Xiniu Hezhou, the sacred place of Lingshan.
The Great Leiyin Temple, which used to be filled with Buddha's light and was pure and solemn, is now shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.
Inside the main hall, Buddha and Bodhisattvas were standing on both sides, but no one spoke.
They all looked at their noses with their eyes and their hearts with their noses, and their expressions were solemn.
On the high lotus platform, for the first time in history, three figures stood side by side.
The one in the center is the present Buddha, Tathagata Many Treasures.
On the left is the Buddha of the past, Dipankara.
On the right is the future Buddha, Maitreya.
The three Buddhas of Buddhism gathered together.
Just at this moment.
A mysterious ochre-colored light flashed outside the hall, and Zhen Yuanzi's figure appeared in front of the gate of the Great Leiyin Temple. He looked up at the magnificent Buddhist hall and the three vast auras in the hall, then walked in.
Zhen Yuanzi walked into the main hall, bowed to the three people on the lotus platform, and said calmly, "I am honored to meet you three."
Maitreya Buddha still had that smiling face and was the first to speak: "Daoyou, you have come a long way, thank you for your hard work."
Duobao Tathagata nodded slightly, as a greeting: "Daoyou Zhenyuanzi is here in person, which brings honor to our humble Buddhist sect."
Only Randeng just raised his eyelids and said nothing.
Zhen Yuanzi looked around, stroked his beard and smiled, "The gathering of the three of you is truly a rare event that is rarely seen in the ages."
"This trip of mine has not been in vain, it has not been in vain."
His words seemed like a compliment, but in fact they were a bit sarcastic.
Duobao Tathagata could naturally hear it, but he couldn't get angry, so he could only say: "During this calamity, thank you for following the will of heaven. The entire Buddhist sect is grateful."
He was referring to the fact that Zhen Yuanzi cooperated with the Buddhist sect to stage the "Disorder in Wuzhuang Temple" drama.
"You are too polite, fellow Daoist." Zhen Yuanzi waved his hand, then changed the subject, with a hint of "curiosity" on his face: "When I came here just now, I heard the sound of killing and fighting at the border of Xiniu Hezhou was deafening, and the blood was boiling."
"It seems... there is a dispute between the Buddhist sect and the Blood Sea Asura clan?"
Zhen Yuanzi asked knowingly, his eyes swept across the faces of the three Buddhas: "Not only that, I also heard that the Buddhist sect went to war to seize the companion treasure of the Styx Patriarch, the twelfth-grade karma fire red lotus?"
"This matter really puzzles me. I wonder if the three Taoist friends can help me to clear up some of my doubts?"
As soon as these words came out.
All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas present felt a tightness in their hearts.
The Buddhist sect mobilized a large army and fought a desperate battle with the sea of blood to seize the Twelve-Level Karma Fire Lotus. This was not in the right at all and was tantamount to robbery.
Now that Zhen Yuanzi had pointed it out to him in person, he naturally felt a little ashamed.
On the lotus platform, the faces of Tathagata Duobao and Dipankara Buddha both sank slightly.
On the contrary, Maitreya was still smiling, as if nothing had happened. He spoke before Duobao Tathagata and said frankly: "To be honest with you, this matter is indeed related to my Buddhist sect."
"Fellow Daoist, you must also know that the calamity is overwhelming now. Although our Buddhist sect has the Golden Lotus of Merit to suppress the luck, it is inevitable that some disciples will be eroded by the calamity."
"I have heard that there is a treasure in the Great Qin called the Pure World White Lotus, which has the ability to purify all evil. It is exactly what our Buddhist sect urgently needs."
"Therefore, we have no choice but to resort to this desperate measure and take the Red Lotus of Karma to exchange for a glimmer of hope for Daqin."
Maitreya Buddha told the whole story, half true and half false.
In these words, Buddhism was portrayed as a victim that had to do this in order to protect itself.
After hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi showed an expression of "sudden enlightenment" on his face, and clapped his hands and said, "So that's how it is, so that's how it is. I said that Buddhism is a pure place, how could it make such a deadly enemy with others for no reason. It turns out that you are seeking the life-saving lotus seeds, but I misunderstood."
Upon hearing this, Duobao Tathagata's expression eased a little.
However.
At this moment, the ancient Buddha Ran Deng, who had been silent all this time, suddenly opened his eyes and looked straight at Zhen Yuanzi, "You are too polite, Taoist friend. But I have one thing that I don't understand. The ninth-grade Pure World White Lotus has long been extinct in the prehistoric world. The one in the hands of the Queen Mother of the West may still be traceable. But I don't know... where did the one in your hand come from, Taoist friend Zhen Yuan?"
Duobao Tathagata and Maitreya Buddha seemed to be prepared, and their eyes fell on Zhen Yuanzi at the same time.
The three powerful quasi-saints instantly locked onto Zhen Yuanzi.
This is the real purpose of their inviting Zhen Yuanzi here today.
