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Chapter 281: The Thunder Monk Bestows an Opportunity, Leaving a Fragrant Memory (Part 1)
Chapter 281: The Thunder Monk Bestows an Opportunity, Leaving a Fragrant Memory (Part 1)
The Buddhist aura emanating from the hidden prayer beads was fleeting and soon vanished.
However, Abbot Sangjie managed to capture its trace.
Although the Buddhist aura had disappeared, it seemed entwined with the spiritual power of the Wu Clan's Gu techniques.
Abbot Sangjie speculated that the Nanhuang Gu master was attempting to explore and refine the Buddhist treasure, causing the leakage of the Buddhist aura.
Subsequently, the owner tried to conceal it, making it disappear.
While the Buddhist aura was difficult to trace, Abbot Sangjie managed to catch the trail of the Gu insect and continued to track it.
Upon reaching the Dunjiang Valley area, the Gu insect's aura also began to fade.
Abbot Sangjie remained calm and serene, his hands coming together in front of him to form a dharma seal.
As the hand seal was formed, his entire body seemed to be filled with radiant Buddha light.
The Vajra Temple, originating from the Vajra Division, was the orthodox lineage of the Buddhist hand seal tradition, and it could even be said that what they had currently achieved was just the tip of the iceberg.
Abbot Sangjie, hailing from Mount Sumeru, was a direct descendant of the Vajra Division, possessing profound Buddhist cultivation.
The characteristic of the Buddhist hand seal lineage monks was to use hand seals as the foundation, cultivating the chakra, and valuing both the physical body and the spirit, achieving a unity of the inner and outer selves.
Therefore, as Abbot Sangjie formed the dharma seal, he further stimulated and amplified his spiritual power, thus gaining sharper spiritual perception and insight.
With this, he successfully sensed the hidden power of the Gu insect, which was heading deep into the Dunjiang Valley.
More importantly, the Buddhist aura was faintly discernible.
Abbot Sangjie released the hand seal and immediately gave chase.
Being unfamiliar with the terrain and the fact that this was the stronghold of the Nanhuang Wu Clan, Abbot Sangjie would usually not venture into unknown territory.
However, he had already heard some information about the appearance of Gu master Tian Linlong in Handong.
According to Abbot Sangjie's knowledge, Tian Linlong's current situation in Nanhuang was rather awkward.
Through the Vajra Temple, Abbot Sangjie had a general understanding of the various forces inside and outside the Tang Dynasty.
It was true that Tian Linlong was an elder of Yinshandong, the sacred site of the Nanhuang Wu Clan's Gu technique lineage, but because of his deep involvement with outsiders, he was disliked by his own Yinshandong.
Therefore, it was less likely that Tian Linlong had the backing of Yinshandong.
As for his accomplices, Yang Yuqi and others, they were descendants of the former Sui royal family and undoubtedly criminals of the Tang Dynasty.
Currently, high-level Tang Dynasty agents like Shangguan Yunbo from the Divine Strategy Army were active in Nanhuang, so Yang Yuqi and the others would not dare to show themselves easily.
After Tian Linlong left Handong earlier, he had also been hiding and concealing his whereabouts, not daring to act too conspicuously.
Abbot Sangjie quietly followed him at this time and might even have the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
"The key is that treasure of infiltration, this person does not need to be converted and brought to the Buddhist path." He made a judgment while tracking.
Tian Linlong was no longer young, and he was also involved with Yang Yuqi and the others.
Here in Nanhuang, the situation was even more complex due to the return of the Jiuli tribe. The Western Regions Buddhists had no plans to set foot in this area for the time being.
Even if they wanted to make some arrangements in advance, there was no need to look for someone like Tian Linlong.
It would be more appropriate to focus on working within the Tang Dynasty itself... Abbot Sangjie mused.
There was no need to mention the royal family.
The Taoist and Confucian factions were also key targets.
Especially the Taoist School of the Tang Dynasty, which had produced many talented individuals in recent years, causing even Abbot Sangjie to take notice.
In particular, there were Tang Xiaotang from the Celestial Master's Mansion and Jiang Yu from the Pure Yang Palace.
If they could be converted to Buddhism, it would be the best outcome.
However, the difficulty in doing so was naturally quite high, and it required a gradual approach.
If the Taoist School declined, it would undoubtedly smooth the path for Buddhism.
From this perspective, the appearance of the Human Dao Country was not necessarily a bad thing.
Sangjie hoped that they would meet each other soon...
