Knife splashing

Chapter 436: The Test of the Pioneer
The door of the temple ahead was not open.

There are three big characters "Yuanjue Hall" written on it.

Li Yan knew that this temple did not need to be opened, and that the Buddha Tathagata or the Twelve Bodhisattvas were enshrined inside.

It doesn’t matter who is inside, what matters is the breath.

The smell of blood was pungent, like a surging river, deviating from the mountain path, breaking through the thick fog, and leading to the other side.

At the end of the bloody smell, there is also a temple palace that can be vaguely seen, with the words "Blood River Palace" written on it.

When Li Yan saw this, his eyes were filled with surprise and doubt.

He had seen the map of famous mountains. It was older and slightly different from that in his previous life. Outside the Blood River Palace was the Naihe Bridge.

There is a waterway under the Naihe Bridge, which is called Huangquan by the people.

By the way, there is indeed a waterway that starts from Yuanjue Hall and leads to Naihe Bridge...

Li Yan looked at the breath and seemed to understand something.

I'm afraid this is a shortcut. By following this road, we can break through the formation and take a shortcut, saving most of the journey.

Everything that happened tonight was beyond his imagination.

It was as if all the gods of the famous mountain had come alive at this moment, trapping him in some kind of formation to test him.

This feeling is a bit like the mysterious realm of Baotong Zen Temple.

But it's even more mysterious and weird.

Li Yan was sure that this matter had nothing to do with the Huangquan Organization.

But he still had no idea who was behind this.

Without any hesitation, Li Yan turned around, avoided the bloody shortcut to the underworld, and continued along the mountain road.

Although he didn't know what was going on, his experience in two lifetimes told him that there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Sometimes, it seems that taking shortcuts can bring benefits, but perhaps in the future, you will have to bear a greater price.

Soon, the Buddhist temple was left behind.

In the thick fog on the left, a temple appeared again. It was not large and even a little dilapidated, but the smell of incense was very strong.

The three words "Tudi Temple" are written on it.

After seeing this, Li Yan bowed slightly.

“When one stands on a piece of land, one’s heart is filled with the peace of thousands of families.” The land god may be the smallest of the gods, but he is the most down-to-earth. Many villages and towns worship him.

Li Yan has always had a good impression of this secular god.

As for why offerings are made on famous mountains, the reason is very simple. According to rumors, the first stop for the souls of the dead from all over the country on their way to the underworld is the land temple.

Sure enough, the land temple did not make things difficult.

The smell of incense inside is still the same, plain and reassuring.

Passing through the land temple is the Sanqing Hall.

Just like the Yuanjue Hall just now, the Sanqing Hall also had its doors tightly closed and was hidden in the thick fog. It was blurry and there was no movement at all.

Li Yan bowed respectfully and continued on his way.

As expected, problems arose again during the rest of the journey.

After walking less than a hundred meters, I suddenly heard "hehehaha" laughter in the thick fog, as if countless babies were playing.

The laughter was full of childishness, making people let down their guard. Li Yan even looked a little dazed, with a trace of pity in his heart, and wanted to see what it was.

But at this moment, he felt a chill in his heart.

I woke up suddenly and discovered that in the thick fog on my right, there was a small temple. The door was wide open, the candlelight was dim, and there was no one guarding it.

On top of the shrine, there is a statue of a woman with a kind face and a fat baby in her arms.

Under the statue, there are densely packed ceramic dolls, both male and female, all white and plump, looking very much like the Fuwa in New Year pictures.

Many dolls are tied with red ropes.

Looking up, it was indeed the Temple of Childbirth.

This is "tying the doll".

This custom exists in many places in China.

Women who wanted to have children would come to the Temple of Childbearing, pick out their favorite doll, and tie a red string to it. After they had the child, they would come back to fulfill their wish and take off the red string.

In some places, the service is more thoughtful. You can spend a few dollars to take the doll home, and the temple priest will replenish it. In any case, the total amount cannot be less than three hundred and sixty.

