The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun

Page 559

The memorial tablet of Hao Datong, the founder of the Huashan School, is located to the side of the ancestral master Chongyang.

The third tier features Taoist immortals such as Lü Dongbin, followed by guardian deities like Wang Lingguan.

Jiang Ning stood solemnly before the altar, surrounded by swirling incense smoke.

Jiang Ning, dressed in a blue-gold robe and wearing a lotus crown, bowed deeply three times before the ancestral tablet with a solemn expression. His forehead lightly touched the ground, and although his voice was soft, it was powerful, and everyone present could hear it clearly.

Everyone was completely silent; no one made a sound except for the crackling of the burning incense.

After completing the ceremony, Jiang Ning stood up, his gaze solemn and his expression dignified as he looked at the shrine. He cleared his throat and spoke in a clear voice.

"dimension

"The Supreme Dao of Taiji, the Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the Upper Pure Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerable, the Supreme Pure Moral Heavenly Venerable, the Three Pure Ones, the Dao Ancestors, above, mercifully observe and listen!"

As Jiang Ning spoke, golden light pierced through the clouds and shone down on him. Jiang Ning, dressed in blue robes and wearing a golden crown, stood bathed in the golden light, giving him a sense of holiness at that moment.

This scene left everyone present astonished.

Today wasn't a bright, sunny day, with clouds overhead, but at that very moment a beam of golden light pierced through the clouds and fell right on Jiang Ning. How could they not be shocked?

Jiang Ning continued speaking, his voice steady and powerful, echoing throughout Mount Hua. Even those in the martial arts world far below the mountain heard his words.

The crowd looked at each other, remaining silent.

For a moment, only Jiang Ning's voice could be heard throughout Mount Hua.

"The spirits of the ancestors of the Huashan School, a branch of the Quanzhen School and a branch of the Xuanmen lineage, are not far away. We humbly offer our thanks."

Today, the heavens and earth are clear and bright, and the Daoist energy is abundant. Under the protection of the Ancestral Master and inheriting the mantle of my esteemed teacher Yue Buqun, I, your unworthy disciple Jiang Ning, have succeeded as the fourteenth head of the Huashan Sect. This is not due to my own ability, but rather to the great grace of the Ancestral Master, the great trust of my esteemed teacher, and the destiny bestowed upon us by the sect!

Our Huashan School originated from a branch of the Quanzhen School. In the past, our Patriarch Chongyang founded the school, studied the profound mysteries and sought enlightenment, taking it as his wish to help the world and save people. Our ancestors throughout the ages have vanquished demons and protected the peace of the people. The blood and sweat of our Patriarchs and the legacy of our predecessors have forged the lifelong aspirations of our disciples. This kindness and virtue will shine like the sun and the moon forever on the Xuanmen!

Today, before the ancestral tablets of Patriarch Chongyang and the ancestors of the Huashan School, I burn incense and pray to Heaven, and hereby make a vow to clarify my mind.

From now on, this unworthy disciple Jiang Ning will strictly abide by the ancestral teachings, take it as his heart to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path, take it as his mission to glorify the sect, and devote himself to the cause until his dying breath. This heart and this will are as clear as the sun and moon and as witnessed by heaven and earth!

May I be forsaken by both gods and men if I break this oath!

Jiang Ning looked solemn and kowtowed three times after he finished speaking.

"I humbly request

Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerable, Supreme Pure Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerable, Great Pure Moral Heavenly Venerable, Three Pure Ones, Ancestors of all ages, bestow your compassionate wisdom and protect my sect!

Enjoy this meal!

Chapter 760: Imperial Conferment

Jiang Ning's voice resounded throughout Mount Hua.

Then, a scene that astonished everyone unfolded.

After Jiang Ning finished praying, the golden light that had been shining on him began to spread, and everyone couldn't help but look up at the sky.

The clouds surrounding the golden light seemed to melt away like snow, and countless rays of light poured down, instantly enveloping the entire Mount Hua in golden light.

After Jiang Ning finished speaking, the three sticks of incense in front of the incense table stood straight as pillars piercing into the beams of the palace.

Phew! Phew!

Suddenly, the cry of a crane came from the main hall. Everyone looked up in the direction of the sound and found that a white crane had been standing in the main hall of the Huashan Sect.

"This……"

Someone exclaimed in astonishment.

When did this crane arrive?

The others seemed uncertain and said, "It seems like... we arrived at the very beginning."

"wrong."

This person's words were immediately refuted by another person.

“I saw it clearly. The white crane came when Master Jiang was chanting the name of the Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerable.”

As everyone was discussing this, the white crane standing on the roof of the main hall suddenly spread its wings, raised its head, and cried out loudly, its voice continuous.

At this moment, an even more miraculous scene unfolded: two more white cranes flew in from afar, their wingtips brushing against the wisps of smoke as they passed the main hall. The smoke trails, following the two cranes' circling motion, formed a Tai Chi symbol.

This bizarre scene left everyone astonished.

At this moment, Chongxu stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Could it be... that the Three Pure Ones are really watching right now?

When Chongxu succeeded as the leader of Wudang, he did the same thing as Jiang Ning, but he just completed the ceremony in an ordinary way. Unlike Jiang Ning now.

Yue Buqun was even more excited upon seeing this scene.

Doesn't this further demonstrate that his choice of Jiang Ning as his successor was recognized by the Three Pure Ones?

That wasn't the end of it. After the two cranes danced in the sky, a flock of white cranes flew in from afar and landed on the eaves of the palace.

"The Three Pure Ones resonate, a flock of cranes come to pay homage, Heaven's Dao has certified this, this is... the true orthodox lineage!"

An old Taoist priest from Wudang stared wide-eyed at the sight and said in a trembling voice.