Before that, it was better for the Western Regions Buddhists to avoid creating karma, so as not to come into conflict with the Taoist forces or the Human Dao Country of the Central Plains.
From this perspective, it was not a bad thing that Yuan Mobai and Longjia Shangren had not approached Yuning Lake for the time being.
Going with the flow might even be better.
With this in mind, Abbot Sangjie sent a message to Longjia Shangren.
He continued on his way, following the trail of the Gu insect into the depths of Dunjiang Valley.
………
At this moment, Lei Jun had already arrived outside the Dunjiang Valley.
He did not look back.
As long as the big monk from the Western Regions entered, that was enough.
As for the final result, Lei Jun did not interfere much, and he did not even inquire about it for the time being.
He merely sorted out some of the magical artifacts of the Wu Clan's Gu technique lineage left by Tian Linlong, manipulated them, and sent them into the Dunjiang Valley.
Due to the passage of time, Lei Jun was unsure if the Dunjiang Valley was still the same deadly place where ten out of ten would perish.
In any case, it was good for the big monk from the Western Regions to enter.
The five-star opportunity, the hidden prayer beads mentioned by Zhong Zhong, were definitely no longer in the Dunjiang Valley.
It was hoped that the other five-star opportunity mentioned in the second-worst draw was still there, so that the big monk's trip would not be in vain.
In this way, it could also be considered as Lei Dao's way of presenting a gift to the Buddha through flowers.
Bestowing an opportunity upon others, one's hands remain fragrant.
"It's been a while since I've done something like this. I wonder if I'm still proficient at it..." Lei Jun lowered his head to look at his palms and shook his head slightly.
Without paying further attention to the Dunjiang Valley, he went to meet his master, Yuan Mobai.
Yuan Mobai was still slowly strolling with Longjia Shangren.
Lei Jun did not rush to reveal himself, hiding in the shadows and observing if there were any other Western Regions Buddhists nearby.
Longjia Shangren had just received a message from Abbot Sangjie, so he was also in no hurry. He calmed his mind and did not think about anything else.
However, life is full of surprises, and as the two of them no longer approached the Yuning Lake area, someone else took the initiative to approach them.
In the distance, white lotuses rose and fell, appearing and disappearing, seemingly slow but actually fast, crossing the sky.
Around the white lotuses, several figures flashed continuously.
One of them, wielding a long spear, repeatedly charged into the sea of flowers, approaching the massive Nine-Petaled Lotus Platform at the very center.
The young monk on the lotus platform was none other than the future Maitreya of the White Lotus Sect.
Seeking to break through the encirclement, he fled, engaging in a prolonged battle with Shangguan Yunbo and the soldiers under his command.
Seeing this, Dragon Calamity formed a dharma seal in front of his chest and suggested to Yuan Mobai beside him, "The White Lotus heretics are rebels proclaimed by the Great Tang. Elder Yuan, shall we lend General Shangguan and the others a hand?"
Yuan Mobai did not object, "Master's words are reasonable."
Monk and Taoist, their figures immediately floated into the air.
Hidden in the shadows, Lei Jun remained still, quietly observing the distant battle.
Strictly speaking, there was no affinity to speak of between the Celestial Master's Mansion and the White Lotus Sect, nor any direct conflict or grudges.
Hence, although Lei Jun did not agree with the White Lotus Sect's ideology, he had no intention of joining the siege at the moment.
He and the future Maitreya, one a Tai Bai Jin Ri and the other a Sui Xing Mu Ri in the Universe of the Heavenly Book, had some connection through their master-disciple relationship. However, this was not enough for Lei Jun to unsheathe his sword and offer assistance.
Therefore, for now, Lei Daoist chose to remain neutral and merely observe from a distance.
Yuan Mobai shared a similar viewpoint, but considering the current alignment between the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Tang imperial family, his intervention at this moment could be seen as fulfilling his duty.
Although he was not exerting his full strength, he was not holding back either.
As more and more people joined the siege, the future Maitreya found it difficult to escape even with the Nine-Petaled Lotus Platform in hand.
Among the besiegers, a middle-aged scholar dressed in Confucian robes but wielding a longbow caught the attention of the distant Lei Jun.
Zhang Luo, the current Xiang Wang... Lei Jun nodded slightly.
He was a master of the Confucian archery lineage, possessing the strength of the Eighth Heaven realm.
Xiang Wang's lineage descended from the bloodline of the Great Tang's founding emperor, although they were somewhat distant from the central power of the Tang court. Nonetheless, they held significant power and prestige as they governed the vast lands of Xiang and faced the wild southern lands.
