Chapter 1429
Personal Visit
Chapter 1429 Personal Visit
The old man and the young man hurriedly rose to their feet and headed south. The entire temple echoed with the urgent tolling of the bells, and the main hall was completely empty except for the sound of dripping water.
"Tick-tock..."
The man remained kneeling in the main hall, his fat and muscles turning into golden liquid that cascaded down his cheeks, soaking into the ground and merging into his body.
After an unknown amount of time, the pool of golden liquid on the ground gradually took shape, and the man, like a bear waking from hibernation, groaned and turned over.
After resting for a while and regaining his energy, he stretched out two fingers, pinched them on the water's surface as if he were pinching something, and gently lifted them up, raising the pool of golden water like a monk's robe.
Murong Yan draped the cassock over her body, walked forward barefoot, and slowly raised her head to look at the statue standing in the hall.
The figure had no face, but was placed on a stone platform. It was covered with thousands of streams of light, and there were two tears on its blank cheeks. As a cultivator from the Yan Kingdom, Murong Yan was quite familiar with it.
'The great exposition of Heaven's sorrow and lamentation.'
The path of compassion has an extremely prestigious origin. Its founder was a direct disciple of Dazhi Chantian Canyan, who once practiced Taoism at Yanyang Palace Temple.
This is an extremely remarkable identity. This person has personally seen the Buddha and is the senior brother of Tianjue Suxikong. Among the seven types of beings, only those from the Dharma Realm, the Precepts Realm, and the Compassion Realm have this background.
His gaze slowly descended to the image preceding it, which was only slightly shorter, and this image was infinitely majestic, holding a vase in its hands.
The compassionate Lord of today, in His Dharma form—[Heavenly Compassionate and Extensive Teachings].
'This sir wields considerable power even within the Sandalwood Grove…'
Legend has it that this compassionate lord of today practiced under the guidance of the Great Heavenly Emperor, specializing in the art of female water, and used this water to save all sentient beings; the treasure bottle in his hand is said to be the basis for this.
Therefore, the Murong family mostly cultivates female water, and the Compassionate Path also favors female water cultivators—Murong Yan, now having achieved enlightenment, sees all of this clearly.
'The female water hides itself, concealed in the valley, motionless and still, possessing the ability to detach itself and cultivate other paths, possessing the wondrous power of cultivating the external body. The [Emperor Yan Female Light Scripture] that I cultivate cultivates both the external and the internal, this immortal cultivation body, past life and past karma can all be discarded... it is most in line with the path of Buddhist cultivation...'
He gazed intently for a moment, realizing that his mistake wasn't actually going south, but rather that he had been part of someone's scheme from beginning to end. A chill ran through him as he slowly turned away, his back to the assembled statues in the hall.
'Well...well calculated.'
So he stepped out, descended the steps, and looked up at the meditation rooms on both sides. He found the very last one, and sure enough, two characters hung above it:
A sorrowful face.
Couplets were pasted on both sides of the door:
Forget the affairs of this life, and cross the vast ocean of Amitabha.
Murong Yan felt there was nothing to say goodbye to. During the time he had been captured and brought to this temple, news of his crimes and death had already reached the capital. As was customary, his wife and daughters had all become nuns. He simply pushed open the door with a blank face and sat upright on the lotus platform.
During his first meditation as a Buddhist monk, he felt his soul soaring higher and higher, slowly immersing itself in unfathomable mysteries. He didn't know how much time had passed, but it felt as if he was sinking deeper and deeper into an abyss, before he could vaguely see a glimmer of light.
He looked up and saw four large golden characters hanging high above:
【乌玄于兹】
……
Snow blankets the mountains and forests, and ancient temples lie silent.
A layer of snow had already accumulated in front of the temple. The wind and rain had been heavy for the past two days, and now frost had frozen the door hinges, making the temple even darker. On the dark blue stone platform, there was a simple prayer cushion.
The monk's figure gradually emerged from the futon, his black flame pattern dancing between his brows. His eyelids trembled slightly for a moment before slowly opening in the darkness.
Liao Kong looked around at everything as if in another world, feeling the faint connection to the golden land, the true spirit reflected in the golden land, the surging demonic fire and blood flames within his body, and all sorts of mysteries. He slowly stood up.
"call…"
He exhaled, and billowing demonic flames poured out, sweeping through every corner of the temple. They smashed open the door, and the shattered ice and snow exploded with a deafening roar. Then, a dark light spread across the entire mountain forest!
He looked up to the sky and roared, laughing:
"Qin Ling's scheme has been used against me!"
The laughter echoed through the mountains and forests, layer upon layer, before a tall, thin monk stepped out, a hint of melancholy in his eyes, and said:
"Congratulations…"
This is none other than Jiang Toushi, the closest person to this place!
