Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1479 Within the Realm
The State of Yan.

The temples and buildings were covered in snow. The snow was falling heavily in Baishan Temple. There were few people in the vast hall, and only the sound of the wooden fish could be heard. After a while, a figure could be vaguely seen on the steps below, crawling like an ant in the snow.

Upon seeing the figure below, the young monk in front of the temple called out:
"Uncle-Master! I've come to find you!"

The shadows in the temple flickered slightly, revealing an extremely handsome monk. He took two steps forward, bent down and looked down. Soon he saw seven or eight nuns leading a group of monks up to him, rushing to pay their respects, their eyes filled with tears.

The leader wept and said:

"Having heard of your passing many years ago, we all became monks. Just recently, we heard that White Robe Temple had gained a new Master of Sorrowful Face, so... we came..."

Murong Yan finally raised her eyelids.

He was a True Man of the Purple Mansion, and naturally had many wives and concubines, all of whom were now nuns. He coldly said:

"Oh? Who told you that?"

The nun wept and said:
"We... obtained this information from Master Lou..."

It is a building and pavilion.

"His physical body should have been repaired long ago..."

Upon hearing this name, Murong Yan felt as if he had been transported to another world. Back then, when conflicts arose between the North and the South, the three of them, all Hu people, went south together. Helian Wujiang suffered the most tragic fate, losing his life in vain. Murong Yan was forced to join Buddhism, and his century-long supernatural powers came to naught. Now it seems that Lou Yingge, who fought against the Qilin in the cave and crippled his own body, escaped with his life!

Murong Yan merely gave a cold laugh and said:
"Since you have become nuns and monks, you should go and cultivate yourselves. Why bother coming to me!"

A shoving motion erupted among the monks, and finally a young man emerged, weeping as he knelt before him, saying:

"grandfather!"

Murong Yan immediately recognized him. He was the most talented of his children, named Murong Xingze. He had been very fond of him back then. When he went south, this child should have already broken through to the Purple Mansion realm in seclusion!
Seeing him now a monk, a surge of anger nearly blew her mind away. After a while, Murong Yan calmly sneered, her face expressionless:
"You did shave your head, though!"

Murong Xingze wept and said:

“Grandfather! After you went south, several uncles invited me to cultivate in the courtyard. They delayed my breakthrough for a long time. When the news came back, they immediately ordered me to shave my head!”

Murong Yan knew that the group behind this had long harbored malicious intentions, but she hadn't expected them to act so swiftly and decisively. For a moment, she saw stars and couldn't breathe. She laughed angrily:
"Fine, fine...get out of here!"

He waved his sleeve, sending the group of people who came seeking some benefit tumbling down the mountain. The fire in his heart, however, made it hard for him to breathe. He looked up and carefully examined the plaque above, silently vowing:

'One day... when I gain power, I will overthrow this White Mountain and slaughter all these beasts!'

So he swallowed his resentment and anger, walked out with his hands behind his back, and went to the small courtyard to meditate. His mind wandered around, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the mysterious heavens where the origins of things were unknown.

Stepping onto this boundless and wondrous land, Murong Yan's heart finally found some respite—the Great Black Profound Heaven was his only source of confidence and the only path for him to avenge his humiliation, so how could he not be respectful?
He bowed before the mountain gate, then hurried up. Halfway up, he saw a thin monk who came forward, bowed, and said with a smile:

"Fellow Taoist Murong!"

"Fellow Daoist Minghui..."

Murong Yan sighed and said:
"The peacock is complete!"

This goes without saying; it's a matter of utmost importance. The group had entered Xuan Tian together to exchange information, but Minghui seemed to be bursting with impatience, saying:
"Ugh! These past two or three years have been absolutely unbearable!"

Since returning from Xuan Tian, ​​Minghui has found that his master is still in seclusion in the alms bowl. He dares not disturb him and wants to confide in his fellow disciples, but he dares not tell them. He is full of complaints and dares not enter or leave Xuan Tian at will. Now that he has waited for this opportunity of the peacock appearing in the world, he has come to Xuan Tian. He is not sure whether he is flustered or satisfied.

He said, rather nosy:

"Have you made any progress in your research on matters of merit?"

This was naturally not something to hide. Having received their ordination certificates and knowing the severity of their sins, they were all supposed to return to take the provincial examinations. Murong Yan, however, had only been ordained for a short time and had high aspirations; her sins were not particularly serious. Being monitored daily, she could only suppress her thoughts for now. Therefore, she shook her head and asked in return:
"Where is my fellow Daoist? I've heard that your sins have undergone many changes. Have you figured out anything about them?"

Minghui said:
"Some progress has been made."

He sighed and said:
"It must be due to the method within my path. Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but my Daoist practice has a method called 'Relieving Fear.' It's a method that uses the power of Buddhism to control the lives of its monks and nuns, repeatedly subjecting them to the great terror of life and death, and to all kinds of desires and pleasures, thereby increasing their cultivation. The practitioner can also gain some benefit. It's inherently excellent..."

