Chapter 19 Receiving the Ordination!

After Grand Master Sima Chengzhen finished speaking, he made no further movements, and there was no change within the Shangqing Sect altar hall.

Yet, Jiang Chen suddenly felt as if the countless statues within the Dharma hall had, in a daze, come to life.

Countless gazes, filled with scrutiny and majesty, fell upon him.

These gazes contained an inexplicable pressure, making him feel as though his very flesh and Divine Soul, along with every cause and effect of his past, were laid bare before them without any concealment.

However, this feeling quickly vanished, as if it had been a mere illusion.

Grand Master Sima Chengzhen brought his index and middle fingers together, lightly tapped the Void Realm, and drew a Yunji Talisman, which he then pressed onto Jiang Chen's forehead.

In an instant, Jiang Chen's mind jolted; he felt that his body had undergone some changes, though he could not quite put his finger on what they were.

"The transmission ceremony is concluded. From this day forth, Jiang Chen, you are my direct, final Disciple. Your generation name is the 'Xuan' generation, so I shall bestow upon you the Daoist name 'Great True Lord Xuanyi'."

"Great True Lord Xuanyi…" Jiang Chen silently repeated the name to himself, and in a flash, it felt as if this had truly been his name all along.

With the transmission ceremony over, it was time to bestow the Talisman upon Jiang Chen.

Grand Master Sima Chengzhen spoke again: "Great True Lord Xuanyi, if you regret your decision now and choose the first method, to receive the Taishang Sanwu Dugong Scripture Register, there is still room to change your mind."

Inside the hall, Li Hanguang and the other Disciples knew that Jiang Chen was about to attempt to use his own strength to perceive the Dao rhyme of the Ancestral Master, hoping to receive the Talisman directly from the Ancestral Master.

At this moment, they could not help but worry that Jiang Chen might fail.

As Jiang Chen's Senior Sister, Jiao Jingzhen was the first to speak: "Junior Brother, you do not know the dangers involved in this method. It would be better not to attempt it lightly."

The Monastic Proctor also added: "Indeed, Junior Martial Nephew, you must think carefully!"

Jiang Chen looked around and said firmly: "I thank all my Junior Martial Uncles and Senior Brothers for your concern, but my heart is not a stone; it cannot be turned!"

"Revered Master, please begin!"

Grand Master Sima Chengzhen nodded slightly and then said: "Before the Talisman is bestowed, there are a few points I must remind you of."

"The Yunji Talisman is the manifestation of the Dao itself. Perceiving the Ancestral Master's Dao rhyme means using your own internal and external scenery to resonate with that Dao rhyme. If you find a suitable Talisman, simply accept it. Do not, out of greed for a High Grade one, stray from the guidance of the altar protection."

"Secondly, if you accept some of these Talismans, you will need to shoulder the corresponding duties and precepts. For example, to receive the Northern Emperor Talisman means you must adhere to the Northern Emperor's Black Laws, which are extremely strict; the slightest deviation would mean breaking the precepts."

"You must keep these two points in mind."

Jiang Chen nodded: "This Disciple will keep them in mind."

"Very well, then let us begin."

Grand Master Sima Chengzhen waved his purple robe, and the incense in the tripod burner suddenly flared to life. Wisps of incense smoke curled out from the burner, swirling around Jiang Chen.

Grand Master Sima Chengzhen tapped the Void Realm with his index and middle fingers again, and a memorial document appeared once more.

"On the fifteenth day of the tenth month of the fifth year of Kaiyuan, at the third quarter of the noon hour, the Maoshan Sect Disciple Jiang Chen of Jurong County, whose birth year is unknown, born on the first day of the fifth month at noon, with the Ziwei star entering his Life Palace and the Qisha star entering his Body Palace."

"Jiang Chen, with a sincere heart, takes refuge and submits to the Dao. He observes the rites of the Dao and seeks to receive the precious Talisman. Respectfully facing the Jade Altar, he petitions the Three Pure Ones, the Supreme Sages, the Ten Extremes of High Truth, the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Emperor, the Three Officials and Four Sages, the Nine Heavens Universal Transforming Thunder Lord, the Ancestral Celestial Master, and the successive generations of true Revered Masters of this sect, to look down with insight. He humbly prays for the Three Officials, Five Emperors, and the Nine Offices and Four Departments to strike his name from the register of sins and record it in the Purple Mansion, guiding him and bestowing the Talisman!"

As Grand Master Sima Chengzhen's voice faded, in an instant, Jiang Chen, who was sitting on the meditation cushion, felt that sensation of being watched by many eyes return.

