Taoist Myth: I am the last true immortal in the world

Chapter 852 Buddhist Intervention
Time passes day by day.

Soon, the first year of Xiande arrived.

On the day of Ren Chen in the first month of the lunar calendar, Guo Wei died of a serious illness at the age of fifty-one. He was posthumously honored as Emperor Sheng Shen Gong Su Wen Wu Xiao, with the temple name Taizu, and was buried in Songling.

On the 21st, Chai Rong ascended the throne before the coffin in accordance with the will, becoming Emperor Shizong of Zhou.

As Chai Rong's henchman, Zhao Kuangyin's status rose accordingly, but many people secretly resented him, believing that his low position and high status were entirely due to his father's favor.

Among those who had the most grievances against Zhao Kuangyin were none other than Fan Aineng, the commander of the cavalry, He Hui, the commander of the infantry, and their subordinates.

The court assembly concluded that day.

Surrounded by a crowd, Zhao Kuangyin departed, chatting and laughing.

He Hui spat and said, "Bah, a petty person who has achieved his goal."

Fan Aineng glanced at the officials who were walking out and said calmly, "Be careful what you say, there are people around."

These two men were very jealous of Zhao Kuangyin, but they did not show it in public.

In their view, Zhao Kuangyin was just a spoiled brat who relied on his father's connections to climb the social ladder and get to the new emperor, and he didn't have much ability.

People without ability are fawned over, while those who are capable are not sought after. How can they not feel resentful?
Before long, Fan Aineng, He Hui, and a group of subordinates left the palace.

At this point, there was no one around.

He Hui took the initiative to bring up the topic again, saying, "Hmph, I don't know what His Majesty sees in this kid. He's young and inexperienced, and unreliable, yet so many people fawn over him."

Fan Aineng sneered and said, "What else could you possibly value in him? All he has is a good father!"

"Isn't it?"

"Zhao Hongyin is now the Right Wing Commander and concurrently the Yuezhou Defense Commissioner. His prestige is truly at its highest."

"Commander Zhao is indeed capable. Back when he was under the command of King Zhao, Wang Rong, he dared to lead five hundred cavalrymen to rescue Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang against a thousand troops. During the Later Han Dynasty, he went to Fengxiang to attack Wang Jingchong. Just then, the Later Shu army came to Wang Jingchong's aid. The Han army and the Shu army fought in Chencang. As soon as the battle began, he was shot in the left eye by an enemy arrow, but his morale was even stronger. He fought bravely and eventually defeated the enemy. He was truly brave and skilled in battle to the extreme."

"Like father, like son. Commander Zhao was already famous when Zhao Kuangyin was his age. This son has to rely on his father's favor to have the prestige he has today."

"It's unfair, it's really unfair."

A group of subordinates echoed his sentiments.

He Hui said, "When the opportunity arises, I will definitely make him look foolish."

Fan Aineng said slowly, "There's no rush. The Central Plains are not yet at peace, and there are many small countries around us. Even if we don't harm him, he might still embarrass himself on the battlefield."

The group chatted as they went back to their offices.

In their hearts, they truly looked down on Zhao Kuangyin.

There was nothing he could do; Zhao Kuangyin hadn't proven himself yet.
While this group was discussing, another person was also considering how to win over Zhao Kuangyin's followers.

……

Zhao Mansion.

Chen Yun has been here for several months.

During this period, except for returning to Qingcheng Mountain during festivals, he spent the rest of his time here paying attention to Zhao Kuangyin's every move and cultivating Zhao Kuangyi's political skills.

For a military general to win over the troops, he must prove himself on the battlefield.

The Later Zhou Dynasty is relatively peaceful now, so there aren't many opportunities for Zhao Kuangyin to prove himself.

As Chen Yun was pondering how to help Zhao Kuangyin achieve great things, he suddenly sensed a disturbance in the heavenly secrets, as if someone had used magic to forcibly obscure them.

Anyone capable of such a feat is undoubtedly a half-step into the Great Luo realm.

He didn't know which half-step Grand Luo had suddenly obscured the secrets of heaven, or what their purpose was.

Therefore, Chen Yun used his supreme secret technique to observe the changes in the heavens.