As for the identity of the Goddess of Childbirth, some places say she is the wife of Emperor Dongyue, while others say she is Guanyin.

The one in front of me should be the wife of Emperor Dongyue.

Such secular gods are not gods who have ascended to heaven, nor are they gods created through sacrifices by humans or ghosts. Instead, they are the embodiment of people’s faith and represent the good wish for the continuation of their bloodline.

Li Yan raised his hand and smelled it. Sure enough, a scent of incense appeared on his wrist, vaguely outlining the shape of a rope.

"Why are you joining in the fun..."

Li Yan smiled, pinched his left hand, used the Yang Lei method, and arcs of electricity jumped on his right palm. With a light touch, he cut off the smell of incense.

“Hehehe…”

Inside the temple, the white porcelain dolls seemed to be shaking along with the laughter of children.

Li Yan shook his head slightly and continued walking.

A temple appeared again in front of us, named Thousand Hands Temple.

You don't need to look to know that the statue is dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Compared with Buddha, there are more images of Guanyin, and each statue represents different meanings.

The Willow Guanyin is compassionate and can cure illness; the Dragon Head Guanyin subdues evil spirits; the Sutra Holding Guanyin symbolizes wisdom; the Round Light Guanyin guides all living beings; the White-robed Guanyin washes away sins; the Lotus Lying Guanyin symbolizes ease and tranquility…

Its popularity is also among the top in China.

The Thousand-Armed Guanyin represents thousands of methods to save sentient beings.

Li Yan's expression became solemn and he took a step forward.

Sure enough, he fell into confusion in an instant, scenes from the past kept echoing before his eyes, and he stood there unable to move.

Many things change again and again in my mind.

He went straight to Lantian County and found a Taoist priest, asking him to perform a ritual to get rid of Lengtan's rampant soldiers and temporarily eliminate the threat. However, he lost the opportunity to awaken. Within two days, a mysterious person arrived and tortured his family to death...

He felt that Wang Daoxuan's cultivation level was too low, so he passed by him, but Xuanmen looked down on him, so he took Sha Lifei to take on jobs, and was wanted by the court. He was besieged to death by the masters of the Duwei Division...

There is not only a past, but also a future.

His Taoism gradually deepened, and he finally found Zhao Changsheng, but he was still manipulated by the other party, and died in frustration...

In order to gain strength, he began to practice the "Changsheng Xianku" and soon became a demon. He released the seventy-two demon lords, causing chaos in the world. The country was stained with blood, and he went crazy and died in the thunder...

These experiences tortured him time and time again.

Finally, Li Yan had an epiphany.

The mistakes of the past and the worries of the future are all demons in our hearts.

He no longer thought about things that were beyond his control. He just looked back at the past, summed up his experience, focused on the present, and tried his best to feel himself.

After an unknown amount of time, all the illusions disappeared.

Li Yan was silent for a moment, bowed slightly, and left quickly.

Although I was trapped in an illusion here and wasted a lot of time, it tempered my mind. I don’t know whether it is good or bad.

The surroundings were filled with thick fog, making it so groggy that one could not sense the time at all. This was a characteristic of the formation's illusion, but now it seemed simple.

Li Yan took out his pocket watch and was immediately shocked.

In the blink of an eye, it was already the Chou hour.

The tests that follow are even more varied.

Blocking the road ahead is the Bull King Temple, where the deity enshrined is not the Bull-Headed and Horse-Faced Deity, but the Bull God.

The people of Bashu have a deep affection for cattle. They say, "My parents gave me life, and the cattle raised me." Every October 1st, they hold a "Cattle King Meeting" to worship the cattle. The scene is extremely lively. When you come to the outside of the Cattle King Hall, the smell of incense turns into a group of cattle galloping, and the sound of "grass-pulling gongs and drums" can be heard.

Li Yan was anxious, so he grabbed the Divine Tiger Order and cast the Northern Emperor's Protective Spell. The tiger roared, dispersing the surrounding incense...

