This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 274 Collapse of Faith
The Buddha's light from the film studio briefly illuminated this area of ​​the sky, but it was quickly contained within the Linglong Pagoda Square area by external magic.

Apart from the disciples of Hidden Immortal Valley and the relevant personnel of the Bureau of Investigation, no one outside the scenic area could see it. Even the military police on the perimeter could only see some bright light inside and faintly hear some Buddhist chants.

Some agents from the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations fiddled with portable cameras, recording everything before them while simultaneously being shocked by what they were seeing.

Although I already knew about this beforehand, it's still hard for most people to remain calm when they see it with their own eyes.

"I never imagined that in this ordinary scenic area, an ancient pagoda would be a place to suppress evil spirits!"

"Yes, who would have thought? Luckily, there are fewer evil spirits in modern times."

The two team members were whispering to each other, while their team leader, who was not far away, looked serious. He was of a higher rank and knew more.

While there are fewer evil spirits in modern times, this is not absolute. Changes will occur in the near future, and this is inevitable and unavoidable.

The Buddha's light in the exquisite pagoda did not last very long, but for the old monk Mo Ke, it seemed as long as a century, or even longer, as if he were reliving his own spiritual journey.

He has gradually grown from a young novice monk to his current level of cultivation.

It was like a long dream, and Zhuang Lin, traveling in his primordial spirit, entered this "dream" and witnessed a part of its contents.

Outside the pagoda, although Xi Miao and Wuming did not miss any details, their perspectives were ultimately different, and they could only see various changes. Sometimes they could see some scenes clearly, and sometimes they were very blurry. The key was that it was too fast and too chaotic, and they knew even less than Zhuang Lin.

When everything calmed down, only the old monk sitting cross-legged on the ground and Zhuang Lin standing beside him remained in the temple.

"Amitabha! This humble monk has finally achieved his wish. Thank you, Holy One!"

After chanting a Buddhist prayer, the old monk rose and bowed deeply to Zhuang Lin. When he straightened up, tears were streaming down his face.

At this point, the old monk finally understood his past clearly, no longer confused about it, and was able to see it in its entirety.

Zhuang Lin looked calmly at the old monk before speaking after a long while.

"Aren't you one of the Five Directions Protector, or Maha Protector?"

Or rather, it wasn't the Five Directions Protector that Zhuang Lin originally thought it was, but he had indeed occupied that position before, which made Zhuang Lin feel very conflicted and puzzled at this moment.

The old monk Mo Ke remained kneeling, straightened his upper body, and clasped his hands together.

"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk has never claimed to be Mahagateti. That was merely a desire and greed. This humble monk is simply myself, simply Mahagateti. This humble monk has my own cultivation and does not need to become anyone else. It is also thanks to the Holy One that this humble monk has been able to return to my complete self!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang temporarily put aside the complicated thoughts in his mind. No matter what, even though this old monk had once been one of the Five Guardians guarding the Colorless Divine Mountain.

"I don't need any repayment from you. Just tell me everything about the Five-Colored Divine Mountain, and then you can go and cultivate as you wish!"

Although Zhuang Lin seemed to have glimpsed the old monk's life trajectory, he couldn't see anything related to the Five-Colored Divine Mountain. Clearly, there was some kind of constraint involved, so the old monk himself had to explain.

Upon hearing this request, the old monk's expression changed slightly, and he looked up at Zhuang Lin before shaking his head.

"Ok?"

"This humble monk cannot speak!"

"why?"

Zhuang Lin looked solemnly at the old monk, whose expression remained calm.

“I know that the Holy Venerable’s cultivation is unparalleled in the world, and I also know that the Holy Venerable has boundless wisdom. However, the Five-Colored Divine Mountain is full of evils and can only be left to perish without being disturbed. If the Holy Venerable intervenes, it will surely shake the tranquility of my Buddhist practice and bring endless grievances to the world.”

Zhuang Lin frowned, then chuckled.

"What? You've practiced the Dharma you've encountered for many years, yet you've reaped karmic consequences from your Buddha-nature, and you still firmly believe in these things? Isn't that absurd?"

