Chapter 1426
Greedy Appearance
Chapter 1426 Greedy Appearance
'Good heavens!'
Those ten words struck him so hard that he burst into tears. He hurriedly picked up his robe, his trembling hands quickly tying the ends together. He took big strides and rushed forward!
His first step was with his left foot, which immediately grew as if inflated, its fair skin turning a blood-red hue tinged with rising crimson flames and mixed with dark demonic energy.
He began to run wildly across the land again. With each step he took, his body grew hotter, and with each step he landed, his vision rose higher, gradually plunging into the boundless sea of clouds.
'The World Honored One is here…'
His tears, also blood-red, streamed down his swollen cheeks like a waterfall. Those four words he always used flashed through his mind, and he instantly changed his mind:
"By the Celestial Venerable One!"
"Boom!"
The heavens and earth began to shake again. Lightning struck him and flames burned him in the endless sea of clouds, but he felt no discomfort. When he reached the end, he returned to his frail monk form.
At the end, there was only a small, crimson lotus platform.
Liao Kong, draped in a kasaya, quickly occupied the lotus platform with his buttocks. Instantly, he felt a profound sense of mystery. The four demonic statues around him bowed their heads to him and transformed into a towering black and red flame that surged wildly into his brow.
His aura surged at an alarming rate, and like an arrow released from a bow, he leaped across the gap between compassion and maha—or rather, the moment he stepped onto this golden ground, his compassionate body was shattered, and his mortal form leaped up and stepped into maha!
His true spirit constantly sensed and rose high in this golden land, like a shooting star flying back to the sky from the ground, its crimson light illuminating the entire earth, until the star hung in the sky and grew facial features, like a head held high in the sky.
"Boom!"
The melodious chimes resounded throughout the heavens and earth.
The true spirit has been reflected in Qinling's golden land.
The certificate is incorrigible!
Liao Kong was a compassionate being who relied on a trace of the inherited energy. He had no land to live in. In recent years, he had been living in a temple not only because he was afraid of the turmoil in the outside world, but also because he had nothing to rely on. Unlike the other seven compassionate beings, Liao Kong's death was a true death, and he had no chance to come back!
Now that he has attained the unretrogressive state of enlightenment, he finally has the right to be as willful as an ordinary Buddhist practitioner!
The true spirit that illuminated heaven and earth was still being nurtured by the demonic fire, revealing a terrifying aura. He felt as if he were walking on floating clouds, his body and mind receiving endless nourishment, and all kinds of Taoist scriptures were constantly pouring into his mind.
The Five Hell Demons have been bestowed upon him!
Qin Lingjin inherited most of the lineage of that Dharma Image from back then. The Five Hell Demon Images are Great Greed, Corruption of Wealth, Wrath of Killing, Sheepskin, and Earth Skull—these are the five faces of that Dharma Image from back then, rotating and generating each other. After the Dharma Image perished, they transformed into five Maha positions.
These five Maha positions were all contested for the position of master, and he was referring to the Great Greedy Desire Maha, who was replaced by him at this moment and also became the master of the Golden Land!
He felt his vision had been elevated to an astonishing level, and his ecstatic joy was almost uncontrollable:
"This alone shows that Qin Ling possesses a Dharma heirloom, and her wealth far surpasses that of Kong Hai, ranking among the top in Jindi. Back then, the Kong Hai chief Dharma master had to go to great lengths to cultivate another Dharma master; how could that compare to me having four vacant positions immediately upon taking over!"
Even though the hierarchy among the four empty positions is not obvious and there is a high risk of backlash from those in lower positions, it is enough to prove the boundless potential of Qin Ling's Golden Land!
His face was covered in tears of excitement, which had now turned into rolling crimson flames. He had not forgotten who had given him everything. He didn't even have time to carefully savor all the vast Daoist treasures and mysteries before he quickly stood up and stepped down from the lotus platform.
The Taoist priest remained standing in the same spot, gently stroking the hilt of his sword.
Only after occupying the golden land could he truly grasp the terrifying nature of the person before him. This person was like a celestial sword that reached the heavens and the earth, radiating the wondrous power of yin and yang, poised to pierce through his golden land at any moment. He knelt and wept, saying:
"I am willing to serve the True Lord as my master, and offer my life to him!"
The Taoist priest did not answer him.
He gripped his sword, turned, and walked away step by step. The only sound in the empty golden ground was the steady, meticulous sound of his footsteps, followed by that cold, icy voice:
"I am going out on official business, holding the title of [Pure Yang Jade Immortal Official]. Your master is in the Great Crow Mysterious Heaven—you will have colleagues to guide you. There is no need for you to cling to my name."
