Chapter 1

One hundred and fifty years ago, the bald-haired people, favored by heaven, invaded the Central Plains, seized the land, and took possession of the divine artifacts, becoming the rulers of the Divine Land!

Originally, the bald-haired people were just nomadic tribes on the grasslands. After seizing power, they abandoned their original belief in the Eternal Sky and declared: "All religions that can pray for the Great Khan’s blessings are orthodox!"

From then on, all kinds of religious sects and deities had to spread their doctrines in the Divine Land. Whether it was the cross, the crescent, the fire worship, or the light, many Western religious forces invaded the Central Plains.

The Confucian scholars of the Central Plains, adhering to the distinction between the Chinese and the barbarians, remained steadfast and refused to submit to the bald-haired people.

When the Heavenly Wisdom Khan of the bald-haired people ascended the throne, he trampled on Confucian temples and shot arrows at Confucian scholars. The imperial court abolished the imperial examinations and completely abandoned Confucianism.

The Daoist sect split into the Great True and the Great Righteous sects. The Great True sect first surrendered to the bald-haired court and, with the help of the bald-haired people, became extremely powerful and influential.

Thirty years later, the bald-haired people announced that a debate and magical contest would be held every ten years in the capital city. All orthodox religions could participate.

The Great True sect failed in the debates for fifty consecutive years, and its influence greatly declined. It then joined forces with the already suppressed Great Righteous sect to stabilize the situation.

By now, the bald-haired court had been firmly in power for one hundred and fifty years, with deep roots and an unshakable position!

......

Liu Buyi gradually regained consciousness. The first thing he smelled was a putrid and foul odor, mixed with the stench of feces and urine, a suffocating smell that was indescribable.

He struggled to look around. The damp ground was covered with moldy straw, and he found himself in a foul and damp prison cell.

"What happened?" Liu Buyi wanted to ask, but only a groan came out of his mouth.

How did he end up here?

Wasn't he from another world? Just because he obtained the precious jade pendant, he was attacked by a few thugs, severely injured, and died when he returned home?

Where was the jade pendant?

Liu Buyi anxiously tried to find the jade pendant. As he moved slightly, his head throbbed, and a flood of complex emotions and fragmented memories surged into his mind.

No, this was another person named Liu Buyi. Born into a scholarly family, he had a happy home. However, he was coveted by the bald-haired people, who seized his family's property and falsely accused him of colluding with a heretical sect, throwing him into prison.

Then, last night, he had just endured a severe beating, his body alternately cold and hot with fever, and he eventually lost consciousness. He even thought he had died.

No, he had died in both worlds. How did he come back to life?

"You're awake, boy. If I hadn't seen your rare potential and used the method of reversing creation to save you, you would have been buried in the ground by now!" said a silver-haired old Taoist, who was unkempt.

Liu Buyi immediately remembered that this old Taoist was his cellmate, the Taoist True Sun, who had saved him.

Vaguely, he recalled that the old Taoist had been imprisoned for defrauding a wealthy family and rarely spoke to him.

Liu Buyi groaned again, and the old Taoist said indifferently, "I am True Sun of the Qingyang Sect."

A faint green light emanated from his hand, enveloping Liu Buyi, making him feel as if he were soaking in hot water, extremely comfortable.

However, when he heard the name "Qingyang Sect," Liu Buyi exclaimed, "Qingyang Sect?"

The Qingyang Sect was a heretical sect that the bald-haired court was fully suppressing. Not long ago, it had incited a rebellion among famine victims, but it was quickly suppressed by the bald-haired people.

And the excuse for Liu Buyi's persecution was his alleged collusion with the Qingyang Sect...

"What's wrong? Are you still afraid of our Qingyang Sect even after this?" True Sun said coldly.

Liu Buyi shook his head. If it were the old, weak, and timid him, he might have been afraid. But the new Liu Buyi was not afraid at all.

He simply said, "Thank you, Master, for saving my life!"

True Sun sneered, "Your life was not easy to save. Today, those prison guards will come back and give you a promotion!"

"Promotion?"

"Exactly, a promotion in rank!" True Sun's smile was filled with a cruel malice. "Don't you know? They will wet pieces of cowhide paper and stick them over your mouth and nose, layer by layer. Let's see how many layers you can endure!"

Liu Buyi felt a chill. He remembered that in the brutal ancient prisons, there were many ways for guards to kill prisoners without leaving any marks.

Things like "promotion" and "carrying soil bags" could make a prisoner die without anyone knowing.

In comparison, things like "hide and seek" were nothing!

"You come from a family of scholars, a true Confucian lineage, which is a thorn in the side of the bald-haired people. Do you think they will tolerate you?" True Sun said with a cold laugh.

Liu Buyi gritted his teeth, not expecting to be in such a dire situation right after crossing over. "I know, Master, that you can save me. If you save my life, I will do whatever you ask in the future!"

