Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 394 Changing Customs and Traditions, Changing Methods and Rewriting Scriptures

On the sixth day of the fourth month in the 472nd year of the Ming Dynasty, two proclamations resounded like thunder throughout the southwest, leaving many people bewildered.

Wasn't it said that Doumu Pavilion was going to change its mystical nature?

Isn't Wuliang Mountain a thousand-year-old demonic sect?

How come the sect that should have changed its ways allied with Taoism, while the one that should never have changed its ways turned into a heretical sect?

At the same time, it also got involved with Sanqingshan Mountain in the East?

When did they get involved? How come I never heard a word about it?

This is interesting. Emei took over Biji Mountain, and then Biji Mountain betrayed the Xuan sect and joined the demonic sect. Everyone knows that Emei has always had designs on Doumu Pavilion, and they've been visiting it more frequently in the last two years. Everyone knows why. Now, it's all good that they've joined forces with the host sect.

Does this mean that the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) has lost its voice in Yunnan?
The Demonic Sect gained one thing and lost another, but overall, it seems to have gained more. After all, Biji Mountain, located on the banks of the Nanpan River and overlooking Dianchi Lake, seems to have a greater impact on the Southern School than Wuliang Mountain, which is located in a remote area.

On the other hand, it seems that Dongdao also has its eye on the southwest region and has gained a foothold in Dianwen.

As a result, everyone's mind was in turmoil, and each had their own agenda.

But just one day later, on the seventh day of the fourth month, two more proclamations spread throughout Yunnan. These two proclamations were long, sincere in tone, earnest in wording, and extremely tactful. However, stripped of their ornate language and superficial embellishments, the true content was simply unbelievable:
Longxiang Nunnery and Kaiyuan Temple were converted into separate residences of Emei.

The whole world is shocked!

Throughout history, there have been many who have reformed and turned to the right path, as well as many who have betrayed the righteous path and fallen into evil.

But to convert Buddhism to Taoism? I've never heard of such a thing!

Adjacent to Yunnan, Mount Fanjing, which has been closed off from the Miao region for many years, angrily spoke out, striking the mountain-suppressing wooden fish and remotely rebuking and cursing.
"The beginning of the collapse of the three thousand precepts, the source of the confusion in the lineage of the Three Jewels!"

From the Xuanxin Demon Temple on the border of Tibet, deafening laughter erupted, the sound carrying along the surging Nu River into Yunnan.

"A person lives with a dead heart, a true scripture but a false monk—how shameless!"

The news also reached the White Bone Monastery in the far north of Xikang, and the sighs of the White Bone Bodhisattva echoed across the snowy glaciers.
"How laughable that when he ascends the lotus throne in the future, which World-Honored One will recognize this disciple?"

Following this, various schools of thought, including the Mahayana sect, Bingling Temple, Songshan Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain, Wutai Mountain, the Third Ancestor Temple, the Fifth Ancestor Temple, and others, regardless of whether they were orthodox or demonic, Eastern Zen Buddhism or remnants of ancient Western religions, issued the most severe condemnation of this shocking act of returning to the mysteries.

This turmoil swept across the land, reaching even the Buddhist kingdoms of the southeastern coast. The contemporary leader of Zen Buddhism, Abbot Zhenxie of Mount Putuo, sighed...
"Bodhi tree transforms desire, bright mirror stands on the platform of fear. Body and mind are impure, Buddha land is stained with dust."

The impact of these two proclamations from Longxiang Temple and Kaiyuan Temple was more profound than all the proclamations of the past sixty years, even surpassing the day when the Green-Robed Ancestor transformed into a dragon and the Three Corpses established a religion overseas.

The latter is often considered the beginning of the demonic calamity since the Ming Dynasty, while the former is seen as setting an unprecedented precedent and initiating a disaster that disregarded social order. It was from these two proclamations that it was revealed that the major sects of the Xiu family could disregard the law and resort to any means to seize people and land, marking the beginning of a true chaotic era.

Amidst the angry outcry from Zen Buddhist temples across the country, Gantong Temple in Yunnan announced its closure. Following this, Buddhist temples throughout Sichuan and Chongqing felt threatened, and famous temples such as Zhaojue Temple, Lingyun Temple, and Huayan Temple closed their doors.

Amidst this overwhelming tide, Emei once again stands at the forefront, demonstrating its capabilities and ambitions to the world.

Of course, this also brought with it increasingly sharp criticism.