"But this method is extremely difficult to cultivate. It requires swallowing the lower realm cultivators and then spitting out their bones. If one is not careful, then it's truly swallowed... Furthermore, if someone can't endure it halfway, then all that suffering will be in vain, and they'll die in agony... That's why my sins have changed—presumably, before these people finally attain the wonders of the Holy Teachings, it's as if we've been torturing them..."

Minghui couldn't help but feel a little guilty as she spoke.

These disadvantages were not considered disadvantages at all to them before; they were even good excuses to perfunctorily practice. Sometimes, on a whim, or because they didn't like someone, they would eat it and then say that they couldn't make it through. These monks would accept it themselves and would still obediently come to perform the ritual of releasing fear next time.

In other words, his methods of cultivating the Way of Goodness and Joy are no less than those of the Way of Compassion. Compared to the Yan Kingdom's large number of cultivators filling the positions, which is more people than positions, the Way of Goodness and Joy is simply a long and painful cultivation process with few successes. It is precisely for this reason that a certain number of commoners and monks need to be maintained to replenish the positions, so the people under his command are relatively better off.

'Before Master held great power, and even before meeting that person on the lake, much blood had been shed on the land of Shanledao, but it was all shed with a smile... If one could rise to prominence, then even a small part of it wasn't shed in vain...'

Now that she has committed these sins, how could Minghui not feel guilty?
Murong Yan hadn't thought that much about it, and simply said softly:
"I have also heard of the path of virtuous conduct, but it is still better than the path of compassion and great desire, as it carries less sin..."

The mention of great desires finally piqued Minghui's interest again:
"Regarding the peacocks here, we should still rely on Fellow Daoist Renshijia!"

Murong Yan nodded solemnly and went up together. When they arrived at the Hall of Inheritance, there was one person standing on each side.

One person was wearing a sheepskin, with scriptures painted on his face and bright eyes, looking very imposing. The other person was carrying a large bag, dressed simply, and twirling a bead in his hand. They were Wu Mu and Nu Yan.

It's completely different now!

In these days, Wumu and Nuyan have solidified their positions, expanded their profound knowledge, and firmly established themselves in their Mahayana positions. Each of them exudes a different aura, which greatly impressed Minghui, who sighed inwardly:
'It's still a golden land after all. Even if I only get a small corner, it seems to have a bright future. Although I'm not as respected as some of my senior brothers in Shanledao, I'm still highly regarded, but I may not have such a clear and practicable path as they do!'

It was extremely difficult for Shi Xiu to walk alone. Even the Five Hell Demonic Forms were considered top-tier Dao lineages by Shi Xiu, which made Ming Hui envious. However, the two were very polite and said:

"The prison guard is already waiting in the side hall with the abbot. We will escort the two of you over."

Minghui politely declined twice and went over together. But no matter who it was, everyone was trembling with fear when passing the main hall. Even though the hall door was closed, they still dared not raise their heads until they reached the side hall.

"Greetings, Abbot and Protector!"

Upon seeing the two figures, one in green and one in black, inside, the two bowed in unison. After receiving their greetings, they entered the hall and took their seats. Only then did they realize that there were not just two people there. An old monk was sitting to the side, and kneeling below was a man, none other than Rinchen Kyi.

This Maha is now full of energy and radiant, showing no signs of injury whatsoever!

Upon seeing Minghui and Murong Yan enter, Maha hurriedly thanked them:
"Thanks to Fellow Daoist Minghui, I resolved two crises. When I returned to the mountain, I happened to meet Zhu Shi, who had just emerged from seclusion. He and the Holy Son healed my injuries according to their abilities, and I am now even better than before!"

Normally, it would take countless costs to rebuild such a physical body, but now that it has been restored in one day, Ren Shi Jia's smile is genuine. As a Buddhist practitioner who pursues profit, he speaks of the Great Desire Path with more restraint.

The man above, who had been pondering this for a long time, saw his expression and simply sneered:

"This beast has such power now!"

These words startled Ren Shijia, who immediately lowered his head. Minghui quickly followed up, speaking coldly:

“He stands there in the east by himself, and anyone who doesn’t know better would think he’s spreading his tail feathers—doesn’t he feel a backache? How long is he going to stand there!”

Renshijia bowed hastily, his expression changing faster than turning the pages of a book, and said:
"Reporting to Your Excellency, I already consulted with the Holy... Sparrow Carp before I came here. He said it wouldn't last long, and the Immortal Path would still dominate the world. After all... even when Su Xikong was alive, he would never change Lingfen from Immortal to Buddhist, let alone a mount? He wouldn't dare to embarrass these True Lords!"

Renshijia paused for a moment, then said:

"If things were to truly change, I fear the monks would first besiege him!"

