Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1468 The Lost Gift Map

If Da Shun hadn't yet conquered Jiao Rong, Mi Zhu Zi certainly wouldn't have adopted such a humble posture.

From its inception, the Duanchen School has adhered to the philosophy of spiritual practice that is both worldly and otherworldly.

The greater the consequences and impact of engaging in worldly affairs, the better the rewards of spiritual practice. Since disciples are usually scattered in different places and have no connection with each other, they generally do not care much about the attitude of the current imperial court towards them.

Even if the entire court were to target them, it might still be what certain factions of mystics would want to see.

However, the reason they could think this way was because they had Jiaorong as a fallback option. But now the situation is different. Da Shun is about to recover Jiaorong, and their room for maneuver is getting smaller and smaller.

The Duanchen Sect has a long history and a good understanding of various dynasties, so it is not difficult to see that Da Shun is the most powerful country in the history of the Eastern Continent.

The number of Dongxuan Temples they possess far exceeds that of any previous dynasty, which suggests that the upper echelons are in the same boat, forcing them to consider changing their past ways of behaving.

Let's not talk about that anymore. The big collision is coming soon. Even though the Xuanjiao has a Xuanzu to worship, this situation is completely different from previous active periods. No one knows what will happen, and there is no past experience to apply. There is really no need to create a powerful enemy because of face or other issues.

They were more wary of Zen Buddhism and those ancient deities, as they were their true rivals and competitors.

Of course, the most crucial reason for all of this was that not long ago, the Xuanzu of the Duanchen Sect suddenly sent a message from the heavens to the sect, asking them to find a way to befriend the Da Shun.

For over a hundred years, the sect had had little contact with Xuanzu. Xuanzu's initiative to send a message this time clearly indicated that something was amiss. This prompted the Duanchen Sect to finally make a decision to come here, adopt a humble attitude, and compromise.

Chen Chuan glanced at Mi Zhu Zi, and after a while, said, "Within a year at most, the Great Collision, which is what your sect calls the External Calamity, is about to arrive. What is High Priest Mi Zhu Zi's opinion on this?"

Mi Zhuzi raised his head at this moment, knowing that his next answer would determine whether the relationship between the two sides would truly ease.

He solemnly said, "My Duanchen Sect is a branch of the Xuanjiao, and since ancient times we have fought against demons from beyond the heavens. When the Xuan Tribulation comes, my Duanchen Sect will not be able to escape. We will go forward one after another to prevent demons from harming the human world."

Those who resist demons can be my friends.

Chen Chuan nodded slightly. The major conflict was the most pressing issue at the moment. If the other party was willing to stand on the same side as Da Shun, then the previous conflicts could be put aside.

The Xuanjiao sect members are clearly fighting against extraterrestrial beings, and in this respect, they can be trusted.

But he asked another question: "Can even Zen Buddhism be considered a form of friendship?"

Mi Zhuzi said without hesitation: "The same is true of the Chan sect! In the past, whenever there was a conflict between the two heavens and the yin and yang, my Xuan sect would join forces with the Chan sect to fight against external enemies."

If external calamities were to strike, their magnitude would be unprecedented, and no single family or faction could withstand them.

He frankly stated: "When I came down, my ancestor entrusted me with a message that all under the Xuanhuan are one. If the fate of heaven changes, the ancestor will also step forward and will never back down."

Chen Chuan was slightly surprised to hear this. It seemed that Mi Zhuzi's visit this time was not entirely of her own volition, but was also driven by higher-ups.

As far as he knew, the upper echelons generally didn't directly interfere in matters below. So what caused this change?

He couldn't help but think of the fact that he had been directly selected by his superiors to join the advisory group. It seemed that both of these events were due to interference from higher-ups. Could there be any connection between the two?

Is the reason external or internal? If it's external, then the situation could be quite serious.

Mi Zhu Zi then flicked her sleeves, and two items floated out from inside.

"To express our apologies, our sect is willing to hand over these two items to Xuanji. One of them is a gift from our sect to Xuanji as compensation for offending you last time."

The other item was entrusted to me by Emperor Wenguang, who said he would lend it to our sect for a look and then retrieve it later. However, Emperor Wenguang is now dead, so that promise is no longer valid. Our sect has already examined this item, and it is of no use to me. Therefore, I have entrusted it to Xuanji as well.”

As he spoke, he gently flicked his hand, and the two items floated towards Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan saw two items: a black pottery jar and an exquisite lacquer box.

When the items arrived, he first looked at the earthenware jar, and as soon as his gaze fell upon it, the lid naturally came off.

He glanced at the can first, opened it, and found that it was the same black scale-like thing that Emperor Wen Guang had carried before.

What I saw back then was just one, but now there's almost half a jar full, and the mutated tissues in my body inevitably have a desire to devour these things.

