This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 449 I'm here to eat at the banquet!

Buzz buzz buzz——

Layer upon layer of spatial restrictions were laid out, making heaven and earth seem far away, and allowing one to travel in all directions.

Although it is not a projection of a small world, it still bears some resemblance to the creation of a small world, as if the entire backyard has been forcibly separated from the real world and formed its own independent realm.

Upon seeing this, Zen Master Broken Mirror silently chanted a Buddhist mantra.

The inner world is subtle and profound, the outer world is guided by the Dao, and only when the inner and outer worlds converge can they be called one.

Only by reaching this level can one be considered a perfect cultivator in the Integration Stage, and only then can one reshape space at will and change the world with a single thought, just like Xiang Yuan.

These mysterious mechanisms are exclusive to the Fusion Stage.

When Xiang Yuan first met Bai Wuyan, she used this method to manipulate him, abducted him to Wushuang Palace, cleaned him up, and then enjoyed him in various ways.

Although Master Pojing was at the Integration Stage, his inner and outer worlds had not yet fully merged. Seeing Xiang Yuan, a cultivator at the Profound Realm, casually employ such techniques, he couldn't help but exclaim in praise: "Truly, the Buddha's teachings are profound. If a touch of Zen were added, he could have the ability to recreate a Buddhist kingdom."

He suppressed his shock, took a step forward, and suddenly slashed out with the rusty monk's knife in his hand.

Clang!
This seemingly ordinary dagger was enchanted with the added secondary damage from tetanus. However, the moment it was swung, a dazzling Buddhist light burst forth from beneath the mottled rust, and swastika patterns faintly appeared on the blade. Where the tip of the dagger swept through the air, it even slashed open a crack burning with golden flames.

"Do not cling to external things, for there is wondrous existence and emptiness!"

Before the sword's intent arrives, the principles of Zen arrive first.

This strike cuts not only the physical body, but also cause and effect, obsession, and illusion.

This knife seeks truth, and is called Karma!
Nice knife!

Xiang Yuan faced a seemingly ordinary but unavoidable and inevitable strike. Seeing the predator's intent, he used his Jinglan Blade to block, and the blade's momentum suddenly surged.

Heavenly Blade Style: Sky Unification!
Two fleeting glimpses collided, igniting only a single spark.

There was no thunderous explosion, no dazzling special effects, just the clash of blades, as if two ordinary martial arts practitioners were wrestling.

If it were a real contest, Master Broken Mirror would have already flown away. Not to mention turning into ashes, he would definitely have been able to learn the move "Lone Star Chasing the Moon" on his own through the acceleration.

Xiang Yuan didn't take advantage of his high stats to bully others. Overcome by his urge to slash, he wanted to copy the Buddhist teachings of Yan Kong Temple. With a single move, he swept the sky into a single color, his swordplay serene and far-reaching, like the vast sky, seemingly calm on the surface but in reality magnificent and boundless.

A vast and mighty force condensed in one realm, rolling down with immense force.

Although the trend is slow, it is unstoppable.

A piercing metallic scraping sound rang out, and where the two swords clashed, the space crackled and exploded, as terrifying pressure swept down towards the Broken Mirror Zen Master.

The broken mirror Zen Master's arm holding the knife trembled violently, and he was trapped in the space around him. Knowing that he could not resist, he had no choice but to switch to holding the knife with both hands.

He looked up and saw the dark clouds in the sky surging like raging waves, like a tsunami, or like the sky collapsing. Every drop of water vapor in those clouds was a genuine law of heaven and earth, layer upon layer, vast and boundless.

The powerful forces of heaven and earth converged with a thunderous roar, heavy as if a world were collapsing down. Such divine might was beyond human resistance.

"In the air, there is no self; beneath the blade, there is truth!"

With a low shout, the Broken Mirror Zen Master's body shone with a great Buddhist light. The muscles in his arms bulged and swelled, and the veins writhed like dragons and snakes. The golden characters of the Heart Sutra on his arms detached from his skin and transformed into dazzling golden chains that wrapped around the blade.

A resolute glint flashed in his eyes, and he swiftly thrust the dagger upwards.

break!
Golden light condensed into a line, resembling a cicada's wing and a blade's shadow, shooting backward like a meteor, forcefully tearing a crack in the vast heavens.

A glimmer of life appears from within the cracks.

Master Broken Mirror moved with lightning speed, instantly disappearing into that glimmer of hope, leaping out and jumping out of the world born from the power of the sword.

