The three-day deadline was up in a flash. The group crossed numerous borders, traveled thousands of miles, and finally entered the Kingdom of Galan.
It was Yun Xian's first time to come to the Western Realm. She stared intently the whole way and looked quite naive. Qiao Lingshan was a little more restrained than her, the kind that tried hard to hide her naiveté. Feng Ye... no one cared about Feng Ye.
The customs and culture of the Western Frontier differ greatly from those of the Eastern Frontier. The Eastern Frontier's climate is more humid, with intermittent chills, while the Western Frontier's chill is arid and arid—breathing in the mornings can sting your throat.
As we made our way here, we discovered that, as others had said, the Western Realm was dotted with Buddhist temples. Many of the true Buddhas in Buddhism were individuals who achieved great merit during their lifetimes and were revered as saints after their death. Naturally, each temple dedicated different objects, and their spheres of protection did not conflict or overlap. The people of the Western Realm were filled with joy and a strong atmosphere of worship.
Qi Zhiye was forced by Master Mingguang to act as a tour guide, introducing them one by one with a sour face:
"This is the Buddha in charge of literature. Before every major exam, people always come to worship at the last minute to cram... It's better to just study hard."
"This is Shengyan... In layman's terms, it's Guanyin, the Goddess of Childbirth."
"Is there anyone in charge of men's health? If you keep talking nonsense, I'll beat you up!"
After Akihito's defection and the return of the two nations of Hongyuan and Hokki, the abbot made some changes to the structure of the Buddhist order. Previously, Buddhists had refrained from interfering with matters below the mountain. Disciples sought to maintain a pure mind, unperturbed by external distractions. Even when they left the mountain, they focused solely on the affairs within the temple. However, after this, he regularly sent disciples down the mountain to preach, establish connections, and travel, persuading people to let go of hatred and avoid confrontation. Disciples were stationed at every temple at all times, and any signs of unrest were immediately reported to the sect.
The abbot passed away, and the current abbot, Mingxiang, inherited his mantle. Mingxiang further expanded the Buddhist community, even recruiting a group of lay monks despite the disapproval of the monks. These monks, despite pressure from the monks, did not need to practice in the mountains on a daily basis, and their main responsibility was to help manage the business affairs down the mountain and maintain the Buddhist community.
In this four-way war, it was Ming Xiang's decision to let Qi Zhiye go down the mountain to the secret realm against all odds.
These changes were slow, and perhaps brought some changes, but they still failed to touch the essence. Mingguang returned to the Buddhist sect this time, not only bringing back Mingren's relics, but also bringing a piece of news that was like a bolt from the blue -
No matter what, he wanted to recommend Qi Zhiye to be the next abbot.
"I can't reach the top, and I don't want to settle for the bottom." Ji Rongxue leaned against the window, looking at the smoke rising from the kitchen, and said coldly, "Religion is religion, and sect is sect. You're unwilling to completely abandon your faith and religion, but you're starting to reluctantly accept that you're essentially a sect. That's a contradiction."
"Buddhism has a thousand-year-old heritage and is a massive institution. It would be strange if it could be changed so easily." Xue Lingxiu said, "We have to give it some time."
"As long as they are willing to change, they can change." Ji Rongxue said, "To correct a wrong, we must go too far. We should replace them with an abbot with completely different philosophies. They refused to knock someone out. If they were asked to kill someone from the beginning, then knocking someone out would become a good option."
"..." Xue Lingxiu looked at her and sighed, "Miss, that's Buddhism."
Buddhism is both its success and its failure. Buddhism is so powerful because of the centripetal force of its devout faith, and the resistance to its reforms has also increased.
Do we have to kill all those who disagree with us?
Ji Rongxue's expression remained unchanged: "Maybe."
Xue Lingxiu could see that she didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said.
Yun Xian didn't hear this conversation. As she looked at the peaceful scene, she couldn't help but wonder, "Although Galan Buddhism is considered orthodox, aren't there people who believe in other doctrines?"
