One Year Later
In just one short year, Qingyang Town had undergone a miraculous transformation.
What was once a modest town had now become the most prosperous city in the entire Great Yan Dynasty. A new city—Qingyang City—had been constructed at the foot of a once-unnamed mountain. That mountain, following the relocation of the Lin family, had since been renamed Linjiashan.
Linjiashan became the sacred ground where the once-overlooked Lin clan of the former Qingyang Town rose to prominence. First came the family's migration, then the town's elevation to city status, and now... the entire Eastern Region spoke the name Linjiashan with reverence.
Suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere atop the mountain was broken by a loud voice echoing across the courtyards.
"Report! The Imperial Envoy of the Great Yan Dynasty requests an audience!"
In a courtyard at the mountain's summit, Ye Feng was seated leisurely. Lin Qingtan approached with a cup of steaming tea in her hands, placing it gently before him.
Ye Feng took a sip, then asked calmly, "What does the royal family want this time?"
Lin Qingtan smiled faintly. "They're not here to appoint you as the national teacher this time... They want to make you a god."
Ye Feng chuckled softly. "A god? I'm already one. Why would I need a mere mortal emperor to grant me a title?"
"But the royal family doesn't know that," Lin Qingtan replied, lowering her gaze.
Ye Feng studied her for a moment, then asked, "Are you tired, Qingtan?"
"I'm fine." She blinked in surprise, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Young Master Ye, not again…"
"Hmm."
"But… last night we just…"
"And you're still bringing that up?"
"You still have to give your sermon later," Lin Qingtan reminded him quickly, trying to change the subject as her face turned redder.
A year ago, upon returning from the Nirvana Tomb, Ye Feng had ordered the Lin family to announce a grand sermon that would take place on the first day of every Lunar New Year—right here at Linjiashan. His resurrection of the elegant old man from the tomb, along with the complete reshaping of the area's Feng Shui, had made Ye Feng a near-mythical figure across the Eastern Region.
Now, every major sect, every prominent family, and countless wandering cultivators had their eyes on Qingyang City. The streets were overflowing. Some people had made more wealth in the last six months than they had in their entire lives.
The Lin family, already the most influential force in Qingyang, had gained enormous prestige—and fortune—from Ye Feng's sermons. Lin Dong, Lin Qingtan, Lin Langtian, and others practically worshipped him. If they could, they would have erected a living shrine to honor him daily.
"There's still half an hour until the sermon starts," Ye Feng said, smirking. "That gives us just enough time to have a little fun. Look what I've got here."
He held up a peculiar tool with a mischievous grin.
Lin Qingtan's face turned crimson. "Did the Yin-Yang Taoist give you that again?"
"Mhm. He has a... unique talent in this area. This one's the latest model. Come, let's give it a try." Ye Feng took her hand and gently pulled her back inside.
---
At the Foot of Linjiashan
People from every corner of the continent had gathered, crowding the mountainsides. Over ten million cultivators, warriors, and onlookers had come, hoping to witness a miracle.
"The time has come. Why hasn't it started yet?" someone in the crowd muttered impatiently.
Buzz!
Before the complaint could spread further, a tremendous sound rumbled across the sky, like a flood breaking free.
Thousands of miles above Linjiashan, radiant auspicious clouds began to gather. They shimmered with shifting colors—gold, violet, azure—and danced like divine flames across the sky.
"Is this... some kind of illusion?" a disciple from Jiutian Taiqing Palace asked, awe etched across his face.
"It shouldn't be," an elder muttered, squinting upward. "To maintain an illusion of this scale would require a terrifying level of spiritual power."
As the clouds continued to grow denser, a blinding ray of light shot down from the heavens and illuminated a thousand-meter-tall stone statue standing majestically at the base of Linjiashan.
A moment later, the statue stirred.
Behind it, ten brilliant halos bloomed like lotus petals, and beneath its feet, ten golden soul rings spun in a slow, majestic rhythm. A sound like a primeval bell echoed from the statue—deep, ancient, and sacred—resonating through every soul present.
"The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name…"
Thus began the sermon.
Ye Feng's voice didn't come from the mountain, nor from any physical place. Instead, it seemed to rise from within the hearts of every cultivator present.
"The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; the named is the mother of all things…"
Each phrase fell like divine thunder, shaking the foundations of understanding. Those with deep cultivation felt their minds expand. Those lacking in comprehension were overwhelmed by tears and awe.
"Existence and non-existence give birth to each other… The sage acts without striving and teaches without speaking…"
Some wept openly. Others bowed. Some experienced breakthroughs on the spot. Enlightenment flickered in the eyes of disciples and elders alike. Even sect leaders remained silent, reverently absorbing every word.
"Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs… The sage puts others before himself, and yet he is foremost…"
The air grew still as time seemed to slow.
"The Tao gave birth to one, one gave birth to two, two gave birth to three, and three gave birth to all things…"
"All things carry the Yin and embrace the Yang. Through the blending of Qi, harmony is achieved…"
"The way of Heaven is to reduce excess and fill the deficient. But the way of man is to do the opposite…"
And finally—
"The Tao gives birth to it, virtue nurtures it, matter gives it form, and circumstance brings it to completion."
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