"call---"

In just one exchange, Master Pojing was utterly exhausted, as if all his energy and spirit had been drained. His arm holding the knife trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

This is a pure case of mechanics overwhelming the opponent; it's the logic of reason, not the logic of physics.

In the past, when Xiang Yuan fought against stronger enemies of higher levels, he relied on the beauty of numerical values ​​to dominate. Now, he no longer needs to rely on that. Even when fighting against enemies of higher levels, he also has the beauty of mechanics that are irresistible.

The two women made significant contributions.

First, the White Palace Master was repaired and repaired repeatedly, and his primordial spirit was polished to a patina by Xiang Yuan, who swept up all the laws of heaven and earth in a supermarket; then, the Door Crack Sword Venerable personally taught him the cultivation method of the small world, enabling him to create and perform the laws of heaven and earth on his own, and to innovate even when he was working behind closed doors, thus putting him ahead of the incomplete Qianyuan Realm.

With such immense support from the laws of heaven and earth, even though he was only at the Tongyou stage, he could still overwhelm the Broken Mirror Zen Master at the Fusion stage with a single strike.

Of course, such a vast array of laws and principles of heaven and earth gives rise to an absolute advantage in mechanisms, so it wouldn't be wrong to say that it's a victory of numbers.

Seeing that Xiang Yuanping had seemingly effortlessly unleashed a single, unremarkable strike, draining the energy and spirit of the three-realm broken-mirror Zen master, the surrounding crowd reacted with varying expressions, each harboring their own thoughts.

Chan'er held her heart in her small hands, her eyes sparkling. In her heart, her husband had always been the best, and she didn't feel anything was wrong with it, as if it were only natural.

It is a matter of course and a matter of course.

The once shrewd and cunning little vixen lost her intelligence after stepping on Xiang Yuan.

Xiao Lingyue thought about it more. Seeing that Xiang Yuan had overwhelmed the Broken Mirror Zen Master with absolute skill rather than winning with innate divine power, a pure white figure immediately appeared in her mind.

Her lips twitched slightly, and she thought to herself, "Hey you, didn't you give me too much?"

Stop giving him money. If you keep giving him money, all you'll be able to do is have his children.

Clearly, Xiao Lingyue had underestimated the situation. However, since the White Palace Master couldn't provide that much, the Sword Master Su Ran of the Sword Heart Sect also contributed significantly.

Considering this is bad news, it's a good thing that Xiao Lingyue is unaware of it for the time being.

At the other round tables, the onlookers Sun Hao, Sun Qian, and Qu Kuan stood with their mouths agape, their eyes and noses agape, their expressions blank, like three clay or wooden sculptures, nothing worth describing.

The two female masters, Shui Xianghui and Sun Shanwei, deserve special mention.

Seeing the profound truth revealed by Xiang Yuan, they all looked surprised, their red lips slightly parted, and their fingers unconsciously tightened their sleeves, wondering what the outcome would be if they faced this knife head-on.

The result was not good. His Dao heart trembled, his face paled, and he died on the spot.

Is this really a technique that a Grandmaster at the Tongyou stage could use?

Or is it that the fusion period is nothing special, and I could do it too?
Leaving aside these five half-baked grandmasters, the two Nascent Soul stage cultivators in the arena saw things most clearly.

Mingxiaozi tightened his grip on the jade staff, first nodding, then shaking his head, muttering to himself, seemingly lost in thought. The middle-aged black-robed Taoist's face showed even more sorrow, recalling some unpleasant past events. Looking into the distance, his expression became extremely complicated.

"Your Majesty's Buddhist teachings are far superior to mine!"

After experiencing Xiang Yuan's move, Zen Master Broken Mirror realized he was no match for him, but he did not give up. He put away his rusty monk's knife, put his hands together in front of his chest, and silently chanted Buddhist mantras. Golden light surged around him, gathered in the sky, and transformed into a pitch-black Buddha entangled with demonic thoughts.

"The Buddhist teachings I practice are the 'Save from Suffering and Difficulty and Save the World Sutra' of Yankong Temple. In my early years, I was disturbed by Baojing Temple and developed demonic thoughts, making it impossible for me to continue practicing this Buddhist teaching. Therefore, I reversed the salvation of the world to the burial of the world and created the 'Burying Suffering and Difficulty Burying the World Sutra'. I wish to use this method to learn from your wisdom, and I hope you will not hesitate to give me your guidance."

As Master Pojing spoke, he pressed down with one hand, and the pitch-black Buddha in the sky immediately pressed down with a palm, containing immeasurable power to bury the suffering and hardship of the world and to relieve the suffering of all beings.

With a flick of the palm, a new world is created.

My leaf is the universe to him.

With the black Buddha in hand, the layers of spatial restrictions seemed to be held in its grasp.

Here comes the Buddhist teachings of Yankong Temple!
Xiang Yuan squinted slightly. He knew a little about Buddhism, and he had some understanding of it from his daily interactions with Guanyin Bodhisattva. In short, he had some knowledge of Buddhism.

Seeing that the dark demon's true nature was emptiness, he secretly exclaimed, "What a wonderful Buddhist teaching! It's worth copying!" He then uttered thunderous sounds, transforming the six-syllable mantra into a golden Buddha. He pushed aside the first glimmer of Buddha light with both hands, using immeasurable light to confront immeasurable darkness.

The golden light was so intense that it could be described as the first appearance of radiance.

Two large Buddha statues, one gold and one black, were engaged in a battle of wits high in the sky. Zen Master Pojing put his hands together and said, "Benefactor Bawang, last year when I was debating scriptures at Baojing Temple, I heard the young novice Xuanji say that you quite agree with the Buddhist teachings of Baojing Temple."

"???"

When did I ever agree to this? How come I didn't know about it?
Xiang Yuan sorted things out and concluded that the young novice monk Xuanji should be the plump and tall Zen Master Xuanji of Baojing Temple. They had met twice before. He was a smooth talker and loved to flatter others. He always greeted people with a smile and perhaps inadvertently praised the Buddhist teachings of Baojing Temple.

But mutual flattery is a basic skill in the cultivation world. Not to mention the righteous sects, even the evil sects are proficient in it. What's the point of taking it seriously?
Thinking about it again, the daily bickering between Yan Kong Temple and Bao Jing Temple is like a bald monk version of Wu Shuang Palace and Jian Xin Zhai, both wanting to use their own Ying Xue (winning theory) to overwhelm the other's Ying Xue in the debate. It's not surprising that Zen Master Po Jing is so serious about it.

According to the information collected by Tianzong, the Buddhist teachings of Baojing Temple emphasize two sides of the same coin.

The demon is a reflection in the mirror, revealing the interplay between reality and illusion;
Only those who turn away from the Buddha's light can see their true selves.

While cultivating Buddhism, he did not abandon cultivating demonic arts. He cultivated both Buddhism and demonic arts. The stronger his demonic thoughts became, the more profound his Buddhist teachings became, and his compassion also increased.

Therefore, Yan Kong Temple believed that Bao Jing Temple's Buddhism was impure and had fallen into demonic ways. Also, because these golden-haired monks were indeed capable fighters, the monks, out of compassion, limited their debates to verbal exchanges.

The Buddhist teachings at Yankong Temple emphasize seeing appearances with open eyes and emptiness with closed eyes. The temple does not have bronze mirrors or Buddha statues, but only a blank wall for people to contemplate.

This wall is named 'Emptiness', truly embodying the idea that the Buddha is unimportant, but the Dharma is. At the same time, Yan Kong Temple consistently upholds the principle that all phenomena are empty, and that nothing can be reflected in a mirror image; the illusion of flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water are ultimately empty. They believe that Bao Jing Temple, greedy for the fleeting beauty in the mirror, clinging to illusion, has distorted the Dharma and has already fallen into a lower realm.

The conflict between the two temples has been a thousand-year-old contest, and to this day, no victor has been decided.

Speaking of the four Buddhist sects in Qianyuan Realm, apart from Shaolin Temple, which honestly follows the path of martial arts and focuses on physical methods, the other three sects are somewhat idealistic, emphasizing sudden enlightenment, and their Buddhist teachings fluctuate between illusion and reality.

Baojing Temple is like this, Yankong Temple is like this, and Dajue Temple goes without saying. They attain enlightenment in dreams, cultivate in the future, become Buddhas in the future, and are respected in the present world. Among the three, it is the most illusory.

Another point is that because they are playing too unrealistically and making things too big, these three families are prone to developing evil thoughts, and if they are not careful, they may even attract extraterrestrial demons.

Shaolin Temple doesn't have this problem. They just huff and puff as they punch, without any fancy moves, so they don't have any inner demons...

Yes, the inner demon of Shaolin Temple is called the Original Mind Path.

Getting back to the main point, Zen Master Pojing went on and on, belittling Baojing Temple in various ways, calling it a demon and a false Buddha, and advising Xiang Yuan not to get too close to Baojing Temple, lest he be defiled by Buddhism.

"..."

So, you came here to criticize Baojing Temple?
You are not one of the people behind this!
Xiang Yuanren was completely dumbfounded. Just because Zen Master Xuanji boasted that "Xiang Yu, the King of Western Chu, thinks my Buddhist teachings are amazing," the bald monks from Yankong Temple stormed in, displaying their Buddhist teachings and declaring that Yankong Temple was the true orthodox Buddhist sect...

Is it really necessary? Who does he think he is to warrant such a serious discussion from Yan Kongsi?

After thinking about it, it seems there really is one.

When they were at the small grotto in the Qilin Mountains, that golden wheel of merit caused Zen Master Xuanji to misunderstand something. During his debate with Yan Kongsi, he used a tiger's skin to exaggerate and won big. Yan Kongsi couldn't sit still and came to him to nag him with his long-winded chatter.

What kind of empty temple is this? They can't even accept defeat. They're clearly not empty at all!

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes, multitasking. Seeing that Palu had copied it almost completely, he flicked his finger, and the pure white golden wheel floated into the air, blooming with boundless golden light behind the Buddha. With absolute merit, the golden light suppressed the black Buddha, completely flattening it from the front.

Xiao Lingyue:

Was this broken wheel really that big?

Seeing that Xiang Yuan carried with him the magical artifact that allowed her master to cultivate both life and death, Xiao Lingyue couldn't even imagine what the two of them had been doing while carrying her on their backs.

The Broken Mirror Zen Master lost the swordsmanship contest and made a fool of himself in the Buddhist teachings contest. He stood there awkwardly, his face turning pale and then red.

He wanted to prove his own Buddhist teachings, but after two consecutive defeats, he knew he had no credibility and could only stare blankly and think of other ways.

"Zen Master, do not panic, this humble monk is here to help you."

Seeing that Zen Master Pojing was in an awkward situation, Mingxiaozi stepped forward to help him out, bowed to Yuanxing, and said gently, "I am Mingxiaozi, and I have come with Zen Master Pojing. We are people from outside the secular world..."

"Don't read it yet, I have a question to ask."

Xiang Yuan raised his hand to interrupt, somewhat speechless: "May I ask, sir, do you serve the Jade Sun Sect?"

"No."

Mingxiaozi shook his head, his expression frank: "This humble Taoist happened to be traveling the same route as Zen Master Pojing. We passed by your esteemed place, feeling weary and tired, so we came in for a meal..."

I'm here to eat at the banquet!

"Okay, no need to say more."

Xiang Yuan shook his head. Suddenly, two cultivators at the Integration Stage appeared, both with considerable backgrounds, which inexplicably put some pressure on him. One chatted, while the other went even further, passing by to eat at a banquet.

How much free time do you two have?!
Thinking of this, Xiang Yuan's mind was not quite clear. He turned to look at his demoness: "Chan'er, shine the light on him!"

Chan'er smiled slightly, took light steps, and with a flick of her slender hand, took out the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation from her bosom.

The mirror tilted, and its soft light shone directly on the illuminating sky.

Mingxiaozi was just passing by. The traveler was carefree and had no ulterior motives. His purpose in coming to Yuefu was even simpler than that of Zen Master Pojing—he was tired, wanted to rest, and incidentally, wanted to freeload at a banquet.

He had never bothered to figure out who Chan'er was, nor did he know what this ancient mirror was. He only knew that although Chan'er was dressed in pure white, her brows held a natural allure, suggesting she was a wicked and seductive enchantress. Since ancient times, evil has never triumphed over good, so he figured the mirror was coming...

Oh no, I'm going to die!
The moment Mingxiaozi faced the ancient mirror of reincarnation, alarm bells rang in his heart. He felt that the boundless Yellow Springs were right in front of him. If he were to see himself in the mirror, he would probably lose his soul and fall into reincarnation on the spot.

His pupils contracted sharply, and the half-withered peach wood hairpin in his hair trembled violently. The black aura at the withered end surged, wrapped around three peach blossoms, and withered away, leaving behind three lifelike illusory figures.

Taking advantage of this moment, the main body first burrowed underground, then broke through the air, shifting its position three times in a row, barely managing to avoid being instantly killed by the Reincarnation Mirror.

Mingxiaozi stopped ten zhang away, still shaken, with a fine layer of cold sweat on his forehead.

