So, there's this place called Wufeng Forest, right? It's packed with these big, shiny-leafed trees that look absolutely stunning when the sun starts to set. Picture this: the sun's golden light hits the treetops, turning the whole forest into this glowing mix of green and gold. And when the evening breeze kicks in, it's like the forest is waving at you with these golden ripples—totally magical and kinda otherworldly.
Now, usually, you'd hear fishermen calling out from the nearby lake, getting ready to head back. But here's the weird part: the forest is dead silent. Like, where are all the birds that usually chirp up a storm at this time? It's kinda creepy.
Over by the forest's edge, there's this group of people hanging out on an empty lot near the lake, all trying to get a peek into the woods. Some big, tough-looking guys are blocking the path, and they're not letting anyone through. A bunch of fishermen tried to argue their way in, but after a bit of back-and-forth, they gave up and went back to their boats, looking pretty confused and bummed out.
The forest is surrounded by these short bamboo sticks, kinda like a fence, but there's this one spot that's still open. And all around the forest, there are these guys in green standing watch, facing away from the woods, keeping an eye on things.
At the front of the group, there are three dudes who look like they stepped out of a Taoist temple. They're all wearing the same green robes, have long beards, and are carrying whisks—like, they could be triplets. But they look super worried, with their brows all furrowed and their faces tense, like something really serious is going down in Wufeng Forest.
Behind them, a bunch of young folks were standing, all stretching their necks to get a better look into the thick forest. The air was buzzing with excitement, and their eyes were shining with a mix of curiosity and worry.
"Hey, Big Brother's been in there for ages. What's taking him so long?" It was a young girl's voice, standing behind the three Taoists up front. Even though she was just wearing a plain green robe, it totally changed her vibe.
Her blue robe was a real stunner, with delicate embroidery at the hem and a spiral of darker flowers going up to her waist. The belt hugged her slim figure perfectly, making her look even more graceful. As the evening breeze blew, the loose fabric of her blue Taoist robe clung to her, showing off her figure in a way that was both modest and captivating. Her curves were hard to miss, adding to her undeniable charm.
Her face was a knockout, with a straight nose and slightly full lips that gave off a natural sensuality. Right now, her brows were furrowed, and her anxious expression made her look even more vulnerable and charming. As her eyes darted around, the guys nearby were totally mesmerized, their words stuck in their throats as they stared at her in silent admiration.
These guys were from the famous Taiyi Monastery, a big deal in the Taoist world. Taiyi Temple was a major player in the Immortal Way, right up there with the Xuanxin Sect. The founder of Taiyi Temple, Fu Taiyi, was considered the reincarnation of the Great Compassionate Lord of Taiyi. His skills were legendary, and he commanded serious respect in the cultivation world.
So, there's this super cool dude called the Great Compassionate Lord of Taiyi, right? Everyone up in the heavens totally respects him. Even though he's not one of the big three gods, old legends say he's the nicest guy ever in the Eastern World of Everlasting Bliss. This Taiyi guy can be chilling in the Heavenly Palace, hanging out on Earth, or even dealing with stuff in the underworld. He's everywhere, taking care of business and kicking evil's butt.
Oh, and get this – Taiyi can shapeshift like crazy! He can turn into anything from celestial kids to emperors, from immortals to warriors, and even stuff like wind and rain gods. His powers are off the charts – there's literally nothing he can't do.
Up in heaven, they call him "Taiyi Fushen," but down on Earth, he's known as "Daci Renzhe." In hell, he's "Riyao Dijun," and when he's dealing with bad guys, he's "Shizimingwang." There's even this super important book called the "Taiyi Rescues Suffering and Protects the Body Sutra" that's been a big deal for ages. After Taiyi became immortal, people at the Taiyi Temple have been following his teachings like crazy, and it's been a huge thing for hundreds of years.
And check this out – the three dudes at the front? They're the top dogs under the current abbot of Taiyi Temple. They're known as the "Three Sages of Taiyi," and they're all about Heavenly Water, Heavenly Fire, and Heavenly Thunder. Each one's got their own special thing going on in the Taoist world.
