This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 226 The Person Who Breaks Free from "Destiny"

Zhuang Lin's words upon his return were somewhat sudden, but it's easy to guess that something must have happened during his trip to the Taihang Mountains to warrant such a response.

"Have you discovered anything, sir?"

Seeing Zhuang Lin's solemn expression, Xi Miao's face also turned serious.

On the stargazing platform, all the students had already opened their eyes, while the people in the valley were still admiring the beauty of the stars and moon from other directions, unaware of what had happened.

Zhuang Lin glanced around and sat down on a small stool that was empty next to the table. The others subconsciously moved over as well.

"This time, Fellow Daoist Wuming and I must have encountered the person guarding the Five-Colored Divine Peak Secret Realm. Besides the Shamen Heavenly King we knew before, there was also a powerful demon."

In his narration, Zhuang Lin revealed everything he and Wuming had seen, as well as some of his own speculations.

First, they discovered the entrance to the Five-Colored Divine Peak Secret Realm.

When they were at Yanzhen Sect, Zhuang Lin only said that it was very likely that it was, but here at Yinxian Valley, he directly told Xi Miao and the others that it was!
Furthermore, Shamon King doesn't always stay there; he seems to leave occasionally. At least he wasn't there initially, but the timing is unpredictable, and it's unknown what he's doing or when he'll return.

Therefore, the time that can be completely determined is still the Obon festival four years later.

It was also this time that Liu Hongyu and others who were initially unaware understood why Zhuang Lin had said the best time to explore the Five-Colored Divine Peak was five years later.

Given the relationship between Xi Miao and her disciples and the Second Heavenly Sound Bodhisattva, it is not difficult for them to know some Buddhist festivals that are not exactly secrets. The Ullambana Festival is held every year in the human world, but not in the sacred Ling Mountain. The Small Ullambana Festival is held once every twelve years, and the Great Ullambana Festival is held once every sixty years.

The next one is not far away. When all the Buddhist venerable ones gather, the Shramana Heavenly King will definitely be there.

However, it is now known that in addition to the Shamen Heavenly King and the four remaining members of the Five Directions Jiedi, the Five-Colored Divine Peak also has the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings, represented by the One-Horned Ghost King.

At this point, Zhuang Lin looked at Xi Miao and asked her a question.

"Fellow Daoist Ximiao, do you know the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings? Have you heard of the One-Horned Ghost King?"

Xi Miao, who had been listening attentively, frowned slightly.

"Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings? One-Horned Ghost King? I've never heard of them before. At least they shouldn't be the kind that are widely known. Perhaps they are just kings in one place. That's not uncommon. For example, if I call myself a king, how many people outside of the Little Sacred Mountain area would recognize me? But from what you've said, sir, these Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings might be very powerful?"

The nameless man on the side nodded slightly.

"This time, my lord and I only saw one of them. That one was like a ghost or a demon with a single horn on its head and a body as hard as metal or stone. Even when the two masters of the True Dao joined forces, they could hardly defeat it without using their primordial spirits. Its cultivation was truly remarkable!"

This statement is tantamount to saying that both of the True Daoist masters are at the Nascent Soul stage, which is enough to show how powerful that demon is.

"There are seventy-two of these demonic creatures?"

One of the students couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "The Primordial Spirit Master is already one of the most outstanding masters on the path of immortality in the True Dao."

"This fiend is the leader of the seventy-two demon kings. The other seventy-one may not be as powerful, but they should not be underestimated!"

After Zhuang Lin said that, Xi Miao couldn't help but ask.

"How did you know there were seventy-two of them, and even their names?"

This is indeed difficult to explain. Zhuang Lin couldn't directly talk about "Journey to the West" either, since there is no such book in this world. However, he understood that some of the stories in the book were actually alluded to in this world.

"If I had to say, it would be that Zhuang's discerning eye is exceptional. Without regard to the cost, he can perceive certain rules and the essence of cause and effect, like looking against the grain amidst chaos."

Wuming's expression shifted as he recalled what had happened at Foguang Temple earlier that evening.

"Did you also use this special divine eye to see Master Mo Ke at Foguang Temple before?"

"Not bad!"

"Is there any burden? Will it damage the source?"

Xi Miao, who was also an expert in divination, expressed her concern. She knew that such a heaven-defying power would definitely come with a huge burden.

Zhuang Lin subconsciously rubbed his eyes.

"I know my limits. Sometimes I'll use them when necessary. Besides, the most crucial ones might not even be the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings and the Heavenly King of the Sand Gate."

Zhuang Lin finally voiced another guess.

Heaven and earth treat all things as straw dogs and treat them equally. The gods and Buddhas above are no different. Whether it is worldly disputes or even the various paths of cultivation, they are all regarded as straw dogs.