His figure slowly faded into the distance, disappearing into the world like a wisp of light. Liao Kong chased after him down from the lotus platform, but after taking a few steps, he couldn't find anything. He was horrified to discover that even though he was now the master of Jindi, the other party could come and go as he pleased.
The status of Jindi is so high that it seems endless. In essence, it is on the same level as Shitu. Logically speaking, he is now the master of Jindi. As long as he does not agree, no one can ascend to Jindi. Back then, when the Great Mu Dharma Realm pushed Guangchan to enter Baoya Jindi, that Dharma Image could not bypass Guangchan to directly control Baoya. With Guangchan dead, the connection will remain lost!
This detail was even more terrifying than the previous killing of the prime minister. It immobilized him, forcing him to take two more steps forward, kneel down, and kowtow three times in the direction the other had left, weeping as he said:
"My lord! I swear I will repay this kindness!"
This is truly from the heart.
Who was Liao Kong before? Compared to the Seven Ministers, he was nothing more than a stray dog on the roadside. With just one sentence from them: "Get it down, and you sit on it," Liao Kong transformed into the Lord of Jindi!
Having arrived at this point, how could he not understand? He was entirely able to enter this place thanks to the guidance of this great man. Even if the other party wanted to skin him alive and eat his flesh right now, Liao Kong would gladly accept it.
After expressing his gratitude profusely, he sat back down on the lotus platform, experiencing the various mysteries while vaguely realizing something.
Liao Kong was not stupid; on the contrary, he was extremely intelligent. Despite his elation, he remained calm.
'My unexplained disappearance will surely attract attention. At the moment, Qinling Temple is at least guarded by Maha. Given the importance that Chantanlin places on Jindi, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect that there are even Dharma images waiting outside.'
'If we try to leave from here, there's a more than 90% chance we'll face the Dharma Body directly!'
Excitement and ecstasy were like a lake; once all the tears were gone, what remained was the dark, exposed bottom. He had an extreme protective instinct for the enormous benefits he had seized, which made his already somewhat weak character appear incredibly cold and cruel—in the face of the benefits of transcending the world and freely becoming a Dharma body, even a coward should become an executioner.
Liao Kong coldly pondered:
'They will try to win me over, and they will also investigate my background. Right now, I know nothing about it, and I may have even bigger weaknesses. I cannot recklessly get involved in the struggle between the Seven Ministers, nor can I become a pawn in their game against Mingyang, like that Guangchan. What I should do is stay hidden in Jindi forever and never go out.'
'As long as I don't go out, no one can do anything to me.'
However, the words of that person still resonated in his heart. He kept the word "colleague" in mind, and after the great power neutralized his various wonders, he calmed his mind with hand seals and silently sensed.
Sure enough, besides returning to the mortal world, there was another place high above, floating like clouds, where my true spirit sensed!
A thought struck him, and he stood up, turning his ordinary-looking monk's face toward the earth blazing with flames.
At that moment, ten eyes split open on his cheeks, flashing a blinding red, and thousands of tentacle-like streaks of blood-red light gushed out, sweeping towards the earth and swirling up one thing after another in the boiling flames.
These items come in various shapes and sizes, some are Zen staffs, others are bells and drums, all left behind by Qin Ling, a Buddhist monk from back then!
After collecting all the treasures, Liaokong took out only the best drum and stored it in his Dharma body. Then he knelt properly on the lotus platform, kowtowed, put his hands together, and devoutly received the treasures.
Then the soul floated up, as if it had left this world, and the true spirit also traveled into the boundless light, vaguely seeing a brand new world.
……
Snowflakes are falling.
The sun and moon shone together in the heavens and earth. A white-robed immortal stood with his hands behind his back, slowly exhaling. The surrounding light changed and shifted, sometimes turning the snow into an illusion, and sometimes shining with the light of a non-existent sun, illuminating the person within as if he were a god.
Before him, snowflakes swirled, and a seemingly ordinary mirror floated in the air, reflecting various scenes that came into his view. Lu Jiangxian stopped the incantation he had been performing, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
'What a wonderful tool!'
Lu Jiangxian was taken aback by the various actions of this Pure Yang Jade Immortal Official. He was quite amazed as he focused on the most profound insights.
The most obvious point is that this Pure Yang Jade Immortal Official is very skilled in using Taiyin!
Liao Kong became the master of the Golden Land, and thus had a certain sensitivity to the various things within it. Logically speaking, he should have been able to sense some of the immense power of the Three Suns Shining and the Jade True Manifestation…
In fact, this Pure Yang Fate Jade Immortal Official manipulated Taiyin with ease, making himself appear as one with it. Liao Kong not only couldn't see through his true nature, but he also couldn't understand which kind of mystery he possessed.
