Chapter 68 A Glimpse into the Lives of All Beings

Jiang Chen had heard more than once that after Princess Yuzhen failed to attain the Dao, she began to degenerate.

She expanded Yuzhen Taoist Temple extensively and spent her days inviting high-ranking officials and nobles to come and indulge in pleasure.

But looking at it now, the rumors and reality did not quite match.

If she hadn't observed the myriad forms of all living things, this sleight of hand—this illusion—could never have possessed such keen insight into the human heart.

So, were the rumors of her inviting nobles to Yuzhen Taoist Temple for pleasure actually a form of Cultivation?

Jiang Chen pondered, though this purpose of Cultivation went against the principles of the Maoshan Sect.

The Maoshan Sect emphasized both detachment from and engagement with the world; while engaging with the world, one should remain unstained by the mud, staying clear while the world is murky, and sober while the masses are drunk.

Princess Yuzhen's method of Cultivation, however, was like throwing oneself into a dye vat, observing the myriad states of all living things to condense the image of all living things.

This method of Cultivation seemed more like a Buddhist philosophy.

It was no wonder that Revered Master was unwilling to take Princess Yuzhen as a Disciple; first, her royal status was a heavy Karma, and second, their Cultivation philosophies were contradictory.

The Maoshan Sect was not suitable for Princess Yuzhen.

Having seen through the illusion, Jiang Chen did not intend to stay and continued to walk outward.

At this moment, he heard a clear, charming female voice by his ear, dreamlike and ethereal, with a hint of sorrow:

"Junior Brother has already walked to the gates of Yuzhen Taoist Temple, yet you are unwilling to come inside and take a look at your Senior Sister?"

Jiang Chen was speechless. No wonder Revered Master couldn't stand her pestering back then and ran straight back to the Maoshan Sect from Wangwu Mountain.

Am I your Junior Brother? You're awfully familiar.

"How has Revered Master been lately? Sigh, he does not wish to see me, and I dare not disturb Revered Master's peaceful Cultivation."

Jiang Chen turned back and saw a Taoist nun standing before the gates of Yuzhen Taoist Temple, her long hair coiled up, her appearance bright and beautiful. She wore a gray Taoist robe and held a jade whisk.

This Taoist nun looked slightly older than Jiang Chen, but no more than twenty-four or twenty-five. Even the loose Taoist robe could not conceal her curvaceous figure.

Jiang Chen almost activated his auto-aim skill, but fortunately, he remembered that his System did not possess such a skill, so he restrained himself.

Jiang Chen thought to himself, all that talk about the Tang Dynasty favoring plumpness was pure nonsense.

Eunuch Zhao and his entourage followed behind the Taoist nun, heads bowed, not daring to look up at all.

Clearly, this Taoist nun was the daughter of Emperor Ruizong of Tang, sister of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Princess Yuzhen.

At this moment, although Princess Yuzhen was wearing a Taoist robe and holding a whisk, she did not look like a monastic at all.

Her eyes flowed like water, and beneath her coiled hair, her swan-like neck was revealed, white and lustrous.

The Taoist robe did not cover her completely; instead, it was wide open at the collarbone, and Jiang Chen could vaguely see a deep cleavage that was captivating.

Princess Yuzhen's eyes seemed to have a magical quality; whoever looked into them could not help but want to cherish and protect her.

Of course, Jiang Chen was naturally unaffected.

This was because Princess Yuzhen had been Cultivating a certain Cultivation Technique, and over time, even her Physique had changed.

In modern terms, she possessed the quintessential succubus Physique.

"Your Highness is joking. This humble Daoist is not your Junior Brother, nor do I know who Princess Yuzhen's Revered Master is, so where does this talk of Senior Sister and Junior Brother come from?"

Jiang Chen did not indulge her at all and laid his words out plainly.

Since Princess Yuzhen had no intention of giving him any Face earlier, he naturally did not need to indulge her too much.

Princess Yuzhen ignored Jiang Chen's words and turned her gaze to the Maoshan Dharma Sword in his hand.

