Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 522 - 258. The Unspeakable Secret of the Elder Clan Leader (Two-in-One Chapter)_5
On the other hand, Yuan Mobai also summarized the various pieces of news he had received and relayed them to Lei Jun.
"The current Empress plans to leave the Capital Luoyang and personally head to the Old Capital Chang’an?" Lei Jun raised his eyebrows. But this doesn’t feel like it’s purely aimed at the demon chaos in Guanlong, he thought.
After the pacification of demons in the East Sea years ago, this would be the Empress’s second personal expedition.
"The area for hundreds of miles around the Western Region Vajra Temple Gate now manifests the likeness of Vajra. Within it, the chanting of Buddhist hymns is incessant, spreading outward and attracting congregations of believers from all directions," Yuan Mobai said slowly. "Such a phenomenon has never occurred since the Vajra Temple was first established."
Lei Jun said, "Even if the new Abbot of Vajra Temple has advanced rapidly after receiving empowerment and baptism, he shouldn’t possess such abilities so quickly. Moreover, it might not even be him. In that case..."
"The Vajra Temple has always been mysterious; when it was first established, the origins of its founding patriarch were already a puzzle," Yuan Mobai continued slowly. "The sudden changes now may be related to the original origins of the Vajra Temple."
Lei Jun said thoughtfully, "Master, when I was previously on duty in Our Sect’s Edict Hall, I came across an ancient text during my leisure time that mentioned something... ’Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.’"
Yuan Mobai said, "It’s not impossible."
The so-called Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are each self-contained worlds, with alternating sun and moon, and Spiritual Energy flowing freely. They are far superior to the Mortal World, truly akin to an Immortal Realm.
Even though one alone might not be as vast as the Mortal World, each is still immensely large and often contains amazing natural forces, resulting in endless variations.
Previously, Yuan Mobai and others accidentally entered Jiuli’s secret realm. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
As a bridge, the Jiuli secret realm might lead to other worlds. Unfortunately, due to limited time and unclear circumstances, Yuan Mobai and the others did not dare to linger there. Thus, they missed discovering the other world behind the secret realm.
Lei Jun and his disciple both guessed that across from the Jiuli secret realm might be one of the Ten Lands, the Earth Sea.
In the past, the Jiuli People were defeated and retreated to the Southern Wilderness, withdrawing time and again until they finally took refuge in the Earth Sea, after which their whereabouts became unknown.
And the Earth Sea, like other places between the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, gradually disappeared from the annals of history, making it impossible for people to find their way in.
Whether it be the Nine Heavens or the Ten Lands, all have severed their connections with the Mortal World.
Over the years, they have become legendary tales, and even their circulation in the world has diminished, with very few people aware of them.
However, as time has gone by, and with the Surge of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi, signs of the reemergence of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths seem to have increased.
The Jiuli secret realm, which may lead to the Earth Sea, was discovered in the Southern Wilderness.
The secret realm that Xu Yuanzhen and King Huayang Zhang Rui previously visited also seemed to be a portal leading to another world.
Now, such a change has occurred at the Vajra Temple.
"Among the Nine Heavens of the past, Saha World and Sumi, as well as Avici among the Ten Lands, all held connections with the Buddhist Sect," Lei Jun murmured to himself.
"The peculiar Martial Tao True Meaning and Confucian classics that Yuan Zhen and you discovered have not only never appeared in the Great Tang but have also never existed in history," Yuan Mobai said. "Perhaps, they might come from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."
Lei Jun suddenly asked, "Master, what about our Taoist Sect?"
Yuan Mobai replied calmly, "Kunlun, Penglai, and the Netherworld have been absent from this world for thousands of years. No one here truly knows what they have become now."
Lei Jun nodded silently.
He changed the subject, "The old fox of the Ye Clan, by taking refuge in Prince Zhao’s Mansion, has essentially advertised it to the entire world."
Prince Zhao’s Mansion had frequent interactions with the Jinzhou Ye Clan in recent years and, through the Jinzhou Ye Clan’s mediation, even smoothed relations with the Youzhou Forest Clan. Rumors about these developments had already been circulating.
But private matters are private matters.
Once brought to light, it is another story entirely.
Although claimed as personal connections, Prince Zhao’s aid to Ye Moquan’s refuge essentially laid bare the internal divisions within the Zhang Tang Royal Family.
Yuan Mobai remarked, "Prince Zhao, after all, has always been discontented."
Lei Jun mused, "The Youzhou Forest Clan and the Jinzhou Ye Clan should have been his strong allies, but now both families have Suffered Severely Damaged Vitality..."
Yuan Mobai said, "If this were not the case, the current Empress would not feel at ease to tour the west. With the recent troubles of the North and South Lin Clans and the Jinzhou Ye Clan, and if you also include the earlier troubles of the Xiao Clan from outside Long (region), out of the Five Clans and Seven Families, nearly half have been compromised—this is the weakest the noble families have been in hundreds of years.
Before the Empress left the Capital, she had already clearly decided to establish the Council Hall within the Ministry beneath the Door—one of the Three Departments and Six Ministries—allowing more officials to participate in state affairs."
Lei Jun said, "This is about diminishing their power, sharing it, and even seizing it."
Establishing the Council Hall in the Ministry beneath the Door was undoubtedly about dividing and encroaching upon the power of the Left and Right Imperial Secretaries of the Chancery.
Dividing the power of the Chancellor.
"But now that the Empress has left, what will happen next in the Capital City?" Lei Jun asked.
Yuan Mobai responded, "The Crown Prince has come of age. During the Empress’s absence from the Capital City, the Crown Prince will oversee state affairs. Daily reports and urgent matters will be sent to the Old Capital Chang’an. The Empress plans to station herself there to quell the demon chaos and intimidate the Western Regions."
Since the Empress has no children of her own and the Crown Prince has come of age, it was inevitable that he would oversee state affairs once she left the Capital.
As for how long this will last, it depends on the progress of the demon chaos in Guanlong and the Buddhist crisis in the Western Regions.
After concluding the conversation with Master Yuan Moba, Lei Jun continued on his way.
Heading south from the San Jin Territory and passing through Zhongzhou, Lei Jun slowed his pace.
He walked carefully, observing as he went. The more he looked, the more familiar this seemed. However, the landscape in the Foreign Lands where Xu Yuanzhen was—which I reached via the ’Portal’ of the Great Black Mountain—seems incredibly similar to a part of this vast Mortal World. It’s as if a segment was carved out directly from the Mortal World! But now, looking out across the vast expanse of Zhongzhou, there is no sign of such a phenomenon anywhere.
