Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

Wujue ran away?!
These words caused an uproar in the hall.

The two great Bodhisattvas, Mingxian Bodhisattva and Lingjue Bodhisattva, frowned as if they were pondering something, while a group of Bodhisattvas and Arhats who had entered the Pure Yang Realm looked at Lingding Arhat in surprise; especially the group of Arhats, they could not think of anything that could make this Arhat sit first, and even the top Arhats in all the heavens could not catch up with Wujue.

After all, the Demon Buddha Wujue was killed by the former Kaiyuan Daojun, now the Kaiyuan Tianzun, for rashly getting involved in the Xuanmen calamity.

Even if he were to rise from the ashes, the position of the Heavenly Venerable Kaiyuan remains unchanged. With the divine power of the True Yang of the Dao, any slight disturbance by the Demon Buddha Wujue would inevitably provoke a thunderous strike from that Heavenly Venerable. Furthermore, the karma of the great calamity of the Xuanmen in the past and the current great fortune of the Eastern Heaven are like two mountains pressing down on the Demon Buddha Wujue's head. No matter what, the Demon Buddha Wujue can never return to the realm of upholding the Dao.

Even setting aside the realm of Dao, under the suppression of the karma of the Xuanmen Calamity and the fortune of the Eastern Heaven, it was already difficult for him to maintain his Pure Yang status. Not to mention that both Kaiyuan Tianzun and Jinjue Buddha were watching his whereabouts, so the Demon Buddha Wujue could only hide everywhere and had no time to recover.

Lingding Arhat is a great Arhat who has reached the realm of upholding the Dao. He is the chief Arhat of the Great Lingyin Temple. Looking across all the heavens, there are only a handful of Arhats who can be on par with him, such as Baozhen Arhat of the Tara Buddha School in the Secret Realm, Yingxiang Arhat of the Great Brahma Temple in the Treasure Realm, Huakong Arhat of the Shinu Tantric School in the Brahma Realm, and the Dragon-Subduing Arhat of the Tianlong Temple in the Southern Continent of the Great Thousand Worlds in the Three Realms who once rebelled from the Hengsha Realm.

The great Arhats of the Vajra Path in Buddhism are all named and countable. There are only five such great Arhats in the entire universe who have reached the level of upholding the Dao. Each of them is physically invincible and possesses great supernatural powers. They can capture dragons and subdue tigers, eliminate demons and suppress evil. Their Vajra wrath is enough to burn away all evil spirits and ignite star seas and continents.

Especially Lingding Luohan, as the head of the Luohans of Dalingyin Temple and the attendant of Jinjue Buddha, Lingding Luohan's cultivation method was personally guided by Jinjue Buddha, and he also had the fortune of Dalingyin Temple on his side, as well as many magic treasures in his hands. How could Wujue have escaped?

Inside the main hall, the Bodhisattvas and Arhats whispered among themselves, but the Arhat Lingding seemed not to hear them and simply kept his head down.

On the golden lotus throne, the Golden Buddha looked upon the myriad beings in the hall and then spoke softly: "In the kingdom of Mara, there is an old monk who has raised seven disciples."

As the Buddha Jinjue spoke, all the Bodhisattvas and Arhats in the hall fell silent and looked at the World Honored Buddha, listening to his teachings.

But then the Buddha Jinjue said, "Now that I am old, I have decided to choose one of my disciples to inherit my mantle."

"Among the seven disciples, some knelt before the Buddha statue to chant sutras to show their piety, some served the old monk diligently to show their filial piety, some recited Buddhist scriptures backwards to demonstrate their Buddhist knowledge, and some remained calm and unassuming to show their Buddhist heart."

The Buddha Jinjue smiled, his voice not loud but like thunder, like heavenly music entering the soul, making people feel calm and clear-headed, and peaceful and harmonious.

"Each of the seven disciples had his own strengths and weaknesses, and the old monk was at a loss as to what to do. When his friend came to visit and learned of this, he laughed and said, 'Since you don't know who to choose, why don't you give them a test to see who is most suitable to inherit your mantle and carry forward your knowledge.'"

