Chapter 128 Breaking Free from the Cult
"I am the guide to the West... Now, seeing the suffering of the beings in the West, I wish to plead for them. Therefore, I have established a religion called the 'Western Religion,' and I use the Golden Lotus of Merit to suppress the fortune of the Western Religion. Heaven and Earth bear witness to this."
"I am Zhunti of the West... Now, seeing the suffering of the beings in the West, I wish to plead for them. Therefore, I have established a religion called the 'Western Religion,' and I use the Seven Treasures Tree to suppress the fortune of the Western Religion. May Heaven and Earth bear witness..."
After waiting for a while, the golden light of merit shone faintly, clearly indicating that it was not going to work.
Gritting his teeth, Zhunti closed his eyes tightly, then suddenly opened them with a stubborn expression: "When I become a Buddha, all sentient beings born in my land..."
The entire prehistoric world was in uproar. Zhunti had broken away from his sect! He had betrayed his master and ancestors, openly defying the Daoist path. Did he think the Heavenly Dao wasn't cold enough?
Jieyin sighed, then continued, "When I became a Buddha, ... my light shone throughout the ten directions... surpassing the brightness of the sun and moon..."
At this moment, all the great beings of the primordial world listened silently as Jieyin and Zhunti made their great vows. Jieyin and Zhunti made one vow, and they counted them one by one. Finally, when the forty-ninth vow was made, signs of sainthood were seen. The sky was filled with Buddhist light, the Buddha's image was solemn and majestic, and golden lotuses bloomed all over Mount Ling.
The crowd was filled with mixed emotions. The two Westerners had finally become saints, but no one could laugh. Although the Dao Ancestor had said that all three thousand Great Daos could lead to sainthood, even Jieyin and Zhunti, who had the foundation for sainthood and the Primordial Purple Qi, faced countless difficulties. What about those of them who had no shortcuts?
In the eyes of many powerful beings in the prehistoric world, becoming a saint meant great freedom and ease, with nowhere to go and nothing to do. However, the sainthood attained by Jieyin and Zhunti shattered their understanding.
Bearing such a grand ambition, what if he fails to fulfill it? No wonder even becoming a saint doesn't bring him a smile; the Heavenly Dao doesn't allow for reneging on its debts.
The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances, knowing that they were fortunate to have the blessings left by their father god Pangu; otherwise, their path to sainthood would have been fraught with difficulties.
Yuanshi sighed, "Chang Hao, give it a try. Just establish the teachings. If it doesn't work, so be it. I won't force you. We don't need to bear such a heavy responsibility. Even if it doesn't work, we'll still be here for you."
"Actually, it's about my missing primordial spirit," Chang Hao said in a moment of inspiration. "With an incomplete primordial spirit, becoming a saint can't be rushed. I have a premonition that my path to sainthood isn't about establishing a sect. So, I've decided to go to Nuwa to discuss the Dao of Creation, so I'll have a reference for future enlightenment."
Yuanshi's expression changed slightly. He had forgotten about this for a moment. Indeed, the primordial spirit is different from others.
Chang Hao had searched for so long but hadn't found it. Perhaps that little bit of primordial spirit had long since dissipated into the world. He should think of another way to help Chang Hao replenish his primordial spirit.
Chang Hao breathed a sigh of relief; he had finally managed to fool them.
Becoming a saint is a joyous occasion, so the Three Pure Ones naturally have to go to Zixiao Palace to pay their respects to their master. Since they have established their sect and become saints, it is inevitable that they will take on disciples. Only if they sever their three corpses and merge them into one in the future, truly severing the three corpses, can they get rid of them.
Meanwhile, Yuanshi had something on his mind. On the way to Zixiao Palace, he would glance at Tongtian from time to time, and stare at Laozi thoughtfully.
Tongtian felt uneasy under Laozi's gaze and moved closer to him. Could it be that his second brother wanted to settle scores with him over his oath of enlightenment?
But that was about proving the Way. If he were to do something superficial, say things against his conscience, or follow a different path, he wouldn't be able to become a saint. Second brother wouldn't be so petty, would he?
Seeing Tongtian's guilty look, even Yuanshi, who was preoccupied with his own thoughts, had to spare some attention to review Tongtian's words and actions over this period in his mind. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly.
