All the cultivators who have visited the Infatuation Daoist Temple would be filled with vicissitudes of emotion.
Because no one would expect that this world-renowned daoist temple could be so ordinary and commonplace.
Infatuation Daoist Temple was very small, because the mountain it sat on is not large to begin with.
But, it was a little too small.
Not only is the temple small, but it could even be described as simple and crude.
It was so crude that no one could imagine that this is was the Infatuation Daoist Temple.
The holiest place in Daoism was just a rundown temple deep in the mountains?
The daoists who live here would not think so.
Because within that simple and crude daoist temple, there were the most daoist scriptures and the most daoist techniques of the present era. Of course, there were also the best teachers.
Since that was the case, cultivating here would be the best thing in the world. If something is already so good, why wish for more?
Moreover, what was the use of those splendid grand halls? What was the use of those exquisite daoist robes?
Could one's cultivation improve a lot by staying in those magnificent grant halls? Could wearing those exquisite daoist robes speed up one's cultivation speed?
If that were true, the imperial city in the Divine Capital would probably be packed with cultivators.
The Infatuation Daoist Temple was a special place, but strangely enough, it was not special at all.
This was a very strange thing.
What was strangers was actually not this.
It was that person.
That Temple Master of the Infatuation Daoist Temple.
He was a very strange man.
The academy's Dean was a very strange man. Many people did not consider the Dean to be much of a scholar. However, if they had seen that Temple Master, they would have thought him the least like a daoist in the whole world.
He disliked wearing daoist robes and also disliked going to that building to study daoist texts. Instead, he spent his days on the mountain admiring the scenery. When he encountered daoists in the temple who had questions, he would discuss things not found in the daoist texts if he was in a good mood. If not, he would simply ignore them, even if it was his favorite disciple.
He would walk around the small town, and when the mood struck him, he would choose to travel the world. He was more like a wanderer who traveled this world.
As if the name Distant Wanderer was more suitable for him.
But, the Temple Master was very handsome; even more handsome than the Dean.
His features were exquisite, his facial features were handsome, and his body was slender. This was another reason he did not appear like a daoist.
It was said that the previous temple master was moved by the current temple master's exceptional looks at first sight that he had been determined to accept him as a disciple no matter what.
Who would not adore a young child who had features like carved jade?
But, nobody had ever thought that such a handsome boy, would later become a handsome juvenile daoist, and become a handsome young daoist.
In the end, he really managed to become a great sage of Daoism.
If he had not been the temple master of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, many people would definitely have pursued him openly or secretly to become Dao companions.
In fact, because he was the temple master of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, many people wanted to be his Dao companion.
However, as a great sage of Daoism and the temple master of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, no one could force him.
Few were qualified to be his Dao companion as well.
Hence, over these few years, no one had made such a request.
At dusk, as the evening glow gradually appeared, the Temple Master stood in the courtyard of the daoist temple, looking at the distant sunset. Suddenly, he remembered something and said, "Is Zhihua still in closed-seclusion?"
There was no one beside the Temple Master, but since he had spoken, a daoist emerged from the shadows. Arriving in front of the Temple Master, he said in a soft voice, "That lass has been attempting to break through to the Great Beyond Realm for quite some time. We are still unaware of her situation."
Back when Song Changxi had asked Yun Jianyue whether his Senior Sister Ye had a higher cultivation realm than him, Yun Jianyue had answered calmly, saying that it was indeed the case.
The Twin Pillars of Daoism was how the outside world referred to these two young geniuses from the Infatuation Daoist Temple, it was referring to this apprentice brother and sister pair.
The Temple Master smiled and said, "Zhihua is completely focused, and it's only a matter of time before she crosses this threshold. On the other hand, it's still uncertain when can that little fellow, Yun Jianyue, reach this point. His feelings for Zhihua run too deep, and yet he can't have her. Although he doesn't seem to mind, can he truly remain unaffected?"
That daoist remarked, "Matters of love between men and women are quite complex. Yun Jianyue is still young, it may be truly challenging for him to exercise restraint."
The Temple Master chuckled, not too concerned as he said with a smile, "He knows it himself too. Even if he can't let go, he's thinking of other ways to move forward. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to travel the world these few years. But there's something I've never quite understood."