"Then the old monk summoned his seven disciples and told them that he had an enemy who was the abbot of Tanluo Kingdom, three thousand miles away. The old monk asked his disciples to use their special abilities to bring the abbot to him to apologize, and whoever could inherit his entire mantle would be able to do so."

"Upon hearing this, the seven disciples immediately sprang into action. The eldest disciple, having the deepest understanding of Buddhist scriptures, decided to go and preach the Dharma to the abbot, hoping to make him realize his mistakes and come to him voluntarily. The second disciple, skilled in debate, planned to provoke the abbot into a debate; if he could win, the abbot would have to come to Mara's kingdom to apologize. The third disciple, adept in martial arts, was skilled in hand-to-hand combat, so he intended to storm the abbot's door and persuade him by force."

"The fourth disciple was skilled in pharmacology. He heard that a high-ranking official in the Kingdom of Tanluo was ill, and he intended to treat the official and then ask him to persuade the abbot to apologize. The fifth disciple was the most filial. He believed that one should treat others with sincerity and wanted to move the abbot with his filial piety, sincerely inviting him to come. The sixth disciple believed that nothing in the world is greater than reason, and he decided to investigate the rights and wrongs of the matter and then use morality to persuade the abbot to sincerely apologize. As for the seventh disciple, he felt that none of these methods were good."

Inside the main hall, the voice of the Golden Buddha resounded like thunder, as moving as a spiritual melody. The bodhisattvas and arhats listened intently, pondering how they would make the abbot apologize if they were in his shoes.

Seeing that the Bodhisattvas and Arhats in the hall were all deep in thought, Buddha Jinjue smiled and said, "Which disciple do you think can inherit the old monk's mantle?"

An Arhat spoke up, saying, "Buddha, I believe that the third disciple's method is straightforward and most likely to be successful."

“Young people may not be able to match the knowledge of an old monk when it comes to preaching and discussing the Dharma, and the same goes for debating scriptures. These are all too subjective. However, moving people with filial piety and pressuring them with reason are both of the same principle.”

As everyone looked, they saw that this Arhat had the head of a bull and the body of a human. His upper body was bare, revealing his bulging muscles. He wore a belt wrapped around his arms and red trousers. His eyes were bright and piercing, and his face was dignified and solemn. Once they saw that it was this Arhat, they were used to his speech: the Spirit Rhinoceros Arhat was most skilled at explaining the principles of martial arts.

"No and no."

"The principles of the world lie in the hearts of the people, not in fists and feet. Fists and feet may be intimidating, but they are not virtues."

"To persuade others with reason and sincerity is the right way."

This time, the speaker was a woman with a male appearance, a slender figure, dressed in light gauze and brocade, and smiling radiantly – the Bodhisattva Ling Shu.

Immediately, the Arhats and Bodhisattvas expounded their respective philosophies. Lingming Bodhisattva felt that the method of his four disciples was the most practical and easiest to implement; Mingji Bodhisattva believed that debate was the most suitable method for Buddhism; Zhenjiu Bodhisattva acknowledged that the laws of the world revolve around loyalty and filial piety, therefore one should move people with filial piety; and Lingchen Arhat believed that debating the Way and expounding scriptures also had merit.
The Buddha Jinjue's smile remained unchanged as he watched the bodhisattvas and arhats expound their Buddhist doctrines. After everyone had finished speaking, he looked at Arhat Lingding and asked, "Lingding, who do you think is most likely to inherit this old monk's mantle?"

Lingding Arhat thought for a moment, then said, "This disciple believes that the eldest disciple is the most likely candidate, because he is the elder, and his methods are also most in line with the principles of Buddhist Zen."

Golden Jue Buddha nodded and then looked at Mingxian Bodhisattva and Lingjue Bodhisattva: "And what about you two?"

Bodhisattva Mingxian smiled and said, “World Honored One, I think the youngest one is the most likely to inherit my mantle. After all, all the disciples have their own skills, and the youngest disciple is the easiest to inherit.”

Lingjue Bodhisattva said, "In my opinion, it is unlikely that these seven people could actually invite the abbot. I am probably just using this as an excuse to observe their character. In fact, I have already made a decision."

Buddha Jinjue couldn't help but laugh: "Lingjue, you're so cunning."