They want to find out how far Wuzhuang Temple and Daqin have come!
Is it a simple transaction, or... has he completely surrendered?
Facing this pressure that was enough to make any quasi-saint collapse, Zhen Yuanzi still had that calm smile on his face. He sighed softly, with a look of pain on his face: "Alas, to be honest with you three Taoist friends, I am ashamed to say this."
"I have also paid a huge price."
Speaking of.
Zhen Yuanzi shook his head and said with a wry smile: "I exchanged the next ten harvests of ginseng fruit from my Wuzhuang Temple with Qin Ting in exchange for this Pure White Lotus."
"A thousand-year-old ginseng fruit..."
He smacked his lips, looking distressed: "If it weren't for the protection of the billions of lives in my temple, why would I do such a loss-making business?"
Thousand-year-old ginseng fruit!
Upon hearing this answer, the pupils of the three Buddhas on the lotus pedestals shrank.
Ginseng fruit is a spiritual root of heaven and earth. It blooms once every three thousand years, bears fruit once every three thousand years, and takes another three thousand years to mature.
Its value is self-evident.
To exchange ten harvests for a ninth-grade lotus platform, although the price is huge, it is also reasonable.
The most important thing is that this means that the relationship between Zhen Yuanzi and Daqin is still at the level of "transaction" and has not completely sided with each other.
Thinking of this, Duobao Tathagata and Maitreya both breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as Wuzhuang Temple remains neutral, there will be room for everything to turn around.
The tense atmosphere in the hall gradually eased.
Randeng looked at Zhen Yuanzi deeply, and finally slowly closed his eyes and said no more, which meant he agreed to this statement.
Duobao Tathagata was just about to speak and say a few polite words to clear the matter up.
Just at this moment.
Outside the hall, a ray of golden light rushed in at an almost crazy speed and knelt directly in the center of the hall.
It was the Jie Di God who had been ordered to monitor the westward-bound team outside Wuzhuang Temple. His face was pale and panicked, and his voice was trembling: "Your Highness... Your Highness! There's a problem with the catastrophe of Wuzhuang Temple!"
Duobao Tathagata frowned and asked, "Why are you so panicked?"
The Jie Di God swallowed his saliva and said in a trembling voice: "The Qin monk and his disciples did not knock down the ginseng fruit tree! They... they ate the fruit and left directly!"
The expression on Duobao Tathagata's face froze instantly: "What?"
Didn’t knock down the ginseng fruit tree?
Just leave after eating the fruit?
How is this possible!
All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall were also stunned.
They looked at each other in bewilderment.
The Buddhist sect spent a lot of effort and joined forces with Zhen Yuanzi to set up this disaster, just to make Sun Wukong push down the ginseng fruit tree, thereby more closely binding the ancestor of earthly immortals to the fortune of Buddhism.
But now, Master Xuanzang and his disciples just left?
On the lotus platform, the smile on Maitreya Buddha’s face disappeared without a trace.
The eyes of the ancient Buddha Dipankara, which had just closed, suddenly opened again.
Duobao Tathagata took a deep breath and asked in a deep voice, "What exactly is going on? Tell me everything!"
The Jie Di god did not dare to hide anything and quickly recounted everything he had seen outside the Wuzhuang Temple.
Zhen Yuanzi gave a warm welcome and presented ginseng fruit.
The Qin monk and his disciples accepted it with pleasure and ate it with gusto.
And then to the end.
The master and his disciples patted their butts and left in a swagger. From beginning to end, there was no conflict, not even a harsh word.
The whole process was as peaceful as an ordinary visit to a friend.
After hearing this, the entire Leiyin Temple fell into deathly silence.
Everyone's eyes subconsciously turned to the only outsider in the hall - Zhen Yuanzi.
Zhen Yuanzi spread his hands, with a perfect "innocence" on his face: "Three Taoist friends, this is not my fault."
"I have already left as agreed, leaving them with ample space and time to make mistakes."
Then, Zhen Yuanzi looked at the Jie Di God who reported the news and said, "Did that naughty monkey Sun Wukong really not cause any trouble?"
"Back...back to the Great Immortal."
The Jie Di God was overwhelmed by the aura of the three Buddhas and Zhen Yuanzi, and stammered: "That Sun Dasheng... not only did not cause any trouble, but also treated the disciples in the temple with great courtesy. After eating the fruit, he set off with Qin Monk."
Zhen Yuanzi turned his head and looked at the three people on the lotus platform, spread his hands, and said innocently: "Three Taoist friends, this... this is very strange."
"In order to cooperate with the Buddhist sect in performing this drama, I specifically instructed my disciples before coming here to bully Sun Wukong with their words and make sure to provoke him."
"Who would have thought that this monkey would have changed his temperament."
Zhen Yuanzi shook his head and sighed deeply, his tone full of "regret", and said: "This is the first time I have seen someone who does not follow the rules and does not have the slightest desire for the ginseng fruit."