The old monk remained calm as he knelt before Zhuang Lin and spoke indifferently.

"My current clarity is due to the Holy One's compassion. If the Holy One wishes to take my life, I will have no regrets. Amitabha."

The words eventually transformed into a series of Buddhist chants, and the old monk began reciting scriptures inside the exquisite pagoda.

This scripture clearly possesses the power to bring inner peace, yet Zhuang Lin's brow furrowed as he listened.

Outside the exquisite pagoda, Wuming snorted coldly with a grim expression. Ximiao, feeling somewhat irritated by the chanting, went directly into the pagoda.

"Old monk, how do you know that if you interfere with the Five-Colored Divine Mountain, it will definitely bring endless karmic retribution? And do you think there is little karmic retribution in the world now?"

Xi Miao's words stopped the old monk's chanting. He looked up at the beautiful woman beside him, who seemed like a fairy. He could sense a hint of demonic energy, but he couldn't see her background.

The old monk at this moment was not the same as before. His Buddha eyes were once one of the Five Directions, but Xi Miao appeared no different from an ordinary person in his eyes.

You should know that many demon kings that the old monk Mo Ke had seen, even though they were highly skilled, were not perfect. Some still had horns, some still had tails, some still had scales and fur, and some still had hooves and paws. The only difference was whether they were obvious or not, and whether they were well hidden or not. But he could not see through this one.

Perfect transformation!

The thought quickly came to the old monk's mind, and he nodded slightly.

"Indeed, to receive guidance from the Holy Venerable, young lady is no ordinary person. Cherish this opportunity and refrain from causing trouble!"

Hearing this, Xi Miao was immediately furious. She had risked her life to cultivate herself to this level, but in this old bald monk's mouth, she had become a demon enlightened by the master.

Suppressing her anger, Xi Miao glanced at Zhuang Lin, whose expression was slightly embarrassed. Just as he was about to speak, Xi Miao looked at the old monk first and questioned him.

"I am asking you why you bring about endless karmic retribution, and I am also asking you how you explain the multitude of karmic debts in the world today? Did the Buddha teach you to only run away? Perhaps if you speak well, you will give up that thought, sir?" The old monk stared intently at Xi Miao, then looked at Zhuang Lin to the side.

"Right and wrong are hard to say. I do not know who the Holy One is, but I know that you are full of great goodness. All the Buddhas are the same and have immeasurable wisdom. However, the Holy One's thoughts may arise at a moment. Why disrupt the order of the Buddhas?"

As for this world...

The old monk, unaware that he was in the modern world, thought he was in his original time and space. Naturally, he thought of the chaos in the world and couldn't help but sigh.

"All the grievances in the world arise from people themselves; they are nothing more than the cycle of cause and effect, retribution, and the laws of nature!"

"He won't listen to reason!" Xi Miao clenched her fists in anger.

Zhuang Lin, watching from the side, smiled, as if the tense atmosphere had eased, and simply asked a question calmly.

"Master, you keep chanting Amitabha Buddha. May I ask, Master, since the Buddhas possess immeasurable wisdom, surely the future is promising?"

"Amitabha Buddha, that is exactly right!"

"How can we expect anything?"

Zhuang Lin asked a follow-up question, and the old monk answered.

"It can bring immeasurable benefits, transform evil in the world, and restore a promising future to heaven and earth. All the gods and Buddhas have established laws and regulations, and all living beings live in peace here. This is the righteous principle of the cycle of heaven. Even if the connection between heaven and earth is severed, it is still part of the cycle of heavenly law. Just as flowers bloom again, this place has its own solution. May the Buddha have mercy!"

Zhuang Lin understood, as did Xi Miao, and even those still standing outside the tower revealed a cold smile. Only the two students beside the tower and a few members of the Bureau of Investigation in the shadows were still somewhat confused.

Although the old monk "woke up," he was not fully awake. He realized that he was just himself, but he could not understand another layer of spiritual constraints.

But it's not his fault; after all, those involved are often blinded by their own perspective!