However, everything has two sides. While the Buddhist Chan school and most Taoist sects, which emphasize returning to the source, vehemently condemned Emei, the vast majority of Xuanmen disciples and a small number of Taoist sects, whose highest pursuit is to promote Taoist influence, greatly admired Emei. They believed that Emei's actions truly placed Taoism above Buddhism, a glorious and triumphant act that solidified their belief that Emei was the orthodox sect of Xuanmen, leading to an increasing number of followers.

Amidst such a huge uproar, the two announcements from Doumu Pavilion and Wuliang Mountain were quickly drowned out.

The eighth and ninth days of the lunar calendar arrived in the blink of an eye, and as expected, no one came to witness the ceremony, neither as it seemed.

In fact, Weibaoshan and Wuliangshan did not really want to hold a ceremony.

The notice invited the Dianwen sect, but of the six major Dianwen sects, the other four are either Ailao Mountain, which is a demonic sect, Biji Mountain, which has been corrupted by demons and is currently closed off, or Longxiang Temple, which is on good terms with Emei Mountain and Gantong Temple, which are on good terms with Longxiang Temple. So why would anyone come?

As for some minor factions, they simply cannot see the situation clearly and will not easily take sides.

Now that the two Buddhas have passed away, Yunnan and even the entire southwest are in chaos, and no one will come to pay homage at this critical juncture.

However, those two announcements were meant to be widely disseminated rather than to invite guests. If someone came, they would be treated well; if no one came, they would be left with nothing to do.

The unexpected good news was that, perhaps because the repeated announcements from Dianwen in the past two days had such a great impact that people were hesitant and dared not easily get involved in the mess, the incident that Cheng Xinzhan had anticipated—the Ailao Mountain people coming to cause trouble—did not happen.

This is certainly a good thing, as it allows Cheng Xinzhan to devote more energy to the affairs of the Wuliang Sect.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Wuliang Mountain is now bustling with activity.

Tens of thousands of cultivators, followers, insects, snakes, beasts, talisman warriors, and mechanical puppets roamed the core ridges of Wuliang Mountain, some carving caves, some building bridges, some laying foundations, some moving timber and stones, and some constructing buildings. The dark caves and labyrinths of the Five Poisons Sect were rapidly disappearing, and pavilions were springing up like mushrooms after rain. One after another, the treacherous Wuliang Mountain, once as treacherous as a ghost realm, gradually became bright and clear.

After Cheng Xinzhan took charge of Wuliang Mountain, before many detailed rules were finalized, he first issued three major decrees. The first of these was "large-scale construction," requiring that the living quarters and caves of Wuliang Mountain each occupy half, and all meeting places must be open halls. This was because Cheng Xinzhan considered that the foundation of Wuliang Mountain lay in insect control and Yin poison, allowing the preservation of the original valleys and underground caves for cultivating herbs and insects and for closed-door cultivation. Otherwise, the proportion of open halls would have been even higher. For example, the ratio of open halls to caves in Sanqing Mountain was about 70/30, while in Langshan and Huolong Island, due to their special circumstances and the large number of Yin spirit disciples, it was 40/60.

The small reveals the big, and the details reveal the truth. In fact, the characteristics of a lineage can be reflected in these places when you visit a sect. For example, when the Five Poisons Ancestor was in charge of Wuliang Mountain, there wasn't a single building on the mountain. Everyone lived among insects and snakes, residing in dark caves. Of course, this doesn't mean that everyone living in caves is a demonic sect. For example, Mingzhi Mountain and Danxia Mountain, one practiced the Living Dead Method and the other used earth fire to refine elixirs, so they also had many caves. Yaoguang Mountain and Shuji Mountain, one focused on stargazing and the other on summoning lightning, so they had many buildings. And then there's Weibao Mountain, which specialized in astrological divine light, so you basically couldn't see any caves, only buildings, each one taller than the last.

From the perspective of the unique characteristics of Wuliang Mountain's traditions, retaining some of the cave-based insect-breeding techniques is sufficient; it's not necessary for everyone to live in caves. Previously, living in caves was entirely due to the sinister intentions of the successive leaders of the Five Poisons Sect, who couldn't bear the sun. Cheng Xinzhan's plan to change the sect's structure begins with changing this place, transforming its appearance. This is also to make it clear to the followers of Wuliang Mountain that the change is real.

In addition, he placed "large-scale construction" as the first article of the law. Besides changing customs, another important reason was that he wanted to use this to revise the mountain-protecting formation. The newly laid foundations, deeply buried pillars, and various flying eaves and corridors were all part of the new formation, participating in the circulation of spiritual energy throughout the mountain.

