Xianye

Chapter 496 The Battle for the Great Dao
The mountains are shrouded in mist, spreading across the vast wilderness—

It was just as the sun was about to rise, its hazy glow visible only at the edge of the sky, while the surrounding mountains remained hidden in the rolling clouds, seemingly swaying with the mist.

Looking down from the cliff, it seems as if there is an endless sea below, with mountains and valleys slowly rising and falling in the water, its depths unfathomable, sending a chill down one's spine.

At this moment, following a hearty laugh from the Taoist Kongkong, a young woman wearing a star-studded crown and a flowing dress turned out from not far away and respectfully asked:

"Has the teacher given any instructions?"

"It doesn't matter."

The Taoist Kongkong saw that the auspicious cloud above the woman's head was majestic and vast, chaotic and indistinct, with a faint blue light swaying like a lotus in its depths.

He smiled kindly and nodded in satisfaction:
"If your cultivation can improve this time, it will be a benefit to both of us. There's no need to stay here any longer. Go back and hone your skills and consolidate your realm first."

Three hundred years from now, I will allow you to come here again to hear me recount the Pure Yang Dao.

Oh, and there's one more thing..."

After a moment's thought, the Taoist Kongkong said:
"Your senior brother Xu Dutian has recently sent his calamity beast over again. I don't know what he wants to say. You should bring that calamity beast here and then return to Zhengxu Heaven."

As for the trivial matters of your clan, you don't need to worry about them; just focus on your cultivation.

In a few days, Dou Yutian will send someone to deliver what you need.

The young woman was delighted upon hearing this, but then a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.

"Xu Dutian's senior brother... could he be that demonic master Chen Yushu?"

Although a variety of thoughts rushed into her mind in an instant, since the Taoist Kongkong had given instructions, the woman dared not delay. She quickly rode a gust of wind and disappeared from the spot.

Not long after, a gaunt old monkey dressed in a bright red Taoist robe was led to the cliff by the woman.

If Chen Heng were here, he would recognize at a glance that this old monkey is the same old monkey he saw in the jade pendant.

Ever since Chen Yushu found the "Human Taming Manual" in that desolate realm, the old monkey has always followed him.

The old monkey played a significant role in Chen Yushu's ability to take Chen Ziding's life and escape from the Void Emperor Heaven in his early years, truly risking his life for him.

However, the old monkey's expression was not as relaxed and composed as usual; instead, it was one of respect and caution.

When he caught a glimpse of the sea of ​​clouds below the cliff out of the corner of his eye, his pupils contracted slightly, clearly still shaken.

The place where the old monkey is currently located is called Tianyu Mountain, which is the place where Daoist Kongkong most often stays in Douyutian.

However, this place is less a blessed land and a sacred mountain and more a perilous and dangerous place, with killing formations everywhere and constantly changing. If one takes the wrong step, one will face the disaster of being annihilated in an instant.

The thick fog that lingered among the mountains was even more terrifying, giving the old monkey an inexplicable sense of fear as if he were facing a natural enemy. Almost every hair on his body trembled, frantically warning his mind.

It seemed that as soon as he came into contact with the mist, something unspeakable would happen in an instant.

If it weren't for the young woman using a talisman to open a passage and personally leading the way, the old monkey, knowing his own abilities, would never have dared to enter.

However, the old monkey remembered that when Chen Yushu sent him to Douyutian last time, this thing clearly did not exist yet.

But now...

"That one from the Yu family? This woman is truly lucky. She can now come and go freely in Tianyu Mountain. It seems she has been accepted as a disciple by the ancestor. I wonder how many lifetimes it takes to accumulate such good fortune. It's truly enviable!"

The old monkey thought to himself.

At this moment, the young woman bowed to the Taoist Kongkong and then respectfully took her leave.

In her shadow, however, a red-faced, yellow-bearded gibbon could be vaguely seen.

After exchanging a glance with the ape, the old monkey knew that he must be the beast that had robbed the woman from the Yu family.

However, before the old monkey could speculate on the abilities of this beast of the same origin as himself, the voice of the Taoist Kongkong suddenly rang out, saying:

"How has Yushu been lately?"

"Reporting to the Ancestor, very good!"

The old monkey quickly composed himself, carefully knelt down, and after kowtowing several times, continued:

"He is now able to control the fortune of the six sects with ease, and has comprehended infinite mysteries from it. Moreover, the Xuanming Wuxian Daojun of the Innate Demon Sect personally took action to completely reforge the broken sword that Yu Shu carried with him, which is now sealed inside the embryonic wall of the Divine Imperial Sect."

Once fully developed, the sword will be upgraded in quality and become a true celestial weapon!

The Taoist Kongkong was not surprised by these words and smiled slightly:
"The Dragon Horn Great Killing Sword, the sword that Chen Xiangxian broke by his own hands back then? This item is quite compatible with Yu Shu. If it can be upgraded to a celestial weapon, Yu Shu will be able to provide more assistance, which would be a good thing."

The old monkey smiled obsequiously, and when the Taoist Kongkong asked him about his purpose, the old monkey became even more solemn. He quickly reorganized the words he had carefully considered before bowing his head and speaking them.

