Day and night tour

Chapter 431 Sea of ​​Bitter Tears
The vast blue ocean appeared extremely deep, and within its endless waters, a mysterious attraction seemed to draw the fish monk's soul, causing him to drift towards the sea.

The fish monk's physical body was being further destroyed, but his soul remained unharmed.
After this ocean appeared, the sand grains in the sky, powerful enough to sever nine incense sticks in two, became powerless against his soul.
His soul was in the shape of a large fish.

It was a colorful fish with nine long tails that intertwined as it swam, creating a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

If a fish enters the ocean, it will vanish without a trace.

Zhou Xuan was unwilling to watch the fish monk escape.

If you don't pull the weeds out by the roots, they'll grow back in the spring.
Zhou Xuan wanted to settle his feud with the fish monk today.

"You wicked monk, let's see if you really can escape."

Zhou Xuan activated his Bone Fang and shot towards the nine-tailed fish.

The bone tooth flew extremely fast, but once it entered the vast ocean, its attack on the large fish was like trying to pierce a projection with a solid needle—it caused no damage whatsoever.

Bone and teeth cannot harm fish in the sea, but the blue sea formed by the "ancient Buddha's relic" can harm bone and teeth.

As the bone tooth traveled through the sea, spots of rust appeared on its once indestructible surface.
Decay and aging are constantly occurring.

"Whoosh~whoosh~whoosh"

When the bones and teeth aged to a certain point and were about to lose their connection with Zhou Xuan and sink permanently into the blue sea, Meng Yu'er appeared in the sea, blowing one big bubble after another.

Its body is getting bigger.

However, Mr. Bai Liu's dream fish, although it is a rare species from the South China Sea, is extremely small in size, just like the smallest goldfish kept by some wealthy families.

At this moment, even with its body swelling, Meng Yu'er grew to the size of a "golden dragon fish." It swam quickly in the sea, reached the bone tooth, opened its mouth, and swallowed the tooth into its belly.

It used its own body to preserve Zhou Xuan's bones and teeth.

Zhou Xuan looked at Meng Yuer and asked Mr. Bai Liu, "Why is Meng Yuer allowed to enter this sea area?"

“Master, this Dream Fish is a rare species from the South China Sea. It can enter many wondrous spaces.”

Mr. Bai Liu said this.

Meng Yu'er can enter dreams, and can enter the illusionary world of lies created by the magician. Whether it is a dream or an illusion, in essence, they are both a kind of space.

At this moment, Lu Xingzhou said to Zhou Xuan, "That vast ocean is the sea where the ancient Buddha was born. Legend has it that it was formed from a single tear shed by the ancient Buddha."
This sea of ​​tears is a world unto itself, the most mysterious of all the spaces in the Well Kingdom. Besides the Twenty-One Zen Masters, avatars of the ancient Buddha, only our Huangyuan Prefecture's celestial being—the God of the Great River—can enter this sea.

"One flower, one world; one leaf, one Bodhi. The ancient Buddha's understanding of space is probably the most powerful among the Four Heavenly Venerables."

Upon seeing this sea of ​​tears, Li Changxun felt an overwhelming sense of awe and reverence.

Zhou Xuan, however, did not believe that he could not conquer this ocean.

"If the avatar of the Ancient Buddha can enter the Sea of ​​Tears of the Ancient Buddha, then I can enter as well."

After learning the origin of this sea, Zhou Xuan had the idea of ​​going into the sea, but Yun Ziliang grabbed him.

"Xuanzi, are you out of your mind? Do you want to end up like that Bone Tooth, decaying and forever sinking into that sea of ​​tears?"

Lu Xingzhou also advised, "Master, don't take that fish monk's arrogant words to heart. As for his supposed comeback, by the time he breaks free from the Sea of ​​Tears again, it will be a thousand years later. Once he's out of the sea, it will take another thousand years to cultivate his Dao again."

Two thousand years later, we are no longer alive. The world has changed beyond recognition; what does it matter whether the fish monk seeks revenge or not?

"That won't do. What if I really live to be two thousand years old?"

After Zhou Xuan finished speaking, he walked headlong into the sea of ​​tears.

When Lu Xingzhou heard "what if he really lived to be two thousand years old", he couldn't help but laugh out loud, thinking to himself, "This great man is truly a wonderful person. If he can live for thousands of years amidst green mountains and great rivers, so can I. Wonderful, wonderful!"

"Xuanzi, aren't you afraid of the sea?"

Yun Ziliang was worried and called out to Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan patted the cloud pattern on his Taoist robe to make it shine and said, "He is the Twenty-One Dhyana of the Ancient Buddha. I have the head of the Ancient Buddha on my body. I'm not afraid of him."

"Oh, right, the ancient Buddha's head is on your body." Yun Ziliang finally remembered.

Zhou Xuan's cloud pattern is "the dream of the Four Heavenly Venerables," a "high-grade item" personally passed down to the storyteller by the supreme will. In the dream, there is the head of an ancient Buddha.

Yun Ziliang was talking to himself a little loudly, which was unintentionally overheard by Lu Xingzhou.

This leader of the Bitter Ghosts has cultivated for many years and has traveled along the waterways of the great rivers and mountains, visiting all nine prefectures of the Well Kingdom. What strange and wonderful things haven't he seen?
However, he had never seen anything like Zhou Xuan possessing the head of an ancient Buddha.

"Does the Master possess the head of an ancient Buddha?"

Lu Xingzhou, unusually, lost his composure and momentarily forgot the unspoken rule that "if matters of the martial world are too mysterious, one should not inquire about them," and couldn't help but ask aloud.

Yun Ziliang smiled and said, "This is a long story, so it's best not to go into details."

He didn't want to explain in detail to Lu Xingzhou, but Li Changxun was one who "didn't keep his mouth shut," and blurted out, "Pshaw, what's the head of an ancient Buddha? My Great Xuanzi has personally witnessed the supreme will!"

"It was because he saw the true form of the Supreme Will and witnessed the Four Heavenly Venerables dividing the sea that he cultivated this domineering aura."

Li Changxun spoke with great pride, but Yun Ziliang pressed down on his mouth and nose, forcing him to "shut up."

"Say less, nobody thinks you're mute, you loser."

Hearing these words, Lu Xingzhou gained a new understanding of Zhou Xuan.

He lowered his head, appearing silent, but a storm raged within him. Several thoughts raced through his mind, eventually coalescing into a single exclamation—the Master had struck gold on this gamble.

When Zhou Xuan and the monk Yu had a dispute, he sided with Zhou Xuan without hesitation.

Because of Zhou Xuan's impressive achievements in Mingjiang Prefecture these past few days, and the snippets of information he gleaned from the Red Coffin Lady, he became even more convinced that Zhou Xuan was the one capable of helping Huangyuan Prefecture find the "River God."
The Fish Monk? He can't find him!
"The young master is so young, yet he has so much knowledge and experience. He is truly a formidable young man."

Lu Xingzhou's gaze toward Zhou Xuan held less admiration, but much more reverence.

Zhou Xuan walked step by step towards the "Sea of ​​Tears." As he drew closer, the cloud pattern on his robe grew increasingly hot.
A strange sense of danger inexplicably enveloped the fish monk's heart.

"Damn, is Zhou Xuan really that domineering? He even wants to enter the Ancient Buddha's Tear Sea?"

This sea of ​​tears from the ancient Buddha can be described as the cage of the fish monk; once you step inside, there is no freedom to speak of.

But though he is not free, he is safe—no matter how difficult the situation becomes, this sea of ​​tears is his escape route.

Therefore, in the mortal world, the fish monk was extremely arrogant—he knew he was immortal.

But now, even this sea can no longer give him a sense of absolute security.

"I'll swim faster, even faster, and get further away from that madman."

The fish monk's nine tails thrashed wildly as he swam to the depths of the Sea of ​​Tears to escape Zhou Xuan.

As he accelerated his swimming, the fish monk couldn't help but recall Lu Xingzhou's words.

“Monk Yu, Zhou Xuan’s purpose in coming to Huangyuan is to find the way that Master Lu Xue resurrected his family back then. If you hand over the method, he will leave Huangyuan, and you and he will live separate lives from now on.”

Before Yu the monk awakened to his identity as one of the "Twenty-One Zen Masters," he was Master Lu Xue, the first renowned monk of Maha Temple whose Buddhist fame spread far and wide.

"If I had known, I would have handed over the method, and things wouldn't have come to this."

The fish monk deeply regretted his arrogance and haughtiness at the time.

But there's not much you can do—that's how life is in the martial world; sometimes, one wrong step can lead to utter ruin.

"Why would I offend that madman, that liar?"

"Fish Monk, be careful, I'm going into the sea, don't let me catch you."

Zhou Xuan's words, tinged with a hint of mockery, fell into the ears of the fish monk like a death knell.

The fish monk didn't even dare to turn his head. His nine tails spun around, and every powerful muscle in his body was exerting its strength—swimming a little further became his only belief.

However, Zhou Xuan ultimately did not go to sea.
Just as he stood on the beach, a black donkey, carrying his old friend, entered the Maha Temple.

"Master, I am a little late. The journey has been long. Please forgive me." Wuya Chan put his hands together and bowed to Zhou Xuan.

The one who called him "Master" was Wuya Chan, and the one who called him "Brother Xuan" was Zhao Wuya. Although the two were in the same body, Zhou Xuan could tell them apart.

He asked, "Master Wuya, weren't you asleep?"

"I fell into slumber to comprehend the dream of the Four Heavenly Venerables, but the appearance of the 'Six Desires Zen' disrupted my grand dream, so I rushed to Huangyuan Prefecture."

Wuya Chan said this.

Upon hearing the fish monk's true name, Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "No wonder this monk's desires are so strong; it turns out his Dharma name is 'Six Desires.'"

"Humans have six desires, and so does the Buddha: the ears, eyes, nose, tongue, body, and mind each have things they find pleasing and enjoyable."
Once, the ancient Buddha met the Taoist Ancestor. He witnessed the Taoist Ancestor's extraordinary abilities and his tranquil, indifferent nature, and felt a deep sense of envy.
After saying goodbye, he put on a Taoist robe and indulged in the life of a Taoist priest for a while, reciting Taoist scriptures and refining elixirs.

This is what is meant by "the desire for opinions."

Wuya Chan slowly recounted the story from back then to Zhou Xuan, and only then did Zhou Xuan understand why the fish monk dressed in such an eccentric way. He was clearly a monk, but he wore a Taoist robe and refined elixirs.

“Master Wuya, I’ll catch up with you later. First, let’s go to sea and catch that ‘Six Desires Zen.’”

Zhou Xuan was afraid that the fish monk would run far away and be difficult to catch, but Wuya Chan called him back and said, "Master, although you have cloud patterns, you don't have much control over them and can't enter the Sea of ​​Bitter Tears."

Zhou Xuan stopped and asked, "If I can't get in, then you should be able to... Otherwise, why don't you go and catch him?"

"..." Wuya Zen.

Wuya Chan shook his head and said, "Master, I cannot capture it either. I have long since abandoned my Chan practice and can no longer enter the Sea of ​​Bitter Tears."

"You can't go in, and I can't go in either. Are we just going to watch that fish monk escape?" Zhou Xuan was slightly annoyed.

Wuya Chan smiled slightly and said, "Master, if a person wants to catch fish, why does he need to go to sea?"

After he finished speaking, he raised his head and looked up at the top of the cliffside pagoda.

At the top of the tower, there are several rafters.

When Zhou Xuan and his group fought against the monk Yu, they smashed the internal structure of the entire tower to pieces, but the rafters did not collapse and still firmly supported the top of the tower.

Zen Master Wuya beckoned to the log, and the log flew into his hand.

Once the cypress wood was in hand, it became thinner and shorter, eventually transforming into the shape of a fishing rod.

Zhou Xuan glanced at the fishing rod and immediately understood, saying, "Zen Master, do you want to catch that fish monk?"

“Master is wise, but even if I have a rod, I still need a fishing line.”

After Master Wuya finished speaking, he muttered to himself,

As he chanted, thousands of monks in the Mahayana Temple had faint black mist rising from their heads and surged toward Zen Master Wuya.

"These young monks usually work for 'Six Desires Zen,' and whether they do good or bad things, it's all at the behest of my junior brother."
"My junior brother gave the order, and thus karma arose. Entangled in karma, even if one swims to the deepest part of the Sea of ​​Bitter Tears, one cannot escape it."

Zen Master Wuya transformed the "black mist into lines and hooks," and then swung his hand to raise the fishing rod.

The black "cause and effect hook" shuttled back and forth in the sea of ​​bitter tears, moving extremely fast. In just a few moments, it hooked the fish monk's gills.

The fish monk, in pain, shook his head vigorously, trying to fling away the line and hook. After several attempts, he suddenly saw a hallucination.

The illusion was of a rotting monk speaking pitifully to the fish monk.