At this moment, Yue Buqun had already knelt down in excitement.

The other Huashan disciples also knelt down and shouted.

"Welcome, Master! May your Daoist Qi endure forever!"

"Welcome, Master! May your Daoist Qi endure forever!"

The roar of the disciples of Mount Hua was so loud that the flock of cranes standing on the roof of the main hall were startled and flew away.

The white crane that had initially stood on the main hall also took flight, flying over Jiang Ning's head.

A crane feather drifted down, landing squarely on Jiang Ning's shoulder.

Jiang Ning stood up, turned to look at everyone, his expression solemn, and slowly spoke.

"The Qi of the heavens is vast and boundless, and my Dao flourishes day by day."

Linghu Chong and the other Huashan disciples said in unison.

"The Qi of the heavens is vast and boundless, and my Dao flourishes daily!"

"The Qi of the heavens is vast and boundless, and my Dao flourishes daily!"

The martial arts practitioners who had remained silent, afraid to speak for fear of disturbing the memorial service, also began to offer their congratulations.

"Congratulations, Master Jiang."

"Congratulations, Master Jiang!"

Jiang Ning nodded slightly.

From this moment on, he officially became the leader of the Huashan Sect.

The succession ceremony was drawing to a close, and several Huashan disciples began cleaning the venue and respectfully carried the offering table back to the back hall.

At this moment, everyone's emotions became agitated.

The succession ceremony will be followed by the Mount Hua Sword Competition, which is also a part they are very much looking forward to.

Jiang Ning glanced at everyone's expressions and knew their expectations, so he was about to start the Mount Hua Sword Tournament.

But at that moment, a voice came from afar.

"Angels are here!"

Chongxu's expression hardened even more.

finally reached.

The sudden sound caused a commotion among the crowd.

A moment later, the crowd parted to make way, and at the end of the road, a group of people were coming towards them.

The leader was fair-skinned and beardless, dressed in a python robe and jade belt. He had a delicate appearance, but he walked with a powerful stride, exuding an air of nobility rather than femininity.

Wang Zhi?

Upon seeing this person, Jiang Ning showed a slight surprise.

What did Zhu Houzhao send Wang Zhi to do?

Everyone noticed the python robe on Wang Zhi's body, and even more so, the waist tag hanging from his waist, which read "Supervisor of the Western Depot and Head of the Imperial Horse Administration".

Seeing Wang Zhi's attire and waist tag directly revealed his identity.

Everyone started whispering.

"These are people sent by the imperial court."

"The head of the Western Depot? The director of the Imperial Horse Stable? Who is this person?"

"What did the imperial court send him for?"

Although the group consisted of people from the martial arts world who were not very knowledgeable about the affairs of the imperial court, they could tell from the waist badges bearing the seals of the Director of the Western Depot and the Director of the Imperial Horse Administration that Wang Zhi was not an ordinary eunuch.

No one knew why such a high-ranking eunuch would come to Mount Hua at this time.

Chongxu's expression became even more solemn at this moment.

He recognized Wang Zhi's identity and knew that he was a powerful figure, a favorite of the current emperor.

Chongxu's expression was solemn, and he was even more horrified inside.

He knew that Zhu Houzhao had sent an envoy to Mount Hua, but he never expected it to be this powerful figure.

This shows how much Zhu Houzhao valued Jiangning.

Wang Zhi remained expressionless, his narrow eyes staring straight ahead, ignoring the martial arts figures on either side, his gaze fixed solely on Jiang Ning at the far end.

Upon arriving in front of Jiang Ning, Wang Zhi stood there, and everyone looked at him.

Wang Zhi, who had been expressionless, now revealed a smile and bowed slightly to Jiang Ning.

"Wang Zhi, the chief eunuch of the Western Depot and the Imperial Horse Administration, has come on His Majesty's orders to congratulate Master Jiang on taking charge of the Huashan Sect."

Wang Zhi spoke softly, but with the support of his inner strength, everyone could hear him clearly.

The crowd was astonished, their expressions varying.

Jiang Ning's expression calmed down. He nodded to Wang Zhi and asked, "How is the Emperor's health?"

Wang Zhi laughed and said, "Thanks to Master Jiang's help, His Majesty has now fully recovered. I heard that Master Jiang will succeed as the head of the Huashan Sect in the grand ceremony in October, so I specially sent this governor to offer my congratulations."

When Jiang Ning went to the capital to treat Zhu Houzhao last time, he discovered that Zhu Houzhao's body had been poisoned. After so long, Zhu Houzhao has finally recovered from the poison and his body has fully recovered.

Jiang Ning nodded.

The poison wasn't difficult to cure; it just required time to recover, which didn't surprise him.

"In that case, thank you very much, Eunuch Wang, for making a special trip to Mount Hua."

Jiang Ning said politely.

Wang Zhi smiled slightly: "Master Jiang, you are too kind. I am here on His Majesty's orders."

Imperial decree?

Everyone looked at each other in shock when they heard this.

Just then, a eunuch behind Wang Zhi respectfully stepped forward and presented the imperial edict with both hands.

Wang directly took the imperial edict, glancing sideways at the crowd.

After a slight hesitation, everyone knelt down.

Although they disliked the imperial court, no one dared to cause trouble at this moment when Wang Zhi, representing the emperor, was about to announce the imperial decree in public. Didn't they see that Master Chongxu of the Wudang Sect and Yue Buqun, who had just stepped down, were kneeling?

Wang Zhi was slightly satisfied, then looked at Jiang Ning and smiled, "Master Jiang is His Majesty's sworn brother, there's no need for such things."

Jiang Ning still didn't know what Zhu Houzhao was planning, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Wang Zhi had already opened the imperial edict and announced it loudly.

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said: