After returning to the village, start chasing the mountain from binding Emei

Chapter 944 Udumbara Flower? The Nine Elders Cave Secret Realm!

"Now that you mention it, it seems like there's a lot of potential."

Huang Can stroked his chin; he knew, of course, that Chen Yang wouldn't betray him.

If it were just about becoming a lay disciple, he seemed to have no reason to refuse.

After all, you don't have to pay anything, but you can get a lot of benefits. Only a fool wouldn't agree to that.

Chen Yang leaned forward and lowered his voice, saying, "I'll let you in on a little secret. It's said that the Nine Elders Cave is about to open, and disciples below the Emei Daozhen Realm are all eligible to enter. If you become a disciple of Master Yuanlong, you might be able to get a spot..."

"Nine Elders Cave? What's it used for?" Huang Can asked.

Chen Yang shrugged. "The Emei Sect is said to have hidden depths, and even cultivators below the Dao True Realm can try their luck inside. But I don't know the specifics; we'll only know when the time comes..."

Huang Can's eyes immediately lit up.

"If that's the case, I feel quite destined for Emei. If there's no charge for becoming an apprentice, I'll go find Master Yuanlong in a bit..."

Hearing your words is better than hearing them once. Huang Can was already itching to try. As long as he wasn't allowed to shave his head, it was just a matter of becoming an apprentice. What difference did it make who he became an apprentice to?
……

-

As night deepened, the temperature on the mountain dropped sharply, and there were hardly any insects chirping in the forest.

There is no moon tonight, but the stars are shining brightly.

Chen Yang followed behind Xuan Jing, taking advantage of the starlight, and walked up the mountain.

"Master, Huang Can has spoken with you, hasn't he?" Chen Yang asked.

Xuan Jing nodded slightly, "This kid is slippery too. He hasn't even become an apprentice yet, and he's already thinking about getting benefits..."

"So, did you agree?"

"I've agreed for now, but I haven't told Yuanlong yet. I'll tell him tomorrow and get this kid on board first. We'll deal with the rest later..."

"Huang Can is a good person at heart. He is honest and loyal. Master, please don't let him down."

"Me, scam him? Most people wouldn't even be qualified to let me scam them."

Xuan Jing shook his head. "What a pity for you, kid. If you could be ordained and join my Buddhist sect, I could have Yuan Long pass the abbot's position to you tomorrow."

"Master, please don't make such jokes."

Chen Yang was both amused and exasperated, and quickly changed the subject, "By the way, isn't Master Xuantong at Tianhua Temple? Where are you taking me?"

Xuanjing said, "A few days ago, that rat came to cause trouble and tried to steal the Samantabhadra Relic. If it weren't for my senior brother's timely discovery, it probably would have succeeded. My senior brother has been staying at the Golden Summit these past few days because he is worried that the beast will come again."

Chen Yang nodded slightly, "You know what, that rat's strength is not to be underestimated. I fought it in Sipan Mountain the other day. If it hadn't just woken up and hadn't recovered its strength, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been a match for it at all..."

"That beast's origins are quite extraordinary, and its strength is naturally formidable. However, according to my senior brother, although we didn't capture it that night, we severely injured it. That beast was already nearing the end of its lifespan, and now that its life force has been damaged, it's probably not long for it..."

……

-

Mount Si'e, the tomb of the mountain king.

A large rat slithered into the underground river in the cave and followed it into the tomb.

It looked around as if it knew the way well, and quickly slipped into the depths of the tomb, passed through the underground forest, and entered the main burial chamber.

Before the translucent crystal wall, the giant rat stood on its hind legs, gazing through the crystal wall at the coffin and the trunk of the Sangmu tree sealed inside. In its aged eyes, no emotion could be discerned.

There was fear, awe, doubt, and also anger.

what's the situation?
How was this tomb opened?
Where is You Li?
The tomb has been opened, but where is Youli?

Who opened the tomb?
The big rat looked completely bewildered.

It knew about the construction of this tomb, and it even participated in the funeral procession of Zhao Quanzhen and the imprisonment of Youli here.

It has never come back since.

Firstly, out of respect for Zhao Quanzhen, and secondly, because he didn't know how to face You Li, his former friend.

It had no choice but to come here this time.

With its lifespan nearing its end, it had to think of other ways to cope.