These words stunned True Sun. He never expected this bookworm to become so smart so quickly, seeing through his intentions!

But this was good. It was worth using the government to force him into this desperate situation.

"Do you want to become my disciple and join the Qingyang Sect?" True Sun proposed.

The Qingyang Sect was a rebel group that the court was actively hunting down. Anyone associated with it, regardless of the circumstances, would be exterminated.

If it were the old Liu Buyi, even in such a desperate situation, he would have hesitated.

But the new Liu Buyi didn't think much about it. He steeled his resolve, knelt down, and kowtowed eight times.

True Sun laughed heartily, extremely satisfied. "Good disciple, good disciple. Get up!"

He was extremely pleased. Although Liu Buyi had been a weak and useless person before, the Liu family of Wu was a direct descendant of the orthodox Confucian school of the Kaiyuan era, a direct lineage of the ancient Gongyang school. Bringing Liu Buyi into the sect would be very useful in the future against the bald-haired people.

Liu Buyi stood up, slightly relieved. He was still in the prison, but seeing True Sun's confident demeanor, he knew that escaping would be a piece of cake.

True Sun carefully took out an old oil lamp from his pocket. He gently rubbed it, and the lamp lit up. Liu Buyi clearly saw that there was no oil inside.

"Whoa..." Liu Buyi's pupils suddenly contracted. Just a glance was enough to know that this oil lamp was extraordinary.

Just like the White Lotus and other sects in his original world, no matter how much the court suppressed them, they always managed to re-emerge and revive.

The reason was simple: they had divine beings behind them. As long as the divine beings existed, even if all the followers were killed, they would revive after some time.

"This is the supreme treasure of our sect, the Qingyang Divine Lamp. Because of this treasure, our sect has been able to resist the bald-haired people, and they have been unable to do anything about it."

As True Sun spoke, he moved his fingers slightly, and the Qingyang Divine Lamp emitted layers of light, beautiful and intricate.

In those layers of light, countless fairies, Taoist officials, warriors, and divine generals appeared. At the core of the lamp's flame, a celestial palace could be faintly seen, surrounded by colorful light.

Liu Buyi was mesmerized. The light was very warm, and it felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, making his body extremely comfortable. Even his wounds began to heal rapidly.

He almost shed tears, not because of the pain and injuries, but because in his original world, he had been determined to cultivate Daoism but had achieved nothing.

Today, in this new world, he finally saw the power of the divine.

"Good disciple, sit down. I will teach you the highest cultivation method of our sect, the Seven Yuan Divine Light Great Dao. Our sect's Daoist techniques are wondrous and incomparable. It is a great blessing for you to join our sect!" True Sun said.

Liu Buyi focused his mind. In his original world, he had studied various mystical disciplines and was not unfamiliar with Daoist techniques.

The only problem was that his original world was no longer suitable for cultivation. Now, in this new world, the possibility of becoming an immortal or a Daoist master excited him!

Seeing that a small technique had subdued Liu Buyi, True Sun smiled. "Our sect's Daoist technique is called the Qingyang Divine Light Great Dao. Compared to other Daoist sects, it is the simplest.

It is based on communication with the divine and the manifestation of light and nature. Through the blessings of our ancestors and deities, the core technique is the opening of the divine eye, with nine transformations and six returns, manifesting light and nature, manifesting images and objects, refining the mind, wisdom, and spiritual faith, revealing the original spirit, gaining illumination, and achieving supernatural powers, transforming the body and ascending to heaven."

This was a divine cultivation method, similar to the Orthodox Daoist sect... but without the blessings of the ancestral deities...

"Enter a meditative state for me. I assume you Confucians have the skill to sit upright and meditate, right?" True Sun said.

Liu Buyi couldn't remember much about Confucian techniques, but he could still enter a meditative state. His breathing became deep, even, and long.

In a daze, he saw a beam of light penetrate his body, like a laser, striking the ancestral point between his eyebrows.

The rumbling vibrations were continuous, and sparks appeared. After a while, these sparks stabilized into a bright light at his third eye.

"This is the opening of the Heavenly Heart!" Liu Buyi's mind was suddenly enlightened, and he felt extremely joyful.

Naturally, the Dao has no form or name, it is just one nature, one original spirit. Life and nature cannot be seen, they are寄托 in the heavenly light. The heavenly light cannot be seen, it is寄托 in the two eyes.

Between the two eyes is the Heavenly Heart, also known as the Ancestral Point or the Niwan, the most mysterious and profound place. Opening the Heavenly Heart allows one to practice the method of returning light.

In the secret transmissions of Daoism, this light is called Jinhua. Later, Western mystics interpreted it as: "Jinhua is light, heavenly light is the Dao. Jinhua also has a mandala pattern..."

In their descriptions, Jinhua is a golden flower, a golden blossom. Hua is a homophone for flower.

In front of Liu Buyi, a golden flower began to appear. More strangely, the Jinhua in his Heavenly Heart looked like the flame of the Qingyang Divine Lamp...

