365: Chapter 366 Bestowing a Golden Plaque upon Wudang, Praising the Central Heaven

As Lu Chen's voice fell, he beckoned with his right hand.

The movement was small, yet it carried an inherent majesty.

Several Embroidered Uniform Guards, carrying a massive object covered in bright yellow silk, walked in with steps as steady as mountains and as silent as shadows.

The eyes of everyone in the hall converged on it simultaneously.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards walked to the center of the hall; Lu Chen stepped forward, pinched a corner of the silk, and gave it a gentle tug.

"Shu-la—"

The bright yellow silk slid down like flowing water.

A massive ebony plaque revealed its true form.

Upon the plaque, four gold-leafed characters shone brilliantly, almost stinging the eyes: Assisting! Supporting! The Center of! Heaven!

The four characters were written with powerful strokes, exuding an overbearing aura that looked down upon the world and all living beings.

What was even more shocking was the signature.

A line of slightly smaller handwriting appeared even more sharp and exposed, like a divine sword leaving its scabbard:

"Great Emperor of Upper Purity Purple Tenuity"

Hiss—!

A chorus of sharp intakes of breath echoed through the hall, rising and falling like a sudden cold wind.

Even a high monk like Great Master Kong Wen, who had supposedly transcended the four elements, saw his pupils shrink suddenly. His knuckles turned slightly white from the force of his joined palms, and his lips trembled, yet he could not make a sound.

Yang Xiao and Fan Yao suddenly locked eyes, their Adam's apples bobbing uncontrollably, their eyes filled with unconcealed horror.

Song Yuanqiao, Yu Lianzhou, and the other Seven Heroes of Wudang were trembling with excitement, their faces flushed red, almost unable to stand steadily. They stared fixedly at the plaque as if trying to carve those characters into their very Souls.

The Sect Heads and Elders of other sects, every single one of them, stood frozen like wooden chickens.

Assisting the Center of Heaven?

Assisting and supporting the affairs of the Center of Heaven?

Who was the Center of Heaven?

It was the Jade Emperor!

And who was the signature?

The Great Emperor of Upper Purity Purple Tenuity!

This Your Majesty, this founding emperor of the Great Ming, was comparing himself to a god?!

No, this was no longer a mere comparison.

This was directly bestowing a divine decree in the name of a deity!

How was this plaque a mere imperial gift?

This was clearly... a divine mandate from heaven!

The hall was deathly silent.

One could hear a pin drop.

These four characters and this signature carried more weight than thousands of troops or mountains of gold and silver; they made one's heart sway, not daring to look directly.

It represented not just the supreme favor of a Mortal emperor toward Wudang, but... some kind of recognition and investiture from a higher level that Mortals could hardly understand?

With this plaque, to what height would the status of Wudang Mountain be raised?

From now on, before the gates of Wudang, let alone civil officials dismounting their carriages or military officers dismounting their horses, even imperial relatives would have to be respectful and not dare to overstep in the slightest!

How was this just promoting Wudang?

This was clearly placing Wudang upon a divine altar!

In the silence, Zhang Sanfeng's white eyebrows twitched a few times. He slowly stood up and straightened his faded Daoist robe, his movements meticulous.

Then, he walked to the center of the hall, faced Lu Chen, and gave a deep bow, the hem of his robe touching the floor.

"This old Daoist... on behalf of all Wudang, thanks Your Majesty... no, thanks the Sovereign Lord... for your grand grace!"

His voice carried a trace of undetectable trembling; clearly, his heart was far from calm.

When the words "Sovereign Lord" were spoken, the hearts of everyone in the hall leapt wildly.

Daoist Master Zhang is... acknowledging it?

Lu Chen sat still and merely raised his hand in a gesture of assistance, "Immortal Master, there is no need for such ceremony."

The old Daoist Zhang Sanfeng did not rise immediately, his waist still slightly bowed. "Your Majesty's grand grace is more than this old Daoist deserves. However, I still have one matter for which I must thank Your Majesty in person."

Hmm?

There's more?

Everyone's hearts were suspended once again.

Lu Chen's brow twitched slightly, gesturing for Zhang Sanfeng to stand and speak.

Only then did Zhang Sanfeng slowly straighten his back and look up. In his eyes, which had weathered many storms yet remained as clear as a child's, a strange light flickered, as if stars were swirling within.

"Several months ago, Your Majesty sent an Embroidered Uniform Guard from Tianzhu, thousands of miles away, to deliver a secret letter, instructing this old Daoist to open it personally."