It had a good plan: if Youli were still alive, it would sincerely apologize, release her, and work together on important matters. In addition, it would also try to get some sambal juice to see if it could extend its own lifespan.

However, after looking around, it couldn't find even a single root of the sam tree, nor a single drop of sam juice.

The tomb chamber had been opened, but it was empty, and Youli had disappeared without a trace.

This thwarted its original plan.

For a moment, my head was buzzing.

Who the hell is so despicable as to dare to desecrate the mountain tiger's grave?

The big rat was extremely frustrated. Its instincts told it that someone was deliberately targeting it and just wanted it dead.

Gritting teeth.

Enraged, the big black rat disregarded everything else and unleashed a sword aura, slashing directly at the crystal wall in front of it.

"Buzz!"

The sword energy penetrated the sword wall, but the sword wall was not damaged at all.

The next second, a bright light appeared on the sword wall, followed by a sword aura that rebounded and suddenly slashed towards the giant rat.

"Humph!"

The giant rat snorted coldly, flipped in mid-air to dodge the sword energy, and landed steadily on the ground.

If it weren't a mouse, its posture would probably be quite dashing.

"hateful!"

Its gaze was fixed on the back of the crystal wall.

The coffin was secondary; the key thing was that mulberry tree.

With its current strength, it is simply unable to open the crystal wall, and therefore cannot obtain sam juice.

He immediately turned and left.

There's no way out for rats, I refuse to believe there isn't a way to survive.

Oh, right, that kid Du Fengchun!
Emerging from the tomb, the sullen-looking giant rat Mo Yuan finally remembered Du Fengchun.

That old fellow might actually have found a way to prolong his life?

Otherwise, why would he wake himself up for no reason? Is he looking for death?
Perhaps it's time to contact that old bastard.

Du Fengchun tried to contact it many times in the past few days, but it just hasn't responded.

They had agreed beforehand that it would remain asleep in Sipan Mountain, and that Du Fengchun would help it find the way to immortality. In return, it gave Du Fengchun many benefits.

Now, so many years have passed, and he can't be sure whether Du Fengchun has changed his mind or is deliberately trying to harm him, but at this moment, he feels that he should still give Du Fengchun a chance.

What if this old guy really did find a way to prolong my life?

At that moment, it sensed that Du Fengchun was contacting it through his mental imprint.

This time, it didn't hesitate and directly communicated with Du Fengchun remotely.

……

-

Golden Summit, Huazang Temple.

In the Hall of Heavenly Kings at Huazang Temple, Chen Yang met Xuan Tong.

An old monk who looked to be in his sixties or seventies, neither fat nor thin.

When Xuanjing led him in, Xuantong was sitting on a futon in front of the Maitreya Buddha statue, the old monk in deep meditation.

"Senior brother, Chen Yang is here."

Xuan Jing took small, quick steps and came to Xuan Tong's side, respectfully greeting him.

Xuan Jing, who was usually carefree and foul-mouthed, became as docile as a child in front of Xuan Tong. Xuan Tong opened his eyes.

Xuan Jing stepped aside.

A pair of aged, serene eyes looked directly at Chen Yang.

There was no oppressive aura, no harsh scrutiny; Xuan Tong's gaze gave Chen Yang a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze.

This was the first time Chen Yang had met this legendary monk.

"Greetings, Master Xuantong."

Chen Yang bowed respectfully.

He felt that Xuan Tong was very ordinary, and he could not see his level of cultivation. If he did not know that he was Xuan Tong, he would even think that he was just an ordinary monk.

"No need for formalities, sit down and let's talk!"

Xuan Tong waved his sleeve, and a futon was moved in front of Chen Yang.

Chen Yang didn't stand on ceremony and sat down cross-legged on the futon.

Xuan Tong said, "I called you here so late for two reasons. First, I'm usually in seclusion and rarely come out. My junior brothers have been talking about you and they speak highly of you, so I wanted to meet you in person. Second, I wanted to tell you about the Nine Elders Cave..."

Chen Yang didn't speak, but just sat quietly and listened.

Xuan Tong said, "Your junior brothers should have told you about the Nine Elders Cave, right?"

"It was mentioned, but the specifics weren't explained," Chen Yang replied truthfully.

Xuan Tong nodded slightly, "Nine Elders Cave, outsiders may only think that it is a place where Emei disciples are confined and reflect on their mistakes, and it is occasionally open to tourists, but in fact, it is the foundation of Emei..."