The Taoist tradition is like a big mix of different groups, each doing their own thing to reach spiritual enlightenment. You've got the Talisman and Spell School, which is all about those magic symbols; the Elixir and Treasure School, focused on making potions and stuff; and the Taoic Embryo School, which is more about inner growth. Even though they all end up in the same place, it's cool to see that the Talisman and Spell School folks also dabble in potion-making, and the Elixir and Treasure School has some deep methods for inner growth. But at the end of the day, each school has its own vibe and philosophy.
The "Taiyi Saving Suffering and Protecting the Body Sutra" is the go-to book for inner growth, making the Taiyi Sect a big deal in the Dao Tai Sect. Unlike the Xuanxin Sect, which is more into magical treasures, the Taiyi Sect is all about spiritual refinement. It's interesting to see Taiyi Sect members here, but no one from the Xuanxin Sect showed up.
"Junior sister," a guy in his twenties, trying to keep it together, said quickly, "Senior brother got the master's real teachings, and with three senior uncles backing him up, everything should be fine. Just chill..." He didn't even notice he was almost drooling.
The woman raised an eyebrow, giving him a look of disgust as she muttered, "Always with that creepy look. These guys are nothing compared to the eldest brother..." Her thoughts wandered to the eldest senior brother, making her heart ache. She quickly turned her head, glaring at the three senior uncles in front of her, then looked into the dense forest.
This young woman, named Guan Xun, is the last disciple of the current abbot of Taiyi Temple.
So, here's the deal about Guan Xun's mom - word on the street is she was in the world's oldest profession. From the get-go, Guan Xun's dad was a total mystery, and that question just stuck with her for life. Her and her mom, tight from all the hard times they went through, started out in Luoyang.
Eight years back, smallpox hit Luoyang hard, wiping out tons of people. Sadly, Guan Xun's mom got caught up in it. Back then, smallpox was the big bad, and people treated those who had it like they were cursed. After her mom passed, some scared villagers, thinking the disease would spread, torched their place. Guan Xun, weak from not eating for days, was just lying there, about to get taken out by the fire.
But then, out of nowhere, the abbot from Taiyi Temple, who hardly ever came down from the mountain, showed up in Luoyang. He saw what was going down, scooped Guan Xun up, and took her to the temple. Seeing she had something special, he took her on as his own student.
Guan Xun was a natural - sharp as a tack, always on point, and her looks, which were killer even as a kid, just got better with time. The abbot was all in on her, teaching her everything he knew.
Honestly, Guan Xun was on another level. Even though she'd only been with the sect for a bit over eight years, she'd already nailed the fourth level of the "Taiyi Jiu Ku Shou Shen Jing." In the temple, only a few of the older students who'd been at it for more than ten years could top her.
All that rough stuff from her childhood really messed with Guan Xun's head. She was pretty bitter about the world, and with the abbot kind of letting her do her thing, that careful, cautious vibe she had as a kid from a tough background slowly turned into this fiery, explosive personality.
In the Taiyi Sect, girl disciples were rare, and Guan Xun's beauty made her stand out like a flower in a field of grass. The guys in the sect were all about her, treating her like she was some kind of precious gem that needed to be looked after.
Man, that was super weird. Guan Xun, who's usually like an ice queen and keeps everyone at arm's length, was acting all soft and mushy with her senior bro, this dude over ten years older who normally treats her like she's invisible. Right now, seeing that the three big shots had sent her crush into that dangerous forest and he still hadn't come out, she was totally roasting them in her head, wishing they'd just disappear off the face of the earth.
Then, outta nowhere, this creepy sound came from the forest, like a mix between a baby crying and something heavy hitting the ground. The Three Saints of Taiyi, who were just chilling and stroking their beards, suddenly tensed up, and their eyes kinda lit up with this divine glow. At the same time, this black gas started rising from the forest, spreading like crazy.
Yup, there were definitely some demon beasts guarding that place. Why hadn't Zhi'er used his magic weapon yet?
Out of the Three Sages of Taiyi, the Heavenly Water Immortal, the head honcho, seemed the most worried. Even though Bi Zhi, who went into the forest, was the abbot's disciple, it was mostly the Heavenly Water Immortal who'd been teaching him all these years. The Heavenly Water Immortal basically saw Bi Zhi as his own kid, and they were super close.
Sending Bi into the forest alone was kinda a last resort.
