Not only He Youtian.
The moving red-cloaked immortals also shed bright beams from their eyes.
They looked at me first, and then their gaze shifted to the backpack I was carrying.
Xiang Ke's whispered murmurs predominantly showed his respect to He Youtian, and almost everyone could hear his voice.
What he whispered was the identity of the old man Gong.
The mysterious and powerful figure resembling a god, Xuan Chi Jin, became an immortal ghost, treating me as his master.
"Master, it's true that you're highly regarded by the teacher," He Youtian murmured.
It was evident that they didn't believe I could recruit the old man Gong myself, but rather attributed it to the actions of the previous Four Rules Immortal.
As I was eager for this.
The origin of the old man Gong became clearer and more enlightening.
Sun Zhuo's head slowly sank lower, hiding his expression and eyes from view.
"Come on, let me lead you to worship the Three Pure Ones, then we can rest. You've been working hard all night climbing up the mountain and dealing with the traitor yesterday." He Youtian's tone seemed more familiar.
The elders took precedence, and Sun Zhuo's row of monks did not lag behind. They turned around and walked towards the mountain gate.
As we passed through the square mountain gate frame, I felt an indistinct sensation of skin being scalded.
This wood...was it hit by lightning?
However, the grain was not too prominent.
Felled trees struck by lightning are often the best, with the most intense lightning fire. If an entire tree is struck by lightning, most of it should be like this wood, which is quite luxurious for use as a mountain gate.
As for the flat, mirror-like stone that has been polished, it gives me a sense of imagination.
This mountain gate is as if it's been disassembled from the Four Rules Mirrors?
The practice arena was too vast, stretching to the horizon in all directions, beyond which lay the desolate clouds.
From here onwards, the Four Rules Temple seemed to be in the clouds.
As for the higher peaks and the observatory itself that rose high into the clouds, wrapping around them, it gave a sense of magnificence and a feeling akin to ascending to the heavens.
It took about half an hour, passing through several smaller halls, before we reached the entrance of a grand hall.
Here is probably the midpoint of that mountain, and there are observatories on the way up.
A horizontal tablet hangs beneath the eaves of the grand hall, inscribed in gold foil characters: "Bright Mirror Hall."
The ground outside the hall is paved with green stone, the interior well-lit, with three towering statues standing majestically, while the sides are filled with various other divine images.
The Cross-Causality Temple also has halls like this one, but compared to this one, the atmosphere is much weaker.
Although the Four Rules Mountain has a magnificence and grandeur, the materials used within it are not as luxurious as those of a Buddhist temple.
Of course, it's the appearance that is less grand, but in essence, the simplicity of the temple's atmosphere and the sense of proximity it offers are something that Buddhist temples can only aspire to.
Under the statue of the Three Pure Ones, a monk stands with his hands on his back.
He is extremely tall, dressed in a vivid purple Taoist robe, with a crown atop his head.
A white veil falls down, covering his nape, and by extension, I know it also covers his entire face.
Two rows of monks quickly approached and formed two rows of standing disciples.
Sun Zhuo is to the left of Mingjing True Man.
To the right is He Youtian.
He Youtian approached the nearest Mirror True Man and spoke in a low tone.
His voice was not soft, but rather resolute, echoing the events that had unfolded outside.
He included my "interrogation" and "accusation" against Sun Zhuo, and he didn't omit them either.
In response, He Youtian said: "Master teacher brother, let go of thoughts and ask the heart. However, the justice of our Four Rules Mountain cannot be lacking. On this matter, it is still up to the true man to decide."
"In addition, I plan to have the little apprentice live on the Leshen Cliff."
For a moment, the Mirror True Man did not utter a single word.
With a bang, Sun Zhuo knelt down.
Everything seemed to come to a standstill, the atmosphere became tense and awkward, as if it was frozen in place.
A sigh was emitted from the Mirror True Man.
He turned around.
Sunlight slanted into the grand hall, which was usually able to pierce through the white veil. However, it instead shrouded the veil in a golden hue, making it even more difficult to discern the face of the Mirror True Man.
"Sun Zhuo, not being his father, came to the mountain early and has been with me ever since. The faults of one's parents are often not to be imposed on their children, just as with the deity Luo Xian, your parents may have committed some great mistakes, but no one has blamed you for them."
The voice of the Mirror True Man carries a sense of energy, echoing in the hall without end.
I did not speak much.
Sun Zhuo's intellect indeed falls far short of the Mirror True Man's. With just a few words, he managed to block many things I wanted to say.
However, I myself had no intention of speaking much.
"The conditions at the Leshen Cliff are too harsh, in my opinion, he should live in the Elder's Hall. I have thirteen elders on Four Rules Mountain. Luo Xian Shen, your teacher's disciples left outside, has a profound Daoist skill and should be named as the fourteenth elder and elder, what do you think?" The Mirror True Man did not look at He Youtian but rather at me.
At this moment, all the other elders, including all the disciples, appeared startled and astonished!
My originally calm expression also slightly changed.
Let me be an elder?
The elders of Four Rules Mountain hold a very high status, and they have very profound credentials!
In theory, according to Mao Sanjie, as long as the Mirror True Man allows, many things can be discussed without needing to push him too hard. Their status and position are completely different from each other.
Before I could speak, He Youtian shook his head and said: "I don't think it's right."
"Why is it not appropriate?" the Mirror True Man asked. "It's justified and proper."
"Elder, one follows the order and takes over the Daoist heritage. One does not become an elder by giving up or failing to challenge."
"The little apprentice said before he came up the mountain that there was no place for him on the mountain."
"The idea of a place is only the master's intention."
"Yes, it is the master's will."
He Youtian's face remained calm, and his tone was equally composed.
Yet he would not back down an inch!
I suddenly understood, realizing that they were arguing about something.
I could not compete for the position of an elder or challenge Sun Zhuo.
In fact, that was just the tactic Mao You San told me to use, a mere ploy to solidify my status, something that could be set aside.
I originally had no intention of staying on Four Rules Mountain.
In front of this situation, I could not say much.
Clearly, He Youtian believed in my identity and was on my side. He was fighting for me. If I backed down, it would be equivalent to stabbing him in the back.
"The master's will... Could it be that Luo Xian Shen must challenge me?" The Mirror True Man's tone lightened, and he laughed heartily.
"Why are you deliberately steering the conversation away, you know, my meaning is that having the little apprentice live on Leshen Cliff can both familiarize him with the rules of our Four Rules Mountain and cleanse his mind. He is not a disciple of years past, but one of today. At his age, he is younger than Sun Zhuo by quite a bit, and he can certainly test his abilities against Sun Zhuo just like other disciples who might succeed the grand ritual."
"Let him go through this process and then become an elder. It will also allow the master to rest in peace in the underworld."
"At that time, we will retrieve the master's bones and avoid causing discomfort to the master."
He Youtian was much more stern, with a single sentence, he brought the Mirror True Man back on track.
The grand hall became extremely quiet again.
I could vaguely make out something.
Four Rules Mountain is not an iron plate, is it?
"Grand Elder, do you really think this is good? In terms of status, Luo Xian Shen is Sun Zhuo's teacher-uncle."
"As for bloodline, Sun Zhuo is still Luo Xian Shen's cousin."
"I would like to set aside all this, I think this is the master's intention. Third junior brother, are you defying him?" He Youtian's tone changed in an instant!
He even omitted the title of True Man and addressed me as "third junior brother"!