"The Nine Elders Cave connects to a secret realm, which was opened by Situ Xuankong, the only legendary founder of Emei who transcended the Celestial Realm. It was later renovated by the ancestors of Emei over the generations. From the founding of Emei until four hundred years ago, it was the burial place of the Celestial Realm ancestors..."

"The Celestial Realm? The Burial Ground?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang's face showed a hint of surprise.

Xuanjing said, "It can also be understood as a graveyard, a graveyard for experts at the Celestial Realm. In the history of Emei, before the Heavenly Path was severed, there were quite a few experts at the Celestial Realm in both Buddhism and Taoism. A large portion of them passed away in the Nine Elders Cave..."

"When we were young, Senior Brother Xuantong, Senior Brother Xuanjing, and I all went inside once. It's a vast space, stretching for hundreds or even thousands of miles. There are seventy-seven recorded celestial caves. The bodies of celestial beings nourish the heavens and earth, and the spiritual pressure inside is astonishing, nurturing many immortal herbs and spiritual plants. If you're lucky, you can even find the inheritance left by your predecessors..."

……

Chen Yang was terrified as he listened to Xuan Jing's description.

Seventy-seven Celestial Realm caves, does that mean that at least seventy-seven Celestial Realm beings have appeared in the history of Emei?
Is it really that rich in cultural heritage?

Seventy-seven Celestial Realm experts used their Celestial bodies to give back to Heaven and Earth. To put it bluntly, their physical bodies decayed, and they returned the energy they had extracted from Heaven and Earth to Heaven and Earth, all of which was transformed into the Nine Elders Cave Secret Realm.

What kind of scene must that secret realm hold?

Xuan Tong said, "The Nine Elders Cave is, after all, the Nine Elders Cave of the Emei Buddhist sect, and even more so the Nine Elders Cave of the Taoist sect. The Buddhist sect calls it the Pure Land of Samantabhadra, and the Taoist sect calls it the Void and Mysterious Cave Heaven. It's just a pity that the Taoist sect of Mount Emei has now withered away..."

"However, the Er'e Dao Sect's inheritance has been transferred to Qing Shen. We have already made contact with Qing Shen, and he will send some of his young disciples over..."

"This secret realm can only be opened once every hundred years, and each opening lasts for a maximum of ten days. The remaining time needs to be reserved for the creatures within the secret realm to rest and recuperate..."

"After this blood moon, many creatures will likely grow powerful. We don't know if the secret realm has been affected. It's been 125 years since the secret realm last opened, and no one knows what the situation is like inside now..."

"The energy of heaven and earth in the secret realm is more than ten times more abundant than that in the outside world. In a hundred years, the probability of nurturing a high-level spirit beast is not low, but the danger is very high..."

"The secret realm does not allow outsiders at the Dao True Realm to enter. So, once you go in, don't expect the outside world to help you. Once you're inside, your life and death are up to fate. So, whether you want to go in and try your luck is up to you."

……

Xuan Jing looked at Chen Yang, "Great opportunities come with great risks. When we went in last time, we encountered a Dao True Realm spirit beast and almost died inside. The secret realm hasn't been opened for 125 years now, and the dangers are self-evident. Think it over carefully. Going in doesn't guarantee you'll get any opportunities..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang realized that there might be many high-level spirit beasts and plants in this secret realm. Now that he had bound himself to Mount Da'e, even if he didn't get any opportunities, the spirit beasts and plants in this secret realm would be a natural experience boost for him.
There's no reason not to go, right?

With his current strength, he can fight anyone who isn't a particularly powerful Dao Realm expert, so there's no reason for him to be afraid.

"I definitely want to go, but..."

Chen Yang nodded immediately, his gaze falling on Xuan Tong. "Master, is there anything you need me to do?"

If it were just about these things, Xuantong could have simply waited until the Pure Land of Samantabhadra opened and then explained them to all the disciples who were going to enter the secret realm. There was no need to call him here and give a special lecture.

Xuan Jing said, "Senior brother, I told you long ago, this kid is very clever. There's no need for all those roundabout ways, just tell him directly..."

Xuan Tong nodded slightly. "There are indeed some things that need your attention, but please do what you are capable of and don't force yourself..."

"Please speak freely, Master."

"Ah."

