Chapter 680 He is from Earth (5k)
Blocking a human world with the spirit...
In the small courtyard, Zhao Duan and his companions could not help but feel fascinated and were deeply shocked by the great spirit of Maya Xingzhe.
It is conceivable that a thousand years ago, Maya Xingshi had to bear tremendous pressure to bear all of this alone, and he made great sacrifices for the stability of the world.
It is no wonder that this person, who did not actually accomplish much in history, is remembered by so many people.
However, after a brief moment of distraction, the doubts in their hearts increased instead of decreasing. It was obvious that this story was not over yet.
"What happened next?" Xu Zhenguan couldn't help but speak. The empress asked curiously:
"Is Maya Xingzhe still alive? And, ancestor, you just said that the method of healing that rift seems to require the stability of the order of heaven and earth outside?"
Xu Taizu glanced at his descendant and shook his head:
"Maya is no longer here."
Then he nodded again:
"That's right. Maya Xingzhe alone can only block the rift and prevent it from expanding. But if we want to heal it before the second arrival of the 'Disaster Star', he alone is not enough."
Zhao Duan's heart moved and he said:
"So before he left, he left behind clues that he had been to Mubei Forest? Did he do it on purpose?"
"Yes," Xu Taizu looked at him deeply and said meaningfully:
“The so-called order of heaven and earth, in the eyes of Maya practitioners, encompasses both the order of the gods and the order of the human world, which is closely related to the practitioners.
Because of the existence of cultivators, the stability of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth can be affected. At that time, under the rule of Qi State, there was no order in the cultivation world.
After a pause, he continued:
"So, before Maya left, he deliberately left clues. And what happened afterwards happened just as he predicted.
This incident quickly attracted the attention of the entire Qi Kingdom. For a time, countless powerful cultivators, including the royal family, were eager to take action. Since Maya could enter and exit safely, then the others should be able to do so as well.
“Thus, a decades-long exploration of the Mubei Forest began. However, to people’s disappointment, no matter how hard they tried, no one who entered could escape.
The royal family of Qi even sent out an entire army, but they were also swallowed up and could not get out.
This cruel result poured cold water on everyone. Some people began to suspect that the experiences recorded by Maya Xingren were false, or that they were just extremely lucky...
Even Maya herself cannot replicate it."
“So, this craze subsided.
However, what no one knew was that among the many explorers, there was a young sorcerer who, after entering the forest, escaped being killed by the monsters. After enduring many hardships, he actually reached the central area of the forest. Just as he was about to be killed by the powerful monster in the central area, he was rescued by Maya Xingzhe.
"The monk Maya healed his wounds, kept him for a while, taught him how to practice, and bestowed upon him great blessings...
At that time, Maya Xingzhe, within the Mubei Senli, was already close to being a god, possessing a blessing power similar to that of a god...
In return, the young sorcerer swore a great oath to his inner demons and agreed to one condition of Maya Xingzhe. Afterwards, he safely left the restricted area and returned to Qi Kingdom.
"Because of his oath to the inner demon, he never mentioned anything about the forbidden area to anyone else. He practiced in silence, and decades later, he entered the realm of the Celestial Being and unified the chaotic Taoist system in the martial arts world."
When Xu Taizu said this, he looked at Zhang Yanyi.
The old Taoist priest was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was going on and blurted out:
"Could it be... this sorcerer is from my Tianshi Mansion..."
"That's right," Xu Taizu nodded.
"He is the first generation of Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master Mansion."
That’s right!
Zhao Duan and the empress looked at each other and were both shocked.
According to the timeline, Maya was the first to enter the forest, followed by the first generation Heavenly Master.
But people in later generations only knew that when the first generation Heavenly Master was young, he had the good fortune to enter the Mubei Forest and obtained a great opportunity, but they did not know the inside story, and they did not know that it was actually given by Maya Xingzhe.
Zhang Yanyi was very excited at this moment. He seemed to understand something and murmured:
"Could it be that what I, the First Heavenly Master, promised Maya Xingzhe was to unify the Daoist sect and establish the Heavenly Master's Mansion?"
Xu Taizu nodded:
"That's right. Maya Xingren can't leave, but he can select those with great talent and perseverance through the Mubei Forest to help him create order."
