Thunder is the pivot of heaven and earth.
The pivot of heaven and the mechanism of earth, the yang thunder and the yin thunder, the pivot yin and the mechanism yang, thunder gives birth to thunder's evil, thunder is good and thunder is evil.
It is said that all things have their ultimate talisman, the ultimate talisman is yin and mysterious, and it is responsible for life and death.
The Pivot Mountain is located in the earthquake position of the Lotus Blessed Land.
Thunderclouds never disperse on the mountain, and the rumbling never ceases.
Only ginkgo trees grow on the mountain, and the fruits they bear seem to be thunder pearls.
Cheng Xinzhan rode a cloud to the ferry outside the Pivot Mountain, called the Silver Bridge Ferry.
Upon landing, the white dragon trembled, its tail drooping.
This place was too intimidating for it.
Seeing a passerby, Cheng Xinzhan quickly approached and asked, "Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am a disciple of Mingzhi Mountain, carrying a letter from the mountain lord to pay respects to Mountain Lord Zhao. May I ask where I should go?"
The person looked at Cheng Xinzhan, returned the greeting, and said, "Greetings, fellow Daoist. I haven't heard that Mountain Lord Wen has taken on any disciples, only that there is a talented named disciple. Could it be you?"
Cheng Xinzhan smiled and nodded, "Indeed, it is me. My common name is Cheng Yunqi. I recently managed to open my heart mansion and have now officially become a disciple under my master, with the Dao name Xinzhan. Please, do me a favor."
The person quickly apologized, "My apologies. The mountain lord is in the Divine Azure Jade Pure Hall of the Nine Heavens Response Mansion. He hasn't been in seclusion recently, so you should be able to see him."
The Daoist pointed in a direction.
Cheng Xinzhan thanked him and left.
After he left, the person shook his head and muttered, "This is too fast. Didn't he just make it onto the Southern Dipper List a few breaths after learning to absorb qi? And now he's opened his heart mansion? It's only been two years at most."
Meanwhile, Cheng Xinzhan wandered around, asking for directions, and finally arrived at the Nine Heavens Response Mansion.
The Nine Heavens Response Mansion, called a mansion, was actually a massive tower built on a nine-tiered platform.
The platform was painted silver, each tier nine zhang high.
The tower was painted purple, also nine tiers, each six zhang high, and over a hundred zhang wide, almost impossible to see the top.
At the very top, in the center, hung a massive vertical plaque with thunder-like calligraphy that read:
Nine Heavens Response Mansion.
In terms of grandeur, it far surpassed the "Zhan Biyun's Bamboo Repository Stele."
The southern side of the platform had nine massive doorways.
As he approached, the white dog lay on the ground, too scared to move forward.
Cheng Xinzhan smiled helplessly and noticed a beast shed nearby.
He walked over and saw a sign that read "Beast Shed," where many spirit beasts and demonic creatures were kept, most trembling on the ground.
Some, however, were strutting around proudly, and he spotted He Bingkun's thunder sparrow looking around without a care.
He couldn't help but praise the thoughtful arrangement and placed his trembling white dog in an empty spot.
The dog whimpered but didn't dare follow its master inside.
Cheng Xinzhan patted the dog's head and entered through the nearest doorway.
Inside the doorway was a guard, a Daoist who looked to be in his forties, with a pale, thin face but thick eyebrows and a long beard.
Upon hearing that Cheng Xinzhan was here to see the mountain lord with a letter from Mingzhi Mountain's lord, the guard offered to personally take him to see the mountain lord.
Cheng Xinzhan didn't know the guard's cultivation level, but seeing him transform into a bolt of lightning and leap over the nine-tiered platform and tower in a few bounds, he guessed the man was no ordinary person.
The ninth floor of the tower wasn't crowded, but Cheng Xinzhan could tell that everyone there was unfathomably powerful.
"Mountain Lord, a disciple from Mingzhi Mountain is here with a letter from Mountain Lord Wen."
The guard led Cheng Xinzhan to a door with a plaque that read:
Divine Azure Jade Pure Hall.
This was the first time Cheng Xinzhan had seen a hall built inside a tower.