Even though the Taiyi Sect is the second biggest in the Immortal Way, they've always been more about inner cultivation. So, they don't have a lot of fancy treasures.
Treasures in the world can be split into two main types. The first is made by the natural forces of heaven and earth. People think these were crafted in the celestial realm and then dropped down to the mortal world. These are called innate secret treasures or immortal treasures. Usually, treasures at the immortal artifact level fall into this category.
So, there's this other category of stuff – the Taoist-cultivated treasures, or what we usually call mundane treasures. These ain't exactly divine-level artifacts, but they're all grouped under the magic treasures umbrella. They come in all sorts of grades and ranks, each with its own special features and powers. You know, divine treasures and mundane ones, they each got their own perks and strengths.
Now, Fanbao might seem a bit less powerful at first glance, but here's the thing – they're super customized by their owners to fit their exact needs. This makes them super thoughtful and personal, really helping the owner max out their cultivation potential. On the flip side, immortal treasures, while super powerful, can be a real pain to control. Owners often can't fully tap into their power, which shows the difference between a treasure adapting to its master and a master adapting to their treasure.
And then there's Taiyi Temple – it's kinda the odd one out among the big immortal sects. Even though it's ranked second, it doesn't have a single immortal treasure, let alone immortal weapons. But back in the day, Fu Taiyi's deep mastery of the "Taiyi Salvation and Protection Sutra" across its Thirteen Levels helped the temple carve out a strong position in the Luo Tian World. This was key in securing Weiyu Mountain Cave, the second-ranked among the Ten Great Caves, which really cemented Taiyi Temple's top-notch status.
So, after Fu Taiyi's time, the famous Taiyi Temple hasn't been able to produce another big shot in the Daoist world. Even now, nobody's managed to master the "Taiyi Jiu Ku Shou Shen Jing" up to the 13th level of the Luotian Realm, which is like the ultimate goal in Daoist cultivation.
Back in the day, there were a few folks who made it to the 12th level of the Golden Light Celestial Balance Realm. These big names really made their mark at the once-in-a-decade Immortal-Demon Conference, keeping the Taiyi Sect's rep intact. But since those old-timers became immortals, the sect's been on a downhill slide. Right now, the top dog in the sect is the sect master, who just barely cracked the 10th level of the Celestial Search Realm. With the Immortal-Demon Conference around the corner, the sect's looking at a pretty rough time. If things go south, everyone's gonna be eyeing the secret cave at Weiyu Mountain, and that's got the Taiyi Sect sweating bullets.
Since they're not exactly powerhouse cultivators anymore, the sect's been leaning on magical treasures to make up for it. But here's the thing - the "Taiyi Jiu Ku Shou Shen Jing" is a top-notch Daoist text, but it doesn't say much about making magical artifacts. And let's be real, treasure-making has never been Taiyi Temple's strong suit. When they heard about this super valuable item popping up, the abbot went all in, pulling out all the stops to get it.
This time, the Taiyi Sect was dead set on grabbing the treasure, but they were still worried about the Xuanxin Sect butting in. So even though the master of Qingyun Hermitage was pretty sure the treasure would show up on the full moon night, the Taiyi crew showed up way early to get the jump on things.
In the ancient Taiyi Temple, there were all sorts of cool mystical treasures made by the famous Fu Taiyi. Sure, they weren't as flashy as the legendary immortal artifacts from the Xuanxin Sect, but they were super practical and showed off Fu Taiyi's mad skills in the mystical arts.
One of the standout items was "The Awakening of Insects." It got its name from an old Chinese solar term, which is all about critters waking up from hibernation. As mentioned in the classic "Collection and Explanation of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms and the Seventy-Two Five-Day Periods": "Everything starts in the east, where thunder hangs out. That's why it's called the Awakening of Insects..."
Back in the day, Fu Taiyi used this nifty gadget as a spirit magnet. When he turned it on, it would zap out a Thunderbolt and pull in all the spirits within a hundred meters. Once they showed up, he'd take them out and use their essence to boost his cultivation. It was a killer way to level up his spiritual game early on.
But as Fu Taiyi got older and wiser, he started having some weird health issues. He'd get daily bouts of qi imbalance, blood stagnation, and chest pain, which made him rethink his life choices. He realized his early methods were kinda messing with the natural order and that he might be in for some cosmic payback. Luckily, by then, he'd hit the thirteenth level of the Great Achievement of the Luo Tian Realm and had racked up enough good karma to dodge the heavenly smackdown.