The two words had barely left his lips when the leader suddenly froze, his lips moving in disbelief:
'Maha?!'
He slowly opened his eyes, his lips moved slightly, but there was no trace of falsehood in his expression, while his heart was filled with turmoil.
'The Sixth Maha!'
Jiang Toushou, of course, understood what kind of person Liaokong was; he was nothing more than a petty sympathizer who had somehow managed to bask in the aura of the Golden Land—and how long had it been? The Sixth Maha!
The intense impact left him speechless for a moment.
It's like a cultivator who has just broken through to the Purple Mansion realm, yet he's already close to reaching the Purple Realm a few days ago. This is absolutely impossible for a cultivator, but it's actually happened to this Buddhist cultivator...
Jiang, the chieftain, was a sixth-generation descendant, and even among his colleagues, his progress was considered rapid and effortless. But how much hardship and trouble had he endured? Yet the person before him had merely achieved enlightenment… In that instant, he had to admit that the flames of jealousy surged within him. Jiang's smile stiffened, and he whispered:
Congratulations, fellow Daoist!
Liao Kong could see it clearly, so he raised his chin, nodded to him, and said with a touch of arrogance:
"So it's the leader who's come!"
Jiang Toushou gritted his teeth inwardly. Another Maha stepped out from behind him, quite politely, and said with great surprise:
"This must be Fellow Daoist Liaokong... I am Da Mufajie [Fachang]..."
Fa Chang was none other than the Great Aspiration Dharma Realm Maha who traveled south with Qi Lanyan back then. He had borne a great deal of karma, but because of this, he was valued by Kong Shu. He listened to the teachings in front of this great figure, and his cultivation greatly increased. He has now reached the sixth incarnation and has arrived just in time.
He paused briefly, and then Yuan Shan and his disciple Bei Chuan appeared on the other side. They also asked politely. Liao Kong's heart gradually tightened as he listened to Jiang Tou Shou's laughter:
"This is a once-in-a-century event, and all seven should have arrived at once. However, fellow practitioners of Great Desire and Emptiness are busy with their important matters and cannot come for the time being. Good Joy has always been fond of playing tricks, and whether he comes or not is not up to us. And the Precepts are unpredictable... Please forgive us, fellow practitioners."
Then Yuan Shan looked him up and down and praised him:
"Impressive cultivation!"
This old monk was clearly not someone to be trifled with; with just three words, he made the matter very clear. Even the Jiang leader had to turn around and introduce him, laughing:
"This is Elder Yuanshan, the pillar of the Compassionate Path today, who has cultivated for eight lifetimes!"
Liao Kong was secretly alarmed upon hearing this.
The Ninth Maha mostly devoted himself to spiritual practice, while the Eighth Maha had already reached the pinnacle of human existence. In terms of cultivation and mystical abilities, he was on par with cultivators of the Five Dharmas...
However, the Buddha and the Dao did not rely solely on themselves. The Eighth Maha not only had the Buddha's support, but most of those who could walk in the human world also received the Dharma's love and care. They would lead a temple, and thus many were called temple masters or protectors of the world, able to borrow the power of the Dharma!
He grew increasingly alarmed, knowing this matter was troublesome, so he slightly composed himself and said:
"Greetings, Temple Master!"
Seeing that the people who had rushed over were not important figures, Yuan Shan had already gained a great deal of insight and was secretly delighted:
'As expected, after losing the Treasure Tooth Golden Land, that Realm Lord already had a hard time explaining himself to the Dharma Aspects. And the only one capable of breaking the rules, Kong Shu, had already gone into seclusion. This time, it certainly won't be their turn...'
'What a golden opportunity!'
He smiled slightly and said:
“Your matter has just come to light. Several officials in the forest have already woken up upon hearing the noise and discussed it. The leader is right. All seven ministers should have come together, but the other temple masters are all busy. It just so happens that I have come to see you.”
He chuckled and sighed:
“We are all incompetent. The powerful Eighth and Ninth Mahayana in the past obtained a golden land and thus established their own temple, becoming temple masters. Later generations, unable to obtain a golden land, went to the secular world to open a small temple and also learned to be called temple masters… It is truly shameful… We old folks are useless. From now on, we can only rely on you.”
He seemed approachable, but his few self-deprecating words flattered Liaokong greatly, causing the monk to beg for forgiveness. Yuanshan saw that he wasn't ungrateful and felt a sense of joy.
"That's more like it... What kind of people did Gemdale choose as successors in previous years? They were all so arrogant. Not to mention recent examples, Ye Ren and Kong Hai were both unwilling to lower their heads!"
His goodwill towards him increased greatly, and he quickly helped him up, saying:
"I will not say anything more. Please, Venerable One!"