As soon as she said this, she saw a small Taoist temple standing stubbornly among the cluster of Buddhist temples. It was deserted and almost deserted, with Bagua flags hanging on the wall, surviving in the cracks.
Legal, but looks sick.
It seems there are rebels everywhere.
The group finally arrived and walked up the long steps leading to the Buddhist gate.
Tiny flowers sprouted from the cracks between the bluestone tiles. A recent rain had fallen early in the morning, leaving dew and fog thick. The crimson eaves of the Buddhist temple, nestled among the deep green peaks, cast a soft, hazy image, visible from afar.
Before the mountain gate, several young monks were wiping away the water from the stone guardian beasts. This was their daily ritual, a way to clear their minds and free their thoughts. It wasn't until the group reached the gate that the monks reacted and bowed, saying, "Uncle Mingguang, Brother Xingye. And, all the donors."
As we entered the temple, just as we had in the previous two encounters with the inner demon, the branches of the Bodhi tree swayed gently, obscuring the sun. We encountered Buddhist disciples along the way, but none of them asked where we had come from or where we were going. They all hurried along, their expressions serene.
"Yun Xian," Su Chi said, motioning Yun Xian to look at the golden lines flowing on the ordinary stone tiles beneath his feet. "This is the Buddhist mountain protection formation."
The monks walked around, and the statues within the hall shifted positions, forming a strange formation. Everyone knew the center of the Buddhist mountain-protecting formation lay within the statue in the main hall, yet no one dared to enter, and no one could.
Yun Xian looked at the golden thread covering the entire mountain, then raised her eyes to the main hall. Inside the main hall, the Buddha statue stood still. She suddenly said, "Big Brother, is it faith that governs Buddhism?"
"It's not about faith, it's about the human heart." Su Chi lowered his eyes and looked at her. "Do you still remember the Buddhist temple in the wilderness that guided us on our way to the Lotus Seat?"
"I remember." The Buddha statue in the dilapidated temple was still gesturing to her. Later, thinking about it, she guessed it was built to suppress the Laughing Buddha, but it had obviously failed. Yun Xian asked, "Is it just a coincidence, or is it just a matter of free will?"
Su Chi said, "Buddha statues have spirits. But they are not gods. After the Buddha passed away, his body turned into relics, and his spirit became a spirit that attached itself to the Buddha statue."
Only when obsession remains can one become a spirit and linger in the world, cultivating Buddhism for a lifetime and willingly protecting the people with their spirit. Can this be called obsession? Or perhaps it's persistence?
Yun Xian looked up at the compassionate Buddha statue in the main hall, which carried with it countless memories of the past, and murmured, "Those who believe in Buddhism clearly know this..."
In the midst of the hustle and bustle of life, this is where my heart is at peace.
The abbot said nothing, leading everyone to the back of the hall. It was clearly the winter solstice, yet the lotus leaves in the pond were still vibrant and unfurled. The lake was a tranquil, emerald green, and ripples formed as people came.
The bottom of the pond could not be seen clearly under the lotus leaves. Ming Xiang sank the sachet left by Mingren into the lake, sighed deeply, and put an end to his regret.
Yun Xian went to take a look at the appearance of Abbot Mingxiang... and he was exactly as she imagined, with a red cassock, a white beard, and he would say "Amitabha" and "Good, Good" with four tones every three sentences. His skin was even more classic than that of Master Mingguang, and he looked like a Buddhist cultivator no matter how you looked at him.
Mingguang stepped forward and wanted to say something, but Mingxiang said, "I understand. We will discuss this matter later. My friends, Mingxiang would like to thank you very much."
He bowed deeply. Yun Xian, fearing death, quickly hid behind Xue Lingxiu. Xue Lingxiu's lips twitched as he helped Ming Xiang up: "Master, you can't..."
The combined age of the people present is not as old as the abbot. How can he bear this?