Xuan Tong said, "One hundred and twenty-five years ago, I took Xuan Qing, Xuan Jing, and some of my junior brothers whose cultivation had reached the Spirit Realm into the cave. On that occasion, we found a cave with a Udumbara flower and several scrolls of palm-leaf scriptures inside..."

"That Udumbara flower was already a celestial plant that had entered the Dao True Realm. Although it lacked intelligence, its combat power was extremely strong. It could even transform its medicinal energy into physical form to fight. With my cultivation level at the time, I was no match for it. In addition, there wasn't enough time, and the Nine Elders Cave was about to close, so I had to retreat temporarily..."

"Now, 125 years have passed, and I have already reached the late stage of the Dao Realm. That Udumbara flower is probably only stronger now. I will give you the location of that cave. When the time comes, you can try to communicate with it. It would be best if you could retrieve those few scrolls of palm-leaf scriptures. If you can't, I won't force you. Just don't clash with it; you won't be its match..."

……

The Udumbara flower, palm-leaf scriptures, and Bodhi tree are collectively known as the Three Treasures of Buddhism.

The Bodhi tree is a well-known topic, while the Udumbara flower is a rare and precious flower in Buddhism, and there is even a Buddhist proverb that says, "When the Udumbara flower appears, a Chakravartin king will appear."

When this flower appears, a great master will surely emerge from the Buddhist community.

This isn't some kind of mystical theory; it's just that this flower is so magical. A single celestial-grade Udumbara flower has such potent medicinal power that it could give birth to a Celestial Realm being in Buddhism.

As for palm-leaf scriptures, they are scriptures written on the leaves of palm trees. These scriptures are mostly ancient texts from India, written in Sanskrit, and have extremely high research value for Buddhist practitioners.

The fact that Xuan Tong specifically told Chen Yang about this clearly shows that he had been reluctant to part with this scripture for a long time.

Chen Yang nodded seriously, "Master, rest assured, I will try my best to bring the scriptures out."

"Ah."

Xuan Tong paused, as if he had something else to say.

"Master, please speak frankly," Chen Yang said.

Xuan Tong organized his thoughts and said, "You don't need to do anything about this next matter, just keep an eye on it."

“One hundred and twenty-five years ago, I encountered danger in a secret realm. I was chased by a spirit fox in the mid-stage of the Dao True Realm. Someone appeared to save me in a blur, but that being came and went quickly. He killed the spirit fox with a single sword strike and then left swiftly. I didn’t see his figure clearly, but I know that he was wearing monk’s robes and should be a member of our Buddhist sect…”

"Even now, when I think about it, I still feel a little dazed, unsure whether it was real or a dream."

……

Chen Yang raised an eyebrow. "Didn't they say that Dao True Realm experts aren't allowed to enter the secret realm?"

At that time, Xuan Tong should have been at least at the late stage of the Creation Realm, so only someone at the Dao True Realm could save him.

The person who could kill a spirit fox in the mid-stage of the Dao True Realm with a single sword strike must be even stronger.

"indeed so."

Xuan Tong nodded seriously, "Experts at the Dao True Realm are repelled by that world and cannot enter at all. So, that's what puzzles me..."

"Could it be that someone went in before and never came out, getting stuck inside?" Chen Yang asked.

If you go in and don't come out, and break through to the Dao True Realm inside, maybe you can stay there?

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

Xuan Tong said, "However, the possibility is extremely slim. According to the sect's records, there are restrictions in the secret realm. Although cultivation inside is definitely faster than outside, it does not provide the conditions for breaking through to the Dao True Realm. To break through to the Dao True Realm, one must undergo tribulation. Since there is no lightning tribulation in the secret realm, one can only undergo the inner demon tribulation, which is far more dangerous than the lightning tribulation..."

"Moreover, once the secret realm closes, it won't reopen for another hundred years. How many people can endure a hundred years of solitude?"

"Furthermore, it is said that several ferocious beasts at the peak of the Half-Immortal realm are suppressed within the secret realm. After the secret realm closes, these beasts will be released to clear the area. If they don't come out then, I'm afraid no disciple below the Dao True Realm will be able to escape..."

……

"So, Master, what do you think is..."

Chen Yang's face twitched. Another inner demon tribulation, another ferocious beast clearing the field—was it really necessary to be so strict?

Xuan Tong said, "I'm wondering if there might be some surviving senior masters from my Emei sect in the secret realm, such as a Celestial Realm expert?"

(End of this chapter)