Chapter 135: Wuzhuang Temple

Liuli smiled as he watched Nan Luo, a man who preached the Tao to everyone he met yet refused to take any disciples, display a rare, genuine smile. It was a heartfelt expression, completely devoid of the usual superficial courtesy. This was the first time Liuli had ever seen such a look on Nan Luo’s face, and he gazed in bewilderment at the large building nestled in the valley.

He naturally could not know that this building was a Taoist temple. He wondered why Nan Luo had not smiled years ago upon seeing that pitch-black structure, yet smiled now at this much smaller one.

The valley was serene. The moment one stepped inside, a refreshing coolness washed over them, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat outside—it was as if they had entered an entirely different world.

From a distance, the temple did not look large; it appeared ethereal and illusory, like the dwelling of an immortal. Even when standing right before it, the building retained a dreamlike quality, as if it did not belong to this realm at all, but was merely a cloud drifting on the breeze that had paused to rest against the mountainside.

The entire temple seemed constructed of blue-gray brick and stone, every piece imbued with the profound principles of heaven and earth, crafted with exquisite ingenuity. It blended seamlessly into the valley, yet simultaneously felt as though it existed in another dimension, making everything appear as nothing more than a projection.

Nan Luo’s smile deepened as he looked at the three ethereal characters inscribed on the vermilion gate. He stepped forward, moving quickly to the entrance, ready to call out... but the heavy red doors creaked open from within. A young Taoist boy and girl in azure robes bowed slowly to Nan Luo. The boy on the left spoke in a clear voice: "Uncle-Master Nan Luo, our Master has instructed us to welcome you inside."

"Haha, Qingfeng, is your Master waiting for me here?" Nan Luo asked, smiling at the boy.

"Qingfeng does not know!" the boy replied, his tone calm and his etiquette impeccable as he bowed again.

Nan Luo chuckled, well-acquainted with Qingfeng’s character. He turned to the girl on the left and smiled. "Mingyue, you haven’t changed at all after all these years. Still as beautiful as ever..."

The girl beamed, two dimples appearing and vanishing in an instant. Though the smile remained in her eyes, she quickly replied, "Master is waiting for you in the hall!"

Nan Luo laughed and followed the two children, Qingfeng and Mingyue, into the temple. The gray monkey, Liuli, looked around the entrance, lingered for a moment, and then darted inside, following closely at Nan Luo’s heels.

Liuli’s eyes could see to vast distances, pierce through disguises, and reveal hidden arts. Yet, he had felt absolutely nothing regarding this temple beforehand. He distinctly remembered examining the area carefully while still far away; at the time, there had been nothing there—only an empty valley. The sudden appearance of the temple as they approached made Liuli feel deeply uneasy.

Nan Luo, however, felt an immense sense of relief. This temple was none other than the Wuzhuang Temple. After he had descended from the Immortal Palace on Phoenix Mountain, every step had been fraught with danger and peril. The only place that had ever brought him peace of mind was this Wuzhuang Temple, which he had stumbled upon by chance.

Of course, the location of the Wuzhuang Temple he had encountered back then was entirely different, which was why Nan Luo had asked Qingfeng if his Master had been waiting for him here specifically.

Everything inside the temple remained unchanged. Not a single item had been moved; even the positioning was identical to how Nan Luo remembered it. It felt as if everything had occurred only yesterday, as if the discussions on the Tao and the shared tea and conversation had taken place just last night.

When Nan Luo had first encountered the Wuzhuang Temple, he had only been at the Transformation of Divinity stage, while everyone within the temple had possessed an aura as deep as the abyss. Looking back, while they might not necessarily have been more profound than he was now, the gap between them and his former self had been as vast as heaven and earth.

From the moment he stepped into the temple to listen to the teachings, he had never been looked down upon. In fact, everyone there, regardless of their cultivation level, treated him as an equal. The master of the Wuzhuang Temple had never appeared; it was only said that he was of a detached and quiet nature, fond of tranquility and listening to others discuss the Tao, and that his own cultivation was unfathomable. Thus, whenever someone had a new realization, they would gather here to discuss the Tao.