After that, there are the Temple of the God of Wealth, the Temple of the Three Officials, and the Temple of the Ten Kings.

The Temple of the God of Wealth charms people with its many illusions…

In the Sanguan Hall, three streams of incense turned into shadows and fought with him. The Heavenly Official bestowed blessings, the Earthly Official absolved sins, and the Water Official relieved misfortunes. The three powers were very different, forcing him to expend another Heavenly Thunder...

When they arrived at the Hall of Ten Kings, it was even more miserable.

According to the legend of Taoism, the Ten Kings of Hell are under the command of the Great Emperor of Beiyin Fengdu, and can be considered as one of their own people.

But these "insiders" seem to be more severe.

King Qin Guang was in charge of the Book of Life and Death. In just a moment, it seemed as if his body was torn off and he was thrown into a living hell by King Chu Jiang, where he was subjected to various tortures such as iron beds, steel forks, swords, and plows.

Here, he seemed to have lost the power to resist. After finally getting through, he was thrown into the Black Rope Hell again...

In this way, Li Yan almost collapsed mentally under repeated torture. Fortunately, he had the Daluo Dharma Body, which could alleviate the trauma of his soul.

Even so, after the Ten Palaces, his hands and feet were weak, his vision went dark, and he almost fell to the ground.

Of course, this also has its advantages.

He cultivated too fast, and the repeated tortures seemed to strip away all distracting thoughts from his soul, making his foundation more solid.

Of course, Li Yan wouldn't be grateful at all.

His face was gloomy. He touched the Five-sided Luofeng Flag in his arms, vaguely guessed something, gritted his teeth and continued to move forward.

After crossing the Naihe Bridge and the Blood River Palace, there was another round of tests. The thick blood energy gathered into the Yellow Spring. It seemed that countless ghosts were roaring, tempting him to jump down.

Behind me, I could hear the voices of people close to me.

Wang Daoxuan, Sha Lifei, and Lu San shouted for help...

His grandfather cried about the torture he suffered in hell...

Li Yan turned a deaf ear and cast the Beidi protective spell to speed up.

The doors of the remaining palaces, including the Queen Mother's Palace, the Jade Emperor's Palace, and the Star Lord's Palace, were all tightly closed, until the last, the Emperor's Palace.

The Emperor's Hall still worships the Northern Yin Fengdu Emperor.

After Li Yan stepped in, there was nothing unusual. He frowned slightly, respectfully lit three incense sticks, then turned around and walked out.

At this moment, the sky was already slightly brighter.

The thick fog around also thinned a little, but it was still dim and made the Wangxiang Terrace in front look even more eerie.

According to legend, Wangxiangtai is the starting point of reincarnation. Here, wandering ghosts can take one last look at their hometown relatives before entering reincarnation and having no connection with their previous lives.

Stepping onto the Wangxiang Terrace, Li Yan finally couldn't help but look back.

I saw the thick fog behind me dissipating rapidly, and a monk on the mountain rang a bell. The entire famous mountain seemed to have turned back into the world of the living from the underworld.

Finally passed!

As long as you pass Wangxiangtai, people from the Huangquan Organization will pick you up.

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief, but after he turned around, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine and pulled out the Dust-Breaking Sword with a clang.

He saw a blurry figure appearing on the Wangxiang Terrace at some point, wearing Chinese clothing similar to a Taoist robe, with a tall bronze crown on his head, and his back was facing away from him.

In the dark, a vicissitudes of life voice echoed in my ears:

"I have only tied my hair, and when I was young I was fond of morality. I left home to follow my teacher, and traveled east, west, south, and north, leaving the five turbidities behind...Beside the famous mountain, I had no clothes in the cold, no food in the hunger, no time to go home in the longing, and no time to rest in the fatigue..."

It’s Yin Changsheng!

Li Yan was stunned for a moment, feeling it was unbelievable.

Yin Changsheng left behind several poems, and this is one of them, describing his experience of practicing Taoism. Li Yan looked up information and had already memorized it.

