Chapter 1425
Demonic Appearance
Chapter 1425 Demonic Appearance (1+12) (Bonus Chapter 41113 for "Hidden Dragon in Action")
The sky and earth were dark.
The celestial phenomena in the south had not completely dissipated; streaks of emerald light still lingered in the sky, and the true qi transformed into wisps of clouds, with a misty haze in the distance.
The light was so dazzling that even the dark Xiaoshan Mountain seemed to brighten up. A golden light came from the east, galloped through the air, turned and changed, and then a handsome monk appeared.
He cautiously glanced south, a thought stirring within him, but his figure continued deeper into the mountains. Reaching a certain point, he landed and saw one or two simple temples standing amidst the forest. He then rode the wind down and called out:
"Fellow Daoist Liaokong!"
As soon as the sound faded, the courtyard gate creaked open, and a middle-aged monk stepped out, carrying scriptures in his hands. Upon seeing him, he bowed and said politely:
"It is Minghui Maha who has arrived!"
A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes as he said:
"What a great thing you've done, sir!"
Minghui feigned sadness, sighed softly, and shook her head.
Several major battles broke out in the south, resulting in the destruction of a country. Meanwhile, wars continued in the north as well. After several clashes between Dayang Mountain and Gu County, a major battle finally broke out in several places. The man named Yu Hai Mo He Liang Li Tian Lang Zhi suddenly made a move and captured Xun Xuan Zai, a true man of the Xun clan.
Long Kangyao, who was already holding back his anger, suddenly flew into a rage and led only Gu You Zhenren directly into the territory of the Great Desire Path, making a huge impact. The leader of the lanterns turned around and entered from Jiaoshan, but was ambushed and repelled by General Jiang Yan...
Thus, a great battle was about to break out, with flames of war erupting everywhere. Lei Tou Shou personally intervened to block Long Kang Yao, while Maha of the Great Desire Path attacked Rao Shan from the flank...
But this would require passing through the territory of Shanledao. Minghui put on airs on Dayang Mountain, crying incessantly, but he had been harboring evil intentions for a long time. He asked Mingmeng to take action and retaliate!
Although the men who went to Raoshan were meant to harass and provide support, it still caused the head of the temple to curse them out. Ming Meng was naturally punished and sent to Dayang Mountain, and Ming Hui also went out to avoid trouble. At least the attitude of the Lotus Temple was clear.
Now, when asked, he could only sadly reply:
"The Great Desire Path harmed my master; how could I not seek revenge!"
But deep down, I was overjoyed.
During the Battle of Gujun, he, Lianhua Temple, cowered in his temple like a quail. But when he turned around, Li Zhouwei had already destroyed Shu. He and his master, Jinlian, were shocked and, after a private conversation, were overjoyed.
'No need to overthink it, Changhuai must have been tricked by the adults on the lake…'
He really didn't want to wait in the temple any longer, so he traveled across several prefectures to Xiaoshan. Firstly, he had some past connections and found an excuse to ask questions. Secondly, he also wanted to take the opportunity to see what was happening in the south.
Now that they had arrived at the temple, he looked around and saw that it was simple and dilapidated, with not even a servant. Even Liaokong, seated on a golden lotus throne, was personally serving him tea. He couldn't help but frown and say:
“I told you, Fellow Daoist Kong, why is the temple so empty, there isn’t even anyone to serve you?”
Na Liaokong chuckled, shook his head, and said:
"Qin Ling's lineage is not yet stable, and I myself am just riding on her luck. I can't see right from wrong. Now that Mingyang is famous outside, why bother with any lineage? I had a few disciples earlier, but I let them all go."
Upon hearing this, Minghui understood what he meant.
'It seems he's still a long way from ascending to the Golden Land. He's afraid that taking on disciples will involve the karma of the Seven Phases, and he's also afraid of implicating Mingyang. Perhaps the King of Wei will happen to pass by one day and slap him to death…'
After all, as Minghui knew, Qinling Dao was wiped out by Emperor Wei. To put it bluntly, it was called "Refining Evil and Suspending Head"—the Dharma Image that controlled Qinling Golden Land was known as "Guangtu Daoyao Refining Hell Image," whose philosophy was to use the demonic path to awaken the world and to cultivate and subdue all demons...