Since they had come all the way to visit the Buddhist temple, it was natural that accommodation and food had to be arranged for them first. Xue Lingxiu walked in front, talking with the abbot and taking on the diplomatic task. The others followed behind, looking at the mountains, water and lotus flowers.
I have to say that the greening in Fomen is really well done, unlike Jiange, which has a bare hill without any grass, and birds would slip if they stood on it.
Jimo Shu inched closer to Yun Xian. She thought no one had noticed, but Yun Xian asked, "What's the matter, Saint Lady?"
Buddha's energy and demonic energy are inherently opposed. Now that the demon is in the Buddhist base camp, surrounded by Buddha's energy on all sides, Jimo Shu must be feeling uncomfortable and under great pressure, but she still said, "Nothing's wrong."
"We are just visiting the Buddhist sect." Yun Xian consoled him, "We will stay here for half a month at most, and then we will go back."
It's not good to stay here all the time, eating vegetarian food and beating the wooden fish.
"I didn't ask you to accommodate me." Jimo Shu said awkwardly: "If there is anything wrong, I will go down the mountain by myself. There is no need for you to worry about it."
Yun Xian said with a playful smile: "Lady Saint, you can just say 'Don't worry, I'm fine' in six words. I understand what you mean."
Jimo Shu: "...What do you know?! So self-righteous!"
The Saint left in a huff. She walked, but not far, staying about ten steps away from the main group, not falling behind.
Taiping watched the whole thing and said softly, "Why did you want to provoke others? It would be better to know it in your heart instead of saying it out loud."
Yun Xian smacked his lips and said, "But it's very happy to come here once in a while."
Taiping: “?”
Is that just a coincidence? I've never seen anyone so fond of selling swords in my life!
“…”
The accommodation arranged for the group was near the disciples' rooms. Sometimes, the place where pilgrims stayed also had the same brick walls and white tiles, with nothing but wooden tables, chairs and a small bed.
Qi Zhiye put down everyone's luggage, frowned and gave them a few reminders of taboos, then was called away by Master Mingguang, leaving behind a little nun who was busy running around.
Everyone felt very familiar when they saw the little nun - they had seen her before in Qi Xingye's spiritual platform. Isn't this the Zhili who was so strong and powerful that he could move mountains!
Seeing everyone looking at her with strange eyes, Zhili was confused: "Dear donors, do you know me?"
"I don't know him, I don't know him." Yun Xian said, "Zhili, have you eaten yet?"
Zhili said seriously, "It's not lunch time yet. However, if you are hungry, I can prepare a special meal for you. There are also wild fruits and nectar. Oh, there is a wild bear in the back mountain, so please be careful not to hurt it."
The little nun ran over happily to give special treatment to everyone.
Everyone was finally able to sit down and have a good chat.
"I see something's wrong with Abbot Mingxiang's expression," Xue Lingxiu said, sitting on the only chair. "There's a frown between his brows. I wonder if something's wrong with Buddhism."
Qiao Lingshan and Feng Ye sat beside his legs, like two generals.
"I didn't notice anything unusual about Abbot Mingxiang." Yun Xian said, "But I always feel that Buddhist disciples seem a little too nervous."
From the mountain gate to the lodgings, they were observing everyone's positions in the light and in secret. The mountain protection formation was always ready to go, which was not like its normal state.
The one who attracted the most attention was naturally Jimo Shu.
She was being watched by many pairs of eyes, and although there was no ill will, it still felt like a thorn in her back.
"Wait." Ji Rongxue said, "Since Prime Minister Ming has invited us here, he must have something to say."
Su Chi threw Taiping further away and said, "Yeah."
Tired from the journey, everyone rested for a night. The next day, they were invited to the main hall by Zhili to the sound of Buddhist bells.
Incense smoke curled as Mingguang, Mingxiang, and Qi Zhiye were all present. In just one short night, their faces bore the same gloomy expression, making them look anything but cheerful. The two older men, especially, had quivering white beards and a look of embarrassment on their faces. Seeing everyone seated on their mats, Mingxiang said, "Perhaps this Tianyuan Martial Arts Tournament will have to be postponed."