He also noticed some courtyards and offices, all unified within this massive tower, as if an entire palace complex had been erected.
At the door, there was a wooden sign.
The side facing out read, "Open for business, registration allowed."
Peeking around, he saw the other side read, "In seclusion, please go to the Jade Pivot Office."
"Enter."
A deep male voice came from inside.
The guiding Daoist pushed the door open and led Cheng Xinzhan in.
The interior of the Divine Azure Jade Pure Hall was not as grand or luxurious as Cheng Xinzhan had expected.
Instead, it was remarkably simple, like a vast, empty study.
At the back of the hall was a shrine dedicated to the Thunder Ancestor.
In the center of the hall was a desk, where a tall, imposing man was bent over, writing something.
The guiding Daoist led Cheng Xinzhan forward and repeated, "Mountain Lord, a disciple from Mingzhi Mountain is here to pay his respects."
The man looked up, and in that instant, Cheng Xinzhan felt as if the man's gaze had turned into tangible lightning, piercing through him and seeing everything.
When he looked again, the man's gaze was ordinary and kind, his face stern with tiger-like eyes and a broad forehead, yet he wore a gentle smile.
Cheng Xinzhan stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Disciple Xinzhan pays his respects to Mountain Lord Zhao. May the Daoist live a long life."
The man nodded, "Greetings, young friend. May you have boundless vision. What brings you to our Pivot Mountain?"
Cheng Xinzhan took out the bamboo scroll given by Wen Sukong and placed it on the desk.
The scroll was rolled up, indicating that his master didn't want him to read it, so he hadn't.
He said, "My master's request is in this scroll. Please take a look, Mountain Lord Zhao."
The man took the scroll, opened it, and his eyes flickered slightly.
He glanced at Cheng Xinzhan but showed no significant change in expression.
After a moment, the man picked up a brush and wrote a sentence on a purple note with golden ink, then handed it back to Cheng Xinzhan.
It read:
"Please have the North Pole Office's Demon-Slaying Department's Daoist Miao Jian select a good master for young friend Xinzhan to teach him the divine thunder method. Results expected in two years, capable of clearing miasma. — Zhao Wuji"
"Young friend, I understand Mountain Lord Wen's intentions. For the next few years, you will cultivate in the Response Mansion, just as you would in Mingzhi Mountain. If you need anything, first seek out Daoist Miao Jian. If he cannot help, then come to me."
After handing the note to Cheng Xinzhan, he turned to the Daoist who had brought him in and said, "Jian Xian, since Xinzhan is new to the Response Mansion, please take him to the Demon-Slaying Department and introduce him to Miao Jian. He will know what to do when he sees the note."
Daoist Jian Xian agreed, and Cheng Xinzhan bowed in thanks.
The man named Wuji smiled at Cheng Xinzhan and then returned to his paperwork.
Daoist Jian Xian led Cheng Xinzhan out of the hall, closed the door, and left the ninth floor.
They went to the third floor and entered a hall labeled "Demon-Slaying Department."
It was bustling with activity, much livelier than the quiet ninth floor.
Daoist Jian Xian, seemingly familiar with the place, greeted people along the way and led Cheng Xinzhan to a hall with a long table.
He said, "Department Head, this is young friend Xinzhan from Mingzhi Mountain, a disciple of Mountain Lord Wen. The mountain lord asked me to bring him to you."
Cheng Xinzhan saw that the head of the Demon-Slaying Department was also busy writing something.
It seemed everyone in the Nine Heavens Response Mansion was very busy.
The head of the Demon-Slaying Department, Daoist Miao Jian, looked slightly older than Daoist Jian Xian, also thin but always smiling.
Upon hearing Jian Xian's words, he immediately said, "So the young master has arrived."
Cheng Xinzhan quickly said he didn't dare and handed over the note from Mountain Lord Zhao.
Miao Jian read it, looked at Cheng Xinzhan and Jian Xian, and smiled even more, "Jian Xian, I believe you haven't taken on any disciples yet. Perfect, you can take this young master and teach him the thunder method!"
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(End of Chapter)