Of course, that's an exaggeration. It's just that while the various deities in Buddhism are powerful, the gods in the heavens are not necessarily weak either, and the various sects in the world may not be able to catch the eye of the gods and Buddhas. But when Zhuang Lin said this, Liu Hongyu couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"Do they see us as ants?"

Zhuang Lin frowned slightly. It was definitely inappropriate to say that. He was still considering his words when Xi Miao spoke up again, but her tone was not serious. Instead, it was somewhat amused.

"I understand somewhat what you mean, sir. It's not that they see us cultivators as ants, but rather that in their eyes—at least in the eyes of some Buddhist venerable ones—we are no different from the masses struggling in this world, destined to be subject to fate."

A cold glint flashed in Wuming's eyes.

"Hmph, as always, they think too highly of themselves. Do they think they can defy fate?"

Zhuang Lin also shook his head slightly at this moment.

"Obviously not, but at least for now they feel it is possible, and they have the means to do so. The thoughts of all things and beings in the world, though they can be imbued with the power of incense through prayer, do not rely entirely on incense. Rather, they exist as long as there is a thought, and deepen with faith. This applies to all things in heaven and earth. If they can grasp this principle, they can consciously see the world and all beings clearly!"

"Sir, is there any basis for your statement? Is it something that you perceive with your divine eye?"

Xi Miao asked a question with a solemn expression, but it was only a subconscious remark. When Zhuang Lin said those words, she vaguely sensed that it was not an empty statement.

Zhuang Lin thought for a moment but didn't explain further. Instead, he pointed to himself.

"Because I can also see and grasp this pattern."

This is not just empty talk; it is what I saw when I looked at the world before returning to Xiangyang. Although this realization came to me by chance, I still remember this feeling now. Perhaps it is also due to the combined influence of my attempt to reproduce the blue eyes and square pupils at Foguang Temple.

Since Zhuang Lin said so, everyone naturally stopped doubting it.

"That's why the master said when he returned that things in the afterlife need to be done faster, because although desires in the afterlife are more complex, they are not connected to that time and space, as if they have transcended the celestial order known to gods and Buddhas?"

"Not bad!"

In fact, it was possible to escape the fate of destiny in ancient times, but the conditions were quite strict. For example, the three children of the Wang family and their mother were naturally no longer subject to the fate of destiny in ancient times.

Wuming's expression flickered as he looked at the people around him and then at the group of people chatting and enjoying the scenery at the lower part of the observatory.

"So there are actually quite a few people who defy the natural order!"

"Not only are there many, but there are also a lot of them, and there must be many exceptionally talented individuals hidden among them. Many hands make light work, and I want to make good use of the Xuan Tian Yi!"

Upon hearing the name Xuan Tianyi, Xi Miao's eyes lit up.

Xi Miao didn't think that mortals in the Dharma-ending Age could be of much use in exploring the Five-Colored Divine Peak, but she became very interested when Zhuang Lin mentioned the Mysterious Heaven Instrument.

That treasure was forged in a later era, but it is incredibly wondrous. Its wonders are difficult to fathom in the later Dharma-ending Age, and it must have had a greater function that has not yet been realized.

"Sir, why don't we just 'borrow' the Xuan Tian Yi? With our abilities, we can do it without anyone noticing. Even if the Xuan Tian Yi is too heavy and huge, or if it has some special feature that makes it difficult to take away, no one can stop us from carrying it by force, right?"

Xi Miao said this with a smile, but when she saw Zhuang Lin turn his head to look at her with a serious expression, she couldn't help but stick out her tongue guiltily, and her smile became weak.

"That's just what I was saying."

Zhuang Lin sighed helplessly.

"Although we were setting a trap to lure people in, it was only to gain their trust and clarify our common goal. Trust needs to be deepened, but it cannot be broken. If we want to borrow the Xuan Tian Yi, we will do so openly and honestly!"

"understood"

Xi Miao's voice became very soft, and she lowered her head slightly. This was probably the first time Zhuang Lin had spoken to her in this tone, which made her feel quite flustered.

Liu Hongyu, on the other hand, was thinking about something else and was somewhat impatient.

"Then, Master, where should we begin? I think it's an important matter, but it can't be accomplished overnight. We'll have to see what Director Zhou thinks!"

Everyone understood what Liu Hongyu was saying, including Xi Miao, who hadn't been there before.

"That Director Zhou Xianglin, right? I'm sure I can help you, sir?"

The very name Zhou Xianglin implies that a drama is about to unfold!
As Xi Miao spoke, she looked at Zhuang Lin, who nodded slightly. There was no other way; in the Dharma-ending Age, there were no demons or monsters, or perhaps they still existed, but they were even rarer than ginseng fruit. So they had to find another way to deal with it!

(End of this chapter)