Nan Luo had happened upon one of those gatherings and gained a great deal. Although he had eventually recited a passage from the *Huangting Scripture* in return, he still felt he had benefited far more than he had given.

At that time, Nan Luo had known very little about the world, relying only on what Kong Xuan had told him. It was here in the Wuzhuang Temple that he learned much about the universe and eventually broke through to the Void Return stage.

As they reached the main hall, Nan Luo paused. He looked up at the plaque and read aloud: "Heaven, Earth! Haha, what a name! Heaven and earth change, human hearts change, yet the Wuzhuang Temple remains aloof from the vast world, never changing."

"You are too kind, Fellow Daoist. If even heaven and earth are changing, how could the Wuzhuang Temple remain the same?" A clear, gentle voice drifted out from the hall as Nan Luo finished speaking.

A middle-aged man wearing a wide Yin-Yang robe walked out. His robes were vast, his hands hidden within the sleeves. A strand of black beard flowed across his chest, and his appearance was as elegant as his voice. His entire presence matched the temple perfectly—transcendent and refined, like a figure from the ranks of the immortals.

Unlike the mystery of Di Jun, the dominance of Tai Yi, or the eternal silence of Tong Xuan, this man gave off a feeling of ethereal drift, like mist in the mountains.

"Haha, to me, whether it is heaven, earth, or myself, everything has changed. But this temple and its master remain the same, still transcending the world," Nan Luo said with a smile. Looking at the man walking toward him, he guessed that this must be the Master of Wuzhuang Temple. As for his name, no one had ever mentioned it back then, so he did not know it.

"Haha, it seems you have begun to comprehend the Tao. I am but a hermit hiding from the world," the Master replied, standing beside Nan Luo and looking up at the blue sky with a calm expression.

With his beard flowing and his sleeves fluttering, he appeared detached and worldly, his temperament as calm as the drifting white clouds in the sky.

After a moment of silence, Nan Luo said slowly, "Hiding from the world... when the world is in turmoil, to be able to remain at peace, safely away from the chaos—what a beautiful thing that is. Why then, Master, do you sound so weary?"

The Master of Wuzhuang Temple laughed aloud. "Haha! Some things cannot be avoided, no matter how powerful one's magic may be! Rather, look at you—in just a few decades, you have transformed from someone just catching a glimpse of the immortal path into a renowned figure in the world. Even the Star Lords of the Heavenly Court look to you as a leader. There are few others in this world like you..."

"As you said, Master, some things cannot be avoided regardless of power, and yet, are the things we possess truly what we wanted?" Nan Luo replied, also looking at the sky, his eyes slightly narrowed in a distant, dreamy gaze.

Only here, in this temple that transcended the world, did he finally relax his mind and voice his true thoughts.

Qingfeng and Mingyue had long since retreated elsewhere. Only Liuli stood there, looking up at Nan Luo and the Master, seemingly confused as to why the two had suddenly stopped speaking.

A moment later, the Master smiled at Liuli. "You are quite clever to have chosen to follow Fellow Daoist Nan Luo."

Liuli understood, but being unable to speak, and still muddled about many things, he did not know how to respond to the praise. He grew anxious, scratching his head and emitting squeaking sounds.

Nan Luo regained his composure and laughed, looking at Liuli. "He is not only clever but remarkably persistent. He followed me for tens of thousands of miles, through countless dangers, and never gave up. If you are interested, Master, why not take him as your disciple? One day, he might become a shining talent in this world."

Though Liuli could not speak, he understood everything. At first, he was overjoyed to hear Nan Luo praise him. But upon hearing the suggestion, his bright, intelligent eyes darted toward the Master. A faint, glassy light flickered in his gaze, as if he were assessing the Master’s capability and whether he was worthy of being his teacher.

"Haha, to think you would let such talent go to waste—what a pity. Very well, I shall ask him myself!" The Master laughed, then turned to Liuli. "I know you have followed Fellow Daoist Nan Luo with the intention of becoming his disciple, but he has no such desire. I ask you now: are you willing to take me as your master?"