That daoist was rather surprised, then asked incredulously, "Is there something in this world that Temple Master doesn't understand?"
Temple Master glanced at him, furrowing his brow, and said, "I'm not a celestial immortal from the heavens; naturally, there are things I don't understand."
The daoist also realized his own impropriety and quickly adjusted himself, asking seriously, "Then may I inquire about what you don't understand, Temple Master?"
The Temple Master looked at the daoist in front of him with great seriousness and said, "I don't understand when Yun Jianyue fell for Zhihua."
Yun Jianyue's affection for Ye Zhihua was something known to countless people in the Infatuation Daoist Temple. Everyone knew that one of the Twin Pillars of Daoism was deeply infatuated with the other, his senior sister.
However, now that the temple master had asked this question, the daoist was suddenly reminded of this matter.
Everyone knew that Yun Jianyue liked Ye Zhihua, but no one knew when he started liking her.
The Temple Master smiled slightly and said, "These two little fellows are both very strange."
Before the daoist could speak, the Temple Master suddenly said indifferently, "The Chief Enforcer has gone down the mountain.
This was not a question, but a statement.
The daoist was taken aback and immediately said, "Chief Enforcer said a few days ago that he was entering closed-seclusion. He should be in seclusion behind the mountain at this moment?"
This was originally something that everyone in the Infatuation Daoist Temple knew. However, now that the Temple Master had said so, the daoist felt rather puzzled too. If the Chief Enforcer was not on the mountain, when did he descend the mountain? Where did he go?
The Temple Master looked at the distant evening glow and said calmly, "He's always been rather disobedient. Disregarding others' words is one thing, but not heeding my words is another."
Upon hearing this, the daoist became even more afraid to speak. The Chief Enforcer was a great sage of Daoism. In the entire Dao society, and perhaps even in the whole world, there might not be anyone who could command him. However, the person before him was the Temple Master, the Chief Enforcer's senior brother.
How could he not listen to his senior brother's words?
The temple master said calmly, "He has always considered himself clever, employing methods to deceive everyone. But in reality, it's very foolish. When he returns, please tell him that I'm very displeased with those things he's done and that he shouldn't do them in the future."
Although this statement was polite, anyone could discern that the Temple Master was somewhat upset.
The daoist nodded but was still very nervous. Conversations with the Temple Master were relatively easygoing, but in front of that Chief Enforcer, it was not so relaxed.
These two apprentice brothers, both from the same school and with a minor gap in cultivation, had vastly different temperaments.
……
……
In the rear mountains of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, there was a cliff that was extremely difficult to climb. According to the Infatuation Daoist Temple's rules, cultivators were not allowed to use their cultivation unless absolutely necessary while cultivating in the mountains. Therefore, very few daoists had the ability to climb here.
At this moment, a woman stood at the edge of the cliff.
She was dressed in a simple green daoist robe, and her long black hair cascaded loosely down her back.
She was very beautiful, with willow-like eyebrows, a cherry-like mouth, and a fair, lovely face.
However, her expression was very calm, as if an extraordinarily beautiful painting had been forcefully hidden away.
If she smiled, she would look much prettier.
But in the entire Infatuation Daoist Temple, no one had ever seen her smile.
According to the rumors on the mountain, something went wrong when this Senior Sister Ye was born. Although she had an exceptional aptitude for cultivation, it seemed that something else was damaged, like her emotions were extremely indifferent, and she would never smile.
……
……
"Senior Sister Ye is on that cliff again. I wonder what she's looking at."
"Perhaps she's contemplating some Great Dao. I've heard that Senior Sister Ye is just a step away from reaching the Great Beyond Realm."
"It should be a half-step, after all, Senior Brother Ye is slightly more formidable than Senior Brother. It's just that such a powerful senior sister doesn't smile, why is that?"
"This question has actually been asked by Senior Brother privately to many people, but no one has an answer."
"I guess Senior Sister can only smile when she's at her happiest. But when is that?"
"Could it be when Senior Brother confesses his feelings to her?"
"But right now, everyone in the temple knows that Senior Brother likes Senior Sister."
"But Senior Brother hasn't said it."
"Yeah, I really wonder why Senior Brother hasn't told Senior Sister."