Before Fu Taiyi took over, he made it crystal clear that this super valuable treasure shouldn't be used willy-nilly. But hey, given the current situation, the "Jingzhe" technique seems like the perfect fit.
By using the "Startle Thunder" method to speed up the divine artifact's appearance, if we pull it off, the artifact would already recognize its master by the time the Xuanxin Sect disciples show up. Pretty smart move, right?
However, everyone knows that treasures like this are always guarded by some seriously tough demonic beasts, which are attracted to the artifact's strong spiritual energy. The cooler the treasure, the tougher its guardian tends to be.
Unfortunately, the Taiyi Temple doesn't have a ton of magical artifacts. Besides the "Startle the Dormant Insects" technique, there's only a seven-colored divine spirit banner and a green jade fire cloud array worth mentioning.
This Jadeite Firecloud Array needs three people with similar cultivation levels to activate its core. So, the Three Sages of Taiyi can only send Bi Zhi and Jingzhe first to trigger the immortal artifact, and then rely on the Seven-Colored Spirit God Banner for protection.
At this crucial moment, the demonic beast started to stir, signaling that the divine artifact is about to be revealed. But it's still up in the air whether the Seven-Colored Spiritual God Banner can handle the guardian demonic beast's power. No wonder Tian Shui and his buddies look so serious.
The black mist in the Wufeng Forest got thicker and colder. The less experienced disciples of the Three Sages of Taiyi couldn't help but shiver. A scary growl came from deep in the forest, followed by a sudden, strong gust of wind.
In a flash, the huge trees in the thick forest started creaking and groaning like crazy, their big green leaves slapping together with a sharp crackling sound. Even though each pair of leaves hitting each other was kinda quiet, all together it was way more intense than the wind itself, like a thousand monsters were charging forward in a wild frenzy.
With the wind blowing super hard, the black mist that always hangs around the Dark Wind Forest suddenly shot up, towering over the old trees and forming into a massive, scary monster. But it was so dang huge that you couldn't even see the whole thing clearly—just a creepy, shadowy outline.
Right at this crucial moment, Lu Chen's mom was hurrying toward the town. The Zhou family lived by the calm lake, right next to their fishpond. To get to the town, she had to cut through the spooky Wufeng Forest, which was already famous for its demon legends.
Even though the stories about demons in Wufeng Forest were already super well-known, women tend to be more on the timid side. Seeing the sun was dropping fast and darkness was about to take over, Lu Chen's mom sped up, walking with her head down, her heart racing like crazy.
All of a sudden, a weird, creepy noise came from the ground. Lu Chen's mom looked up, her eyes wide with fear. What she saw was so terrifying that her face went pale, and she just passed out, collapsing right there on the forest floor.
Note 1: The Great One's Sutra for Rescuing and Protecting the Body
So, this super deep scripture? No one really knows who wrote it—it's like a total mystery, lost in the mists of time. But after some serious digging into its content and language style, scholars reckon it was probably penned by a super smart Taoist priest back in the Sui or Tang Dynasties. That was a time when religious and philosophical ideas were really booming, you know? This big-deal work is part of the Taoist Canon (Jingzang), specifically in the "Dongxuan" section and "Benwen" class, which shows how important it is in Taoist lit.
The scripture is all about a divine message from the Jade Purity Primordial Lord, who talks up the Supreme Lord of Salvation and Suffering Relief as this super powerful deity with endless good deeds. This celestial dude can supposedly "answer the calls of the faithful and ease their pain, helping out in just the right way depending on the situation." The text says that when people are going through tough times, they just need to call out the sacred name of the Supreme Lord of Salvation and Suffering Relief and say his holy title with all their heart. If they do that, the Lord is said to show up and lend a hand to those in need.
Oh, and just a heads-up: calling "The Great One's Salvation and Protection Sutra" a "Dao Tai Bao Dian" (Taoist Embryo Treasure Canon) in this publication might not be spot on. This label could kinda mess with people's understanding of what the scripture is really about and its place in the Taoist canon. We're really sorry if this caused any mix-ups and we suggest readers take this classification with a grain of salt.