Zhang Yan was in a trance and said:
"The first generation of Heavenly Master unified Taoism, conferred titles on gods, and divided the gods of the world into good and evil...was it also for the sake of order?
Yes, all Heavenly Masters of later generations must only practice the [Heavenly Way]. This rule was also established by the first generation of Heavenly Masters. Could it be because... the Heavenly Way itself is order?
Those who practice the Way of Heaven must maintain the order of the gods...will this help heal the spatial rifts?"
Understood!
At this moment, many confusions became clear.
Zhao Duan was shocked. He didn't expect that even the gods cultivated in the Tianshi Mansion had deep meanings.
Xu Taizu continued:
“It was only after the First Heavenly Master’s cultivation and power reached their peak in his old age and he no longer feared the Qi Kingdom’s royal family that he publicly revealed that he had once set foot in the Mubei Forest in his youth, and confirmed that Maya Xingzhe was the first person to enter it.
However, he did not disclose the whereabouts of Maya Xingzhe to the public, leaving no details. Shortly after leaving this information, he also passed away.
Zhao Duan took a deep breath and said:
"Then the Qingshan Patriarch... is also..."
Xu Taizu nodded:
"That's right. Patriarch Qingshan was the third warrior to enter the depths of the Mubei Forest. He was also rescued and blessed by Maya Xingzhe, and gained a great opportunity.
After leaving the forbidden land, he unified the martial arts world decades later and created the Qingshan of the East China Sea. This was also for the sake of order.
In this way, the common people returned to the royal family, the sorcerers returned to the heavenly masters, and the warriors returned to the mountains... and the rifts began to heal at an accelerated pace."
It’s so…it’s so…
Inside the small courtyard, several people were filled with excitement as they only learned the whole story today.
Zhao Duan frowned and said:
"But as far as I know, a disaster star also appeared six hundred years ago."
This was recorded in the Imperial Observatory of the Yu State and also in the royal family.
Xu Taizu nodded and sighed softly:
“Yes, in his later years, Maya calculated that the calamity star would descend for the second time four hundred years from now.
And this prediction came true. In a blink of an eye, four hundred years passed and it was the Tianshou Year. The royal family of Qi State had become corrupt, and there were many conflicts within the dynasty. The red star of disaster descended again, and the whole world was burned by war.
The crack that was about to heal was hit again, and the crack opened again."
Xu Zhenguan couldn't help but interrupt:
"Ancestor, since Maya Xingren had already predicted it, didn't you make arrangements in advance?"
Xu Taizu said in a deep tone:
"Nature made its arrangements. In fact, decades before the disaster struck, Maya Xingzhe once again chose someone, and that person was Ksitigarbha, who later became the Dharma King of the Western Regions."
Ksitigarbha... In history, he was the ambitious person who tried to replace the Buddha and caused Tianshou to destroy Buddhism... Zhao Duan's heart moved.
Zhang Yanyi had told him this history a long time ago.
But it is obvious that what Ksitigarbha Dharma King did later did not seem to be maintaining "order"...
Xu Taizu explained:
“Back then, Maya Xingzhe believed that the decline of the Qi Kingdom’s royal family was irreversible, but with the two pillars of stability, Tianshi Mansion and Qingshan, there would be no major problems with order.
However, he observed in the forest that the gods of the Western Buddhist sect were gradually expanding and had become a powerful force.
Therefore, I thought of arranging Dizang to stabilize it. But...this time, a big problem occurred."
His eyes suddenly became dark, and his tone was filled with anger:
"Back then, Maya Xingzhe had suppressed the rift for four hundred years, and he had tried every possible way to escape being trapped there. So, he devoted himself to research, drawing inspiration from gods like the God of Death and the God of Impermanence, and devised a method of 'soul division,' though it was incomplete.
When teaching Ksitigarbha, he also taught him this method.
He originally wanted to facilitate communication between the inside and outside, but unexpectedly, Dizang saw Maya as a 'god' and became ambitious. He left the north and returned to the Western Regions. With Maya's blessing, his cultivation soared and he eventually became the Dharma King.
"However, Ksitigarbha was unwilling to maintain order because, in his view, the foundation of Buddhism was its believers, and the more disasters and turmoil people faced, the more devout their faith would be.