However, before he could finish speaking, the Taoist Kongkong's attention seemed to be drawn to something, and he looked towards the outer void, lost in thought.

Although the old monkey was somewhat puzzled by what he saw, even if he had ten thousand times the courage, he would never dare to disturb the Taoist Kongkong's enjoyment.

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and finish what I had to say...

“I understand. Since Yu Shu intends to cultivate that ‘Yuan Chen Ancestral Technique,’ I will naturally pass it on to him. As for the remaining matter of the Tribulation-Crossing Talisman…”

Not long after the old monkey finished speaking, the Taoist Kongkong also shifted his gaze and said calmly:
"Very well, Daoist Kanli still has some money left over. He owed me a considerable favor last time."

"Since Daoist Zuo You Kan Li is going to the Plague Sect soon, I'll trouble him to also make a trip to the Innate Demon Sect and deliver the Crossing-Affliction Talisman to Yu Shu."

The old monkey could not hide his joy upon hearing this.

The Calamity-Crossing Talisman was personally crafted by the Immortal Ancestor, so its preciousness needs no further explanation.

At first, the old monkey thought that the Taoist Kongkong would shake his head at this, but both Chen Yushu and he were already prepared.

To my surprise, I received such good news today!
"Kanli Daoist, this almost universally acknowledged third-generation chief disciple of the Jiexian Sect, is actually going to the Plague Sect? I don't recall Kanli Daoist having any connection with the Plague Sect..."

The old monkey couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

He waited for a long time, but the Taoist Kongkong gave no further instructions.

This left the old monkey quite bewildered, so he could only bury his head and wait patiently.

"Have you ever heard of Donggaozi and Jingzang Bianjifo?" the Taoist Kongkong suddenly asked.

The old monkey opened his mouth in surprise, but before he could suppress his doubts, he carefully spoke.

The voice of the Taoist Kongkong continued, speaking with profound meaning:
"One is the head of the Thunder Department's Heavenly Gang Manifestation Palace, and the other is an ancient Buddha who opened his own path of Dharma. These two rarely interact in normal times. Who would have thought that these two would actually fight each other? It's quite interesting."

The Pure Land Buddha was indeed quite capable. If it weren't for chasing the six-winged cicada in the hands of the Six-Eared Macaque, my spiritual stone monkey body would not have entered the vast void.

Then, sensing something, he happened upon the Buddhist kingdom where the two had fought to the death, and glimpsed an ancient secret. The old monkey pondered for a moment, then cautiously said:

"Didn't you say that Donggaozi had already passed away in the Guixu in ancient times, and perished together with the two great powers of the Shaoyuan Nie Party? How could he be facing off against Jingzang Bianji Buddha again?"

There is also the Pure Land Bianji Buddha. Baoya Temple says that this ancient Buddha entered the gate of all wonders. Why…?

"Died in Guixu? Ha, I suppose this is where Donggaozi and Daxian's cunning lies."

These two seemed to have a vague premonition of that unprecedented catastrophe, so they made arrangements in advance to let Donggaozi fake his death and escape. Then, Daxian and Donggaozi worked together in the open and in the shadows to protect Yuchen's power.

When the ancient world collapsed, Yu Chen was indeed not greatly damaged.

Apart from Yue Quan, who courted death, none of the immortals of Yu Chen perished in the calamity, despite being affected.

The Taoist priest had a slight smile on his face;

"As for the so-called 'entering the gate of all wonders' at Baoya Temple, it's nothing but a lie to deceive the world, not worth mentioning!"

The old monkey now knew that the Taoist Kongkong was not trying to discuss such profound secrets of immortals and Buddhas with him, but was merely talking to himself because he had some feelings about it.

He was quite perceptive, and continued with a forced smile as he asked:
"Ancestor, since it is said that Donggaozi and Jingzang Bianji Buddha had no prior enmity, why did these two end up fighting?"

"It is naturally due to the struggle over the Great Dao!"

The Taoist Kongkong slowly began to speak:
"In my opinion, this struggle over the Great Dao is far more important than the so-called hatred of family destruction and the hatred of extermination. Once it is formed, there is little chance of reconciliation!"

These two concealed it very well. Who could have known before that they actually wanted to leave the 'Fude' sect?
However, now that the Buddhist kingdom has collapsed and the Great Vajra Barrier has been destroyed, all sorts of ancient mysteries will finally be revealed, and there are no more secrets left..."

The Taoist Kongkong's gaze pierced through the void of the universe in an instant, landing directly on the Baoya Temple in the Boundless Light Heaven.

It was a pure and solemn land, where lecture halls, retreats, pavilions, palaces and temples all shone with the radiance of the seven treasures.

There are eleven towering, boundless mountains, eleven vast seas of golden sand, and everywhere in the treasure forest, one can see blue lions and white elephants walking or lying down, with a wonderful fragrance wafting around.

But as the Buddhist kingdom was destroyed, the towering statue of the Pure Land Buddha in the main hall of Baoya Temple also began to rumble and its light suddenly went out.