He sensed that the secrets of heaven were being manipulated, and that someone was forcibly trying to understand and change the course of history.

There's nothing wrong with trying to glean secrets from the heavens; Chen Yun often did it too.

What's going on is that this hidden half-step Grand Luo cultivator actually wants to change the course of time.

Chen Yun's expression changed slightly. Standing in the back garden, he immediately mobilized his vast True Qi and channeled it into the operation of the Heavenly Dao, attempting to prevent the river of history from being altered.

In an instant, he clashed with that unknown half-step Grand Luo.

A powerful force surged forth, instantly dispelling the true qi that Chen Yun had unleashed.

"Ok?"

Chen Yun frowned slightly. "This half-step Grand Luo cultivator's strength seems to be far above mine."

His current cultivation level has surpassed that of Lei Zu, Moli Pu Tian, ​​and Dong Yue Da Di, among others. Those who are at a higher level than him are none other than the Jade Emperor, Ziwei Da Di, Dong Wang Gong, Xi Wang Mu, and the Five Elders of the Five Directions.

Logically speaking, when the Khitan destroyed the Later Jin Dynasty, the Ziwei Emperor had already seen the changing situation and knew that he could not defeat the Jade Emperor. He was also willing to admit that the Jade Emperor should become the ruler of all heavens, so he probably wouldn't do that again.

The Heavenly Court is currently divided into two main factions: the Jade Emperor and the Ziwei Emperor.

The Ziwei Emperor has almost given up, the Jade Emperor has gained the upper hand, and is likely to have the last laugh. It seems there is no need to forcibly change the course of history.

Chen Yun had sufficient reason to exclude the half-step Grand Luo cultivators from both the Jade Emperor's and Ziwei Emperor's forces.

"Not from the Jade Emperor's or Ziwei Emperor's factions?"

Suddenly, the image of the Old Mother of Lishan popped into Chen Yun's mind. It seemed that among the Taoists of today, the only one who did not rely on the power of the Jade Emperor and the Ziwei Emperor was this Old Mother who had once mended the sky with stones and created humans from yellow clay.

Indeed, the Old Mother of Lishan is the goddess Nuwa, possessing earth-shattering magical power.

Chen Yun did not believe that his current cultivation level was comparable to hers, but he still had some doubts. Humans were all created by the Old Mother of Lishan, so it seemed that the other party had no need to participate in the Investiture of the Gods.
According to his understanding of the workings of the Great Dao, as long as humanity does not perish, the Old Mother of Lishan will be able to enjoy endless incense offerings and the blessings of the Great Dao of Humanity.

Therefore, who won the Investiture of the Gods was of no importance to the Old Mother of Lishan.

"Could it be that it's not this old woman either?"

Chen Yun was truly puzzled. After this analysis, it seemed that even the half-step Da Luo of Taoism had no "motive for the crime." So who was manipulating the secrets of heaven and forcibly rewriting the river of history?
Suddenly, he thought of something and his gaze involuntarily turned toward the direction of the Saha world.

"Could it be one of the Three Buddhas of Buddhism, manipulating the secrets of heaven?"

Chen Yun thought it was possible.

why?
Because Taoism now dominates the mainstream, Buddhism must seize enough "territory" from Taoism if it wants to develop.

Buddhism in the world went through roughly three different phases.

In the first stage, Buddhism was introduced to China from India via the Silk Road. Initially, it was Theravada Buddhism that was introduced, and there were not many believers.

The development stage was during the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, when Mahayana Buddhism rose and became the mainstream. During the peak of translation, eminent monks such as Kumarajiva and Dao'an translated a large number of Mahayana classics, such as the Diamond Sutra and the Lotus Sutra. A large number of temples and grotto temples began to be built, and various sects began to form.

This is the second stage. The third stage is the Sui and Tang Dynasties, when Buddhism, like Taoism, became the official religion of the court. Various sects further developed, and Buddhism engaged in extensive exchanges and integration with local culture. Buddhist art reached its peak, such as the Dunhuang murals and Tang Dynasty sculptures.

During this period, Buddhism seemed to be thriving, but it actually had a fatal weakness: it didn't have enough believers, or rather, the vast majority of them were from the middle and upper classes, unlike Taoism, which had penetrated deeply into the common people.

