parentshiftbook Chapter 364 The Name of Benevolence and Righteousness, The Celestial Master's Report
Chapter 364 The Name of Benevolence and Righteousness, The Celestial Master's Report
Chapter 364 In the Name of Benevolence and Righteousness, the Celestial Master's Return
The next day, the morning sunlight streamed through the exquisite windows, illuminating the depths of the palace.
Li Xijun and Su Youli walked out of the palace together.
At some point, the girlish naiveté of Su Youli faded from her brows, replaced by the gentleness and radiance of a newlywed. Her eyes sparkled with charm, and when she walked side by side with Li Xijun, there was a harmonious and melodious atmosphere.
The two parted briefly in front of the palace. Su Youli went to the Imperial Study to continue learning from Wen Zhiyin and Li Boyan how to handle the complex affairs of the empire and fulfill her duties as Empress.
Li Xijun then moved to another solemn and majestic main hall of the imperial palace.
At this moment, two people were already waiting quietly inside the main hall.
These are the leading figures of both Buddhism and Taoism in Dasheng today: Qingxu Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, the head of Taoism, and Channing Master of Dajue Temple, the head of Buddhism, who cultivates the "Dragon Elephant Bodhisattva Demon-Slaying View".
Both of them possessed the cultivation level of the Thunder Tribulation and had profound auras. They were figures worshipped by countless believers.
The relationship between the Dasheng court and the three religions was intricate and almost inseparable.
Li Boyan and Wen Zhiyin, as the chief ministers of the court, represented Confucianism and received annual allocations of public resources from the court to aid their spiritual practice. Confucianism was deeply intertwined with imperial power, with virtually no barriers between them.
Therefore, after the new emperor ascended the throne, it was customary to sort out the relationship with Buddhism and Taoism, which was an important part of stabilizing the court.
Even for an ordinary emperor, even one as brilliant and ambitious as the late emperor, facing the Buddhist and Taoist sects with their powerful Thunder Tribulation True Lord and profound foundations, it would be difficult to achieve a delicate balance through a process of negotiation, wrangling, and compromise.
After all, the Thunder Tribulation True Monarch is already a top-tier combatant in this world, and should not be pressured too much.
However, Li Xijun's emergence completely shattered this traditional power structure.
As soon as he stepped into the main hall, before he even stepped onto the high dragon throne, Master Qingxu and Master Channing were drawn by an invisible force and stood up from their seats with utmost respect, bowing their heads slightly to show their reverence.
The atmosphere in the entire hall instantly became solemn and respectful upon his arrival.
Only when Li Xijun calmly ascended the imperial steps and sat down on the dragon throne that symbolized supreme power, and casually raised his hand to gesture downwards, indicating that the two should sit down, did Master Qingxu and Master Channing seem to have received some kind of permission. They secretly breathed a sigh of relief and carefully sat down again, but their posture was even more upright and reserved than before.
There is nothing to it but strength.
Yesterday, Li Xijun murdered a god like a dog in full view of everyone. His power was like the mighty might of heaven, deeply engraved in everyone's soul.
The Seven Gods, whom the Eastern Continent had to exhaust its resources to barely withstand, were utterly vulnerable before him. Although the Buddhist and Taoist sects possessed some resources, how could they dare to show the slightest disrespect before him?
They were terrified that if they were not careful, they might displease this person and crush them as "ants" in their eyes. That would be truly a case of crying out to heaven and earth in vain.
Therefore, these two religious leaders, who were usually aloof from worldly affairs, were more submissive to Li Xijun than any other court official.
Li Xijun took in the expressions of the two men, but did not show any aggressive attitude. Instead, his face was gentle, with a faint smile, and his gaze first fell on Master Qingxu.
"Master Qingxu,"
Li Xijun spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority, "Back when I was still insignificant, I was generously gifted the 'Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder Jade Canon' by the Celestial Master. This canon greatly aided my cultivation. Later, with the help of your sect's ancestral master's blessed land for tribulation, I successfully passed the tribulation and achieved the realm of True Monarch."
"I will always remember this kindness and gratitude."
Upon hearing this, Master Qingxu's face immediately lit up with undisguised joy, and he quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind! It is a blessing for Longhu Mountain and for the entire Daoist community to be able to assist Your Majesty in your cultivation!"
Upon hearing this, Master Channing felt greatly reassured, thinking to himself, "Just as the rumors say, although His Majesty is decisive in killing, he is also a man who cherishes old friendships and values benevolence and righteousness. It seems that this summons will not be a disaster."
Li Xijun nodded slightly and continued to say to the Celestial Master Qingxu: "Now that I have ascended the throne, the promise I made to the National Preceptor in the past shall be fulfilled. From now on, the share of the people's wishes that the court makes for the National Preceptor will only be more generous than before, and will never be less."
After speaking, he had a thought, and with a wave of his hand, a vast ball of pure and warm light, containing countless devout prayers and aspirations of all living beings, slowly condensed, like a miniature golden galaxy, and floated before Master Qingxu.
The moment this power of will appeared, its purity, its immense magnitude, and its "mass" that seemed to transcend the limits of this world instantly caused Master Qingxu and Master Channing's pupils to shrink, and their faces once again showed undisguised shock and amazement!
Even though they had seen the power of all living beings' wishes before when Li Xijun fought the Seven Gods, they were still shocked to see such pure and vast power of wishes again.
If Li Xijun hadn't possessed terrifying strength and their own profound cultivation of Dao and Buddhism, they would probably have been unable to suppress their greed, just like the Seven Gods before them.
Li Xijun seemed oblivious to their shock, calmly stating, "This amount of willpower is sufficient to support a True Monarch at the first level of the Thunder Tribulation in completing the crucial step of breaking through to the second level of the Thunder Tribulation—a process of 'facing death to be reborn.'"
He paused, then added, "Of course, if you want to completely reshape and fill the even larger mental image after the second tribulation, you will still need to rely on the power of the common people allocated by the court in the future, to gradually accumulate it. But this one piece is enough to add a profound foundation for your Longhu Mountain, enough to be used as a trump card."
Upon hearing this, even Master Channing, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but reveal a deep sense of envy.
The value of this vow is priceless to any cultivator stuck at the peak of the first level of the lightning tribulation!
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, regretting that Dajue Temple had missed the chance to meet this emperor and thus failed to forge such a good relationship.
Master Qingxu was so excited that his body trembled slightly. He quickly stood up again, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply to Li Xijun, his voice trembling slightly: "This humble Taoist—on behalf of all of Longhu Mountain, kowtows to thank His Majesty for His grace! Longhu Mountain will never forget Your Majesty's generous gift and will certainly do its utmost to assist Your Majesty and protect the Great Sheng!"
After respectfully performing the grand ceremony, he carefully and solemnly collected the power of all living beings' wishes, which was enough to change the fate of the sect, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
The atmosphere inside the hall thus became even more harmonious and congenial.