Therefore, he regarded the arrival of the disaster as an opportunity.
However, he had made a great oath in front of Maya and did not dare to break his promise easily.
Although Dizang is despicable, he is indeed a rare genius that is rare in a thousand years. Even without Maya's help, he will have no problem in becoming a celestial being.
Dizang devoted himself to studying the subject for many years, and eventually perfected the method of 'soul division', and thereby broke free from the constraints of the inner demon's oath.
There is such a thing... Zhao Duan and the Empress were moved when they heard it!
Not only because of this past event, but also because the empress came here at this moment using the method of "soul division".
Unexpectedly, this method was perfected by Ksitigarbha.
Zhang Yan said with an ugly expression:
"So, Dizang had been planning this all along? His goal was to use the chaos brought about by the calamity star to impact the gods? And hunting down Taoist sorcerers was also part of that plan?"
Xu Taizu nodded:
"Indeed. After the arrival of the calamity star, the human world was in chaos. Ksitigarbha saw the opportunity and took advantage of the chaos, thus enraging the Qi Kingdom's martial arts world.
The Heavenly Master of that generation led Pei Niannu and other powerful men from the Central Plains to jointly attack the Western Regions. This was the cause and effect of "Tianshu's destruction of Buddhism".
Even though Ksitigarbha Dharma King had been planning for many years, he still overlooked one thing."
"What's the matter?" Zhao Duan asked.
"Maya Walker!"
There was a glint in Xu Taizu's eyes:
"He didn't know that Maya Xingzhe didn't just arrange for him. After teaching Ksitigarbha Dharma King, he once again selected a warrior."
At this moment, everyone understood the identity of this warrior.
"It's you, our ancestor!?" Xu Zhenguan's heart was filled with excitement.
"That's right," Xu Taizu also showed a look of nostalgia:
"That year, I was still a young man. It was the end of the Qi Kingdom and the world was in turmoil. I traveled around to hone my martial arts, and one of my stops was the Mubei Forest.
At the time, I had no confidence, but with a surge of courage, I attempted to enter. Unexpectedly, my entry was successful, and I even met Maya Xingzhe. However, Maya Xingzhe was already nearing death by then.
“Oh, I know you are wondering, Maya Xingzhe is almost a god, why is he suddenly on the verge of death?
Ultimately, it was caused by the disaster star. When the disaster star appeared again, the crack had not yet completely healed. Maya used his body to block it, and thus suffered the trauma of the collision between the two worlds, and the body of the god was broken.
Therefore, I became his last disciple."
Xu Taizu's eyes were filled with nostalgia:
"The reason why Maya Xingzhe chose me was, firstly, because he needed someone to clean up the mountains and rivers and quickly restore order to the world ravaged by war. Secondly, he sensed that the inner demon's oath had been broken and realized that Ksitigarbha was harboring evil intentions, but he was unable to leave and was powerless to stop it.
Therefore, Maya Xingzhe taught me the practice without reservation, and also taught me the method to defeat Ksitigarbha...
Oh, Ksitigarbha thinks he is clever, but he never considered that Maya Xingzang would be completely defenseless. When I first taught Ksitigarbha, I also left a backup plan.
He snorted coldly, with contempt and disdain in his eyes.
Immediately, he looked at the faces of Zhao Duan and the others and said calmly:
“You will know what happens next.
I participated in the uprising, overthrew the Qi Kingdom, and personally took part in the "Tianshu Destroying Buddhism". It was also at that time that I met Pei Niannu. Unfortunately, Niannu was ambushed and killed in the middle of the war. He had to reveal his mask and fight to the death, and died in that war.
Fortunately, I had learned some soul-nurturing techniques from Maya Xingzhe at that time, and was able to save her soul."
Under the big red banyan tree.
Pei Niannu, who was hugging his shoulders and wearing a silver mask, snorted coldly and sneered:
"Xu Manzi! You clearly wanted to refine me into a weapon spirit back then. Don't think I don't know what you were planning!"
Xu Taizu was choked and said helplessly:
"It doesn't matter. You survived anyway."
Pei Niannu laughed out loud, his expression full of sarcasm.
Zhao Duan and his companions looked at each other in confusion, their heads covered in cold sweat. They really didn't dare to get involved in the bickering between these old seniors.