Chen Yun believed that if Buddhism wanted to replace Taoism, the most important thing to do at present was to integrate into the folk. To achieve this, it first needed to gain a certain voice. Without a voice, why would Taoism allow Buddhism to swallow up its territory?

"My analysis is reasonable."

Chen Yun gazed calmly at the sky, "The one manipulating the secrets of heaven must be one of the Three Buddhas, no wonder I cannot defeat him."

He had never witnessed the power of Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha, but he had personally seen the might of Shakyamuni Buddha, who was on par with the Jade Emperor and the Ziwei Emperor.

So, even if Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha are not as good as Shakyamuni Buddha, they certainly wouldn't be too far off.

"Is it Shakyamuni Buddha, or one of the other two?"

Knowing he was no match for the enemy, Chen Yun decided not to continue his attack.

He wanted to see what this half-step Grand Luo, who secretly concealed the secrets of heaven and altered the course of history, was up to and how he wanted history to unfold.

Such changes at the "rule" level are not inevitable. As long as the fundamentals of the real world are well controlled, it is still possible to resist changes at the "rule" level.

Chen Yun realized that his cultivation level was inferior to his opponent's, and he couldn't compete on the level of "rules." So he decided to start from the real world and make his opponent's efforts futile.

The core of this real world lies in Zhao Kuangyin himself.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside.

Chen Yun glanced towards the door and saw Zhao Kuangyin walk in with a happy expression.

He roughly knew why the other person was so happy; it was simply because they had been flattered.

Now that Zhao Kuangyin's status has risen along with Chai Rong's ascension to the throne, he naturally has many people around him who flatter him.

Chen Yun knew that he couldn't let Zhao Kuangyin get carried away at this time, otherwise, without achievements later on, he wouldn't be able to establish real prestige, let alone build his own power and launch the Chenqiao Mutiny.

With this thought in mind, he took the initiative to speak: "Kuangyin, come, let the scholar have a chat with you."

Zhao Kuangyin quickly stepped forward and said, "Scholar, I am at your service."

Chen Yun asked, "You are a military general, you should know what the greatest taboo in military strategy is, right?"

Zhao Kuangyin respectfully replied, "Reporting to the scholar, war is a matter of great importance to the state, and there are many things that should be avoided. If I were to choose the most important one, I would like to know which one you are referring to."

Chen Yun said, "Tell me everything."

“Yes,” Zhao Kuangyin said slowly, “The greatest taboos in military strategy are: first, launching an attack without a just cause; second, being unclear about the enemy’s situation; third, using the wrong people; fourth, going against the will of Heaven; fifth, being trapped in a desperate situation; sixth, running out of supplies; seventh, being isolated and without support; eighth, having low morale; and ninth, generals being extravagant and soldiers being arrogant. These are the greatest taboos in military strategy, and those who use troops must keep them in mind.”

Chen Yun countered, "What if the generals become arrogant and their soldiers become complacent?"

Zhao Kuangyin spoke eloquently: "The generals are extravagant and wasteful, and the soldiers are arrogant and conceited, which leads to the weakness of the army and greatly weakens its combat power. As the saying goes, an arrogant army will surely be defeated. If they were to fight against others, they would definitely be defeated."

Chen Yun nodded slightly and said, "This is one of the great taboos of military strategy. However, life is sometimes like warfare. You know that pride will surely lead to defeat. Now, you have become complacent simply because the new emperor has ascended the throne, which has raised your status and made you the subject of some people's flattery. Tell me, how will you, a general without your own foundation, face the battlefield of life if you fall out of favor one day?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin broke out in a cold sweat.

He immediately realized that Chen Yun's lecture was a reminder that he had been too complacent lately.

If things continue like this, it might attract jealousy from others. If he makes even the slightest mistake or falls out of favor, he will surely be severely suppressed.

Zhao Kuangyin suddenly realized his mistake and bowed deeply to Chen Yun, saying, "Thank you for your instruction, scholar. I know my mistake and will never repeat it."

Seeing that the other party genuinely understood the meaning behind his words, Chen Yun nodded slightly and said, "That's very good. Remember, never be arrogant or complacent."

Zhao Kuangyin said, "I will remember this."