Zhang Sanfeng's voice was not loud, yet it was like the tolling of a great bell, clearly reaching the ears of everyone in the hall.

"This old Daoist opened and read the letter, only to find that it contained neither matters of state nor imperial decrees, but rather... thousands of words detailing Your Majesty's insights and deductions regarding the ultimate principles of martial arts and the mysteries of Heaven and Earth!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned again.

The Emperor wrote a letter to Daoist Master Zhang, not to discuss state affairs, but to discuss martial arts?

And from Daoist Master Zhang's tone, it seemed to be incredibly profound?

Lu Chen understood in his heart, but his face remained impassive.

He knew what Zhang Sanfeng was going to say.

Tai Chi.

Yin and Yang.

Harmony.

Sure enough, Zhang Sanfeng continued: "Every word in Your Majesty's letter was a gem, containing the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth and the mysteries of martial arts."

"I have studied martial arts for nearly ninety years and considered myself to have gained some achievements, yet I always felt that between Heaven and Earth, there was a more profound realm, as if separated by a tough, thin veil—visible but unreachable, with no door to enter."

He took a deep breath, the light in his eyes growing even brighter.

"Until I received the guidance in Your Majesty's letter; it was like a divine empowerment, and I was suddenly enlightened!"

"That thin veil that had troubled me for decades was actually broken with a single touch!"

"I then entered seclusion for several months to verify and Fusion the profound truths in Your Majesty's letter with my life's learning and the principles of Nine Yang True Qi circulation, finally comprehending a brand new set of fist and sword techniques!"

His tone carried uncontrollable excitement and joy.

"Once this technique was completed, the many martial arts barriers and cultivation Bottlenecks that had troubled me for years melted away like spring snow, solved with ease!"

"Because of this, my cultivation... has luckily advanced one step further!"

Although Zhang Sanfeng spoke of it lightly, who among those present was not a martial arts expert?

Daoist Master Zhang was already a living legend, a titan of the Martial Forest. What did "advancing one step further" in his words mean?

Everyone looked at Zhang Sanfeng and saw his hair and beard moving without wind, his face ruddy, his skin faintly shimmering with a jade-like luster. His aura was harmoniously restrained to the extreme, yet he seemed to have merged into one with the entire Purple Heaven Palace, even the entire Wudang Mountain.

This... could this be the legendary realm of a Land Immortal?!

Lu Chen's gaze swept over Zhang Sanfeng, and he nodded slightly.

Not bad, this old Daoist's Comprehension Ability is indeed startling.

His letter back then had combined his understanding of Tai Chi principles, the Great Dao of Yin and Yang, and Quantum Mechanics (of course, described in the language of this world as "subtle changes" and "the mutual generation of being and non-being").

His original intention was just to see if he could give this legendary figure a bit of inspiration.

He hadn't expected that not only would he truly realize the essence of Tai Chi Fist and Sword ahead of time, but he would also use it to break through the shackles of mundane martial arts, transforming True Qi into essence and stepping onto the threshold of a cultivator—the Qi Refinement Stage!

A single set of Tai Chi Fist and Sword had actually helped him break through his realm and extend his life; it was truly extraordinary.

Lu Chen stepped forward and gently supported Zhang Sanfeng's arms, preventing him from potentially bowing again.

He smiled, a smile containing a bit of sincerity and a bit of appreciation.

"Immortal Master, you overstate it."

Lu Chen's voice softened.

"When I wrote that letter, I was merely in Tianzhu. After handling government affairs, I had some occasional insights and recorded some fragmented thoughts about the changes of Yin and Yang and the combination of hardness and softness."

He gently patted Zhang Sanfeng's arm. The force was not great, yet it made the old Daoist feel a warm and peaceful True Qi enter his body, instantly traveling through his limbs and bones, feeling indescribably comfortable.

"Thinking that the Immortal Master is a Great Grandmaster of martial arts with vast knowledge, I sent these unstructured thoughts to you, intending for us to exchange and verify them. It was purely 'meeting a friend through martial arts.'"

Lu Chen's tone was casual, "How could it count as guidance? It was merely 'throwing a brick to attract jade.'"

"To be able to help the Immortal Master see through the barriers and advance further is all a result of your own accumulation being as deep as the sea, your startling Comprehension Ability, and your good fortune."

He let go of his hand and looked at Zhang Sanfeng with a warm gaze.

"The Immortal Master need not thank me. Rather, I should thank you for allowing some of my thoughts to blossom with such brilliance in the hands of a Great Grandmaster like yourself."