"However, you are right about one thing. I have already made my own decision. I sent my disciples to invite the abbot, not to invite him, because I know that no matter what method my disciples use, the abbot will not come to see him. Moreover, I know that the abbot must have cultivated a lot of connections to be able to serve as the head of a temple in Tanluo Kingdom."

"Therefore, the old monk didn't care about his disciples' methods at all. He just wanted to see what tricks the abbot had up his sleeve when dealing with his disciples, and how many connections he had cultivated in the Kingdom of Tanluo."

Inside the Mahavira Hall, the Bodhisattvas and Arhats suddenly realized what the Buddha Jinjue had said. It turned out that the World Honored One had long foreseen that Arhat Lingding would fail. So, sending Arhat Lingding this time was to see just how many people were hostile to the Great Lingyin Temple.
As Buddha Jinjue spoke, he looked at Arhat Lingding and asked, "Lingding, who did you encounter in the north this time?"

Arhat Lingding bowed his head: "Buddha, you are wise. I followed Wujue's trail to the Secret Realm, the Precious Image Realm, and the Great Wilderness Realm. In the end, Wujue escaped and even fought with the demons of the Great Wilderness Realm."

The bodhisattvas and arhats realized: they had encountered the demon race of the Great Wilderness Realm.

The Great Wilderness Realm is a sacred land of the demon race, with twelve royal courts. Even though the Great Sage of the Flood Dragon and the Great Sage of the Vermilion Bird have perished, and the Great Sage of the Heavenly Roc is trapped in the Southern Heaven Continent, the Great Wilderness Realm still possesses its foundation. There are still several Great Sages at the Dao-Holding Realm. It's normal that even if those demon race Great Sages joined forces, it would be difficult for the Arhat Lingding to fight them all. However, Bodhisattva Mingxian pressed on, "Those two didn't make a move?"

Everyone knew perfectly well who the two people mentioned by Bodhisattva Mingxian were; they were none other than the two great Arhats of the Secret Realm and the Precious Appearance Realm who had attained the Dao.

Lingding Luohan shook his head: "No."

Bodhisattva Mingxian frowned slightly, looking somewhat puzzled: "This is rather strange."

Bodhisattva Mingxian seemed lost in thought, Bodhisattva Lingjue lowered his brows and remained silent, and Buddha Jinjue slowly surveyed the myriad forms of sentient beings in the hall. Then, he raised his hand and with a flick of his wrist, a golden lotus seed flew into the Mahavira Hall from the lotus pond outside the Great Buddha Hall, which was as dazzling as a starry sea, and landed in Buddha Jinjue's hand.

Golden Buddha gently picked up a lotus seed and lightly burned it over the candle. As the golden lotus seed turned crimson, Golden Buddha flicked his finger, and the lotus seed fell into the mouth of Arhat Lingding. In just one breath, the injuries that Arhat Lingding had been forcibly suppressing began to recover, and the wounds healed one by one. The Arhat's body, which had been somewhat cracked, was restored to its original state in an instant, and his aura was even slightly stronger than before.

Seeing that Lingding Arhat's energy was stable, Golden Jue Buddha smiled and said, "Lingding, go and rest."

"Disciple thanks Buddha."

After bowing, Arhat Lingding withdrew, and all the Bodhisattvas and Arhats in the hall also left to do their respective studies.

Bodhisattva Mingxian and Bodhisattva Lingjue walked side by side. The two great Bodhisattvas left the Mahavira Hall and passed through the Lotus Sea and Golden Pond. Suddenly, Bodhisattva Lingjue asked, "Mingxian, do you know what method those seven disciples intend to use to invite the abbot to the Kingdom of Mara?"

Bodhisattva Mingxian shook his head: "I don't know, and I don't want to know."

Lingjue Bodhisattva, however, continued telling the story that Jinjue Buddha had not finished: "From beginning to end, the old monk was only testing the disciples' abilities and then seeing how the enemy was doing. It had nothing to do with their future. But the disciples did not know that the youngest disciple was afraid that the old monk would pass on his mantle to his other senior brothers."