This demon once wreaked havoc in the Central Plains, but was utterly crushed by the Wei Emperor. His skull, containing a hellish interior, hangs suspended on Mount Xiao. His demon sons and grandsons are forced to serve the Wei Emperor like cattle, transporting provisions and fodder...
Minghui couldn't help but nod secretly:
'It would be best to find an opportunity to lure this guy out and let Bai Qilin kill him; that would count as part of my achievement…'
Thinking of this, his smile grew even more fervent, and he asked in a low voice:
"This is indeed a troublesome cause and effect... I've also heard that Qin Ling's lineage is very close to the Wrathful Path. Isn't this adding insult to injury? I wonder where this came from..."
Liaokong seemed to have been troubled for a long time. In his eyes, Minghui was a disciple of a great master, and he thought that Minghui must have a way to help him. So he kept an eye on him and sighed:
"I only learned about this later... I visited the Northern Demon-Subduing Temple and heard some rumors. The wrathful form of the Dharma... was originally a disciple of the Azure Profound Dao, but the lineage declined, and he came from a tragic background, which is why he turned to Buddhism and Taoism, and thus had the thought of purifying the world..."
He looked troubled and said:
"The people of Qingxuan have always been ambitious. The Wrathful Path originally established a Buddhist cave in Beiliang... which is now north of the Chen Kingdom. They cultivated both the original form and the Buddha's land. At that time, it was an extremely excellent lineage. After the fall of Wei, the Qinling lineage fell into their hands..."
Minghui nodded thoughtfully and said:
"That clean cup..."
When discussing the decline of the wrathful path, one cannot help but mention the Pure Cup. Liao Kong nodded and sighed:
“Jingzhan is also a person with a destiny. I heard that his previous life was also a Qingxuan cultivator, a disciple of Faxiang, named Dongchu. Faxiang personally cultivated his causal body for five hundred years, which can generate a soil on its own. I also heard that if Faxiang had not suddenly disappeared, Qinling Golden Land should have been his place of enlightenment.”
Minghui's teeth ached from listening, and she couldn't help but nod. After a moment's thought, Liaokong seemed somewhat desolate and continued:
"In the end, the decline of the Wrathful Path was inevitable. At that time, the world was in turmoil, and many Qingxuan disciples joined the Wrathful Path. In the eyes of some people, this was not a good look and was a very troublesome variable."
Minghui understood now. She gently held the cup, her thoughts racing like lightning, slowly sinking into the depths:
'Goodness, he's actually been to the North. I don't know how he found out so much. Since he knows so much detail, it won't be easy to lie to him...'
He immediately changed the subject, asking about the King of Wei in the south. Once Liaokong started talking, he couldn't stop, his account a mix of truth and hearsay. He muttered a few words, leaving Minghui stunned, and she couldn't help but ask in return:
"What do you mean by marching all the way to Chengdu in one fell swoop, capturing Shan Yin, killing Wu Gan and Ping Yan, then beheading the Shu Emperor, and then leaving without a trace, all in less than a day... Isn't that going too far!"
Liao Kong paused for a moment, then said:
"I don't know, but anyway, the people of the Great Mu Dharma Realm wanted that Jiang leader to go south, and this is how the leader replied, which terrified that Maha named Luejin..."
Minghui sneered:
'Coward!'
He said:
"That makes sense. If it were me, I wouldn't fight either."
Therefore, he retreated in order to advance, and said:
"Now that Western Shu has been destroyed and Mingyang is just around the corner, are you still willing to stay here, fellow Daoist? Shouldn't you consider heading north and going further away... not to sever the karmic ties, but at least to have more time to catch your breath."
Liao Kong appeared quite composed. He glanced at him, sighed deeply, and said:
"To be honest, I knew very little back then, and I thought I had a good relationship with the Li family... It was thanks to the Li family that I was able to acquire this golden land..."
"Oh?"
Minghui's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself:
'One of our own?!'
Liao Kongdao:
"Back then, I was just a novice monk, practicing here in a place called Kongshan Temple, a bit further away. It's an ancient lineage, and I'd long heard of Qin Ling's extraordinary abilities. After Lianmin died, I immediately hatched a plan. I secretly tracked her down, guessing that the successor must have died at Li Xuanfeng's hands. That's why I disguised myself and got close to Qingchi... and finally obtained the inheritance from his son..."