He raised an eyebrow. Assuming that these were all obtained by refining ancient gods and extraterrestrial beings, then this half-jar was still a rather astonishing amount.

He could also discern the deeper meaning hidden within. This thing was not only compensation, but also an expression of his own strength and a way to prove his stance.

This person is indeed very sincere.

His gaze then turned to another object. He had already guessed what Mi Zhuzi had said earlier, and what he saw after opening the box confirmed his suspicions.

On a red satin base, three white jade pieces are arranged side by side. Each piece is about two inches in size and has intricate patterns that at first glance look like mysterious characters. There are also fine cracks on the surface of the jade.

He slowly said, "The Secret Map of Heaven and Man?" Mi Zhu Zi nodded and said, "That's right. The bloodline that Emperor Wen Guang obtained came from it. These three were collected after the last dynasty entered the land of fusion. What the last dynasty obtained in the past was either lost or fell into the hands of some forces on your side."

This was the first time Chen Chuan had seen this legendary secret map up close, but he couldn't detect anything special about it in terms of his spirit or the field of energy.

There was no attraction to my body; they were just a few ordinary jade pieces.

Since all the major powers in the world are so eager for this thing, there must be something about it that they don't understand, or perhaps they need some special method to observe it in depth.

We can talk about these things later.

He raised his head, looked at the person opposite him, and asked again, "Master Mi Zhu, does your sect's action count as entering the world?"

Mi Zhu Zi smiled and said, "That's exactly what it means to be worldly."

Chen Chuan nodded and said, "I'll accept these two items."

Seeing that he accepted the gift, Mi Zhu Zi was relieved. He then smiled and said, "In that case, my wish has been fulfilled. Xuanji, I shall take my leave now."

After bowing to him again, he transformed into a wisp of divine energy, then vanished in a flash of light.

After he left, Chen Chuan packed his things, floated up, and soon arrived at the location where the third secret treasure was kept.

This time, without the intervention of the spirit-dispelling master, he had to perform the ritual himself.

He read it twice and roughly understood the key points. Although he couldn't undo it as easily as Bi Lingzi, it wasn't difficult to undo it.

The ceremony itself isn't complicated; the key is to avoid making mistakes. If something goes wrong, it could damage the contents. So, we just have to take it slow.

He slowly wore it down with the power of the field, and after about five or six minutes, the ritual above was completely worn away.

He pushed open the stone door and walked in. The layout of the secret chamber was no different from the previous two.

The boxes were arranged very neatly, and the contents were carefully labeled with exquisite jade plaques rather than simply sealed.

The stone bricks on the ground are smooth and flat, and the stone figures and horses standing here look extremely new, as if they were just moved in.

Because this secret treasure has never been opened before, it still retains its appearance from the time of the regular court.

He entered the stone hall and, with a single mental scan, instantly saw everything laid out there.

There are some gold and jade items here, but even these are just expensive and luxurious ornaments and handicrafts. The vast majority of the items here are books, scriptures, and calligraphy and paintings.

Even without opening it, one can intuitively see through mental observation that the most solemnly displayed item is the field register, which occupies a corner completely, but this thing is no longer of any use.

The remaining majority of the books are technical in nature. Some of the technologies are now outdated, but others may still be of reference value. Even if they are not used, they are still a testament to the civilization of the old era, so they still have some value.

Chen Chuan walked out of the hall and came to the stone door. He raised the ivory ornament and shook it, and the stone door naturally opened.

He went inside and found a long table with boxes of books on it. These boxes were specially designed to conceal their contents from view, making it clear that they were important items.

He confirmed that there were no ceremonial arrangements before stepping forward and opening a book box, inside which was a golden scroll.

He picked it up, untied the ribbon, unfolded it and looked at it, then put it down. He walked to the other side, opened it and found a similar bundle inside. He opened it again, glanced at it a few times, and then put it back.

Just as Pi Lingzi guessed, this was a pact between the Great Ancestor of the Chang Dynasty and many ancient deities. As long as it was brought out, these deities could be summoned to help in the battle.

The fact that these items are placed here suggests that they have never been used.

Why wasn't it used in the first place?

He speculated that people at the time probably thought that even if they took it out, it would be difficult to reverse the defeat, so it would be better to use it at a more appropriate time.

After all, these ancient gods wouldn't obediently follow a piece of paper; they had plenty of ways to shirk their duties.

Ultimately, one's own strength is the most important. These ancient gods approached because the Chang Dynasty possessed sufficient power and wanted to gain benefits from it. Since they came for profit, they would share in the profits. Once they lost these benefits, they could not expect these ancient gods to protect them.

And these things are not important.

His gaze moved upwards, where there were three portraits of the three emperors of the Chang Dynasty. Behind them, he could sense three enclosed niches, where the precious objects were clearly displayed.

……

……

(End of this chapter)