Zhen Yuanzi's words were flawless and he cleared himself of all charges, making him look like an innocent victim who tried his best but failed to accomplish anything.
Inside the main hall, all the Buddhists looked at each other in bewilderment.
Well-educated and well-mannered?
Follow the rules?
Are you sure this is used to describe Master Xuanzang and his disciples?
Who in the Three Realms doesn’t know what kind of person Sun Wukong is?
He is a man who is fearless and dares to make trouble if he disagrees with something.
When he caused chaos in Heaven, he was so arrogant and domineering.
Now, faced with the ginseng fruit, a spiritual root of heaven and earth, and faced with the "run" from the disciples of Wuzhuang Temple, he actually held back?
This doesn't make sense!
This is totally inconsistent with the Buddhist analysis of his character!
On the lotus platform, Many Treasures Tathagata, Dipankara and Maitreya all had extremely ugly expressions on their faces.
The script is a complete mess.
Everything they had carefully planned became a joke.
Zhen Yuanzi sneered in his heart.
Cooperate?
Should I cooperate with you in acting, and then watch you tie me, the ancestor of earthly immortals, to the chariot of Buddhism?
Dream on!
The Qin monk Xuanzang was an envoy of the Qin Dynasty.
Sun Wukong was a warrior personally trained by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Sha Wujing had already surrendered to the Qin Dynasty.
Among the five people who went to the West, except Zhu Bajie who came from a sect and was still wavering, the rest of the core members had already been members of the Qin Dynasty.
From the very beginning, this Journey to the West was not about the spread of Buddhism to the East, but about the Qin Dynasty's laws marching westward!
Now, it's just the beginning.
Later on, Buddhists will discover that none of the 81 difficulties they arranged will go according to their script.
Only then will they truly realize what a terrible opponent they are facing.
Zhen Yuanzi quickly recalled the sad things and tried hard not to laugh out loud.
Duobao Tathagata stared at Zhen Yuanzi, his heart burning with rage.
He knew that he had been fooled!
This old fellow Zhen Yuanzi had no intention of truly cooperating with Buddhism from the very beginning!
But he just couldn't get angry.
Because Zhen Yuanzi did "leave" according to the script, and it was Qin Seng and his disciples who did not "cooperate", so how could he be held accountable?
Duobao Tathagata also knew that it was meaningless to dwell on the matter of Wuzhuang Temple, so he simply changed the subject and said, "Daoyou, let's not talk about the matter of Wuzhuang Temple for now."
"Fellow Daoist, you were a guest of Zixiao Palace in the past, and you have extraordinary knowledge. I wonder...what do you think of this catastrophe that has swept across the entire prehistoric world?"
Upon hearing this question, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas held their breath.
Even Randang and Maitreya turned their attention back to Zhen Yuanzi.
Zhen Yuanzi met everyone's gaze, stroked his long beard, and then said: "The law of nature is cyclical, and after prosperity there must be decline."
"This catastrophe was not accidental, but a result of the accumulation of countless eons of karma. It is a complete reckoning."
He raised his head, his eyes seemed to penetrate the dome of Lingshan and look at the endless chaotic void.
"The great catastrophe is a process of selection."
"Select the strong ones who can adapt to the new world, and select the Taoist school that can lead the next era."
“And when the reshaping of the laws of heaven reaches its peak… the saint will return.”
boom!
The four words "The Saint is about to return" were like four chaotic divine thunders that exploded in the minds of all the strong men in the Great Leiyin Temple!
saint!
That is the supreme being who is above all living beings, in charge of the way of heaven, whose words are enforced and who will never be destroyed!
After the great catastrophe of the Conferred Gods, Hongjun issued an edict, and all the saints retreated into the chaos and never set foot in the ancient times.
Countless eons have passed, and all living beings have long been accustomed to the era without saints.
But now, Zhen Yuanzi, the ancient immortal who has existed since the Zixiao Palace era, said that the saint is coming back!
On the lotus platform, the expressions of the three Buddhas suddenly changed.
There was an expression of solemnity that was difficult to conceal on the faces of Tathagata Duobao and Dipankara Buddha.
The Saint Returns!
This is definitely not good news for them!
Why is their Buddhism so prosperous today?
Isn’t it because the Three Pure Ones of Taoism have been secluded in chaos all year round and have not cared about worldly affairs?
Once the Three Pure Ones return, Taoism will surely flourish and Buddhism will suffer the most direct impact!
not to mention.
Duobao Tathagata was once the eldest brother of Jiejiao and a direct disciple of Tongtian Jiaozhu.
After the Battle of Conferred Gods, Jiejiao was destroyed and he was captured by Taishang Laojun, transformed into a Buddha, and finally became the Tathagata Buddha of today.
Will the saint return?
Is his master, Master Tongtian, coming back too?
The master who was imprisoned in Zixiao Palace and could never take a step out of the world is coming back?
Is this good or bad for him?
Should he return to his master's sect, or... go to war?
...(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