It turns out that the Five Poisons Sect's "Boundless Yin Snake Devouring Spirit Mountain Protection Array" sounds impressive, but in Cheng Xinzhan's view, it still has many flaws. This array mainly utilizes the insects, snakes, and miasma on the mountain, and has very little connection with the mountain roots and earth veins at the foot of Wuliang Mountain. In fact, some of the connection methods even conflict with the natural flow of spiritual energy.

Cheng Xinzhan reorganized the earth's veins through large-scale construction, filling in the gaps and making the formation increasingly powerful.

Zhu Jianmo was skilled in the art of mechanical puppetry, and Cheng Xinzhan appointed him as governor.

The second of the three laws is "to punish evil and punish crimes".

In the past six or seven years, although Wuliang Mountain has gradually come under Wan Gaoming's control, he has only used coercive methods involving insects. In essence, the mountain is still inhabited by those wicked demons. Now that it is being publicly declared a side sect, it is time for reckoning. These people should be encouraged to report on each other, redeem themselves through meritorious service, and be sentenced according to their crimes. The most heinous criminals should be killed, and those with lesser crimes should be punished. Wuliang Mountain should be restored to a bright and just world.

He Jiyuan practiced thunder magic and had also worked in the Thunder Palace. Rewarding the good and punishing the evil was his job. Cheng Xinzhan appointed him as the chief criminal officer to handle this matter.

This naturally reduces the number of usable people in Wuliang Mountain significantly, but there's nothing that can be done about it. The transformation of the Demonic Sect into a heretical sect isn't something that can be accomplished with a single announcement; only by removing the rotten flesh can new life be born. Wuliang Mountain is currently closed off, and with Cheng Xinzhan overseeing it, this is the best time for a purge. Things will gradually improve once disciples are recruited again.

Article 3, "Change scriptures and laws".

This is the most fundamental of all.

The term "scripture" refers to the original scripture, and "method" refers to the practice methods and cultivation techniques. The original practices of the Five Poisons Sect contained a great deal of dross, such as planting poison on living people, feeding insects to living people, and devouring souls and drinking blood. These practices need to be eliminated, modified, and optimized.

For example, some gu insects require the souls of living people to be cultivated, so this method must be eliminated. Some gu insects need to be fed with life essence and blood, so they cannot be killed outright. Capturing living people to extract blood is obviously not feasible, but if one feeds them with one's own blood to cultivate them into a natal gu insect, that is reasonable, so modifications are needed. Furthermore, some require living people to cultivate gu. Capturing living people is naturally not feasible, but using one's own flesh and skin as a vessel for the gu is also inappropriate, as it is too harmful to the body. A method to strengthen the body's foundation and cultivate vital energy should be used in conjunction with these methods, which are those that need optimization.

Ultimately, the newly established Wuliang Sect is a heterodox sect, not the orthodox sect of Taoism, and cannot be held to the standards of Taoism. For example, Sanqing Mountain requires its disciples not only to refrain from using human lives to practice their methods, but also to avoid self-harm. Therefore, practices such as "blood dissolution," "disintegration," "soul sacrifice," and "flesh feeding" are strictly prohibited in Sanqing Mountain.

However, these rules cannot be directly applied to the Wuliang Sect.

The saying goes, "Those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water." Wuliang Mountain, and indeed the entire Dianwen region, is teeming with poisonous plants, insects, and snakes. Countless people raise poisonous insects, and even ordinary people know how to raise Gu (a type of poisonous insect), and they are accustomed to using flesh and blood to raise Gu, as this has been the way it has been passed down since ancient times. If the requirements of Sanqing Mountain were followed, the newly established Wuliang Mountain would not be able to recruit any disciples in Dianwen.

In other words, if one has to follow the rules of Sanqing Mountain to cultivate even in a remote and desolate place like Wuliang Mountain, then why bother coming to Wuliang Mountain at all? Wouldn't it be better to go directly to Sanqing Mountain? Besides, if Wuliang Mountain has so many rules and it's so difficult to seek the Dharma, then the road to Ailao Mountain nearby isn't far at all.

Therefore, we must adapt to local conditions and not reject outright practices; what should be preserved must be preserved. Furthermore, we must find ways to mitigate the physical trauma caused by methods like meat-feeding. Only in this way can we win the sincere hearts of the original followers of Wuliang Mountain, and only in this way can we attract more people to Wuliang Mountain, fundamentally transforming evil into good and bringing benefits to the region.

Furthermore, there's another difficulty with "changing the scriptures and methods." Cheng Xinzhan needs to eliminate the filth of practicing methods with living people, but undeniably, the power of such bloody methods is immense. However, since he's going to change the methods, he can't allow the overall strength of the Boundless Sect to decline after the change. Wouldn't that just reinforce the demonic theory—that cultivating one's nature is no match for killing and arson?
Therefore, he also had to ensure that the correct method he created was easier to practice and more powerful than the previous evil method.