He showed no sign of a smile, but rather a look of utter dejection, and said:
"Back then, I thought I was exceptionally clever when I plotted to seize this golden land. Now, after decades of setbacks, I finally understand the truth of the world. I never imagined that none of the powerful figures in the Seven Ministers would touch it. They knew that this golden land would not have a good end before Mingyang perished!"
Liao Kong beat his chest and stamped his feet, saying:
"To put it bluntly, I'm just a down-on-his-luck person holding these things for safekeeping! I'm just a stray dog on the roadside, waiting for Mingyang to kill me and for me to fall from grace. Then these things will naturally pass through their hands smoothly... The reason I don't leave is that I know I won't have a good ending anywhere else. Here, it's legitimate... At least there's the Xiaoshan Mountain as a barrier!"
Upon hearing this, Minghui sighed inwardly:
'What a clever man! He saw it all clearly!'
Now she was truly speechless. Minghui couldn't very well take credit for him anymore, but she had other thoughts in mind and began to wonder if he was even one of her own.
'Back then, when the King of Wei acquired the supreme treasure of the Void Dao, it was clear that some great being was orchestrating a scheme against the Void Dao. Now, not only is the Void Dao weakened, but so is Wrath. Perhaps this fellow Daoist Liaokong is merely a stepping stone?'
He had many guesses in his mind, but dared not underestimate the great man in the sky, nor dared to confirm them. So he took out a jade pendant from his pocket, handed it to the other party, and sighed:
“Mingyang is at the height of his power, and we at Shanle cannot afford to offend him. But we have a history of friendship. If you survive Mingyang, you can use this talisman or come to Shanle Dao to find us. It is a matter of fate after all.”
Liao Kong sat alone in the mountains, and none of the Seven Aspects came to touch him. Unexpectedly, during the days when Ming Yang was at the height of his power, this person, Ming Hui Mohe, with whom he did not have a very deep relationship, would lend a helping hand. Even if the other party was most likely after the gold, he was quite grateful. He bowed deeply and sent the other party back.
After Minghui left, Liaokong returned alone and sat down again at the stone table, his eyes dull and lifeless.
'Even the Shu Emperor was killed by him, what chance do I have of surviving? If I'm really going to die, then so be it. Before I die, I won't even be able to touch the gate of the Golden Land. All I'll get is this little bit of blessing to break through to the Compassionate Realm…'
He sighed, sat back down on the futon, and held his hands in a lotus shape at his lower abdomen, with a faint, iridescent light shimmering between his palms.
This item is Qin Ling's inheritance—[Ten Thousand Fiends Netherworld Demon Blood]!
Of course, that sounds nice, but in reality it was just a drop of blood that dripped from the head that was hanging over Mount Xiao back then.
Liao Kong knew far more than Ming Hui could imagine.
'My sect has coveted Qin Ling's lineage for at least three hundred years. Back then, Lianmin was on good terms with my abbot, and thus revealed quite a bit of information…'
When Faxiang was executed, his head was hung in the mountains as an entrance and exit to the purgatory. Emperor Wei sent someone to supervise it. That person was Situ Wang, who was said to be one of the six kings. He had infinite power by using the radiance of his fruition. He whipped the head every day. Blood like this was everywhere at the time. It was just a tool for Situ Wang's cultivation.
However, this great man died after attaining enlightenment, and the place was empty for a while. Soon, someone came back, and this person was named Cui Yan.
His methods were much gentler. He used this blood to enlighten several demon generals and restrain these demons, so that no one of this level came to supervise this place anymore. Qin Ling's earliest ancestor was one of these demon generals.
'But this is nothing compared to the fact that Baoya has the bloodline of the Li family and is entrusted by the Qilin, while this so-called Qin Ling Jindi only has a single drop of blood that doesn't match the name.'
The Golden Land has been a treasure of Buddhist practitioners since ancient times, and now it has risen to the level of a fundamental treasure for establishing one's spiritual path. Buddhist practitioners will go to great lengths to obtain the Golden Land, including various connections, bloodlines, concepts, and even lineages, just to get a little bit of inspiration from it.