But as he listened, he realized something was wrong.

The first part of this poem is similar to the record in "Biographies of Immortals", but the latter part is completely different, describing how he became a living ghost messenger.

The other party's living ghost messenger was older than him. At that time, he was called the Yellow-Robed Man of Mount Tai, and he also had the means of walking in secret.

It can pass through the Ghost Gate of Mount Tai and travel between Yin and Yang.

There is no communication between heaven and man, so many people who have gone through the underworld will forget what they have experienced after waking up.

But Yin Changsheng had a secret treasure. After waking up, he could still remember what he saw and heard. Based on the information he heard, he learned advanced techniques and avoided disasters.

And finally, it tells the secrets of the great Dharma Realm!
Li Yan's heart trembled and he couldn't help but step forward.

In the Guiguzi Sutra Forest, he first saw the name "Daluo Fajie" on the stone tablet in the center.
This is the greatest secret between heaven and earth.

And his Daluo Dharmakaya is most likely related to it!
I didn't expect to hear it again from Yin Changsheng.

However, when he wanted to hear clearly, Yin Changsheng's shadow seemed to be disturbed by some force, becoming blurred and the voice was intermittent, "Dharma Realm... Heaven... Divine Gang... Mortal Incense..."

puff!
Finally, Yin Changsheng's shadow completely dissipated.

At the same time, an object rolled to the ground with a bang.

Li Yan looked down and saw that they were actually two jade carvings. One was engraved with cloud and thunder patterns, representing the sky, and the other was engraved with five elements patterns, representing the earth. There were also grooves in between.

The jade is similar to white jadeite, and the carving is simple and natural. I don’t know what era it is from, and it is filled with a familiar smell.

This flavor...

Li Yan frowned slightly, took out the hook from his arms, and with two clicks, he inlaid the two pieces of jade at the upper and lower ends.

Call ~
The wind around was rumbling, and there seemed to be a sighing sound.

Li Yan looked behind him suspiciously.

But the whole famous mountain had returned to normal. A Taoist priest yawned and walked out of the hut next to the Emperor's Palace. When he saw him, he glared at him and said, "Stop, where did you come from, little thief?"

Li Yan ignored him, and his feet exerted hidden strength, as if he could shrink the distance into an inch, and he disappeared from the Wangxiang Terrace in a flash.

The Taoist swallowed his saliva, and hurried into the Emperor's Palace to burn incense, muttering to himself, praying to the Emperor for protection and to drive away the evil spirits.

On the other side, Li Yan was also moving very fast.

He could vaguely sense that the function of the certificate must have changed, but for now he had better meet with the man in black first, so as not to spend a whole night on it only to be told by the other party that it was not completed.

When we arrived outside Shangguan Palace, there was a Taoist priest waiting outside.

Seeing Li Yan, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he bowed, "It seems that Fellow Daoist Li has passed. I am preparing to pick you up."

The voice was clear, and it wasn't the same person from last night.

And he is a secular person, probably from the outer circle of Huangquan organization.

"lucky."

Li Yan bowed slightly, "The one last night..."

"We went down the mountain in the middle of the night."

The Taoist shook his head and said, "A powerful demon has sneaked into Fengdu City. All the people on the boats at the dock have been killed. Even Bai Kui and his grandson almost got hurt."

"They have gone down the mountain to deal with it. Let me wait for you here."

"Oh?"

Li Yan was a little surprised, "What kind of demon dares to come here and cause trouble?"

"I don't even know."

Seeing that he could not get any information from them, Li Yan went down the back mountain and took a detour to the riverside.

Sure enough, the grandfather and grandson’s boat was not waiting.

Fortunately, there were already people who had gotten up early to go up the mountain to burn incense. Li Yan called a ferry to take himself back to Fengdu Pier.

As soon as he got off the boat, he sniffed at the air and his face turned ugly.

He smelled a familiar scent.
It was the demon in the cave under the Goddess Peak...

(End of this chapter)