This was no easy task, so Cheng Xinzhan had to do it himself.

That is, he was able to thoroughly study the Taoist canon and be familiar with all kinds of scriptures, and with his exceptional comprehension, he was able to both study the old methods of Wuliang Mountain and turn the rotten into the miraculous, and develop new methods.

The first thing to be revised is the main sutra. Once the main sutra is finalized, it will be easier to revise the supporting sutras.

This didn't take Cheng Xinzhan long. When the pavilions of Wuliang Mountain sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, he had constructed a complete framework for the scripture in his mind, which he named:
The True Scripture of the Lesser Five Elements Spiritual Bait and Elixir.

Cheng Xinzhan had read the Five Poisons Sect's original scripture on Gu refining techniques, which served as the cornerstone of the sect. In his opinion, it was just like that ridiculous mountain-protecting formation. It had a grand name, but it didn't contain any profound or obscure content, nor could it be described as particularly ingenious.

In this scripture, the founder of the Five Poisons Sect divides the raising of Gu (poisonous insects) into external and internal refining. External refining produces weapons, while internal refining produces internal organs. External Gu are raised in insect containers and fed with various poisonous herbs and insects. They can be released to fight. Depending on the refining method, they can be made to have effects such as copper skin and iron bones, lightning speed, poisonous fangs and sharp claws, and the ability to bewitch and create illusions. If all five poisonous insects are collected, there is also a method of forming a combined attack.

The internal Gu is nurtured within the body, placed within the five internal organs, and fed with the host's own flesh and blood. Once fully grown, it can command the Gu worms to devour and replace the internal organs. According to this poisonous scripture, the human body's internal organs are too fragile and immobile, only able to wait to be fed. The Gu worms, however, are alive, requiring no feeding; they can be expelled to forage freely, returning after feasting to transfer nutrients back to the host, thus accelerating cultivation. If one can find the five Gu worms to replace all five internal organs, a secret technique for protecting the host and the body can be refined.

After reading it, Cheng Xinzhan gave only four words of evaluation: "Neither fish nor fowl".

The human body's organs are such mysterious things, and so many secrets of life can be discovered within them. How could anyone think of self-harm to feed insects or replace them with insects? What a shallow view this is!
Therefore, he innovated and created the "True Scripture of Lesser Five Elements Spiritual Elixir".

"Minor Five Elements" refers to the fact that this method utilizes the principles of the Five Elements, but it hasn't reached the level of "Tao," remaining only at the level of "technique." "Spiritual Bait and Living Elixir" signifies "external refining of spiritual bait and internal consumption of living elixirs." "Spiritual bait" refers to external Gu poison, and "living elixirs" refers to internal Gu poison. As the name suggests, this is a method that combines Gu refining techniques with the Five Elements theory and Taoist alchemy.

This method begins with external refinement, but unlike rudimentary methods of raising Gu (a type of poisonous insect), it follows the principles of the Five Elements and the mysteries of alchemy, specifying the elemental affinities, order, and timing of feeding. Ultimately, it refines the Gu into a "spiritual bait." After consumption, the "spiritual bait Gu" shrinks into a small pill, directly entering the Yellow Court (a point in the body's core), where it is nourished by Yang energy and Yin essence, breathing with the Golden Elixir, thus becoming a "living elixir."

This Gu can be used externally to fight enemies. It can fly through the Five Elements at extremely high speed and emit Five Elements poisonous light. Once this light shines on it, it is more effective and powerful than any copper skin, iron bones, sharp claws, or fangs. This Gu can also be nurtured internally to harmonize the Golden Elixir and balance Yin and Yang. It protects the Yellow Court Acupoint on a daily basis and can also be used as a protective treasure to withstand the tribulation of the Golden Elixir, taking the blame for the elixir.

This is a true method of cultivating both inner and outer aspects, far superior to the separate cultivation of inner and outer aspects and the practice of feeding insects with one's own body in the "Five Poisons Returning to Origin Scripture".

Furthermore, Cheng Xinzhan held back some details, not fully explaining the principle of the mutual generation of the five elements in the Dharma, hence the prefix "minor five elements." He did this intentionally, not wanting to pave the way completely, but wanting future generations to interpret it and take it to the next level.

He thought that when the prefix of this Dharma manual was changed to "Great Five Elements", Wuliang Mountain would reach a new level.

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(End of this chapter)