Xuan Yi and Zhao Yi were skeptical, but considering that they had never seen the young man in front of them use any magical methods like the Fa Tan, and they had also never heard of any recent generations of Taoist priests being outside, they didn't continue to think about it.

Because Wei Yuan had previously saved Xuan Yi's life.

The first few levels of the Taoist temple's hidden scriptures were open to Wei Yuan.

The top two levels were guarded by senior members of the Wei Ming Sect, who were not young. Inside were the core teachings of the Wei Ming Sect and the artifacts passed down by the ancestors. Even disciples of the Wei Ming Sect were not allowed to enter easily.

One reason was that true teachings could not be easily passed on.

The other reason was that when one's cultivation was not deep enough, it was dangerous to come into contact with advanced teachings.

It was like a house of cards, one might not be able to achieve deep cultivation and instead easily collapse and die.

Therefore, this arrangement was to protect the true teachings and also to protect the disciples. Xuan Yi brought Wei Yuan forward to pay respects to the two old Taoists guarding the tower, and then they descended the tower. Xuan Yi pointed to the scrolls stored in the bookcase on the first and second levels and said:

"This is the scripture repository of our Wei Ming Sect. You can freely read the scriptures on these two levels."

"Basically, all the rituals and ceremonies of the Zhengyi Sect and the Great Jiao are here, and some of the unique skills of various branches are also included. However, the truly powerful techniques of each branch are mostly well-hidden, and some are even passed down orally. Even those who belong to the Zhengyi Alliance don't know."

Still passed down orally, not afraid of being lost...

Wei Yuan sighed in his heart. Xuan Yi and Zhao Yi also pointed out a small room next to the tower.

"Master, this is where the disciples of the sect stay when they read the scriptures. If you don't mind, you can rest here temporarily."

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Wei Yuan looked inside. It was very simple, with only a bed and a cabinet.

The bed was clean, and the cabinet seemed to contain clean Taoist robes for changing.

After Xuan Yi and Zhao Yi left, Wei Yuan casually pulled out a book from a bookcase and sat down at the nearby table to read. These were the sect's scriptures, different from the records of the special operations group. They were more ancient, and there were notes and opinions left by senior practitioners, showing a strong sect style.

The first level of the tower mostly contained basic scriptures.

Wei Yuan read with the purpose of solving problems, and unknowingly became fascinated. He didn't know if it was the effect of the command talisman on the back of his hand, but when he read the sect's scriptures, he found it easier to calm his mind. Gradually, he gained a clearer understanding of the modern Taoist system.

The cultivation system in Shen Zhou could be divided into Taoism, Buddhism, and the martial arts derived from battles and fights in the martial world. These three systems influenced and changed each other. The modern Taoist system could be divided into three categories.

The Zhengyi Alliance, which commanded the Taoist sects in southern Shen Zhou, had recently shown signs of becoming the leader of the Taoist sects.

They mainly used command talismans and were skilled in Fa Tan rituals.

The disciples of the sect often traveled down the mountain to subdue demons.

After receiving the true teachings of the sect, they were said to leave their names in the Heavenly Court and have the rank of immortal officials.

By opening the altar and performing rituals, they could activate the great power of heaven and earth and display various supernatural abilities. In addition, the Zhengyi Sect was also skilled in the Thunder Method of the Divine Thunder, which was upright and could subdue demons. They were invincible.

The Quanzhen Sect.

Although it was said to incorporate the three paths of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, it was more like the style of Qi refiners before the Qin and Han dynasties. They focused on cultivating themselves and eliminating external things. They basically did not use talismans and command talismans, but the requirements and rules for the disciples of the sect were stricter. The two words "Quan Zhen" themselves represented a certain weight.

Unlike the Zhengyi Alliance, which focused on subduing demons and was skilled in magical arts, the Quanzhen Sect pursued longevity and freedom, refining inner alchemy and cultivating both body and mind. Therefore, they had many rules and regulations.

Then there was the Wudang Sect, which combined Taoism and martial arts. They cultivated internal energy and excelled in both alchemy and swordsmanship.

According to Wei Yuan's understanding, if the three Taoist systems encountered situations that required subduing demons, the Wudang Sect would have the strongest killing power in close combat. Quanzhen cultivators could maintain a certain level of strength regardless of the situation, without being overly affected by external interference.

The Tian Shi Dao lineage was not good at battles.

But as long as they had time to prepare, open the altar, and set up the Fa Tan, the power unleashed by the Zhengyi Sect would be the strongest.

The three sects had been influencing each other for thousands of years, but there were still obvious differences. Taking the example of the sword techniques, the Tian Shi Dao sword techniques were for subduing demons, the Quanzhen sword techniques were for cutting off one's own inner demons, and the Wudang sword techniques were good at fighting against flesh and blood monsters.

Then there were some books that recorded the basic rituals of the Fa Tan.

Each Fa Tan had different steps and different scriptures to recite. Wei Yuan already knew the foundation of the talisman system. After a little thought, he understood the reason why talismans and Fa Tan had become more and more complicated. It was because their functions had become more refined, but they all borrowed the immense power from the sky.

The Fa Tan was a connection to the power in the sky.

First, one had to clarify one's own identity, and then decide what talisman to use, what ritual to perform, and what deity to invite. Each had its own rituals and rules, like a series of password gates. If one step was wrong, one would enter the wrong gate and be unable to borrow power. The ritual of the Fa Tan would be considered a failure.

And the command talisman on Wei Yuan's hand.

It was like a master key.