The monks in the hall watched in horror as many small cracks suddenly appeared on the ancient Buddha statue, and in a short while the cracks became deeper and deeper.

The enormous Buddha head broke off first, and before it even hit the ground, it exploded into countless golden rays in mid-air, raining down like a storm!
The great Vajra barrier above the Buddhist kingdom not only seals off the four directions of the void, but also has the supreme function of confusing divination and fortune telling.

Over countless ages, there have been many powerful beings in the universe who have questioned the true life and death of the Pure Treasury Buddha.

No matter how much supernatural power they used or even their ability to predict destiny they could not follow the flow of karma to find out the truth.

This is why the abbot and several bodhisattvas of Baoya Temple dared to spread falsehoods, saying that the Buddha Jingzang Bianji had entered the Gate of All Wonders to undergo kalpas.

The monks of Baoya Temple intended to use this to intimidate their enemies and do their best to preserve the temple's foundation.

This is also another intention of the Pure Treasury Buddha.

The reason he spent so much effort building this magnificent land and used his most secret methods to add a great Vajra barrier to the Buddhist kingdom, a barrier that is truly solid and deeply embodies the Vajra Samadhi.

This was not only because he wanted a solid and quiet place to cultivate himself after defeating Donggaozi, where he could carefully organize what he had gained.

Pure Treasury Buddha also claimed that if he were to be defeated, he could take refuge in the Buddha's Pure Land to recuperate, making it difficult for outsiders to discover his true condition.

Even without showing its face, Baoya Temple can likely maintain its position in the Amitabha Heaven.

Even if other Buddhist temples wanted to take action against Baoya Temple, they would have to take its existence into consideration and could not act too recklessly.

However, despite the good intentions, in practice, both plans largely failed.

Jingzang Bianji Buddha not only failed to defeat Donggaozi and become the temporary victor in this struggle for the "great path of merit," but he also failed to escape.

Donggaozi, having exerted all his strength, first shattered his golden body of merit with a single finger, and then struck him on the head with divine lightning. In this way, the Pure Treasury Bianji Buddha passed away in his own Buddha-land, without even a single thought escaping the void.

Even the Great Vajra Barrier, which Pure Treasury Bhadrakalpa Buddha was so proud of, was not as sublime and perfect as he had imagined...

Less than a thousand years after the end of that battle for blessings, a strange old Taoist priest riding a six-tusked white elephant suddenly appeared.

No one knew what method this person used to find the location of the Buddhist kingdom, which left Donggaozi quite astonished.

……

……

"It is the will of Heaven, beyond the reach of supernatural powers; supernatural powers are no match for the will of Heaven?"

Seeing the many monks of Baoya Temple in a state of panic and near-utter disorientation after the Buddha statue collapsed, Master Kongkong smiled with a sigh:
“Jingzang Bianji, although all your arrangements were futile, the Great Vajra Barrier did contribute to preserving Baoya Temple to some extent. As for now…”

He suddenly turned to look at the old monkey, and gestured slightly to indicate that the beast did not need to kneel down, but could simply stand up.

“You are quite lucky. Since you happened to be here, then you can join me in watching the show,” said the Taoist Kongkong.

Before the old monkey could bend down to answer, suddenly the thick white fog below the cliff gathered together, forming white cloud clusters about a hundred acres in size.

Through the clouds, the old monkey could vaguely see the different landscapes of the heavens, which greatly surprised him.

"Donggaozi, a famous figure in the ancient Dao Court, is the most likely to succeed the Great Immortal and become the next head of the Thunder Division of the Immortal Capital."

This person not only did not die back then, but also wanted to embark on the path of "virtue and fortune". Even the ancient Buddha Jingzang Bianji died at his hands, losing in the struggle for the path.

Once such a bizarre incident gets out, it can no longer be concealed...

How will Yu Chen's enemies react?
Will the old deity of Shanjian Temple stand up for Jingzang Bianji?
There are also immortals and gods who walk the path of virtue and fortune, and even that old senior who is currently holding the path of virtue and fortune.

If these "fellow practitioners" of Donggaozi were to hear this news, what would they think?

Master Kongkong clapped his hands and laughed:

"Interesting, truly interesting! Let's enjoy the spectacle tonight!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Buddhist kingdom deep in the universe could no longer hold on and collapsed with a crash. The Buddha statue of Baoya Temple also turned into dust and vanished into the void in an instant.

Almost at the same moment, because the Great Vajra Barrier completely disappeared, the movement of Pure Treasury Bhadrakalpa Buddha passing away could no longer be concealed.

As a result, Fude Avenue began to stir, and mournful cries echoed in the void. Rain fell in profusion, turning into a blood-red mass before it even hit the ground, a shocking sight that covered hundreds of thousands of miles of void, like a sea of ​​blood floating and sinking!
The immortals, Buddhas, and saints of the universe all sensed this and successively used their great supernatural powers to focus their attention on that Buddhist kingdom, beginning to make calculations.

Not long after, a startled cry rang out from a desolate, untamed sky.

"Donggaozi, you faked your death back then? You're still alive?!"

(End of this chapter)