding Dynasty succeeded to the throne and came here again. Originally, the senior thought he came to return the secret treasure, but unexpectedly he said he wanted to borrow the remaining place.”

The elder firmly refused, saying that he had made an agreement with Emperor Taizu beforehand, and it would be inappropriate to borrow again if the debt was not repaid. Thus, he left in a huff over Emperor Taizong.

Although the Ding Dynasty was now more powerful than the Taizu Dynasty, it did not break its promise. In the following decades, it sent a lot of wealth here and built palaces and temples. However, the missing treasure could never be filled.

At this moment, as the world beyond the realm was approaching, this senior had another realization and decided to abandon this place to seek it. However, thinking of the vow he made that day and the promise he could not break, he entrusted this matter to me.

I have been guarding this place for over a hundred years. Not long ago, Emperor Wenguang came here and brought a batch of valuables with him.

I calculated that this batch of goods would just be enough to make up for the past debts. Emperor Wen Guang also said that soon, the descendants of the previous dynasty would come to collect it.

If that were truly the case, I could not only fulfill that senior's wish, but also use this legacy to sever my worldly ties and shed my physical limitations. Then, all worldly affairs would no longer concern me.

After saying this, he smiled and looked at the three of them.

Chen Chuan understood what he meant. This man had guessed that they might have come for the secret treasure here, so he wanted them to find the descendants of the previous dynasty's imperial lineage. As long as the latter asked for the items back, this man could leave and would not concern himself with the rest of the matter.

Ming Chengzi frowned. "Fellow believer, are you saying that all we need to do is find the descendants of the previous dynasty?"

Pi Lingzi shook his head and said, "It is no random person. He must be a direct descendant of the previous dynasty's imperial lineage. I do not recognize anyone else."

Ming Chengzi frowned and said to Chen Chuan, "Xuanji, the Chang Dynasty has been destroyed for more than three hundred years. The descendants of the imperial family were probably exterminated by the Ding Dynasty long ago, and now they are probably impossible to find."

Chen Chuan pondered for a moment, then looked at Bi Lingzi and asked, "May I ask what your secular surname is, High Master?"

Pi Lingzi smiled and said, "My surname is Cao."

Ming Chengzi glanced at him in surprise, because the royal surname of Changchao was Cao.

Chen Chuan nodded and said to Pi Lingzi, "I remember Gao Gong said that when the founding emperor of the dynasty came here, he did not ask about these things first. He only agreed to talk about these rules because he could not win over that senior."

"exactly."

Pi Lingzi smiled and said, "In this world, reason is no match for force, and words are no match for strength. If you gentlemen can defeat me, then this matter will naturally be decided by you."

……

……

(End of this chapter)