At the time, he was busy with his own enlightenment and neglected Tongtian's declaration of enlightenment. Now, looking back, Tongtian was so arrogant, accepting anyone who wanted to enter the path? What kind of person would that be?
“Tongtian…” Yuanshi’s expression flickered with uncertainty. Well, Tongtian has already become a saint, so his safety is certainly not a concern. Even if Tongtian were to tear a hole in the sky, he would have a way to patch it up. Why impose any more restrictions and hurt the brotherhood?
Yuanshi: "You have already become a saint. I don't care about anything else, but there is one thing I need to tell you first."
"Second brother, you speak, I'm listening." Tongtian chuckled awkwardly, his heart pounding with anxiety.
"You are not allowed to take on disciples indiscriminately, especially personal disciples. They must have the right background, comprehension, aptitude, and character. I will not recognize those who are merely nominal. You had better keep them in check and not tarnish the reputation of the Three Pure Ones." Yuanshi made his words clear from the outset. Just thinking about how anyone could call him "Master Uncle" in the future made his vision go black.
Even if Yuanshi intended to indulge Tongtian, he didn't activate the "love me, love my dog" skill; it's more likely he would have loved the dog but hated it.
"That's easy, don't worry, it definitely won't bother Second Brother." Tongtian was overjoyed; he had thought it would be some difficult matter.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that his second brother's attitude towards him had changed after he became a saint, and he had become much more tolerant.
"Yuanshi, why did you look so troubled just now?" Laozi asked with concern.
“I’m thinking about Chang Hao’s primordial spirit,” Yuanshi frankly told him. “I’m wondering if there’s anything else that can replace this wisp of primordial spirit.” His gaze fell on the whisk in Laozi’s hand, a whisk that his elder brother had cut off to make.
"What else... Lao Tzu couldn't help but pluck a long beard, watching it transform into pure energy and then merge back into itself. Suddenly, he realized that this was exactly what Yuan Shi meant by 'something else'."
Seeing that Laozi understood, Yuanshi said meaningfully, "Brother, you will be willing to give it up, right? After all, Chang Hao is my..." Yuanshi changed the subject, "After all, you took two banana leaves from Chang Hao, so you should give him something in return."
Lao Tzu's eyes were filled with despair, despair for the Primordial Beginning. "Foolish child, haven't you achieved enlightenment yet?"
Chang Hao was not someone to be trifled with. He cultivated the Dao through force. Surrounded by three saints, and having just become a saint himself, he couldn't control his pressure. Yet, Chang Hao acted as if nothing had happened. This showed that Chang Hao's cultivation level was not much different from that of a saint.
He coldly observed that even if his second brother waited until the end of time, he would never see the day when the sun fell into his arms.
"Will you give it to me, brother?" Yuanshi avoided answering. As long as Chang Hao didn't have a Daoist partner, he couldn't give up. What was wrong with things being the way they were now?
As long as no one interferes, they will naturally continue to enjoy flowers and the moon together, play the zither and read scriptures, compete and spar, and travel together. Yuan Shi will look forward to every day.
"Give it to me, I'll give it to you when we get back." Laozi was helpless against Yuanshi. It was just a little bit of Taiqing Qi, so he gave it to him. Even if Yuanshi asked him to help him open a furnace to refine himself, Laozi couldn't refuse.
"Give what?" Tongtian had no idea what kind of riddle they were playing. What was it that the eldest brother had but the second brother didn't, and that the second brother had to ask for it personally?
"We'll talk about it when we get back." Yuanshi gestured for Tongtian to follow behind Laozi and remain calm. Did Tongtian really think he could escape?
"Greetings, Master." The Three Pure Ones bowed in unison.
"No need." Even the usually indifferent Hongjun had a hint of joy on his face today. With the Three Pure Ones becoming saints, the fortune of the primordial world immediately stabilized, and his cultivation was infinitely close to that of a Great Dao Saint. How could he not be happy? "You have finally become saints as well. My teachings have not been in vain."
"We owe our present state to our master." Laozi always held Hongjun in high esteem, although in his current form, Laozi seemed more like the master.
“We are of the same lineage, sharing both glory and fortune, which sets us apart from outsiders.” Hongjun pointed to the prayer mat in the hall. “Sit down.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com