Besides, even a Buddhist practitioner who has no connection to the Golden Land can still attain it through certain methods. The Void Path says, "View existence as non-existence," the Great Desire Path says, "View non-existence as existence," the Dharma Realm says, "Existence is abundant, so it attaches," and the Vinaya says, "Only by extensive precepts can one attain it." Liaokong inquired about all of these. He was originally a person of exceptional wisdom and insight; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to ascend to the Compassionate Realm with just a little lineage. Finally, one day, he suddenly had an epiphany and ultimately grasped the most fundamental and true principle:
'Since all the cultivators were out of ideas, they were willing to say anything.'
Can a Buddhist practitioner with no connection to the Dharma attain the Golden Land? Of course they can. Throughout history, there have been countless individuals who have ascended to the Golden Land through their own efforts. But how exactly do they do so? Nobody knows.
'It's less that these important figures acquired the prime land, and more that they were lucky enough to acquire it, which is why they became important figures.'
Liao Kong was convinced that this was the truth. He had been holding this drop of the teachings for decades, day after day. No matter which school of thought taught it, there was only one action—that was to sense it.
Eyes wide open.
After calming his mind a thousand or ten thousand times as usual, he stared wide-eyed, imagining flames raging before him, metal and stone intertwined, white skeletons bowing their heads in all directions, volcanic lava erupting from the earth, and countless colossal figures, neither demonic nor non-demon, hanging in the sky, surrounded by a halo of light that illuminated all directions.
He stood in this boundless, dark purgatory, dressed in a thin Zen robe, with countless crawling skeletons beneath his feet, and scorching lava rising in the darkness, as if to melt him.
'That's the feeling!'
Today's sensations were exceptionally perfect; this was exactly what the Golden Land looked like in the ancient texts. He couldn't help but take a few more steps until his bare feet were slightly burned by the lava. Only then did he gasp and take a step back.
But as he stepped back, he suddenly froze.
Liao Kong lowered his head in disbelief, grabbed a handful of dark, black soil from the ground, ignoring the molten lava still dancing in his fingers, and murmured:
"By the World Honored One!"
He's arrived at Jindi!
Without a doubt, what lies before us is Qinling Jindi, an unclaimed piece of land!
It's important to understand that Jindi represents not only a legacy and the possibility of future breakthroughs, but also complete freedom. What's even more captivating is that most of Jindi properties contain precious artifacts left behind by generations of Buddhist monks and nuns!
Back then, Guang Chan was looking for a better path while still wanting to join the demonic path. When he entered the Treasure Tooth Golden Land, he only picked up someone's head to use. But just this one head of a high-level cultivator greatly increased Guang Chan Maha's strength, allowing him to suppress all cultivators. When that head opened its mouth, even a Buddhist cultivator who was a generation above him would be injured!
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Liao Kong, as if possessed, dropped the soil in his hands, stood up, and ran wildly along the dark earth, lost in thought.
"We've made it through!"
There seemed to be endless joy and indulgence here, which made him dance involuntarily, take off his Zen robe, and run across the boundless land.
As he continued to run forward, five towering shadows appeared before him. Majestic faces with fleshy protuberances and different expressions emerged from the shadows, rising steadily on the distant horizon and slowly enveloping the entire sky.
They were five demonic figures with blue faces and fangs, exuding boundless divine power!
Before Liao Kong could appreciate the boundless and magnificent scene, his steps suddenly froze. In the instant that the five demonic figures filled the entire sky, the ten eyes suddenly opened, their faces turned, and their crimson pupils stared down at him!
The monk's face suddenly turned pale.
Alive...
'By the World Honored One!'
A strong sense of danger instantly filled Kong's heart. His mind seemed to explode with a buzzing sound. As a Buddhist cultivator, how could he not know where the greatest strength of Buddhist cultivation lay, and how could he not know the ruthless methods of these seniors! He didn't even need to think; he knew what was going on!
'So that's why they were willing to give me this prime land!'
'ridiculous!'
The thought flashed through his mind like a white flash. Five giant hands had already covered the sky. The demonic figures in the sky fought mercilessly. Terrifying power exploded around him. Liao Kong felt like a powerless ant. In the explosion of blood and darkness, he was suddenly grabbed by the largest hand and lifted high!