"After thinking it over and over, he decided to strike first. After all, he also felt that his fellow disciples might not be able to invite the abbot. Since that was the case, he might as well force the old monk to hand over his mantle to him."

"Afterwards, while his senior brothers were in Tanluo Kingdom, the youngest disciple sharpened his sickle for cutting grass and went to the old monk's room at night, forcing the old monk to hand over his robe and bowl."

As he spoke, the Bodhisattva Lingjue shook his head and sighed, "What a pity! I never expected that a test would cause my youngest disciple to turn against me. I told my youngest disciple that I had already passed on all my teachings to them and there was nothing more I could teach him."

“The junior disciple said, ‘Since that’s the case, then you can give me the temple. From now on, I will wear your robe, carry your staff, recite your Buddhist scriptures, recruit disciples and followers for you, and repair the temples and pagodas. That will be my way of spreading Buddhism for you.’”

After saying this, Lingjue Bodhisattva left on his own, leaving Mingxian Bodhisattva standing there in silence.

The Heavenly Court, with its seven heavenly palaces.

Two golden-maned lions led the green bamboo cloud chariot through the sea of ​​clouds.

Jiang Sheng sat on the cloud chariot, his left hand supporting his head, seemingly dozing with his eyes closed, but the words of Immortal Lord Fuyun echoed in his mind.

"Neither the two Buddhist sects in the north nor the Great Wilderness Realm of the demon race gave face to that person from the Great Lingyin Temple."

"That Arhat Lingding was driven out of the Great Wilderness Realm by three Great Saints of the Demon Race. He was in a very sorry state."

"I've heard that the Buddhist sects beyond the Three Realms have formed an alliance to fight against the West. Who knows when the great calamity of Buddhism will break out?"

Immortal Lord Fuyun's words were definitely not drunken ramblings, but rather a deliberate and purposeful message to himself.

Based on the Zhenxiao Dao Sect's information network and connections throughout the myriad worlds, this news is at least 90% true. The great calamity of the Xuanmen has just passed, and the great calamity of the Buddhist sect is about to begin again.

Suppressing his thoughts, Jiang Sheng took out the jade box, his gaze deep. A World Fruit from a Middle Thousand World was a treasure whose value could not be measured by any rare and precious materials. Such a treasure represented a completely new and undeveloped world, a continuous stream of various resources, a vast amount of fortune and merit, and all sorts of possibilities.

However, Jiang Sheng had no intention of developing a middle-thousand world, nor did he have the energy to cultivate a new world. The greatest use of this World Fruit for Jiang Sheng was to help him reorganize and nurture his physical body, elevating it to the extreme of the ninth realm of cultivation, leaving no hidden dangers for the Pure Yang Path.

As for the cultivation and nourishment of the physical body after attaining Pure Yang, that cannot be compensated for by the World Fruit, unless Jiang Sheng can obtain a World Fruit from a Great Thousand World.

Compared to the vast worlds where there are only thirty-six positions, it is more convenient to use the pure yang qi after breaking through to the pure yang realm to nourish the physical body. Once you break through to the pure yang realm, even the weakest physical body can become indestructible and indestructible in the process of the ultimate sublimation of life and nature.

"This Fruit of the World has come at just the right time."

"If we use it, the karmic debt with the True Cloud Dao Sect and that Longevity Emperor will be difficult to repay."

As Jiang Sheng pondered, the communication jade talisman suddenly lit up, followed by Ye Qian's voice:
“Uncle Lingyuan, I have arrived at the time-space sand sea you mentioned.”

"But this place is strange. Although there is sand of time everywhere, it seems like I am seeing a different kind of sea."

A different kind of sea?
Jiang Sheng frowned slightly. Had something gone wrong in the Time-Space Sand Sea?

Could it be that some fragments of time and sand have shattered, releasing the essence of time and space within them?
Through the communication jade talisman, Ye Qian's voice grew increasingly ethereal, tinged with drowsiness and a hint of intoxication:
"Sea of ​​Ethereal Flowers"

Immediately, Ye Qian's voice stopped abruptly, and the communication jade talisman returned to silence.

Jiang Sheng looked at the communication jade talisman in his hand, his face calm, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: Ye Qian is in trouble! (End of this chapter)