https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-280-279-Western-Buddhist-Monks-Our-Land-of-China-is-a-Nation-of-Etiquette-Part-1-/12587173/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-281-The-Thunder-Monk-Bestows-an-Opportunity-Leaving-a-Fragrant-Memory-Part-1-/12587175/
Chapter 280: 279. Western Buddhist Monks, Our Land of China is a Nation of Etiquette (Part 2)
Chapter 280: 279. Western Buddhist Monks, Our Land of China is a Nation of Etiquette (Part 2)
The nearby mountains and plants were instantly dyed in a kaleidoscope of colors, which continued to spread outward, enveloping Lei Jun.
This was the divine ability of Tian Linlong, the Great Gu Master of the Seventh Heaven.
It was called the Qing Zhuo Gu (Purity-Turpitude Gu).
The colorful hues seemed incongruous with the concept of purity and turbidity, yet it was the most renowned poison Gu in the Yin Shan Valley lineage.
Purity and turbidity represent the two extremes of change.
All the poisons in the world can be transformed from turbidity to purity, becoming a part of Tian Linlong's Gu technique and augmenting his spiritual power.
When the Qing Zhuo Gu is released, it can transform purity into turbidity, turning all things, whether living beings or inanimate objects, into deadly poisons, and it continues to spread relentlessly.
This is known as the endless flow of poison, scorching the earth for a thousand miles.
Tian Linlong, severely injured and with most of his Gu worms destroyed, found his divine soul extremely weak. The Qing Zhuo Gu could even backfire on him.
However, by releasing it, he not only relieved some of the pressure he was under but also, with minimal effort, polluted the surrounding heavens and earth, quickly generating the most potent poison to counter-attack and block Lei Jun.
When Lei Jun had first come to this world, aside from Xu Yuanzhen, there were also Gu Masters from South Wasteland operating in those mountains.
At that time, those two Gu Masters were descendants of Tian Linlong's lineage and were facing pursuit and killing by Tang Dynasty cultivators due to the poison Gu massacre in a village.
If it hadn't been for the Heavenly Master's Seal purifying the poison in Lei Jun's body, and if he had encountered those South Wasteland Gu Masters, his fate would have been completely different.
At this moment, facing the vast expanse of Gu poison generated by Tian Linlong, Lei Jun's heart remained calm and unperturbed.
The profound thunder, silent and invisible, spread out.
The monotonous black instantly covered the vibrant hues.
Tian Linlong's Qing Zhuo Gu was extremely toxic, permeating all things, and if it had been faced with the Lei Fa (Thunder Technique) of a Three Heavens or Lower Three Heavens descendant of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, even the thunder might have been polluted.
However, against Lei Jun's profound thunder, the Gu poison was instantly cleansed without a trace.
Tian Linlong was filled with a mixture of shock, anger, and fear.
Lei Jun, the one who had killed his disciple Zhao Sen, had kept a low profile over the years, but how could Tian Linlong not have paid attention to him?
Just hearing that Lin Chi of Jiangzhou and Qi Shuo of Huang Tian Dao had successively fallen to this young Taoist priest was enough to know that he was not easy to deal with.
But now, facing him directly, Tian Linlong discovered that he was even stronger than the rumors suggested.
And even more insidious!
Your bull-nosed demeanor and methods are more sinister and vicious than anyone from the South Wasteland Witchcraft Sect!
Elder Tian's heart was filled with indignation, standing on a moral high ground and condemning the young man.
However, none of these thoughts could help him now.
At this moment, Tian Linlong had completely abandoned any idea of confronting Lei Jun and was solely focused on using the strange and mysterious techniques of the Gu Masters to escape with his life.
... Expose him!
This must be exposed!
If I can escape today, I will reveal his true colors to the whole world!
Tian Linlong's divine soul disintegrated once more, scattering into countless Gu worms, each fleeing for its life.
Before the Gu worms could fully disperse, Lei Jun's hand suddenly held a seven-section green bamboo staff.
With a flick of the bamboo staff, purple and golden lights alternated, instantly freezing countless Gu worms in mid-air.
Tian Linlong's divine soul was also immobilized.
With another swift strike from Lei Jun, the divine soul of the great Gu master was completely shattered.
The difference was evident when compared to Tian Linlong voluntarily disintegrating his divine soul.
After his soul shattered, countless Gu worms perished along with him.
Even the Gu worms he had cultivated were rendered useless at this moment, thoroughly extinguishing any possibility of Tian Linlong's last-ditch struggle.
Lei Jun had directly struck him dead with the Upper Clarity Jade Celestial Bamboo!
"A conclusion to the past," Lei Jun calmly put away his treasure.
With Tian Linlong's life force completely extinguished, the Gu worms turned to ashes, revealing some hidden items he had on him.
As he had abandoned his previous dwelling, he carried quite a few things with him on this trip.
However, the first thing that caught Lei Jun's attention was an unexpected treasure.
A string of Buddhist prayer beads.
The beads shimmered with a faint golden light, exuding genuine compassion and purity, unmistakably an orthodox Buddhist artifact rather than a mimicry from the Witchcraft Sect.
When Lei Jun touched the artifact, a name appeared in his mind:
Secret Treasure Prayer Beads
Lei Jun immediately thought of the middle fortune slip that mentioned Haneda Peak.
Tian Linlong had returned from Haneda Peak.
However, Lei Jun wasn't sure if these Secret Treasure Prayer Beads were the five-grade opportunity mentioned in the fortune slip.
Indeed, the opportunity grade wasn't exceptionally high.
But that didn't diminish the value of the Secret Treasure Prayer Beads; it was likely considered a five-grade opportunity for Lei Jun, a Daoist cultivator, as it wasn't particularly relevant to him.
Life is indeed full of surprises.
Lei Jun hadn't gone to Haneda Peak.
If he had chosen to go elsewhere instead of heading towards Gaoweng Mountain, Tian Linlong might have kept the Secret Treasure Prayer Beads safely, and their paths would never have crossed.
But coincidentally, both Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai changed their route to Qingguo Valley.
Yuan Mobai happened to encounter a powerful Nine Li expert, and their battle attracted Tian Linlong, forcing him to flee.
As a result, Tian Linlong stumbled back into Lei Jun's path.
Fate, indeed, works in mysterious ways.
As for the Secret Treasure Prayer Beads...
"As still as the earth, as serene and profound as a secret treasure."
Lei Jun pondered the Buddhist teachings, feeling a sense of resonance.
He shook his head slightly and, as usual, kept the item safely stored away for future research when he had more time.
Lei Jun skillfully wiped away any traces of his presence at the scene with a swipe of the dark side of the Heavenly Tome and once again concealed himself with the aid of the Xuan Xu Jing and Tian Xing Lu as he departed.
..............................
Not long after Lei Jun left, the void above the area began to distort.
Petals of white lotuses drifted out from the distortion.
Amidst the lotuses, a young monk with a dignified bearing and a handsome countenance appeared.
He scanned the surroundings with a slight frown, asking, "Am I too late? Which way did he go?"
The monk closed his eyes in contemplation, his body surrounded by a gentle Buddhist radiance that illuminated the area.
However, his Buddhist radiance soon faded as he sensed something else.
From another direction, a towering figure of a middle-aged man clad in armor emerged.
His entire body exuded a scorching aura, like a sun that had descended upon the mortal realm.
In his hand was a long pike, black as ink with a faint golden gleam, emanating a chilling killing intent.
It was none other than the commander of the Tang Dynasty's Divine Strategy Army, Shangguan Yunbo.
"Rebel, face your death!" Shangguan Yunbo wasted no time as he swung his pike, aiming to strike down the young monk surrounded by white lotuses.
The young monk who had caught Shangguan Yunbo's attention was none other than the future Buddha of the White Lotus Sect, the future Maitreya.
Having just escaped Shangguan Yunbo, he now found himself pursued once more. The future Maitreya sighed silently.
The White Lotus Sect's most precious treasure, the pristine Nine-Petaled Lotus Platform, appeared, carrying the young monk as he evaded Shangguan Yunbo's attack.
In his search for the Buddhist treasure, he had been slightly delayed, only to be entangled again. Alas...
The young monk swept his gaze across the area, realizing that aside from Shangguan Yunbo, other Tang Dynasty Divine Strategy Army generals had appeared, surrounding him from different directions.
..............................
Near Qingguo Valley, two red-robed Western Buddhist monks stood on a mountain, gazing into the distance.
The older-looking monk, Dragon Kindness, spoke, "The Tang Court warriors have caught up with someone from the White Lotus Sect, and that person's identity is rather important."
The younger-looking monk, Sangjie, fixed his gaze on the distant horizon.
Although they couldn't see the battlefield where the future Maitreya and Shangguan Yunbo clashed, their minds were drawn to it nonetheless.
After a moment, Sangjie withdrew his gaze, saying, "It's not a bad thing that they've encountered each other."
After a brief pause, Sangjie's expression turned solemn as he asked, "Are there any further updates about the Buddhist treasure that appeared in Haneda Peak previously?"
Being a treasure that attracted the future Maitreya's attention, prompting him to come to the Southern Wasteland in search of it, it was undoubtedly extraordinary and had also caught Sangjie's interest.
"There's no further news for now. I've only heard that it was obtained by someone from the Southern Wasteland's Witchcraft Sect," Dragon Kindness replied.
"Keep a close eye on it," Sangjie instructed.
Dragon Kindness nodded and then asked, "I wanted to see how the Tang Court people would fare against the Nine Li people, testing their strength. But now that the Tang Court's attention is focused on the White Lotus heretics, what about the Nine Li?"
Unless absolutely necessary, they naturally didn't want to directly confront the Nine Li themselves.
Even though they might be future adversaries, there was no need for it at the moment.
On the contrary, it would be ideal if the forces of the Human Path Nation or some other powers clashed directly with the Nine Li.
It was unfortunate that most people shared the same idea.
"What do you think of Yuan Mobai from the Heavenly Master's Mansion?" Sangje Shangren asked.
Dragon Kindness replied, "He is a mild-mannered and humble man, but not to be underestimated."
He turned to his companion, "Tricking him into going to You Ning Lake... Yuan Mobai is a Mountain Beastkin, and there seems to be some entanglement between him and the Jiuli."
And it's uncertain if it will end well.
Earlier, Sangje Shangren had been injured by Tang Xiaotang, but now his face showed no signs of resentment or anger, and his tone remained calm as he asked, "Is there a chance?"
Dragon Kindness said, "Although the matter was brought to light earlier, the Heavenly Master's Mansion probably still holds a grudge and remains vigilant towards our temple. It won't be easy to lure him to You Ning Lake, but as long as we don't reveal our intentions, given Yuan Mobai's personality, he won't argue with us directly."
Sangje Shangren asked, "I heard that the Heavenly Master's Mansion is diligently searching for a lost treasure?"
Dragon Kindness replied, "Using that as bait, we can mislead them by saying that there are traces of the Human Path Nation or even the Yellow Heaven Dao Sect. We can invite him to investigate."
Sangje Shangren said, "In that case, I'll trouble you, Senior Brother. I won't show myself, so he'll have fewer misgivings. I'll support you from the shadows later."
The elderly monk formed a hand seal in front of his chest and agreed.
..............................
Lei Jun arrived at the Qingguo Valley area but received a mental message from his master, Yuan Mobai, mentioning that he had encountered Dragon Kindness, the abbot of the Vajra Temple.
There was an awkwardness between them due to their previous competition for the Heavenly Master's Seal.
However, Sangje Shangren had already been beaten by Tang Xiaotang, so with the mediation of the Tang court, they temporarily swept the matter under the rug.
Dragon Kindness was very polite and apologetic.
He even brought up the matters of the Human Path Nation and the Jiuli people, as well as the hidden presence of the Cangzhou Ye clan and other prominent families, indicating the complex and turbulent situation in the Great Tang.
Since they didn't intend to tear down their relationship with the Western Buddhist monks just yet, Yuan Mobai was equally polite and courteous to Dragon Kindness, acting as if he completely bore no grudges, making Dragon Kindness feel like he was in a spring breeze.