The scenery around him changed like lightning, and he arrived at a height of tens of thousands of miles in the sky. His face was like a lonely island, and his blood-red pupils flashed with greed. His mouth was stretched to the extreme, like a bottomless blood-red abyss.
"What you desire, sir, is nothing more than my mortal body..."
Liao Kong roared:
"I beg you to spare my soul to serve you!"
As if that mournful cry had an effect, time seemed to stand still in the entire forbidden area. The giant hand could no longer hold him, letting him slide effortlessly from the sky and fall to the ground. Liao Kong rolled lightly, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and kowtowed incessantly, weeping:
"I'm willing to be a lackey...I'm willing to be a lackey!"
In the vast天地 (heaven and earth), only the sound of his kowtowing could be heard. The five demonic figures did not answer him. After an unknown amount of time, he finally raised his head tremblingly.
The five demonic figures before them were frozen in place, each reaching out to grab something, wielding knives and guns, some enraged, some calm as still water, some laughing wildly, but all like sculptures frozen in eternal ice, unable to move.
Liao Kong felt weak all over. He hesitated for a moment, then moved his knees and heard calm footsteps. He slowly turned around.
There was a person standing behind him.
To be precise, this was a Taoist priest, handsome and refined, with neat black hair and jade-like tea-white pupils. He stared at him expressionlessly and coldly.
Liao Kong was very clever. At this critical moment of escape from death, even though a Taoist priest in this golden land was incredibly strange, he still kowtowed again, weeping:
"Thank you, sir... thank you for saving my life!"
Of course, he didn't know who the person in front of him was. The other party didn't have any unfathomable terrifying aura, but was just like an ordinary person. But how could there be an ordinary person in this golden land?
This god-like figure did not answer him.
He took a step forward, slowly walking until he reached the center of the five demonic figures. Holding a sword in one hand, he gazed at the five towering demonic figures, looked around, shook his head in disappointment, and said softly:
Which one do you like?
Liao Kong had no idea what he meant. He stared blankly at the other person's back, looking at his disdainful posture—a posture that was so cold and indifferent, as if the person in front of him was not a demon under the command of the five Dharma Images, but five dying chickens and ducks.
When he met His gaze, Liao Kong trembled. He dared not not answer and raised his hand without any clue, pointing to the most radiant and all-pervading demonic figure that had just lifted him up and made him eat.
The Taoist priest raised his hand.
He tapped the sword hilt lightly with his jade-like fingers, without even drawing the sword, but simply raised one index finger and made a light stroke in the air.
"Click..."
It was an extremely faint cracking sound, yet Liao Kong's pupils reflected a blood-red light that reached the heavens and the earth. The arrogant demon didn't even have time to utter a sound before it was broken in half amidst the earth-shaking tremors. Its upper body, which had covered the heavens and the earth, slid backward and exploded into a sky full of blood!
The heavens and earth wailed, lava spewed forth, and the sound of dripping tears rang in his ears, as if trying to pierce through Liao Kong's body. Amidst this world-destroying color, he could only kneel and tremble. He didn't know how long it had been before the billowing dust and the sound of weeping finally subsided.
'Who is this person...? Is he even human...?'
No matter how ecstatic he had been before, he was now only trembling with fear for his life, hoping that the person in front of him wouldn't just trample him to death like an ant. His eyes were fixed on the ground, and he dared not look up.
In a daze, he saw a black and red cassock fall before him, its crimson hue shimmering in the darkness with a maddening crimson light, and then he heard a calm voice:
“Pick up its robe, absorb its wondrous image, sit in its seat, and I command you: today you are the head of the Five Hell Demon Images.”
It was as if a thunderbolt had struck Kong's face. He heard the most extraordinary words he had ever heard in his life, shattering all his sweat and fear. A chill ran from his spine to his head. The monk suddenly raised his head, his teeth chattering, and stared into those amber eyes.
It seemed that only that round, jade-like, tea-white color existed in the world.
It was a fleeting moment, yet it also felt like an eternity. Everything before his eyes slowed down, and he saw the Taoist's lips move, his cold voice tinged with impatience:
“I said, it rolls down, and you sit on it.”