Upon hearing this, everyone around them changed color. Jiang Toushou took a step back in a flash, Fa Chang lowered his head and remained silent, and Bei Chuan knelt down on the ground decisively. The few compassionate disciples who had followed him all bowed down, even shutting down their six senses.
Liaokong took only one step and noticed that the Eighth Incarnation of Maha had one hand forming a mudra, the other pointing upwards, his eyes closed, and after chanting for a while, he knelt on his right knee, clasped his hands respectfully, and said:
"Disciple humbly receives the sweet dew, seeking to change the Dharma form. The world has compassion, and all sentient beings wish to hear the true Dharma. I humbly request your guidance, with shared compassion, kneeling to beg for instruction!"
"Respectfully inviting the bell of the Compassionate Way of the Wheel of Dharma!"
Both sides knelt down in fear and said in unison:
"Respectfully inviting the bell of the Compassionate Way of the Wheel of Dharma!"
Then Yuan Shan stood up, his face covered in gold powder, which flowed down his face and gathered at the tip of his nose, extending above his eyebrows and disappearing into the top of his bald head.
He still didn't open his eyes, his brow twitched slightly, and finally one eye, which was vertically positioned in the center, opened. Its inner color was pure white, without a pupil, and it looked down at him from above.
In that instant, the entire area seemed to be completely isolated from the rest of the place. The temple was silent, and no one dared to look up.
Liao Kong also knelt on the ground, trembling.
A profound sense of emptiness slowly welled up within him. In that instant, he realized he had overestimated himself—even with his six lifetimes of spiritual power, he seemed devoid of any divine abilities at this moment. Only a few thoughts swirled in his mind:
'It's impossible to lie to Him...'
Shi Xiu's fear of the Dharma Image was ingrained deep within his being; this fatal sense of vulnerability could never be dispelled. If the power of the great man in the Golden Land was a kind of indifferent indifference, the feeling he got from this Dharma Image was even more domineering—a great terror that could be annihilated at any moment with a single thought.
'It's not that I don't care... it's that... I am His private property, His livestock...'
This is even the result of Liaokong's true spirit being entrusted to the golden land. The powerlessness of these true spirits under the control of the Dharma Image is a hundred or a thousand times greater than his!
Yuan Shan's face was slightly pale, as if all the divine power in his body was being offered to that divine eye. He moved his lips with difficulty and whispered:
"Liao Kong... Liao Kong! The Venerable One said..."
"look up!"
These two words struck Kong, as if an invisible hand had gripped his chin, ignoring his own will, forcibly lifting his head, causing his entire spine to crackle and pop!
His eyelids were stretched to their limit, and that cold, white vertical pupil finally came into view.
Immediately afterwards, Liao Kong's body began to convulse violently. Every bone in his body was humming under the strain. He subconsciously opened his mouth, and intense white light gushed out from his mouth, eyes, and ears!
The white light was refined in the sky, transforming into one scene after another, reflecting his past experiences one by one.
Indeed, the status of the Buddhist monk who obtained the Golden Land is quite different, and it is not something that a Dharma body can arbitrarily search for and seize. All kinds of connections have been lost. However, this Dharma body suddenly stripped away the empty body, wanting to re-enlighten this empty body and let his Dharma body tell him about the past!
Those pure white eyes blinked slightly, watching the scenes flow by like water, and then they saw the raging flames in the golden land and the five huge shadows that stretched across the sky, and paused slightly.
It seemed as if he was recalling something.
But in that instant, Liao Kong on the ground stopped convulsing, and his eyes reopened, filled with raging demonic flames.
"what…"
In this secluded, isolated world, time seemed to stand still, and only then could one hear a light, profound, and Zen-like voice:
"Junior Brother Lunling?"
Liao Kong's pupils trembled. After being obscured by countless shadows, the area where the flames were raging could be vaguely seen. The monk in blue robes was standing there, somewhat dazed.
'Junior brother?'
Dang Jiang felt a chill run down his spine and into his mind. He gasped for breath, as if thunder had struck his heart.
"Who did we offend by getting some old geezer out of seclusion!"
After he conspired with Kong, he naturally kept a close eye on things. When he saw that something was wrong, he naturally took over the situation quietly. However, he did not expect that when the other party saw the gloomy demonic flames, he suddenly uttered a name!
Dangjiang was a seasoned veteran; he knew most likely that the name was closely linked to Jindi, and his heart sank into an abyss.
'Since we know him so well, we can't easily fool him!'
A variety of thoughts flashed through his eyes, and he suddenly gritted his teeth, cursing under his breath:
'No matter how capable you are, even if you consider yourself a great figure among the Dharma Realms, do you think you can see through me across the Golden Earth and the Great Black Mysterious Heaven?'