Whenever I come out of secluded meditation, I feel as if the times have left me behind!
Whenever I come out of secluded meditation, I feel as if the times have left me behind!
Although rare, there were some precedents of making a breakthrough while in deep meditation and your closing place being blown up by the heavenly tribulation in the process.
However, making a breakthrough while in meditation and deciding to keep cultivating as if nothing had happened even after surviving the might of the heavenly tribulation… this was something only True Monarch White could do!
When entering a state of deep meditation, the objective was to make a breakthrough. Therefore, once your objective was complete, you were supposed to come out and throw a party with the other cultivators.
Only True Monarch White was closing up for the sake of closing up… he actually liked closing up!
"Senior White, does that mean that you’re a ‘Venerable’ now?" Doudou asked.
"Aye," True Monarch White indifferently nodded.
He wasn’t ‘True Monarch White’ anymore. Right now, he was ‘Venerable White’!
Song Shuhang curiously asked, "Senior White, how did you turn into a statue? And how exactly did you end up in the Nameless Temple?"
Moreover, there were some inconsistencies with the timeline.
True Monarch White started his meditation 150 years ago. Afterwards, he met the heavenly tribulation which destroyed the place where he was closing up, getting rid of the defensive formations in the process. However, this period consisted of a little more than a hundred years, right?
And according to the information he had found on the Nameless Temple, several hundreds of years ago, the statue of the Celestial God was already worshipped.
"This is a long story," True Monarch White smiled and continued. "When the heavenly tribulation destroyed my closing up place, I relied on a secret technique to resist its might. The remaining energy of the secret technique created an outer layer made of stone to protect me, turning me into a ‘statue’ in the process.
Then, since I still had to get familiar with my spiritual energy after the breakthrough, I decided not to directly return into deep meditation. Instead, I entered a state of half-cultivation.
But it seems that the might of the heavenly tribulation was just too big. It ended up attracting the attention of a nearby cultivator. It was a cultivator from the Penniless Thief Sect. He mistakenly believed that the place where I was closing up contained a lot of treasures. Therefore, he suffered many hardships and solved layer upon layer of defensive mechanisms to reach it."
True Monarch White held his chin and tried to remember what had happened, "After entering the place where I was closing up, he seemed very happy. Unfortunately, except for my life-bound flying sword, ‘Meteor Sword’, there wasn’t anything else precious there.
The cultivation of that person from the Penniless Thief Sect wasn’t very high, and his eyesight probably had some problems too. Unexpectedly, he mistook my life-bound flying sword for an ownerless thing. Therefore, he happily took it away… I found him quite interesting. So, I didn’t stop him.
So, my life-bound flying sword should still be in his possession, right? After a while, I’ll go and take it back. It’s just too inconvenient without a flying sword. After having fun with it more than a hundred years, he should be satisfied, right?"
"..." Doudou had a pensive face. Someone really stole Senior White’s flying sword?
"Meteor Sword... such a good name," Song Shuhang was focused only on the flying sword. After riding a flying sword a few times, his interest in them had reached unprecedented levels.
The pekingese Doudou asked, "Then, were you found by a bunch villagers that were digging a well?"
"No. It was still that cultivator from the Penniless Thief Sect. He was a very strange fellow. The first day, he took away my flying sword. Then, the second day, he came again to the place where I was closing up and took out my statue. At the time, I even thought that he had discovered my real body. But I was mistaken; he took out my statue just to watch over it day and night. He seemed in a confusional state as this went on for several days," True Monarch White said while pondering.
Song Shuhang and Doudou looked at each other. Needless to say, the reason was surely Senior White’s incredible charm.
Speaking of incredible charm, Song Shuhang turned his head and looked at the pensive True Monarch White.
At this time, he felt as if Senior White’s beauty had no limits! He was like a black hole. You couldn’t help but keep staring at him.
Even your heartbeat would speed up without you realizing.
Since he had already experienced all of this, Song Shuhang quickly turned his head away. At this time, he noticed that Doudou was still staring at True Monarch White. Both his dog eyes were shining, unable to look away.
Song Shuhang quickly patted his head. Doudou was flying in the sky right now, what if they crashed into a plane because he was distracted?
Doudou embarrassingly spat out his tongue and started to pant, trying to cover up his actions.
True Monarch White continued, "I think it was three or four days later… that the expression of that cultivator from the Penniless Thief Sect suddenly changed panic-stricken. He dug out a deep hole and threw my statue inside. That fellow was just too strange!
Anyway, even if he were to throw me inside a hole, there wasn’t any problem. Therefore, I started my deep meditation. As for what happened later, I’m also unclear. I have no idea when I was found by the villagers and placed inside a Daoist temple. You guys also know what happened later. When I came out of meditation, I discovered that I was being worshipped inside a temple," True Monarch White smiled.
After coming out of secluded meditation, he discovered that some people were worshipping him inside a temple. He was also like: :face_screaming_in_fear:.
Song Shuhang heaved a sigh. Just as expected, rumors weren’t reliable. When the villagers passed this story from mouth to mouth, it probably got exaggerated.
***
On another side.