“Our beloved teacher, we used to obey you without question and did all sorts of bad and dirty things. Now that the truth has come out, why did you escape alone and leave us to fend for ourselves?”
"Why! Why! Why!"

The rotting monk's cries grew increasingly mournful, and the beautiful fish monk's body also began to decay, its scales falling off and its tail losing its luster.

In the blink of an eye, he went from looking handsome and dashing to becoming a beggar covered in sores and scabies.

"Junior brother, stop struggling and get ashore."

The fish monk was rotten and powerless, while Zen Master Wuya's fishing line was taut. With a pull, he fished the fish monk out of the sea of ​​bitter tears.

The enormous, decaying fish, gazing at the distant "Sea of ​​Bitter Tears," knew it was doomed and immediately shed tears.

He stammered, "I regret it, I really regret it... Senior brother, I regret all the wrong things I've done over the past thousand years. If you would remember..."

The fish monk's "will to survive" erupted, and he recited words of repentance.

Zen Master Wuya then looked at Zhou Xuan and asked, "What do you think of my junior brother's remarks, Master?"

Zhou Xuan said with a smile, "His tears are not because he regrets it, but because he knows he is going to die and he is afraid."

"The eldest gentleman is wise."

Zen Master Wuya said, "Junior brother, let your senior brother see what you have done in the past thousand years?"

Then he said to Zhou Xuan, "Master, why don't you come with me to take a look? I feel a bit lonely looking around by myself."

“Very well, I’ll also see how the current Fish Monk, formerly Master Lu Xue, resurrected his family.”

Zhou Xuan said this.

After receiving Zhou Xuan's response, Zen Master Wuya immediately grabbed Zhou Xuan's left arm and walked into the body of the giant fish, which was tens of feet long.

……

After Zhou Xuan and Wuya Chan entered the scene, the life experiences of the fish monk were presented in a rapid succession.

Nine hundred years ago, the fish monk was called Master Lu Xue.

He dreamed of a deer covered in snowflakes, and felt it was a sign of his affinity with Buddhism, so he entered a temple and became a monk.

To be honest, Master Lu Xue initially studied some Buddhist teachings. The abbot saw that he was clever and diligent, and especially since Master Lu Xue had a golden "relic" manifestation on his body, making him incredibly precious.

So the abbot worked hard to cultivate him and regarded him as his successor.

But the abbot was unaware that Master Lu Xue was a person with extremely strong desires.

He drank alcohol, ate meat, stole incense money from the temple, and went down the mountain to seduce women.
Master Lu Xue violated every single one of the many rules and regulations governing Buddhist temples.

One day, the abbot went down the mountain to perform a ritual for a family and accidentally bumped into Master Lu Xue, who was walking out of a brothel in the county town in a very casual manner.

He immediately dragged Master Lu Xue to a deserted alley and demanded to know what had happened.
At that time, Master Lu Xue wept bitterly, confessed to his womanizing, and immediately repented.

The abbot, considering it was his first offense and that he was a promising individual, forgave him this time.
However, less than two years later, the abbot encountered Master Lu Xue "seeking prostitutes" again. This time, no matter how much Master Lu Xue pleaded, he was determined to expel this "wine-and-meat monk" from the Maha Temple.

When Master Lu Xue saw that the old abbot was stubborn and unyielding, he became enraged and, with his brute strength, strangled the old abbot to death. Then, under the cover of night, he fled back to the temple.

After the abbot's death, Master Lu Xue, as the abbot's beloved disciple, became the new abbot in a perfectly legitimate manner.

He became even more unscrupulous, drinking and eating as he pleased, and indulging in affairs with women. He not only frequented brothels but also took money from temple donations to keep respectable women as his lovers.

And so it went in the days that followed. Master Lu Xue sang joyfully every day, but these happy days of singing began to show signs of decay.

The reason for its decline is that Maha Temple is not a famous temple, has few believers, and the amount of incense money collected each day is only average.

The money for incense offerings is not enough to withstand Master Lu Xue's squandering.

"Without money, we can't live this good life."

How can we increase the amount of money donated to temples?

Master Yunlu pondered deeply every day and finally came to a conclusion: if no famous monks are found in the mountains, no Buddhist name can be gathered; if a temple is not a famous temple, how can it attract incense offerings?

"The temple needs to produce a renowned monk."

"This famous monk is me."

Master Lu Xue immediately hatched a plan to use unorthodox methods to build a prestigious Buddhist reputation for himself.

(End of this chapter)