……

Lingshan.

While Chen Yun was instructing Zhao Kuangyin, Dipankara Buddha and Maitreya Buddha were working together to perform supreme magic.

These two near-Great Luo Immortals had a clear division of labor: one concealed the secrets of heaven, while the other forcibly altered the course of history.

As Buddhas of the Three Worlds, Dipankara Buddha and Maitreya Buddha naturally possessed unparalleled cultivation levels, far surpassing those of Chen Yun, who had only recently attained the half-step Great Luo realm.

The Three Buddhas of the Three Times, also known as the "Three Buddhas of the Three Periods" or "Three Buddhas of the Three Times," refers to three principal Buddhas in different time periods.

That is, Dipankara Buddha in the past, Shakyamuni Buddha in the present, and Maitreya Buddha in the future.

Dipankara Buddha is an ancient Buddha who preceded Shakyamuni Buddha.

He was the teacher of Shakyamuni Buddha and prophesied that Shakyamuni would become a Buddha.

At the same time, many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are disciples of Dipankara Buddha.

Shakyamuni Buddha is the fourth Buddha in the Bhadrakalpa.

Maitreya Buddha is the future Buddha, and he is the fifth Buddha in the Bhadrakalpa.

The two saints truly went to great lengths to promote Buddhism.

Previously, through their understanding of Shakyamuni Buddha's involvement in the Khitan's conquest of the Later Jin Dynasty, they learned that the course of the Investiture of the Gods war was almost entirely controlled by the Jade Emperor.

If the Jade Emperor, as one of the high-ranking deities in Taoism, had controlled the Investiture of the Gods, Taoism would have continued to dominate, and it would have been virtually impossible for Buddhism to develop.

Knowing this, Dipankara Buddha and Maitreya Buddha insisted on forcibly altering the course of history, making the Investiture of the Gods war unpredictable, so that Buddhism could take advantage of the chaos and gain enough opportunities to develop.

Soon, the two joined forces to alter the course of history.

Maitreya Buddha slowly finished his practice, a hint of doubt on his face. "Just now, someone noticed our actions and stopped us. This half-step Great Luo cultivator's cultivation level seems to be much lower than ours. Who do you think he could be?"

After carefully sensing for a moment, the Ancient Buddha Dipankara said, “I sensed a vast aura, like the power of the Great Dao, lingering in the long river of history. If nothing unexpected happens, the one who is stopping us must be Emperor Chen Pu.”

Maitreya Buddha narrowed his eyes slightly, "It seems that Emperor Chen also wants a share of the spoils in the Investiture of the Gods."

Dipankara Buddha laughed and said, "His City God path has just emerged, so it's natural that he wants to take advantage of the Investiture of the Gods to develop and strengthen the City God system. It's not surprising that he wants to gain benefits from it. His current cultivation level is still low, and he is no match for the two of us. He is not a concern. What I am worried about now is that Shakyamuni Buddha will be dissatisfied with our actions. After all, he is the current leader of Buddhism, and our actions are against his wishes."

Maitreya Buddha chuckled and said, "If he were truly dissatisfied, he would have interrupted our spellcasting long ago. I suspect he shared that thought, and thus acquiesced to our actions."

Upon hearing this, Dipankara Buddha found it reasonable and nodded slightly, saying, "In that case, Buddhism is very likely to reach its peak in this Investiture of the Gods war. If we can win the Investiture of the Gods war, it is not impossible that we can replace Taoism."

The two only mentioned Chen Yun briefly, not taking him seriously at all, still thinking about the flourishing of Buddhism.

Unfortunately, Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha had no idea that Chen Yun already possessed the core of this Investiture of the Gods war. As long as he controlled the current situation, he was almost invincible.

Furthermore, the actions of Maitreya Buddha and Dipankara Buddha signify that Buddhism has officially joined this battle of the gods!
Chen Yun wanted to support Zhao Kuangyin in establishing his rule over the Central Plains, but he encountered an extremely powerful adversary.

Perhaps, when the battle for the gods reaches a more intense stage, it is highly likely that Chen Yun will fight against Maitreya Buddha, Dipankara Buddha, or even Shakyamuni Buddha.

(End of this chapter)