Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1333 Six-Day Talk

Minghui stopped talking and didn't say anything more. She just kept sighing and sitting by the pond for a while, and then she picked up the letter to read it. She seemed very nervous.

Seeing that his junior brother had failed to subdue the King of Wei, Ming Meng became rather sullen. He felt a headache coming on and paced back and forth by the pond, hands behind his back, saying:

"Hey! I think you should... think about what's going on with your master!"

He sighed:
"That golden land is indeed tempting. The Great Master Guanhe of that time was also a leader in the immortal path. The [Dharma Pool Golden Land] he left behind can be regarded as a fruit of the Dao that shines through the paths of immortals and Buddhists... Master must be extremely eager for it!"

"But... how can things be so simple..."

Ming Meng's face was filled with worry as he said:

“I thought that in recent years, the Dharma Image has not been prominent and the Buddhist land has been empty. We were fine sitting inside, but now that the Dalingchuan incident has occurred, and we are fighting outwards, how can we escape unscathed without the Dharma Image supporting us from behind…”

Minghui turned and sat down, placing a teacup on the table. A group of tiny, handsome men and women emerged from inside, working in pairs to pour tea for the two of them. The monk, however, said:
“How could Master be without a plan? Guanhe Dashi is a follower of the Precepts Path… The one from the Precepts Path is on good terms with me in the Daoist arts. Since He will take action, why worry about our lives? If we try our best to fight, there is always a chance.”

Ming Meng was unaware of the master and disciple's scheme. He only knew that his junior brother was the most favored by their master and would surely receive much instruction from him. He sighed, planted two fingers on the table, and conjured a jade pendant. With a flick of his wrist, he snatched a busy woman from the table and put her in his mouth.

In an instant, the jade mouth opened and closed, flesh and blood were pulverized. This Maha, like a snail sucking, cleansed the little man's skin and flesh, spitting out a tiny white bone that landed on the table. The bone then rose on its own, its skin and flesh regenerating, drenched in cold sweat, and cried out:
"Thank you, sir, for dispelling my fear..."

Ming Meng smiled and nodded at the little man, then said to his junior brother:

"To put it bluntly, it's nothing more than saving one's life. All those years of cultivation, are they all for nothing...? A figure like Master, why does he keep falling into this state again and again..."

This struck a chord with Minghui, and he pondered for a moment:

"That's Jindi..."

Seeing Mingmeng's rather disgruntled expression, Minghui said:

"You're always traveling and there are some things you might not know... No matter how small the chances of getting this [Golden Land] are, we should still give it a try. After all, it's a good place where you're not under anyone else's control, where you can have some confidants, and where you can take control of your own life. Why not take a gamble?"

Ming Meng could only remain silent. His fellow disciples were in distress when they heard a faint sound.

"Boom..."

"Boom..."

The distant sound of bells came from the horizon, originating from the distant and unfathomable land of Buddha. Like a thunderclap, it struck the faces of the fellow disciples. Ming Meng lost his composure, and the jade cup in his hand slammed onto the table with a bang. His eyes were instantly filled with terror.

Minghui reacted even faster; her face drained of color in an instant. She stood up, but her legs gave way again, and she collapsed to the ground, trembling as she said:

“…Good…Zhong!”

The two looked up and noticed that the light in the hall had suddenly dimmed, the white candlelight had gone out instantly, and the pool of water in the center was boiling rapidly, emitting a mournful sound.

Maha has fallen!

This is not a return to the Pure Land, but a true inability to sense the true spirit!

The last trace of color drained from the faces of the two monks. They knelt on the ground, their blank stares meeting. Only then did Minghui feel the moisture on his face. He said:
"Is it...Senior Brother...or..."

Ming Meng remained silent, only feeling the chill of his knees touching the ground. His face turned pale, and after a hard breath, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of golden blood!
The pool of golden blood was scattered on the ground like a spider web, a shocking sight. Minghui, whose cultivation level was low, reacted a beat slower and immediately began to cough violently. Skin and flesh on her face fell to the ground with a cascade, and she knelt down in pain.

