Chapter 3 The Resurrection of Lael Jones

It had taken Lael Jones seven long years to journey through the cosmos, and in the year 1901, his pod crash-landed on a serene monastery farm in eastern China. The tranquil beauty of the countryside, with its lush fields and rolling hills, was starkly contrasted by the sudden arrival of the foreign object from the heavens.

As the pod descended from the skies, six grandmasters, each a master in their unique skill and a practitioner of different forms of martial arts and cultivation of Taoism and Daoism, were engrossed in their daily training and meditation. Among them, Master Quin Dao, the leader of the group, stood out. A great Taoist cultivator of the third level, known as the shengren, he possessed a rare connection to the spiritual realms. He commanded the loyalty of 300 violent Demon gods and 150 spirits of light.

The moment the pod made contact with Earth, an unsettling energy reverberated through the monastery grounds. Startled by the cosmic disturbance, Master Quin Dao commanded his fellow masters to follow him. They ascended into the air, using their cultivation techniques to fly swiftly towards the crash site.

Upon reaching the site, they found the pod, broken and smoking, with the unconscious body of a young man inside. The grandmasters carefully examined the peculiar object, using their cultivated insights to determine its nature. They had never witnessed anything like it before, and its alien origin intrigued and baffled them.

With a sense of duty and curiosity, they carefully extracted the body from the damaged pod and carried both to their monastery. There, they placed the young man on a bed, his breathing faint, and his heartbeat barely discernible. It was a baffling sight to the grandmasters, for the heart of the unconscious man lay on the right side of his chest, a stark difference from the anatomical norm of Earthlings.

The grandmasters gathered around the injured stranger, concern etched on their wise faces. They attempted to revive him, applying their healing techniques, but it became apparent that the young man was on the brink of death. His alien physiology posed challenges they had never encountered.

Master Quin Dao, the leader of the monastery, gazed at the young man with a mix of compassion and determination. He knew that they couldn't let this being perish, especially given the circumstances of his arrival. In a hushed tone, he addressed his fellow grandmasters, "Brothers, we are growing old, and our sect is slowly dwindling into obscurity. We have been the protectors of ancient knowledge and the gatekeepers of our Taoist traditions, but the world is changing, and we must adapt."

He paused, searching the eyes of the others. "This young man is an alien, with no earthly connections, no family or ties to any social group. He is a clean slate, and I believe we have been presented with an opportunity. We need a successor, one who will carry the mantle of the three pure gods of Taoism."

The other masters exchanged glances, skepticism and reluctance in their eyes. The forbidden ritual of resurrection had not been performed in seven thousand years, and its very existence was shrouded in mystery. It was rumored to involve invoking the spirits of the three pure gods of Taoism, and it required a precious sacrifice-the purest of jade charms, which they possessed only one of in the entire monastery.

Master Dao continued, "We have but one chance to revive this young man, to give him the mantle of Yuanshu Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun, the three pure gods of Taoism. He will become an immortal, the great vanquisher of evil, and the protector of our knowledge."

The grandmasters were torn, knowing the gravity of the ritual and the irreversible consequences it might bring. Yet, they also understood that their legacy was at stake, and the fate of their ancient order hung in the balance. Reluctantly, they agreed to proceed with the ritual, convinced that this was their best chance to preserve their heritage.

The grandmasters prepared for the forbidden ceremony, gathering the necessary components, and making careful arrangements. The ritual was to take place in the sacred upper chamber of the Jade Monastery, a place imbued with centuries of spiritual energy. They had to wait for the red and full moon, the ideal celestial alignment for the ceremony to succeed.

As the days passed, they watched over Lael Jones, tending to his fragile condition and wondering about the mysterious life that lay ahead for both the young man and their monastery. The cosmos held its breath, as the destiny of Earth and the ancient Taoist tradition became intertwined in ways they could never have foreseen.