In the end, Xu Zhenguan tried to smooth things over:
"Ahem, ancestor, so it was you who killed Ksitigarbha?"
"Indeed," Xu Taizu nodded and said proudly:
“Ksitigarbha died at my hands. Moreover, after I killed him, I also seized the soul-dividing method he had perfected from him, and ended the Tianshu’s extermination of Buddhism.
You all know what happened after that: the fall of Qi State and the establishment of Yu State. But…"
"Just what?" Zhao Duan asked.
Xu Taizu hesitated and said:
"Later, Maya and I contemplated this spell together. It was truly exquisite, even transcending the realm of separating the spirit and soul, and going a step further, touching upon reincarnation...
However, we all agreed at the time that if Ksitigarbha had truly mastered this method, he might not have been killed by me, but might have been reincarnated."
Reincarnation?
Is it possible that Ksitigarbha is not dead?
At this moment, several people were really shocked.
Moreover, an even more terrifying thought suddenly and uncontrollably came to my mind:
If Ksitigarbha hadn't died, who would he have been reincarnated as? Could it be...
"Xuan Yin?"
This name appeared in the minds of Zhao Duan, the Empress, and the Heavenly Master at the same time.
But there is no evidence.
In comparison, what they want to hear more is the ending of the story.
Zhao Duan suppressed his guess about the Xuanyin and stared at Old Xu:
"And then?"
He knew that what was coming next was the highlight that he cared about the most, and it was also the truth about his life experience.
"Later..." Xu Taizu picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip slowly, and then said lightly under the anxious gazes of several people:
“After I ascended the throne, the capital was burned down by the Qi royal family, so it naturally had to be rebuilt. During this process, I also received many legacies left by the Qi royal family, including the three gates you came through.
Haha, that's right, this was actually secretly manufactured by the Qi Kingdom, but it wasn't completely finished at the time and still had some flaws. Otherwise, the remnants of the Qi Kingdom wouldn't have chosen to fight to the death, but would have escaped directly through the tunnel."
Ah, this...
Zhao Duan subconsciously glanced at Tuoba Weizhi and found that the dark-skinned girl was very calm and seemed to not care at all.
Xu Taizu continued:
“I saw it and thought it was a good thing, so I went ahead and finished repairing it.
It is precisely because of this door that I can travel frequently between Mubei Forest and the capital, and meet with Maya Xingzhe.
"At that time, the world had been stabilized, order was restored, and people began to recuperate.
However, Maya Xingzhe was about to die, but the most fatal thing was that the crack in the forest was still there and showed signs of expanding again.
If there is no one strong enough to take over Maya's position and continue to guard the city after his death, the people of the world will be in danger!"
Xu Zhenguan suddenly understood after hearing this:
"So, ancestor, you have taken over Maya Xingzhe's position?"
At this point, things are very clear.
Xu Taizu did not keep the secret and nodded in a low voice:
"Yes. At that time, the world was already under the control of my Xu family. After the incident with Ksitigarbha, we could not trust anyone else. So, in his final days, Maya Xingzhe told me everything, including the secret of the cave.
Later, when the dynasty stabilized, I faked my own death and escaped, and came here."
Zhao Duan stared at him:
"So, you've seen the world behind the rift, and that's why you painted it in the mural? But I still don't understand why you arranged so much, and... how you know me..."
At this moment, facing Zhao Duan's gaze, Xu Taizu fell silent for a rare time.
He looked at him with complicated eyes, as if he was looking at an old friend. Finally, he said slowly:
"With your intelligence, you should have guessed it. I did take over Maya's position, and Maya Xingzhe should have died that year, but I said...
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva perfected the soul-dividing method, so... before Maya died, I conducted an experiment with him...
An attempt to send Maya into reincarnation and return to the human world again."
The sun sets slowly.
On the big red banyan tree.
The golden dragon soul whimpered and circled.
Xu Taizu looked at Zhao Duan, his pupils reflecting Zhao Duan's face, and he said calmly:
"Before Maya died, he told me his greatest secret. That is... he came from the world in the gap."
——
P.S.: Finally, I have written out the complete closed loop. Well, actually, I had laid the groundwork before...
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