"Revered Master has actually bestowed the Dharma Sword upon you?"

She did not know that the Dharma Sword had long been under the stewardship of Li Hanguang, and this time it was merely given to Jiang Chen for self-defense during his travels.

It could serve both as protection and as a deterrent against insurmountable opponents.

As for those who might want to kill to seize the treasure, they would have to see if their bones were harder or if the Lightning Spell of the great Immortal Master of Maoshan was harder.

"Junior Brother, would you be willing to let your Senior Sister take a look at the Dharma Sword?"

Jiang Chen replied indifferently: "If Your Highness intends to seize it by force, you will naturally see the Divine Might of the Dharma Sword."

Princess Yuzhen's mouth twitched. She had met so many people, yet this was the first time she had encountered someone like Jiang Chen, who showed her absolutely no deference.

"Since that is the case, please come inside the Taoist temple for a chat, Junior Brother. Standing here at the gates to converse seems a bit distant."

Since Princess Yuzhen had come out personally, Jiang Chen naturally would not give her the cold shoulder again. He cupped his hands in a salute to Princess Yuzhen, then stood side-by-side with her and walked into the temple.

The exterior of Yuzhen Taoist Temple was already magnificent and breathtaking, and the interior was even more extraordinary.

It would not be an exaggeration to call it resplendent; it had pavilions and waterside platforms, looking nothing like what a Taoist temple should look like.

Instead, it resembled a summer villa.

Princess Yuzhen smiled slightly and said: "Whether it is Yuzhen Taoist Temple or Lingdu Taoist Temple, both have undergone several expansions and renovations to reach their current scale."

"If you like, Junior Brother, I will gift you a courtyard for your daily Cultivation."

Princess Yuzhen could be said to have mastered the art of social graces to the extreme; she first gave him a show of force, but seeing the situation was not right, she immediately came out to greet him personally. She did not refer to herself as 'this Princess' or 'this humble Daoist,' but always used 'I,' making her appear extremely approachable and making it difficult for others to resist.

Now, she even wanted to gift Jiang Chen a waterside pavilion. One had to know that Yuzhen Taoist Temple was right next to the Imperial City and was worth ten thousand gold.

From this, one could see the boldness of Princess Yuzhen.

"Many thanks for Your Highness's kindness, but one should not accept a reward without merit. I appreciate your good intentions, Your Highness."

Princess Yuzhen smiled and continued to lead Jiang Chen into the pavilions.

"This time, my Imperial Brother has not only invited you, Junior Brother, but also people from various major Schools, and even Vajra Tripitaka from the Esoteric Region and followers of Nestorianism. He surely intends to test you all."

On the way, Princess Yuzhen suddenly changed the subject, discussing the situation of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival feast.

"If you can stand out at this feast, Junior Brother, surely my Imperial Brother will attach even greater importance to the Maoshan Sect."

Jiang Chen smiled slightly; even if Emperor Xuanzong of Tang attached importance to it, it would not be to a fledgling young Taoist like him.

The one he had always valued was his Revered Master, Grand Master Sima Chengzhen.

"However, the Disciples of other Schools have been trained since childhood and are all significantly older than you, Junior Brother. I fear that in a competition of Dao techniques, you might not necessarily win."

Although Princess Yuzhen was saying that Jiang Chen would not be able to win, there was not the slightest look of worry on her Face.

She said this naturally to probe Jiang Chen, wanting to see what he was made of.

In fact, earlier, when she used illusions to confuse Jiang Chen, she had already seen that although Jiang Chen had only entered the Dao for a little over a month, his natural talent seemed to surpass all his contemporaries.

Even with her having reached the Late Stage of the Mystic Light realm, and using Spells primarily focused on the image of all living things, she had been unable to gain the slightest advantage in their exchange.

Moreover, it seemed that this Junior Brother had not yet used his full strength.

Not to mention anything else, if the Maoshan Dharma Sword in his hand were unsheathed, his strength would increase by at least thirty percent.

Princess Yuzhen could not tell what level Jiang Chen's Cultivation was at, but she estimated that it was at least not weaker than her own.