The celestial official's strong and flamboyant personality must have a source, most likely influenced by his master!
After examining it carefully, Lu Jiangxian finally nodded in satisfaction.
In any case, the immortal official handled Qin Ling's matter very well. The strong sense of impact not only made Kong extremely respectful, but also made him somewhat willing to die for her!
'Qin Ling's Jin Di... is now under my control. What a brilliant move!'
A glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.
It should be understood that the Mingyang trend is in full swing, and as Qin Ling, who has been bound to Mingyang for a long time, even if Liao Kong makes a smooth and unstoppable advance to the Ninth Generation Maha, as long as she handles things properly and does not act too abnormally, it will not cause too much surprise to people!
'This is incredibly useful…'
Liao Kong was not an innovative move; in other words, he was even the opposite of Li Zhouwei. But once it was in Lu Jiangxian's hands, it meant that Lu Jiangxian had made more than one move in the Mingyang chess game.
Moreover, both sides, black and white, made their moves simultaneously!
What's even better is that this piece has a promising future.
'Qin Ling is now in my hands, and I possess a tremendous advantage that none of the other seven aspects have—control over the Golden Land. Qin Ling is not merely the Golden Land; she can be the [Boundless Hell of Suffering]!'
His eyes shifted slightly, and he made a hand gesture, causing various scenes to flash by. The magnificent golden nebula reappeared, and according to the connection of the moon, two golden objects emerged from the crowd and appeared before his eyes.
One was a gleaming golden light, beneath which lay countless cauldrons of boiling water. The sky was as black as ink, with white skeletons hanging in the air. The other was crackling with lightning and scorching with fire everywhere. Countless images of death floated in the heavens and earth, like a purgatory.
The two gold-attribute items are 【Bitter Cauldron】 and 【Heavenly Punishment】!
'As long as these two golden stones are combined with Qin Ling, the [Boundless Hell of Suffering] will reappear, forming its own unique form!'
If it really comes to this point, Liaokong, as the master, will not need to perform any great deeds. He will be able to ascend to the position of Dharma Aspect through the passage of time and by relying on his great merits and spiritual achievements!
This is where Liaokong is more useful than Jinlian. This monk doesn't have a Shanle Daoshitu above his head, nor does he have any sleeping or unawakened Dharma images, or even more than one. Moreover, taking advantage of the great momentum of the bright sun in the world, he can continuously improve his cultivation without any concealment.
Even if he achieves the Dharma Form, Lu Jiangxian will not gain much benefit. However, being on the Ascension Stone will ensure that no matter what realm Kong reaches, he will not be able to betray him at will.
'In other words, this is not just a black piece in the Mingyang game, but also a crucial move in my strategy for the Buddhist sect, and an important escape route after the Mingyang game ends…'
It's even relatively simpler.
According to Lu Jiangxian's calculations, the [Bitter Pot Golden Land] is not hard to find. The aura of opportunity is locked near the Chen Kingdom, and it is most likely in the Buddhist cave left behind by the Wrathful Path Ancestor!
Only the [Heavenly Punishment Golden Land] is a bit more troublesome, as it is very close to the present world. Lu Jiangxian, standing high above, vaguely sensed it on Dayang Mountain.
Of course, for Liao Kong, it would be almost impossible for one person to sense three golden sites in a row, but for Lu Jiangxian, it was not a difficult task at all:
'Based on Qin Ling's reverse connection to the Boundless Hell Heaven, as long as she can obtain that opportunity, seizing this place will be a piece of cake.'
A hint of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of wistfulness or regret) couldn't help but appear in his eyes:
From this perspective, Buddhist cultivation emphasizes the importance of predestined connections, making its practice far more convenient than that of the immortal path!
He made hand seals and cast a spell, condensing several fragments of magic, and then tossed them into the Dharma image sculpture of the [Boundless Suffering Hell] in the Great Black Profound Heaven. Only then did he sit down calmly, secretly calculating:
"Using a two-pronged approach, on one hand, we're using the Great Black Mystic Heaven to erode the internal structure of the Buddhist sect, and on the other hand, we're cultivating Kong to establish a presence outside the sect. Once Mingyang heads north, we can use the pretext of a great war to eliminate dissidents within the Buddhist sect..."
Having finished everything, he quickly immersed himself in the deepest understanding, a slight sense of unease already creeping into his heart:
'We need to hurry... Ideally, we should settle everything before that [Chuyi Heaven] opens, and completely master the Jade True Path!'
Within the [Chuyi Heaven] lies an ancient magical treasure, and the extremely mysterious Douxuan Mountain. Li Jiangchun ventured inside to explore, and Lu Jiangxian was determined to see it no matter what.
'Be fully prepared for everything, so you always have a trump card at your disposal.'