During the previous great war in the south, Xiang Wang Zhang Luo had secluded himself to cultivate, cutting off all contact with the outside world, which was why he did not emerge then. Otherwise, it would have been him accompanying Shangguan Yunbo into the south.
Masters of the Confucian archery lineage possessed keen perception and awareness.
Thus, with Zhang Luo's presence, Lei Jun paid extra attention to conceal his presence.
The archery style of this Xiang Wang was vastly different from that of Chu Yu.
His arrows were like the constant rain of Xiang, relentless and dense, pouring down on the sea of white lotuses and causing them to fall one after another.
Zhang Luo's archery style resembled that of Lin Yuwei from the Southern Clan of the Lin family, both focusing on rapid and scattered shots.
However, Zhang Luo was even more aggressive.
Despite his scholarly appearance, he charged forward like a valiant general, getting up close to the sea of white lotuses and unleashing a storm of arrows at close range.
Coupled with his superior cultivation realm compared to Lin Yuwei, Zhang Luo's arrow rain was both fierce and rapid, resembling a torrential downpour.
From a distance, the Confucian archer seemed to exude the might and aura of a Battle-Dao strongholder wielding a divine weapon in close-quarters combat.
For a moment, Xiang Wang Zhang Luo appeared to be the main attacker, relentlessly assaulting the future Maitreya head-on.
On the other hand, Shangguan Yunbo kept changing his position, repeatedly striking the young monk from unexpected angles.
However, the one who posed the greatest threat to the future Maitreya was still Shangguan Yunbo, the wielder of the Bandit Subduing Golden Lance.
With the Nine-Petaled Lotus Platform in hand, the future Maitreya was unafraid of Shangguan Yunbo, but out of his ten parts focus, at least seven were directed towards him.
As a result, when facing Zhang Luo's extremely aggressive attacks, the future Maitreya found himself in a difficult situation.
Yuan Mobai joined the fray as well, and the young monk became even more beleaguered. His attention divided, the white peacock created by his abundant spiritual power and grand aspiration was struck by several arrows in quick succession! Zhang Luo's relentless arrow rain tore open a small gap, and the subsequent arrows rushed in like a flood, seemingly about to overwhelm the white peacock.
At the same time, Shangguan Yunbo also launched a thunderous strike, slashing at the future Maitreya with his Bandit Subduing Golden Lance.
The future Maitreya sighed softly, "The three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion should indeed be guarded against at all times. I am ashamed that I have not upheld the compassion of the Buddha."
At that moment, the serene Buddhist light around his body suddenly condensed, appearing extremely solidified.
In the blink of an eye, two Nine-Petaled Lotus Platforms seemed to appear simultaneously in the sky.
One blocked the Bandit Subduing Golden Lance, while the other faced the dense arrow rain.
The Bandit Subduing Golden Lance sliced through, causing the Nine-Petaled Lotus Platform to tremble slightly and leaving a gash on its surface.
However, the other Nine-Petaled Lotus Platform, which bore the brunt of the arrow rain, remained pristine and untouched.
"...Buddhist restraint?"
Shangguan Yunbo and Zhang Luo frowned upon witnessing this.
The future Maitreya pressed his palms together once more, and the pristine Buddhist light coalesced into a pair of wings, forming a majestic peacock that spread its wings to block out the sun.
The peacock's wings fluttered as if they could tear the heavens apart, generating immense explosive power that propelled the future Maitreya towards the edge of the encirclement.
Before him, the starlight converged into a colossal statue of the Dou Mu star goddess.
Yuan Mobai's expression remained calm as he punched forward, his fist exuding a profound and majestic aura that was no less powerful than the strike of a cultivator of the same realm focusing on bodily refinement.
Unfazed, the future Maitreya maintained his serene countenance, lifting his hand with the five fingers forming a palm, and pushed it forward.
Without any fancy moves, the two clashed in midair!
Yuan Mobai's eyes flickered, "Buddhist Zen martial arts..."
Everyone present was astonished.
It was common knowledge that the White Lotus Sect originated from the fusion of three Buddhist lineages that had broken away from the orthodox path. Thus, they simultaneously inherited the legacies of the three sects.
However, the disciples of the White Lotus Sect, upon entering the sect, would choose one of the three lineages—Vow, Zen Martial Arts, or Restraint—to cultivate, achieving greatness in their chosen path.
(End of Chapter)
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