Nanhuahu City’s TV station was broadcasting a breaking news. There were hundreds of people fighting outside Lin Yao Village’s Nameless Temple. The scene was in utter chaos.
The policemen were already on the scene. They arrested over seventy people involved in the fighting.
Moreover, the statue in the Nameless Temple was also stolen amidst the confusion.
According to the visitors on the scene, before those three parties started an all-out war, another party had already barged inside the temple, stealing the statue.
The police said that this all-out war was a very serious matter. All those involved in the fight would be severely punished. And the statue stolen from the Nameless Temple would be surely found and returned there!
***
With Doudou’s speed, they quickly arrived at Medicine Master’s multi-storied building.
True Monarch White gazed at the horizon from the highest floor.
Large mansions and tall buildings towered as far as the eye could see. The whole Jiangnan College Town area seemed to be a forest made of steel and iron.
"I still remember the huge forest that was here 150 years ago. On a side, there was even a beautiful lake," True Monarch White heaved a sigh while comparing the current scene to the one in his memories.
Whenever he came out of secluded meditation, he would feel as if the times had left him behind!
The sighing True Monarch White was also incredibly handsome!
True Monarch White quickly regained his composure and said, "Fellow Daoist Shuhang, which topic are you planning to introduce first?"
Song Shuhang was very satisfied as he smiled, "I’ve already prepared everything. Senior White, please come with me."
Then, he brought True Monarch White inside his room on the third floor.
True Monarch White curiously looked at the things inside the room. Color TVs, air conditioners, fridges, microwave ovens... these things and other appliances didn’t exist 150 years ago.
These things were left behind by the previous owner of the house. After all the money he received from Senior Medicine Master, he didn’t mind leaving them behind.
Song Shuhang turned the computer on and opened the Nine Provinces Number One Group.
Then, he downloaded several files from the group space:
1) Picture and instructions on how to use modern electrical equipment such as air conditioners, TVs, computers, mobile phones, fridges, rice cookers... etc.
2) Things that cultivators should keep in mind about modern society: technology is advancing very quickly, the 10 best ways to quickly integrate into modern human society.
3) Basic traffic rules. Remember to avoid bumping into other vehicles. Appendix: all types of motor vehicles.
To make things easier for True Monarch White, Song Shuhang used a program to change all simplified characters into traditional ones.
"Senior, take a look at these files first. There are pictures explaining the use of these appliances found in every house. Once you’re familiar with them, I’ll help you create an account for the chat. This way, True Monarch Yellow Mountain will be able to add you to the Nine Provinces Number One Group. Right, we’ll also need you to get an identification card and other legal documents. Later, I’ll also look for a suitable mobile phone and computer," Song Shuhang said.
"I’ll take a look!" True Monarch White was very interested as he sat in front of the computer. He copied Song Shuhang’s posture and grabbed the mouse, moving the wheel up and down. He seemed very earnest.
"Oh, these things are really interesting. So, the one I’m using right now is a computer. It’s really useful. It has so many features. Then, there is this thing called fridge. Previously, I had to rely on a big storehouse of ice or ice-type formations to keep things cool. And there is also this mobile phone. It works the same way a thousand miles sound transmitter does!" True Monarch White’s eyes were shining.
He was someone that had a great interest in mechanical-type magical treasures. And now that he could see so many modern things, he was naturally overjoyed.
"While you’re looking at the files, I’ll contact the people in the group," Song Shuhang said.
He opened the Nine Provinces Number One Group and found out from the group space that ‘All fellow daoists that have closed up for more than 50 years will need to get new documents. For further information, contact Cave Lord Snow Wolf!’
Cave Lord Snow Wolf. He should be one of those seniors that are always lurking inside the group.
When he sent his group picture with True Monarch White, this Cave Lord Snow Wolf also made his appearance.
Nine Provinces Number One Group.
Stressed by a Mountain of Books: "@Cave Lord Snow Wolf, Senior, are you there?"
The reply came quickly.
Cave Lord Snow Wolf: "Haha, do you need legal documents for Senior True Monarch White? Don’t worry. True Monarch Yellow Mountain had already told me to prepare them. I’ll have them delivered tomorrow."
"It seems that True Monarch Yellow Mountain thought of everything," Song Shuhang sighed with emotion.
"Little friend Shuhang, is Senior True Monarch White already out of the statue? How does it feel?" Cave Lord Snow Wolf quickly asked.
"How does it feel?" Song Shuhang thought a bit and said, "I don’t know. I just felt that the real thing is even more handsome ."
As for True Monarch White’s ability to suddenly stumble and fall on the ground... it was better to hide it to give the senior some face. After all, he wasn’t someone that would talk ill behind someone’s back.
"Oh. Little friend Shuhang, good luck then," Cave Lord Snow Wolf seemed very pleased by Song Shuhang’s answer.
Song Shuhang was confused.
He cautiously glanced at the nearby Senior White. Which characteristic of the senior left the members of the group so terrified?
At first, he thought that it might have something to do with True Monarch White’s irresistible charm. After all, the male seniors might find it embarrassing. However, weren’t there female cultivators too in the group?
Even after thinking for a while, Song Shuhang wasn’t able to find the answer.