'Master!'

Minghui knew perfectly well how cunning her master was. Although the matter in Dalingchuan was indeed dangerous, Minghui never imagined that her master would perish there. Her mind went blank for a moment, as if a dye house had been broken open, with all sorts of colors intertwined before her eyes.

'How can it be! ’

In an instant, the entire temple began to shake, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth were splitting. Mingmeng wept uncontrollably, suppressing his discomfort, he stepped back, placed his hands on the main seat, and calmed the shaking mountain down.

But he was able to stop the landslide and earthquake, which was merely a transformation of the Buddhist world. The Eighth Maha passed away in meditation, and the entire Sukhavati Buddhist world wept, wanting to manifest itself...

Minghui was completely dazed.

'Our master has fallen... what are we going to do now?'

With Jinlian gone, how many of the fellow disciples who went with her will return alive? The eldest disciple Mingzang, who has the highest cultivation, is also missing. Even if he is still alive, he will only have a trace of his true spirit left. Hongshan has been in seclusion for many years, seeking the Dharma form. For so many years, Jinlian has been suppressing the Buddha in his stead. Now that she has perished in one night, who will look after Lotus Temple?
Lotus Temple intends to temporarily avoid the limelight and cripple itself, but it does not intend to go so far as to cut its own throat and commit suicide!

Ming Meng was pale, heartbroken, and horrified.

"They are using this opportunity to test my Daoist Dharma Form! Master has been tricked!"

The Dharma of Good Joy is not manifest!
In an instant, various images flashed through Minghui's mind, inevitably followed by the Seven Phases' probing, the coercion of Dayang Mountain, and the opportunistic attacks from various forces...

'Most importantly…that one…'

He was filled with despair:
'With my master dead, what use am I? Having lost my value, what will become of my Lotus Temple!'

The two could only gaze at the sky in despair, waiting for the death knell to resound throughout the world. Minghui turned her head, her face ashen, only to find that someone was already standing on the steps of the Golden Palace.

The man was covered in dust and dirt, wearing a tattered cassock. He was extremely old, with only two black bean-like eyes on his wrinkled face, and he looked at the two of them with a smile.

The old man gripped a cane tightly in his hand and gently tapped it on the ground.

"Boom..."

A deeper hum resounded through the void, the extinguished candlelight suddenly blazed brighter, and all the cracks that covered the beams vanished without a trace, like the unchanging, melodious tolling of an ancient bell, swallowing up all signs in the sky.

In that instant, the entire Lotus Temple and even the entire Shanle Road were restored to peace.

The two monks were caught off guard and stood frozen in the courtyard.

The old monk slowly stepped over the steps and into the hall. He loosened his cane, leaving the object standing to one side, and clasped his hands together, saying:

"You two need not panic!"

Minghui glanced at this, and a bit of color returned to her deathly pale face. She knelt down with a thud, the answer already in her mind:
"I am deeply grateful for your great kindness!"

He said nothing, only kept bowing. Ming Meng was a beat slower, but followed suit. The old monk calmly stepped aside, and an invisible force lifted the two of them to their seats, then smiled and said:
"I cannot accept such a generous gift!"

The old monk casually and effortlessly placed the two Mahakas in their positions, causing the two monks to be shocked. They then saw him hunch over and take out a bowl from his sleeve.

The bowl was entirely blue, with nothing particularly unusual about it. The old monk placed it on the table, picked it up, and tapped it twice, saying:
"Viola!"

The bowl was completely silent.

The old monk chuckled, raised his hand again, and tapped twice more, saying:

"Pavilions and pavilions!"

Then the blue bowl trembled slightly, and finally a pale, weak voice rang out:

"The Pavilion Master is here! Thank you for your help, sir! I am deeply grateful!"

That's clearly Master Jinlian's voice!
Minghui's eyes immediately welled up with tears:

'Damn it! I knew that old bastard would never do something so stupid!'