It could directly open all those password gates.

Of course, the ritual that symbolized the "opening of the gate" was necessary.

It just wasn't as strict and complicated. It only needed to be symbolically completed.And correspondingly, the cultivation level of the person performing the spell is equivalent to their strength. The higher the cultivation level, the stronger the strength, and the greater the power they can invoke and the stronger the magical abilities they can display.

Wei Yuan flipped through the scriptures and came across a simpler ritual. He silently memorized it and didn't know how long he had been reading. The sky outside had already turned completely dark. He turned on the light, prepared to continue reading the scriptures, but suddenly felt something was wrong.

A subtle fluctuation flashed in the distance.

And the reason he felt this fluctuation was because the sword in the qin case behind him trembled slightly. It was Zhang Daoling's former sword. Wei Yuan's expression changed slightly, he pondered for a moment, seeming tired, and returned to his resting place. He took out the food from the food box that Xuan Yi had sent earlier.

Arranged in a row.

The Taoist temple didn't lack incense.

He picked up three incense sticks, flicked his wrist, and inserted the three incense sticks into the ground.

Just a simple ritual altar.

Stepping on the Xuan Yuan Sword Yu Bu, he muttered a spell, feeling a burning sensation on the back of his hand. He pinched the Three Mountains Finger and the three incense sticks spontaneously ignited without wind. Wei Yuan felt that the decree on the back of his hand and the sky had formed a complete connection. It was a small ritual altar passed down by the Wei Ming Sect, the Heaven's Eye and Earth's Ear technique.

Wei Yuan felt his own aura rising, as if overlooking the Wei Ming Sect's main peak from a high place.

And that subtle fluctuation came clearly.

He identified it.

The fluctuation came from where Wei Ming Sect's disciples resided, where Xiao Yuer and the others were. Wei Yuan's footsteps moved slightly, he took out a yellow talisman, swept past the three incense sticks, and the smoke that had risen straight up from the three incense sticks was drawn onto the yellow talisman. He closed his eyes and swept past.

This time, Wei Yuan 'saw' that small courtyard.

He saw the faintly distorted, swirling black aura.

...

Several young Taoists finished their evening practice and lay on their beds to rest.

But they were too young, and coupled with the vigorous cultivation method of the Taoist sect, they were often not so well-behaved. In the past, their masters and senior brothers would keep an eye on them, but today it seemed that they were discussing something important, and their master only admonished them to rest early before leaving.

So the young Taoists began their night gathering.

Talking about some small stories they knew.

They soon came to the story of one of the round-faced, cute young Taoists. She thought for a moment and said, "Have you heard the story of shadows?"

"The story of shadows?"

"What's so special about shadows?"

The young Taoist saw that she had aroused the interest of her fellow disciples, her eyes curved, and she said, "But this shadow is not ordinary. Can your shadows communicate with you? Can they be your friends?"

"This story can..."

...

The era in which the story took place is no longer known.

But it must have been ancient, in a very distant past.

Because ancient immortal mountains like Yu Ci Mountain still exist in such stories.

And the story begins with a solitary man, whose name is Deng Yi. He was already thirty years old and still hadn't found a wife. During the day, it was fine, but every night, he would turn off the lights early, and there would only be him alone in the house, sighing endlessly. One day, he said to his shadow, "Shadow, oh shadow, we've been together for thirty years, and now I'm all alone. Can't you come and talk to me?"

Originally, it was just a complaint, but who knew that the shadow under the moonlight would suddenly jump out.

This frightened Deng Yi greatly, and he sat down on the ground trembling, letting the shadow count as displeased, saying, "You begged me, and I appeared to accompany you. How can you treat me like this? Are you also a hypocrite like Ye Gong?"

Deng Yi reluctantly raised his head and asked his own shadow, "Then what can you do to accompany me?"

The shadow said, "I am your shadow, without a physical form. Whatever you want, I can become."

So Deng Yi wished for the shadow to transform into a knowledgeable young man who could talk with him all night. In a flash, the shadow actually turned into a handsome and elegant young man, knowledgeable in astronomy and geography. Deng Yi and the young man talked happily every night. Suddenly, one day, the young man sighed with regret, saying, "I have accompanied you for a long enough time. Now I have to go to Yu Ci Mountain thousands of miles away. I can never come back in this lifetime."

Before Deng Yi could stop him, the shadow soared into the sky and disappeared in an instant.

From then on, whether it was at night with the lights on or during the day under the sun, Deng Yi no longer had a shadow, and he gradually became crazy and foolish. He even gained the nickname Deng Wu Ying (Deng without a shadow).

So, be careful, be careful.

The shadow is not a person's follower. When you are facing the light, the shadow may be behind you, silently watching you, trying to find a way to separate from you. When you turn around, it pretends to be motionless.

Light a lamp before a mirror.

Then look at the mirror.

Through the mirror, you may see the shadow staring at you..................

After listening to this story, a few young Taoists shrank their necks.

"This is fake."

They muttered to themselves.

The round-faced young Taoist said, "Who said it's fake? I even saw a book called 'Yuyang Miscellany' that said people have nine shadows, each with a name. As long as you light the candles according to the rules, they will all appear."

Lin Ling'er from the Maoshan Sect couldn't help but say, "This kind of method, similar to a magic altar, can't be so easily achieved."

The round-faced young Taoist disagreed, "Who knows? Since our masters are not here, let's secretly give it a try. Maybe we can see our own nine shadows..."

PS: Going to sleep... lying down like a corpse...