The small town behind Qingcheng Mountain has become quite lively. The Taoist inn, after more than half a month of working day and night, is almost finished. As the saying goes, when the money is right, things get done quickly. Originally, it was thought that it would take a month to complete, but wow, it was done in twenty days and looks quite presentable.
They're doing some basic renovations inside right now, all in a uniform brick and wood antique style. Walking into the courtyard, workers are busy laying bricks and planting all sorts of flowers and plants. It'll be incredibly beautiful in no time. The custom-made mahogany furniture will be delivered in the next couple of days.
Li Baolong and Daoist Qingfeng were discussing matters together, specifically the opening of the inn in a couple of days and the groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation of the Daoist temple. Daoist Qingfeng happily said that he had invited many fellow Daoists to the ceremony, and they could conveniently stay at the inn. "Let's just wait and see the lively scene in this Qingcheng Mountain town," he said, "it's sure to be exciting!"
Taian Town is so lively today! The villagers are all gathered together, and there's also a group of reporters, three or four layers deep, all taking pictures.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation of Baiyun Temple was a star-studded affair! Master Changyangzi of Yueqing Palace in Wudang Mountain, Master Mingyue of Qingyang Palace in Chengdu, Master Qiujizi of Heming Mountain in Sichuan, Master Tianxuan of Laojun Mountain, and dozens of other Taoist masters from various schools were present. Li Baolong, dressed in purple, greeted each of the Taoist friends, and finally sat in the middle of the group as a purple-robed lay Buddhist for a group photo.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, County Head Liu Qixian spoke first, saying that the renovation of Baiyun Temple was a great thing, of great significance for the inheritance of culture and enriching everyone's spiritual life, and that the government would strongly support it. Next, Abbot Qingfeng of Baiyun Temple spoke, saying that Taoist culture has a long history, and this renovation of Baiyun Temple was intended to allow more people to experience the charm of Taoism. He also expressed special thanks to Layman Li Baolong. It turned out that after discussions among many Taoist abbots, it was decided to award Li Baolong the title of "Purple-Robed Layman," allowing him to practice and spread Taoist teachings more widely. Li Baolong stood up, wearing his purple Taoist robe, and said spiritedly, "I am sincerely willing to contribute to the promotion of Taoist culture. I will donate money for any future temple renovations!" After he finished speaking, a thunderous applause erupted from the audience. The Taoist abbots also bowed and performed the Taoist salute.
This groundbreaking ceremony is not only the beginning of the renovation of Baiyun Temple, but also a new starting point for the inheritance and development of Taoist culture. It will surely bring a different new look to Tai'an Town in the future!
The courtyard inside the Taoist inn was set with over a dozen tables of food, creating a lively scene. After touring the entire inn, everyone found a place to sit. At the entrance, a group of local villagers had gathered, craning their necks to look inside.
Li Baolong had thought things through carefully. He arranged for several Taoist priests to distribute rice to the elderly. Bags of white rice were handed to the seniors, who beamed with joy and thanked them profusely. The children weren't idle either, watching eagerly as the priests handed them candy. The children grabbed the candy and jumped for joy. This was also a way of praying for everyone's well-being.
The entire town was filled with this lively atmosphere. People were laughing and chatting, and the aroma of food wafted far and wide, filling the inn with a festive spirit. This meal was not just about delicious food, but also about the warm hospitality and the anticipation of better days.
Tonight, under the bright moonlight, Li Baolong and Daoist Qingfeng climbed up to Baiyun Temple. Once inside, they went straight into a room with Yun Shiba and talked for a long time.
The old Taoist priest seemed to have settled all his worries. He slowly walked to the portraits of Yun Jizi and Old Taoist Yi, knelt down with a thud, and began chanting incantations. Seeing this, Li Baolong wisely withdrew and returned to his room.
Upon arriving at the mountain, Li Baolong felt a stirring in his mind, a sense of clarity and a loosening of the constraints on his Taoist cultivation. He sat down in the backyard, staring intently at the moon, his mind clear as a mirror. He silently recited the Seventy-Seven Taoist mantra, over and over, forty-nine times. Good heavens! After finishing, it was as if he had suddenly awakened, experiencing a profound enlightenment. His mind was incredibly expansive, and upon further reflection, his Taoist cultivation had soared to the eighth level. Li Baolong secretly thought that he must have had a stroke of luck during the temple's renovation, a stroke of good fortune that allowed his cultivation to leap forward. He pondered that his current cultivation was almost on par with Master Yi, the master of Yun Shiba; he just needed more experience and practice.
Li Baolong then remembered his own spatial dimension. He went inside and, wow, it had expanded like a balloon, doubling in size. It was almost six meters long, wide, and high—incredibly spacious! Li Baolong was overjoyed. Just then, he noticed two lines of writing that had appeared on the wall. He stared at them for a long time, but it was like reading gibberish; he couldn't recognize a single character. Helpless, he could only try to copy them, planning to give them to Master Qingfeng the next day to have him interpret them.
After all the work was done, Li Baolong was so sleepy that his eyelids were drooping, so he hurried back to his guest room to sleep. What a night!
Early in the morning, Li Baolong got up and quickly washed up as soon as he opened his eyes. After finishing, he looked at the bed and thought about how he should contribute to the repairs of the Taoist temple. With a wave of his hand, he took out one hundred kilograms of gleaming gold from his spatial storage. These one hundred shiny gold bars were neatly stacked there. This was intended for gilding the hundreds of statues of various sizes in the temple. Thinking of the breakthrough in his Taoist cultivation yesterday, Li Baolong was filled with gratitude. He knew that this opportunity was rare and could not be sought after; it was purely arranged by fate. When destiny arrives, there is no stopping it.
A thought grew stronger and stronger in Li Baolong's heart. He felt that he would definitely find the second half of the Heavenly Book someday, and integrate it completely into one, turning it into a proper immortal book. Then, he could use the magical power of this immortal book to relieve the suffering people of the world, allowing everyone to live a good life and no longer be tormented by illness and poverty.
Li Baolong got up very early, his mind preoccupied with the mysterious cloud-script characters he had seen on the wall of his spatial dimension the previous night. He quickly summoned Daoist Qingfeng, and upon meeting him, handed him a copy of the cloud-script characters he had meticulously copied, saying, "Qingfeng, I can't understand a single character of these. Could you please take the trouble to translate them for me? I'll come back to collect them in a month."
Master Qingfeng took the paper with the tracing paper and nodded solemnly. Li Baolong then said, "Oh, by the way, I've put one hundred kilograms of gold in my guest room. It's specifically for repairing the statues in the Taoist temple. You'll have to make good arrangements."
After saying this, Li Baolong turned to leave. Master Qingfeng watched his departing figure, clasped his hands together, and uttered a devout prayer: "May the Heavenly Venerable grant boundless blessings." The sound echoed in the Taoist temple, carrying a sense of respect and gratitude for Li Baolong, and seemingly a silent blessing for his future journey.
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