What kind of magical artifact is this? It's terrifying!
Chan'er's attack missed, and her pretty face immediately darkened. A silver moon wheel rippled behind her, and amidst the distorted light and shadow, she transformed into the bright moonlight, elusive as flowing water, and teleported three times in succession...

They failed to catch up with Mingxiaozi.

After all, he was a cultivator at the Integration Stage, and his speed was unparalleled. Unlike Xiao Lingyue, Chan'er didn't have much strength, and with a difference of a major realm, it was difficult for her to catch up with Mingxiaozi, who was jumping around everywhere.

"Humph!"

With a soft hum, a dazzling golden light suddenly appeared behind Chan'er. The blazing sun and the bright moon complemented each other, clearly a pair of magical treasures.

Xiao Lingyue's Eternal Sun Wheel!

Long before Xiang Yuan, an outsider, the two women had already achieved success in dual cultivation, exchanging the laws of heaven and earth and cultivating a pair of magical treasures.

Because her husband and he looked exactly alike, their friendship completely collapsed. They not only stopped lending each other magical artifacts, but also scoffed at the idea that the sun and moon shared the same sky.

Later, perhaps because of the many times they shared a bed, although the conflict between the first wife had not subsided, the relationship was no longer as tense as before, where they would fight to the death at the drop of a hat.

Occasionally, they would secretly exchange ideas about the laws of heaven and earth behind Xiang Yuan's back.

"The sun and the moon shine together!"

With a soft whisper, the golden and silver wheels intertwined in the air, their dazzling brilliance instantly enveloping layers of spatial restrictions. Wherever the light reached, it followed like a shadow, with the moonlight that Chan'er had transformed into omnipresent.

Let's see where you run this time.

Mingxiaozi's expression changed drastically. A dark, ancient mirror appeared before him, and his primordial spirit momentarily dazed as he vaguely saw silver chains rushing towards him.

I was merely tagging along at the banquet; the money for the meal was paid by Zen Master Pojing. I am not guilty of such a sin!
In another daze, Mingxiaozi found the Mirror of Reincarnation gone from his body. Still shaken, he looked up and saw the white-clad demoness had put away the Mirror of Reincarnation and was now burying her face in Xiang Yuan's arms.

That was close, I almost died!
Mingxiaozi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly sat back down. He thought to himself that cultivators of the Upper Three Realms must learn to protect themselves when they go out. They still need to be careful, lest they be killed by a Tongyou stage cultivator one day without realizing it.

The five cultivators at the Tongyou stage who were watching from the side were dumbfounded.

What kind of mirror is this? It's so powerful! If I hadn't stopped, I would have died instantly at the third level of cultivation!

Or is it that the Upper Three Realms are truly just average, all talk and no action, and that I could achieve them too? x5
Xiang Yuan also felt that the Reincarnation Mirror was too outrageous, but he did not show it. He looked past the Broken Mirror Zen Master and at the middle-aged Taoist who sat upright like an old dog.

You're drenched in sweat, aren't you!

The middle-aged Taoist priest, seeing Xiang Yuan looking at him, looked even more distressed. He slowly rose, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle: "This humble Taoist has forgotten..."

"Wait a minute!"

Xiang Yuan raised his hand to stop them. He was almost traumatized by the two harassing passersby. He asked, "Are you a cultivator from the Jade Sun Sect, working for the mastermind behind the scenes?"

"The mastermind behind it all..."

The middle-aged Taoist priest was taken aback upon hearing this, realizing what Xiang Yuan was talking about, and shook his head: "That's an interesting way of putting it. If you call His Majesty the mastermind, I won't refute it."

Sure enough, you have some standing in the villainous camp.

Xiang Yuan nodded secretly and continued, "Are you Zhang Tianyang, the leader of the Yuyang Sect?"

"This is His Majesty's personal name, which I should avoid."

"..."

No way, the mastermind behind this is Zhang Tianyang, the leader of the Yuyang Sect? He was supposed to hide in the shadows and not show his true face, and he was supposed to put forward a pawn to deceive people. Why is he not playing by the rules again?
And yet, he just blurted out such important information...

Who are you!
"This humble Taoist has forgotten worldly concerns!"

"???"

A string of question marks floated across Xiang Yuan's mind as he looked at the middle-aged Taoist priest with a face full of bitterness and resentment. The Taoist priest Wangji... he felt like he had heard that name somewhere before.

Where is it?
The spirit is rejecting the correct answer; it's so hard to guess!

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.

10,000 words, please vote with monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)