Given this situation, how could the two not understand?
Who has the authority to allow Vimalakirti, the Eighth Maha, to call himself a minor monk? Who has the power to protect Vimalakirti when the entire Shakyamuni world believes he has perished?

Dharma!

Judging from this appearance, it must be a Dharma image of the Vinaya School, which is closely associated with one's own Dharma image!

The two were startled and trembled uncontrollably. They knelt down with a thud, overwhelmed with surprise and joy, tears streaming down their faces, and said:

"Greetings, my lord!"

The old monk's gaze swept quietly across Minghui's face, and he said:

“Viola…what is Golden Land?”

In an instant, the entire hall was shrouded in an invisible mist, as if it had been separated from the whole world and stood independently in an infinitely wondrous place beyond the void. The candlelight and the golden beams disappeared from their sight in an instant.

Only the jade-like fairy mountain stood before us, the world turned into a golden hue, and a pair of eyes, like the Milky Way, hung in the air.

The blue bowl had also vanished, but a young man was kneeling before the image of the Buddha. He had light blue eyes and was quite handsome. His black hair was loose, which showed that he had not yet given up worldly desires.

The boy pondered for a moment and said:

“The Golden Earth is the manifestation of the body, the embryo of the earth, the foundation of the Dao, the reflection of the highest true earth, and can be the position of the Dharma form. If the manifestation of the earth is extensive, it can be divided into seven forms.”

"Where do we come from, and where are we going?"

The boy could only say:
"It was passed down by a great master... who then went to cultivate and expand the land of Buddhism."

"Where does great virtue come from?"

These words immediately stumped Jinlian, but then she heard an elegant voice from the sky:
“I believe there are two masters, one ancient and one modern, and three patriarchs in the human world, located in the north, central and south. The master of the ancient Buddha is the Northern World-Honored One, also called the True World-Honored One, who is the first Buddha in the human world. His name is no longer known. It is only known that when he was in the human world, he had a brother who became an immortal and was called Wu Guan.”

"The World-Honored One was born in the south but cultivated in the north. Only then did he attain enlightenment. He abandoned the path of immortality and traveled through the desert, vowing to establish a great path that transcends the mundane world. He once met an old Taoist priest and they had a very pleasant conversation. The old Taoist priest called himself Liang Zhizi and said that he was originally a hermit who cultivated in the mountains."

The first half of what the other party said was known to all Buddhist practitioners, but the second half made Jinlian raise her eyes, her eyes filled with wild joy, but also with a hint of doubt.

'Liang Zhizi? Never heard of him.'

Minghui and Mingmeng didn't know which cultivator this was, but they knew it was a rare opportunity, so they both lowered their heads and knelt down, listening intently.

"This Liang Zhizi talked with the Northern Buddha for six days."

The first day's discussion focused on "Qi," explaining that the origin of Qi is primordial chaos. The immortals said, "In the beginning, I held the sacrificial vessel and taught the twelve divisions of Qi."

The second day's discussion was about the dragon. The immortals spoke of the true dragon, which appeared in the world as the Azure Mystery. The Buddhists also spoke of the true dragon, whose lifespan was limited to one cycle.

On the third day, we discussed "Salvation." The Buddhist monk said that people do not believe me, while the immortals said that there are things they do not agree with.

The fourth day of the discussion, "The True Demon," states that the immortals say the demons originated from the immortals, while the Buddhists say the demons went to the Buddhists.

The fifth day's discussion, "The Human World," explains the impermanence of the heavenly order, and the immortals say that only humans can mend it.

On the sixth day, they discussed "establishing the Azure Netherworld." The immortal spoke of the Supreme Land, while the Buddhist monk said that demonic children and grandchildren would reside there.

These words struck so hard that the Milky Way before them seemed to collapse. Fortunately, the Dharma Image protected this place, and since it concerned the Great Way of the World-Honored One, the reaction was not intense. However, Jinlian felt as if thunder was roaring in her heart:
'The Story of the Northern Buddha!'