The status of Buddhism and Taoism is somewhat awkward. Since the Buddha left, the Buddhist monks gathered at Baohua Mountain for the first time and decided to enter the world to spread their teachings. They have always been somewhat implicitly affiliated with Taoism. The ancient Buddhists had a good reputation and did not attract much attention.

Later, when the Buddha appeared in the world, Buddhism and Taoism ushered in a golden age, spreading at an especially rapid pace. Only then did a distinction between different lineages emerge. Although they have now reached their peak, there are still fewer great figures than before, so naturally they dare not do things that were not done back then.

Although Dangjiang was the abbot of this place, he ultimately considered himself a celestial official, and his bias was extremely obvious. Hearing this, his expression softened, and he said:
"What kind of monster is the 'Sparrow Carp'?"

Upon hearing this, Renshijia couldn't help but let a complex look flash across his eyes, and said:
"My lord, you may not know this, but this carp is also a descendant of the peacock. Back then, it was a direct descendant of the Saintly Minister. At that time, its cultivation was still weak, but it was able to contend with Liangli. Now that the Desire Realm Minister has not yet responded, and the peacock's power has greatly increased, Liangli is already... willing to step down and yield to a worthy successor!"

In fact, not only Tian Langzhi, but also Ren Shijia, Xiao Disa, and others should be considered subordinates of the Desire Realm. There's no need to elaborate further now. He simply sighed:
"We...are now all under the Peacock's command! We can no longer hide in the peaceful land of Buddha; we must all go to the west to fight!"

"Furthermore... do you all still remember the Void Path?"

He gave a cold laugh, his expression a complex mix of triumph and dejection, and simply said:

"That empty-minded man, whose name is Zhelu, was originally helped up by us and the Dharma Realm. He was quite obedient in the early years, but since we have been fighting internally and it is difficult to cross the river to control him, he has been secretly cultivating in the land of Buddha under the pretense of being injured. Now he is scared out of his wits!"

"As soon as the peacock emerged from seclusion, he came to pay his respects like the wind. Upon arriving in the land of Buddha, he kowtowed a thousand times and apologized profusely. Upon closer inspection, we found that this old beast, who had not yet recovered from his injuries, was actually at the peak of his cultivation and had even refined an extra treasure. It seems that if we don't deal with him soon, he will be reincarnated into his seventh life!"

Upon hearing this, Minghui's heart skipped a beat—her senior brother had coveted this position for many years, only to be frustrated by the old man's continued seclusion in the Buddhist realm. She tentatively probed:

"That's not surprising. It's precisely the time when we need him. I heard there's someone there named Long Kangyao, with noble blood. I wonder if Peacock is also interested? Wanting to recruit him into the sect... Even if he can't be recruited, recruiting a few other True Immortals would be good..."

"oops!"

Renshi Jiahe said:
"How could I dare! That direct descendant of the Longkang clan, fellow Daoist, you might as well kill him and force him to join Buddhism or Taoism... Heavens! It would be more practical to say that the Prince of Wei is coming soon and force Li Ximing to join Buddhism."

Hearing this, Minghui roughly understood the methods of the Great Desire Path, which was most likely aimed at Mingyang. She also gave a cold laugh and said:
"A peacock... is nothing special!"

"okay!"

Dangjiang, however, keenly picked up on those words and said:

You're saying... the King of Wei is coming?

"Exactly!"

Renshi Jiadao:

"Back then, Dayang Mountain plotted against him, wanting him and Gujun to suffer mutual losses, but he managed to escape cleanly. Now, the people of Gujun are restless, and we knew he was bound to come. We had already planned it, communicated with the Great Mu Dharma Realm, and will act soon. Before he arrives, we will shake his foundation in the north!"

“The people of the Void Path have already arrived. That Zhelu has completely extinguished his independent thoughts, but instead has the desire to climb higher. He has brought all those people who were previously hidden away in the Land of Buddha like treasures, and he himself has also gone to charge into battle!”

Minghui nodded knowingly, having received confirmation. Dangjiang felt a surge of heat rush to his heart, and was momentarily speechless, even his voice changing slightly as he said:

"Oh? Shake what foundation?"

Renshijia hurriedly said:
"Reporting to the Abbot, it's Juancheng! The King of Wei is in the north, and another batch of his men have gone to Shu. They are now trying to cut off the north-south route and must first disperse this group of cultivators!"

Dangjiang's heart pounded. He slipped one hand into his sleeve and touched the sharply defined jade token. He remained silent for a long time, when suddenly everything in his heart became clear.

'This is the perfect opportunity! Kong Wudao has also made his move. Taking advantage of this great battle, I can join forces with Mingyang. Whether it's favor or benefits, it'll all be in my hands, won't it?'

He stood up abruptly, his eerie eyes gleaming, and said:
"Rinchen Rinchen! You must accomplish great things!"