The news came so suddenly that Yun Xian asked, "Ah?! Why?!"
“Why?!”
"To be honest, I originally invited you all to express my gratitude to Mingren." Abbot Mingxiang's Buddhist beads moved slightly as he spoke, "But, just the day before yesterday, a senior Buddhist master passed away."
Every sect always has a few masters in seclusion. They're either trying to break through a bottleneck, or nearing the end of their lives, desperately trying to make a final push. However, the path to immortality is treacherous, and success is rare. Choosing to stay within their own sect simply provides an extra layer of defense—if the sect truly faces disaster, or is attacked, they can emerge from seclusion to respond and repel the powerful enemy.
He is just a senior Buddhist, what connection does he have with the Tianyuan Martial Arts Association?
"The Tianyuan Martial Arts Tournament is a secret joint effort between the five major sects, held every fifty years," said Abbot Mingxiang. "Senior Shangwen is one of this year's participants. Although she knew her lifespan was nearing, she predicted it would be at least five years away. She was supposed to emerge from seclusion the other day. I couldn't wait any longer, feeling my senses scorched. I forced the door open, only to discover that Senior Shangwen had already passed away."
As soon as he finished speaking, a relic slowly rose before everyone's eyes.
The relic was in the shape of a hard bead, with a restrained multicolored brilliance. It was obvious that it was from a monk with perfect merits. However, it floated in the air and began to struggle under the golden light of merits, and finally emerged into its original state.
Half of the relic had been eroded by the black fog like a spider web, seeping into the cracks, and it appeared to be half Buddha and half demon, just like Mingren!
Just as Jimo Shu said, the path of demon cultivation is all about plundering, and it can be subtly combined with any technique to erode it. However, Buddhism and demons are inherently opposed, and when demonic energy invades, one will either go crazy like Mingren, or be like this senior Shangwen, who will immediately destroy himself while still being able to control it, leaving no chance for it to cause harm.
In the silence, Ming Xiang said, "I thought the Mingren incident was just an isolated case."
"Senior Shangwen entered seclusion long before Mingren ascended the mountain. Where exactly has the evil spirit infiltrated, and when did it begin?" Ming Xiang took a deep breath and said, "Buddhism is definitely not the first, nor the last, it's just the easiest to discover. If all the sects still can't unite as one, the world will be in chaos!"
He was in high spirits when entering the main hall, but dejected when leaving.
Although he was prepared when he saw the Sword Sect's magic core, he still felt uneasy after seeing the terrifying relic.
Qi Zhiye had previously stated that relics are classified as bone, flesh, and hair. The relic within the hall was clearly a bone relic. The demonic poison had seeped into the bone marrow and was ineradicable. I wonder what kind of struggle Senior Shangwen went through during his retreat before reaching this decision.
"...Is he still the abbot or not?" Qi Zhiye said coldly, "By then, even Buddhism will be overthrown!"
"The Pavilion Master can't accept the mission, and here comes another one." Yun Xian touched his waist. He had left Taiping in the house and didn't bring it out. Scratching his chin, he said, "So, Senior Mingxiang's intention is to persuade each sect to actively conduct self-inspections and report. If there are any abnormalities, or those who are slow to respond, they will be included in the list of demons. Then he and Mingguang will rush over with purple gold bowls in hand and cleanse them with a crackle. Actually, it sounds feasible."
Everyone was silent for a while.
Feng Ye said weakly: "Yun Xian, this method is really very Buddhist."
Qiao Lingshan said, "I agree."
It was still the familiar feeling of standing at the center of the world, calling out for love. Convincing them wasn't easy, but if you said there was a demon, they had to provide a list of names. The differences between sects were like chasms. Who knew if they were secretly plotting something by asking for these lists? Furthermore, even if they did find someone, would the various sects be willing to hand them over to the Buddhist sect? Even if they were, would the Buddhist sect really accept them? If something went wrong during the purification, and someone died, went mad, or went mad, they'd be swindled and extorted for spirit stones.
