Monster Chronicles: My Daoist Skill Comes from Mythology
Chapter 287 - 259: Donghua Dharma Lineage Takes the Wheel in Battle!

Chapter 287: Chapter 259: Donghua Dharma Lineage Takes the Wheel in Battle!

The vital energy of all heavens surges; my Tao shall prosper day by day.

The crowd was so shaken by this statement that they couldn’t utter a word.

To speak truthfully, Song Lin’s speech was average—decently structured, but not particularly stirring.

However, this one final line directly captured the essence of the theme, like the finishing touch of a masterpiece, elevating the entire discourse.

Everyone could feel Song Lin’s unwavering determination from this sentence.

"Donghua Dharma Lineage." A glimmer of intrigue flashed in Yun Xiao’s eyes.

This person’s ambition is indeed extraordinary.

He disdains even conventional Taoist masters to forge a new lineage and establish his own sect.

The vital energy of all heavens surges; my Tao shall prosper day by day.

Zhi Xin carefully savored these words.

"Is this your resolve and confidence?"

Zhi Xin pondered silently.

Truly, the young fear not the tiger.

The crowd was still reeling from Song Lin’s audacious declaration to separate from the jungle.

This meant that he would ultimately face the jungle in a decisive battle.

In addition to meeting all other requirements, he needed to select a group of Taoists to duel—only victory would grant his independence.

In other words, he had to defeat those whom he had originally grown under in the jungle.

This method was daunting.

After all, being originally from the jungle, defeating those who had taught him spells was undeniably challenging.

Zhengsi shot to his feet abruptly. Though he had anticipated this beforehand, Song Lin’s public announcement before so many people left him somewhat humiliated.

"How dare you, Master Xuanke! I advise you to reconsider carefully before speaking boldly. I’ll give you one last chance!"

Flames of rage blazed in Zhengsi’s eyes as an invisible pressure swept across the room, suffocating everyone.

His glare locked on Song Lin, as if he could devour him whole.

Song Lin’s expression remained placid, and he even smiled, saying, "Correction: I am now Master Donghua, or you can address me as Donghua Taoist. Furthermore, I have already applied to the Taoist School to sever ties. By regulation, we are no longer affiliated."

Before Zhengsi could respond, Song Lin added, "Let’s not delay the matter. Ten years! Ten years from today, let’s settle this once and for all on the stage!"

"Good! It’s a deal!"

Zhengsi glanced around at the crowd, knowing this was not the moment to make a scene.

Song Lin had acted within the rules, and with Zhi Xin personally in attendance, even if Zhengsi wanted to challenge him, now was not the time.

He didn’t believe Song Lin could break through to the Purple Mansion within ten years.

In ten years, killing him would not be too difficult.

Even if both parties were to compete in cultivation, with Zhengsi secured in the Mei Mountain Blessed Land, ten years for him would equate to a century.

There was no reason to fear that fellow.

Of course, if Song Lin were to "accidentally" perish during those years, it wouldn’t be an unwelcome development.

Zhi Xin stepped forward to mediate.

"Everyone present has witnessed today’s event. I will report this matter to the Taoist School shortly."

"The Chancellor speaks wisely!"

"Nothing more to say!"

Everyone voiced their agreement.

After all, this was an internal matter of the Mei Mountain Jungle. If one were to intervene at this moment, wouldn’t they become a laughingstock?

Soon, the banquet began.

The Taoist Soldiers presented jugs of laurel wine.

Yun Xiao took a sip—the pure, refreshing energy coursed through his limbs and bones, as if his Divine Soul had been cleansed.

"Excellent wine!"

The crowd couldn’t help but exclaim.

This wine was beneficial for cultivation and remarkable in effectiveness even for cultivators of their level—a rarity, indeed.

"This is laurel wine, and today, there is more than enough for everyone."

The moon brick business hasn’t been particularly lucrative.

This product is only useful for Qi Refinement cultivators and those beneath that level. Higher-level experts haven’t even heard of it.

Laurel wine, being limited in production, could be priced higher and marketed as a premium product.

If widely promoted.

The temple could increase its annual income by at least 500,000 dharma coins.

Adding this to the original surplus of 300,000 from moon bricks.

The annual net income would be 800,000.

Such an income alone would suffice to maintain the jungle’s basic operations.

Soon, the banquet dispersed.

The attendees bid farewell and departed.

This was a trip well worth it—they had witnessed quite a spectacle.