Moreover, this feeling was even more intense than before; it seemed as if he had been stripped bare, and his origins and existence were being thoroughly perceived.

Meanwhile, the scenery around him began to change.

The original Shangqing Sect altar hall transformed into a place of mist and indescribable phenomena.

Here, many bizarrely shaped, multi-colored Talismans floated in the air.

Upon these Talismans, Jiang Chen could vaguely see the true forms of various Daoist True Sages.

Among them were three, located at the very top of all the Yunji Talismans; they were the most brilliant and possessed the most powerful pressure.

Below them, layers of Yunji Talismans were arranged in descending order of power.

However, they all appeared somewhat illusory and not quite real.

Furthermore, when Jiang Chen approached, these Talismans would move away on their own, as if they did not welcome him.

"Revered Master said that one must use one's own internal and external scenery to communicate with the Ancestral Master's Dao rhyme."

Connecting one's internal and external scenery to the Ancestral Master's Dao rhyme means using the method of visualization to contemplate the true form of the Ancestral Master.

At this moment, he could vaguely see the true forms of these Ancestral Sages; if he only needed to use visualization to manifest them, he could obtain the Ancestral Master's approval and be bestowed a High Grade Talisman.

But while it was easy to say, doing it was incredibly difficult; otherwise, over so many years, only a handful of people would have been able to receive the Talisman from the Ancestral Master in this way.

What kind of figures were those who had received the Ancestral Master's Talisman in the past by this method?

The founder of the Shangqing Sect, Ancestor Tao Hongjing; the Ancestral Celestial Master Zhang Daoling; the founder of the Spirit Treasure Sect, Ge Hong; and Zhang Jiao of the Taiping Dao.

Only such figures, who were the founders of their sects, could receive the Talisman directly from the Ancestral Master.

And now, these figures have all become the Ancestral Masters of their respective sects.

Of course, if one could not visualize the true form of the Ancestral Master, it did not necessarily mean one could not receive a Talisman, but the grade would not be high.

For instance, Jiang Chen saw a plain-looking Yunji Talisman hesitate for a moment before drifting in front of him.

The Taishang Sanwu Dugong Scripture Register!

Good grief, Jiang Chen didn't even want to look at it twice. If he accepted this Talisman, wouldn't all the risks he had taken be for nothing?

He began to circulate the Huangting Classic, communicating with his internal and external scenery, and then the external scenery began to connect with the divine charm of the Dao.

The first one Jiang Chen chose was one of the three Yunji Talismans at the very top.

A true form, dressed in green robes and wielding a sword, with a face like an immortal descended from the heavens, manifested before his eyes.

"May the Three Pure Ones above protect this Disciple and allow me to successfully visualize the Ancestral Master's true form!"

What he was currently visualizing was none other than one of the Three Pure Ones: the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Lord of the Shangqing Realm, the Wondrous Existence Emperor, the Supreme High Saint Great Dao Lord of Shangqing!

This Dao Lord held a Dharma sword in His hands, His expression not appearing overly stern. Behind Him, the Dao opened the Nine Heavens, evolving through the Five Kalpas, with supreme scripture registers vaguely being enacted.

Yet, just as Jiang Chen tried to visualize the true form of this Shangqing Great Dao Lord, his mind suddenly fell into Chaos, with no thoughts or contemplations.

【Experience required for visualizing the true form of the Supreme High Saint Great Dao Lord: 1 / 1,000,000,000,000】

【Error, cannot visualize】

When Jiang Chen's thoughts recovered, he saw this interface appear from the System. He had not expected the System to be able to quantify even the visualization of true forms.

But looking at that number and the error message, it seemed that even the System could not help him visualize the Three Pure Ones Ancestral Masters.

Jiang Chen turned his gaze toward the Four Sovereigns in the second row, and then experienced that state of mental Chaos once again.

【Experience required for visualizing the true form of the Arctic Ziwei Emperor: 1 / 1,000,000,000】

【Error, cannot visualize】

He looked further down, and when he saw a true form standing upon a colorless tortoise and snake, looking majestic and extraordinary, with disheveled hair, clad in golden chainmail, and holding a Dharma sword, his eyes immediately lit up.

Emperor Zhenwu!

【Requirement for visualizing the true form of the Heaven-Suppressing True Martial Spirit-Responding Holy Protector True Lord: 1 / 10,000,000】

Jiang Chen's eyes brightened; this time, the error message did not appear!