However, when he heard Dragon Kindness mention the Human Path Nation and the Yellow Heaven Dao, Yuan Mobai's expression remained unchanged, but he became suspicious.
Others might not know, but he was all too aware.
His disciple, Lei Jun, had already discovered that the new Yellow Heaven Sect was in Western Sichuan.
Lei Jun had traveled there countless times, probably more familiar with the place than Fu Dongsen, Rong Guangchen, and the others...
Already wary of the Western Buddhist monks, Yuan Mobai became even more alert upon hearing Dragon Kindness' words.
However, he didn't show it and instead readily agreed.
In secret, he contacted Lei Jun.
Without needing to say more, upon hearing "You Ning Lake," Lei Jun nodded slightly.
Lei Jun didn't know Dragon Kindness' specific plans, his understanding of You Ning Lake, or even the details about the place.
But he knew that You Ning Lake corresponded to a lower fortune slip, a place fraught with immense danger.
And there was already tension between the Western Buddhist monks and their Heavenly Master's Mansion.
As for where the others from the Human Path Nation were, Lei Jun had no idea.
But he knew very well where the Yellow Heaven Sect was located.
So...
"He's a nuisance," Lei Jun stated calmly.
The nuisance wasn't referring to Dragon Kindness alone.
It was the entire Western Buddhist sect.
Dealing with Dragon Kindness wouldn't be much more difficult than dealing with Tian Linlong.
However, it was unlikely that Dragon Kindness would be so bold as to come alone to confront Yuan Mobai, whose cultivation was higher than his.
There were probably other Western Buddhist monks working in the shadows.
As Yuan Mobai thought, if the Heavenly Master's Mansion were to completely fall out with the Western Buddhist sect, it would save the Tang court and the Confucian great families a lot of trouble, and even the Human Path Nation would benefit.
Why should they take the brunt of it?
As for now, it was simple.
"We'll give Master a six-grade opportunity from You Ning Lake.
I'll return the favor with a five-grade opportunity from the Chaos River Valley."
This is the etiquette of our nation, giving and taking.
Please accept it, venerable monks.
With Yuan Mobai already on guard, Lei Jun felt relieved.
He calmly took out the string of secret treasure prayer beads.
Although he didn't cultivate Buddhist methods, the principles and insights contained within the beads were enough for Lei Jun to realize their value.
The beads themselves were extraordinary, but more importantly, their origin was significant.
They were a Buddhist artifact from the orthodox Ksitigarbha lineage.
The Great Vow Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had no direct lineage in the human realm, and while the Suzhou Tianlong Temple was a sacred site for those who had made vows, it was not the direct and legitimate lineage.
However, the Ksitigarbha lineage was directly related to the legendary Avici!
The White Lotus Sect's presence in Haneda Peak was most likely attracted by this.
Lei Jun wasn't sure why the Western Buddhist monks had come, but now he could test if they were interested in this Avici Buddhist treasure.
..............................
Yuan Mobai seemed uninterested in You Ning Lake on the surface, but his subtle actions revealed his concern.
However, he was very cautious, making Dragon Kindness feel that his plan was working while also not wanting to appear too eager, so he slowly accompanied Yuan Mobai on the journey.
On the other hand, Sangje Shangren realized that the Buddhist treasure that had caught his attention earlier was showing some signs.
That Avici treasure!
Because of their connection to Mount Sumeru, they paid more attention to the human realm and Avici.
Seeing Yuan Mobai's caution, Sangje Shangren also didn't rush things and privately instructed Dragon Kindness to be patient and gradually ease Yuan Mobai's wariness.
As for himself, he set out to find the Avici Buddhist treasure.
With the White Lotus Sect entangled with the Tang court, Sangje Shangren had the opportunity to act while they were preoccupied.
Sangje Shangren searched carefully and found some clues, which seemed to originate from the Southern Wasteland's Witchcraft Sect.
He nodded to himself and cautiously followed the trail.
Approaching the Chaos River Valley.
PS: 8k chapter
(End of Chapter)
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