The Heavenly Master’s son versus the student of the Heavenly Mechanism Minister.

Who would emerge victorious between the two remained a mystery.

"Zhengsi is a man of crooked intent. Be cautious—I’ll be in seclusion soon and may not be able to protect you fully." Zhi Xin whispered.

"Seclusion?"

"Yes, I need to perform a heaven-defying technique."

Zhi Xin didn’t elaborate further.

"Understood."

Song Lin had anticipated this.

If he were fearful, he wouldn’t have announced the temple’s name change.

Once Zhi Xin departed, Song Lin instructed the staff to replace the signage.

The Xuanke Temple, which had stood for centuries, came to an end today. From now on, it was the era of Donghua Temple.

In fact, two other Taoist temples had their names changed:

The Qi Eating Temple was renamed the Cultivation Truth Temple, and the Sword Peak Temple became the Swordman Temple.

Song Lin had high hopes for the two sects’ lineages—the names had to be impactful.

He hoped they would truly develop into jungles someday.

As long as the Donghua Dharma Lineage could flourish and its ideals spread far and wide.

He was willing to forsake the Mei Mountain Jungle’s Grotto Heaven Blessed Land and decades of accumulated wealth.

The next day, news of the conflict in the Mei Mountain Jungle spread far and wide.

The identities of the two parties made the struggle more polarizing and sensational.

Almost everyone believed Song Lin wouldn’t stand a chance against Zhengsi.

After all, Zhengsi was the Heavenly Master’s son.

Ten years later, with the Magical Treasure of the Heavenly Master easily at his disposal, he could crush Song Lin effortlessly.

Many mocked Song Lin for overestimating himself.

Faced with the chaotic public opinion, Song Lin remained indifferent.

This was precisely the outcome he desired—otherwise, he wouldn’t have invited so many people.

Now, everyone was aware of the ten-year promise.

If Song Lin were to meet with any "mishaps" within ten years, the wrath of public opinion would surely target Zhengsi.

Currently, what Song Lin lacked most was time.

Ten years would be enough for him to grow stronger.

His confidence in confronting Zhengsi stemmed from Zhi Xin.

But he couldn’t always hide behind Zhi Xin.

Self-reliance was the only way to embark on the Heavenly Master’s path.

Master’s Hall.

Song Lin summoned his senior staff.

"Congratulations on the first phase’s great success! Thank you all for your support!"

"The late-stage Core Formation, Refiner qualifications, and the establishment of three new lineages were all completed successfully. Now, achieving two hundred thousand yin merits and winning the duel will require everyone’s collective effort!"

"Master, should we conduct another sweep of Yin Mountain?" Shi Yinhua suggested.

Yin Mountain was a constant breeding ground for demons.

Even after annihilating the Blood Prison Ghost Mansion, naturally-formed demons remained abundant.

"Go ahead; you can lead the team—I won’t be joining this time."

Knowing when to delegate is crucial. If one tries to handle everything personally, they’d be a servant rather than a master.

With four Core Formation cultivators, they were more than equipped to handle the majority of crises.

"Understood!"

The group responded in unison.

Freed from the toxic influence of the Mei Mountain Jungle, their spirits surged as they worked toward the two hundred thousand target.

"Alright, I’ll also be entering seclusion for a while. Meanwhile, make sure to replace all official documents, Dharma Seals, and scriptures bearing ’Xuanke’ with ’Donghua.’"

Having issued his orders, Song Lin returned to his story world.

The entire process took about two days.

Perfectly aligned with the earlier projections.

The Year of the Golden Demon, Year Two.

Xuan Country, Jinguan City.

The Imperial Examination proceeded as scheduled.

Though rushed in preparation, there wasn’t much expectation that scholars could learn anything significant within a few months.

First, county-level examinations filtered candidates who were granted scholar status.

Then, another examination was held in Jinguan City, which was slightly more challenging; most results were still abysmal.

Nonetheless, there was at least a willingness to learn—grades aside, they passed and were awarded the title of scholar.

This was followed by a court examination to select the top three rankings.

The top-scoring candidate this year was Feng Xiangru.

Talented, but not spectacular—it was, after all, the first Imperial Examination, and he could hardly be considered exceptional, so he was assigned to Mr. Zhuge’s tutelage.

The others filled positions as directed by the Cabinet.

Apart from these conventional examinations, there were also categories for agriculture, geography and hydrology, machinery and carpentry, medicine, and other fields.

Song Lin announced the abolition of low-caste classifications, granting successful candidates official roles in corresponding departments.