Yun Xian looked around and thought, fortunately the composition of his team is complex enough, at least there are still questions to ask.
"Jian Ge, Demon..." She tried to recall, but couldn't think of anything unusual. "Big Brother, are there any seniors in seclusion in our Jian Ge?"
"No." Su Chi said.
Yun Xian: “…That’s right.”
If he could reach the point of retreating to break through the bottleneck, he would be at least at the Spiritual Severing Stage and a little higher. In the Eastern Realm, masters with this level of cultivation usually used it for their blades, leaving them with the leisure to retreat.
Yun Xian said, "Fellow Daoist Xue, your Miaoshou Sect... But, to be honest, I really can't imagine what it's like for a medical practitioner to be possessed by a demon."
At most, we can only imagine her as the incarnation of Madam Rong, stabbing people everywhere.
"Don't look down on me." Xue Lingxiu said with a dark face, "Medicinal herbs and poisonous herbs are the same. They can save lives or kill people. However, I do remember a clue."
Sixty years ago, a medical practitioner poured poison into a river in the southern border, causing a widespread plague and resulting in countless deaths and injuries. Eventually, surrounded by the crowd, he committed suicide by taking poison, and in the blink of an eye, he turned into a pile of white bones.
"People at the time said he was possessed."
"Hmm... that's up for discussion." Yun Xian frowned and said, "Miss, where is the Body Forging Sect?"
Ji Rongxue nodded: "Since I was born, I have been able to find three of them."
I asked around like this.
People are like this. When nothing is going on, they can't think of anything. But when something is going on, they start to see things and everything seems connected. There are so many crazy people in the world, how can you tell which one is possessed?
I thought that Tianyuan Martial Arts Conference would allow me to see Chi You's true body through Zhong Changyao, but now Senior Shangwen has passed away, and I don't know what's going on with the other four mysterious people. It seems that this method has also been blocked.
"Never mind. You can't tell from this perspective." Yun Xian finally raised his head, which was heavy with thought, and looked at the team ten steps behind him, only to find it empty. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Huh? Where's the Saint?"
“…”
at the same time.
Jimo Shu stood stiffly in the main hall. She had been unable to move since the beginning.
Mingguang and Mingxiang looked at her in surprise. Mingguang paused and reached out his hand: "Friend Jimo, you..."
"Don't touch her!" Ming Xiang waved his sleeves, revealing his soft power, and suddenly shouted: "Get out of the way!"
Above the huge Buddha statue, light flickered, and finally, a magnificent golden light like thunder and lightning instantly struck Jimo Shu who was standing there!
Jimo Shu was imprisoned and had no way to resist. She could only close her eyes in embarrassment.
The golden light descended on her, but it had no intention of harming her. It just disappeared into the cave in an instant. Jimo Shu was surprised, and suddenly felt a familiar pain in her chest.
The pain continued and cold sweat broke out on her forehead. The golden light and the black light were fighting in her body. The golden light was cautious, but the black light opened and closed violently, cutting through her meridians at will. In the end, it was defeated and was suppressed and swallowed by the golden light and dissipated.
Jimo Shu felt a sweet and fishy taste in her throat, and spat out a pitch-black magic core mixed with blood from her heart!
In his hazy vision, the magic core was exactly the same as the one he had taken out from the Sword Sect. The demonic energy was familiar, and it was obvious where it came from. It seemed to be carrying a cold mockery, like telling an ant on the palm of its hand that it was working in vain.
I've been watching you.
You can't get out of my palm.
Jimo Shu gritted her teeth, her eyes bloodshot!
It seemed like a long time, but it seemed like only a few moments had passed. There were footsteps behind him, and Yun Xian's brisk voice: "Lady Saint, why did you stay? Are you planning to secretly cook for me——"
Jimo Shu wiped the blood from her lips with her backhand and said quickly in a low voice: "Don't tell them."
“…”
Mingguang had a complicated expression, and finally he just sighed, "...I understand."
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