Zhuang Lin laughed and grabbed the old monk's robe, while the latter clasped his hands together, seemingly closing his eyes and awaiting death.

The next moment, the old monk felt his body lift off the ground and tumble upwards in an instant. A sudden surge of acceleration was followed by a feeling of weightlessness, which made him open his eyes.

At this moment, Zhuang Lin and the old monk had already ridden the wind and clouds to the sky, reaching a high altitude.

The old monk, sitting atop a cloud, looked at Zhuang Lin with surprise, while the latter glanced down at him.

"You shouldn't be shocked by me, but by this whole world. Open your eyes and look at your future."

Zhuang Lin spoke calmly, then simply stood there, while the old monk subconsciously looked around, then his heart skipped a beat.

Gradually, the old monk slowly stood up, gazing at the surrounding world. He could no longer maintain his composure, and his lips trembled slightly.
"Could it be an illusion, a mirage?"

"Don't deceive yourself. How could you not know whether it's an illusion or not? The gods and Buddhas have set laws and regulations, so how can all living beings live in peace here? Where are the gods and Buddhas? Are all living beings born but soulless?"

"Hmph, let alone those things, can the Heavenly Dao still cycle? And for how long? Is this the wisdom of the Venerable Ones? Is this the perfect future?"

The old monk trembled, his expression filled with an unprecedented fear.

"How could this be? If it were as the World Honored One said, could it be the severing of the connection between heaven and earth? No, no! Even though the world changes, time passes quickly. How could the world change color in an instant? It's an illusion, an illusion. Your Highness, your cultivation is supreme. Even if you cast a spell, this humble monk cannot break it. It's an illusion."

Seeing that the old monk was showing signs of losing his faith, Zhuang Lin remained calm.

"I swear on my Daoist heart that what the master saw was not an illusion. As for why it is so, it is naturally due to the vicissitudes of life and the passage of time!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuang Lin took the old monk and soared into the sky, continuously flying forward, passing over land, mountains, rivers, and cities.
Everything in the world is no longer the same as it used to be. Everything has undergone earth-shattering changes, which cannot be accomplished overnight and even exceeds the old monk's imagination.

This is not the era we are familiar with, but the modern era, sixteen or seventeen hundred years later, a time of desolation and death for all beings!

The following night, Zhuang Lin led the old monk back to the Donghai City Film and Television City.

The old monk's faith had crumbled. He looked down at the brightly lit city below, where the film studio was just a small patch on the edge of the city, merely an imitation of antiquity.

They landed back in front of the pagoda, where the lights were on again. Besides Xi Miao and the others who were still waiting in the same spot, the agents and related personnel from the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations also dared not rest and all waited there.

But the old monk seemed like a different person. He went from being calm and peaceful to being completely disoriented. When he landed, he couldn't even stand up and just slumped on the ground.

"How could it have come to this? How could it have come to this? Heaven and earth are about to perish! How could it have come to this? Even the Buddhas and all the venerable ones are lying? Where is the Buddha now?"

Zhuang Lin stood beside the old monk, looking down at him. This person, who should have understood Buddhist principles the most, seemed to be missing the most crucial part, and Zhuang Lin couldn't help but feel sorry for him and laugh at him.

Recalling everything he once knew, Zhuang Lin murmured something.

"Master, now those who enjoy the offerings of incense have become mere clay and wooden sculptures."

Zhuang Lin paused slightly, looked at the old monk who turned his head in confusion, and nodded to add a sentence.

"And the Buddha is the enlightened one. Your previous enlightenment contained some of this meaning. The Buddha is still here!"

These words seemed to offer a kind of redemption, and even possessed a magical power. The old monk's state of mind gradually underwent a kind of sublimation from collapse, and after a long period of bewilderment, he slowly returned to peace.

The Buddha is still here!
"Amitabha."

At this moment, the old monk seemed to have realized something, and he looked at Zhuang Lin, understanding that this holy master might have also realized this.

"This humble monk will inform the Holy One of everything he knows about the Five-Colored Divine Peak. This humble monk also needs paper and pen."

(End of this chapter)