This iteration of the Imperial Examination was highly revolutionary.

Traditional literary scholars were in an uproar, accusing Song Lin of betraying ancestral traditions by allowing carpenters and witch doctors to pollute the court.

In an instant, all 156 counties in Shu, the Eighteen Prefectures, and officials from various departments—including Governors, Commanders, and Magistrates—submitted their resignations.

Most of these individuals held key administrative roles or managed pivotal departments.

It remained unclear who had influenced them to collectively pressure the court.

"We implore Your Majesty to revoke this order!"

Xuanzheng Hall.

Mr. Zhuge, accompanied by five Cabinet ministers, bowed deeply.

"Reforms must not be rushed; these individuals should first be appeased, with gradual implementation in the future."

A thousand voices, one rebellion—in the event of unrest, the nation would paralyze.

"The iron hooves of the Northern Barbarians continue to trample upon our Shenzhou citizens. How can I afford to wait?"

Song Lin retorted.

"For now, stabilizing these individuals is vital; otherwise, the court will cease to function."

"Most of these people are County Magistrates or Prefectures’ Magistrates, along with various other officials.

Now that they’ve resigned.

Does His Majesty intend to rule the country personally?"

Mr. Zhuge advised.

Just grant him two years—he’d surely return with a prosperous Xuan Country.

Song Lin’s expression turned peculiar. He asked again, "Am I merely an ordinary Emperor? Why not rule personally?"

"Enough! Relay my decree! All resignation letters are approved—let the Imperial Guard personally escort them back home for retirement. Zuo Quan, did you hear me?"

He finally found a way to deal with these hypocrites.

"At your command!"

"But..."

Mr. Zhuge sighed helplessly.

Could the newly recruited scholars truly manage state affairs?

They may be talented, but with their inexperience, they couldn’t yet govern independently.

What Song Lin did next utterly shocked him.

The Emperor really started ruling the nation personally.

Summoning over a thousand Five Thunders Soldiers.

These soldiers used Eye-blocking Techniques to transform themselves into individuals of various shapes and sizes, directly assuming positions across prefectures and counties.

Newly examined scholars and surrendered literati were appointed as deputies to observe governance.

A month later, Mr. Zhuge stood utterly convinced.

Perhaps it’s best if the Emperor governs using magic techniques permanently.

Song Lin had genuinely taken matters into his own hands, and the results had surpassed the prior administration.

To him, splitting his energy across a thousand tasks simultaneously was hardly a challenge.

Handling over a thousand affairs at once—was it truly difficult?

Besides, it wasn’t as though new issues arose every moment; most of the workload involved repetitive tasks. This period was just right to restructure the governance.

Now even the resigning literati were left bewildered.

Who were these strangers exactly?

Each of them was remarkably honest, sharp, and far more professional than the literati. Tenfold, even.

What’s more, they didn’t even accept salaries.

Where did individuals of this caliber come from?

A thousand at once—were they born from rocks?

"To the north, where a Saint Emperor resides—this land is no longer a place for the Taoist Lineage of Huaxia."

Grudgingly, they fled to the capital to adopt braids and integrate.

Their original goal was to preserve Huaxia’s cultural traditions and eventually steer Song Lin back to the right path.

To their disbelief, they were so unwelcome that fleeing northward to propagate Taoism became their only recourse.

"Haha, Prime Minister, how does my strategy fare?" Song Lin chuckled.

"Astounding! Though, by letting them go, can it be considered releasing the tiger back to the mountain?"

Mr. Zhuge expressed concern.

"Release the tiger back to the mountain? If they were capable, Da Li wouldn’t have fallen. I’m eager for them to seek refuge in the north."

"Summon Ma Jiefu, Zuo Quan! Ye Sheng! Mobilize an army of one hundred thousand, march eastward, and invade the barbarians! Secure the south first, then turn north to reclaim the Central Plains! I will lead the campaign personally!"

"Lead personally? That mustn’t happen!"

"Am I merely an ordinary Emperor?"

Song Lin posed the question again.

"Onward!"

Song Lin ascended the Sun Jade Carriage, which radiated like the sun illuminating the land.

The Emperor resembled the Great Sun.

His brilliance spanning all territories, enlightening all people.

Below, amidst a forest of banners, stood the hundred-thousand-strong army.

Basking in the Emperor’s divine light, their morale soared to its peak!

On this day, Emperor Xuan boarded the Sun God Carriage for battle!

...

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