Then Liu Buyi realized that the lamp's flame resonated with him. It expanded and contracted with his breathing and heartbeat, creating a wondrous state.

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Buyi heard a faint sound, which suddenly woke him up. He felt a sudden emptiness in his mind, as if something was missing.

He found himself still in the room, and it was already dark. He had been sitting for at least two or three hours.

At this moment, True Sun said happily, "It's done. The most important thing for our disciples is to entrust a part of their soul to the Qingyang Divine Lamp. From now on, you are officially a disciple of the Qingyang Sect!"

Liu Buyi came out of his joy and his face changed slightly. He remembered that many heretical sects had such methods to control their disciples, as he had read in a secret book of the White Lotus Sect.

He quickly suppressed his negative emotions. Although this meant that his life and death were in True Sun's hands, it also meant that True Sun would trust him completely...

"You don't need to worry. This is a necessary procedure for cultivation. Even famous sects and schools do this when they take on disciples. Without a part of the soul to communicate with the divine, how can one achieve the nine transformations and six returns, manifesting light and nature?"

"Master, I understand!" Liu Buyi said, having no choice.

Seeing that Liu Buyi was not resistant, True Sun was even more pleased. "Rest for a while. Master will teach you some magical techniques. Tonight, Master will help you take revenge and then we'll leave!"

Although Liu Buyi knew this was a carrot and stick approach, he felt genuinely grateful. He still remembered how the prison guards had tortured him.

Thinking about it made him hate them to the bone. Even the carrot after the stick made him very grateful!

At this moment, he noticed the smell of blood in the air. The prison cell was dim, and the air was murky, filled with various strange odors. Liu Buyi had many wounds from the torture, and he hadn't noticed the smell at first.

Subconsciously, he looked in the direction of the blood. He saw several bodies lying on the ground outside the cell, all dressed as prison guards.

Liu Buyi was shocked. "Master?"

True Sun smiled faintly. "You are my disciple; how can you be bullied? Killing these guards is nothing. I will also help you kill the officials who framed you!"

Liu Buyi was really surprised. "Master, are you setting a trap?"

True Sun smiled. "You are teachable!" He was very satisfied with how quickly Liu Buyi had become smart and clever.

Indeed, True Sun had killed all the guards but didn't leave. He wanted to attract all the people who deserved to die to the prison and kill them all at once!

After all, anyone who was a lackey of the bald-haired people deserved to die.

"Rest here for a while. I'll be back after I kill everyone outside!"

Liu Buyi leaned against the wall, not caring about the dirt. In fact, humans adapt to their environment very quickly. After being in the prison for so long, Liu Buyi's sense of smell had completely dulled, and even the most foul odors no longer bothered him.

His wounds from the torture had completely healed, showing how powerful True Sun's Daoist techniques were.

He began to discard other thoughts and fully recall Liu Buyi's memories, quickly adapting to this identity.

Liu Buyi started to think about his identity as a Confucian disciple. Surprisingly, the Confucianism in this world was very different from the Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism that emerged after the Southern Song Dynasty in his original world. It was more like the Confucianism before the Song Dynasty.

Moreover, the lineage was similar to the Han and Jin dynasties in his original world, being passed down through families.

In his original world, the Yang family of Hongnong, who studied the Ouyang version of the Book of Documents, had four generations of grand secretaries. The Yuan family of Runan, who studied the Meng version of the Book of Changes, had five generations of grand secretaries.

In this world, Confucianism was also monopolized by families. The Liu family of Wu was one of these Confucian families, though not the most prestigious, it was a local family.

However, the family's transmission of the "Zhengyuan Li" was the orthodox Gongyang school, with extremely pure teachings.

Before the bald-haired people invaded the Central Plains, the Liu family had great influence in the region. Many generations had served in the imperial court, achieving high ranks and wealth. Many great Confucian scholars had emerged, revered by the spirits.

But with the invasion of the bald-haired people, all of this became a thing of the past. The Liu family declined, and even the last descendant was almost framed and died a miserable death in prison.

Liu Buyi organized the memories in his mind and found that although this Liu Buyi was timid, his knowledge was solid and deeply rooted in his family's teachings. It wasn't fake!

However, with the destruction of the Confucian temples and the suppression by various deities, even with great power, it could not be manifested.

In his memories, when Confucianism was at its peak, it could summon wind and rain, suppressing all ghosts and spirits.

"Hey," while searching through his memories, Liu Buyi suddenly felt a shock. He found the jade pendant.

The jade pendant, which was said to contain the secrets of becoming an immortal, wasn't it destroyed when he was hit? How did it appear in his mind?

He didn't have time to think much. The jade pendant appeared vividly in his mind, as if it were a real object.

Liu Buyi felt a surge of joy. Could this jade pendant really be a treasure? Was it because of this jade pendant that he was able to cross over?

If so, could he return?