He wanted to chew every single word over and over, his eyes filled with deep thought.

He said:

"Therefore, the World-Honored One established the Azure Heaven, responding to the Way of Heaven, and manifested thirty-two bodies, each manifesting as a corresponding land, known as the Thirty-Two Heavens. After the World-Honored One departed from the world, the Thirty-Two Heavens disintegrated and split into sixty-nine lands, thus creating the Golden Land."

“Golden Land is the manifestation of the World-Honored One, the place of the status of Buddha and Tao, and therefore it can form boundless Dharma forms. When ordinary people enter it, even immortals and Buddhas cannot perceive it. This is why Buddhism and Taoism are the foundation of the holy teachings.”

The heaven and earth shook.

Jinlian knelt firmly on the ground, invisible light falling upon his true spirit, yet it could not penetrate it. However, his contemplation made his figure grow taller and taller, vaguely standing tall and upright under the gaze of his eyes.

His voice echoed through heaven and earth, as if it were a low sigh.

"The Dharma Pool is an opportunity for Kong Shu, and I will not take away the legacy of the Northern World-Honored One."

"The Buddha of the Middle Ages, who was a master of the Dharma, meditated for seventy-six days and attained the thirty-three stages of enlightenment. The master of the Dharma, Dazhi Chantian Jie, listened to his teachings and attained the second stage."

"The first is [Youqian], and the second is [Jiangsha]. The former has already been cultivated by the disciples of the precepts, and this [Jiangsha] golden land is hereby bestowed upon you today."

Suddenly, the heavens and earth shook, and a torrent of river water poured down. Although Jinlian had risked her life, it was only to completely bury Lotus Temple in the grand scheme of things; she had never dared to hope for gold. Panicked, she cried out in horror:

"I dare not accept such praise!"

The raging river crashed down, completely engulfing his body. A thunderous roar echoed continuously. Before anyone knew it, the starry sky had vanished, leaving only the old monk's figure standing atop Jade Mountain, his chanting majestic and expansive.

"It is said that the sons and grandsons of demons will dwell in the supreme land."

“Huige, you are exceptionally wise. No matter what lineage you have cultivated, you should not be a demon’s offspring. You have no place in the Supreme Land, nor are you disgraced in the Golden Land.”

Jinlian slowly stood up, looking at the long river falling from the sky. She exhaled from her chest, her face full of gratitude and solemnity. Her figure disappeared like a ray of light as the sky shone brightly.

"I will prove myself in this golden land!"

As darkness fell and the misty fog dissipated, the golden hall spread out. Two monks stood frozen in place, the old monk long gone, only the blue alms bowl resting quietly on the table.

Mingmeng wept with joy, burying his face in his hands and sobbing. Minghui stood there, lost in thought, her mind a jumble of emotions, yet also contemplating something else. She wept as she said:
"We can now go into seclusion and lock the temple!"

He stood there blankly, lost in thought for a long, long time, watching the blue bowl on the table shake again and again, as if someone were banging drums and gongs inside. Suddenly, he snapped out of his daze, quickly picked it up, and brought it close to his ear, listening to the loud cursing coming from within:

"Go to hell! Minghui... that coward got her eyes bitten out by a dog!"

Minghui laughed and cried at the same time, and said:

"Master! You're still inside! Your humble disciple thought you went to refine the Golden Land! Congratulations, Master, on obtaining the Golden Land... If something happens to you, we'll all die outside the temple!"

The voice inside paused for a moment, then erupted into a tirade of curses:

"Seal your mother's temple! If you lock me up, it'll be admitting I'm completely dead, and the whole world will know that King Wei will take a detour! This isn't the time to hide. Get ready first! Wait until those useless fools in the north get blown through, then you can kowtow properly, make a sound, and don't lose face..."

Minghui hurriedly said:

"Understood...understood! Now that you're alright, we can discuss this further..."

(End of this chapter)