The author of the book "The Book of the Dead"

Chapter 251 The Road of Incense Offerings, Great Thunderclap Temple

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, mist, and lightning..."

"...summoning those who have attained the emptiness of the five aggregates and transcended all suffering..."

The bald old monk spoke eloquently, and Xuanwu and the humans stopped to watch.

"I didn't expect there to be a Buddhist temple here," Chang Xi said in surprise.

Buddhism is one of the ancient innate divine and demonic forces. Although it cannot compare with the pantheons of the Queen Mother of the West and Emperor Jun, it is still an influential pantheon.

Buddhist sects tend to keep a low profile, generally do not participate in conflicts between different ethnic groups, and maintain good relations with humans, thus they are not within the scope of the Five Emperors' attacks.

"Who is the chief deity of Buddhism?" Liang Yue asked.

He was quite interested in Buddhism, after all, it is a religion that has influenced Earth's civilization.

Although the spiritual energy has vanished, fragments of ancient words have been passed down as legends in later generations, and Buddhism is indeed an ancient force.

"The main deity of Buddhism is named Shakyamuni, known to the world as the Buddha of the present world. Shakyamuni was transformed from the incense-burning path. He was originally a Bodhi tree and has three forms: past, present, and future. He also has three physical forms: Bodhi, Amitabha, and Lapis Lazuli."

The past, present, and future are represented by the "three vertical generations," symbolizing different states at different times.

The Bodhi of the Essence, the Buddha of Infinite Light, and the Buddha of Pure Lapis Lazuli are three different Dharma forms.

In fact, they are all incarnations of the Buddha in the present day.

"What is the relationship between Buddhism and the human race?" Liang Yue didn't know much about ancient times.

"The Buddhist Path needs the faith of living beings and has good relations with various races, especially with the human race, which is the most numerous. Of course, there are many Buddhist disciples, and there must be some factions among them that are not good for humans."

Chang Xi then recounted the ancient stories she knew.

"Not bad, they're worth trying to win over."

The two were talking in the crowd, but no one around could hear what they were saying.

Beside Liang Yue was a Xuanwu, its black shell as hard as a rock, as large as a millstone, with thick limbs and dark eyes staring at him curiously.

Liang Yue turned his head and met Xuanwu's gaze. Xuanwu instinctively lowered his head and looked away.

"interesting."

Xiniu Hezhou is the only country where humans and demons live in harmony.

Xuanwu is naturally peaceful and slow-moving, and humans are willing to exchange labor for Xuanwu's protection.

This Xuanwu Kingdom is quite interesting.

Just then, the monk finished his lecture, drifted away, and disappeared into the afterglow of the sunset.

"Your Highness, should we give chase?" Chang Xi asked, knowing that Liang Yue was interested in this person.

"The time has not come yet."

Liang Yue wanted to take another stroll. Buddhist disciples focus on spreading the Dharma, and their footprints are all over the place. Perhaps they are just ordinary wandering monks.

Speaking of Buddhism, Liang Yue thought of one person—Xuanzang.

"Let's go, let's wander around."

"Yes."

The two then traveled to various parts of the Xuanwu Kingdom. The ruler of the Xuanwu Kingdom turned out to be a female Xuanwu, whose cultivation was probably around the ninth level of the Golden Core stage, which was slightly weaker than their own spirit beast, the Xuanwu.

"Xuanwu might like this place."

Liang Yue thought to himself.

If Xuanwu were to come here, he might just marry the ruler of this land.

Unfortunately, Liang Yue left this guy at home to look after the house, so he can't come over for the time being.

"Your Highness, something's happened here!!"

At that moment, Chang Xi's voice came from not far away.

Liang Yue transformed into a beam of golden light that shot across the ground and vanished from the spot.

Then it appeared at the foot of the mountains, by a lake shrouded in mist.

The lake is hundreds of miles wide, its surface shrouded in a white mist that condenses into clouds, creating a mirage that appears faintly in the air, like a dream or a fairyland.

"I wondered what it was, but it turns out to be a clam spirit."

What appears to be calm waters hides deadly dangers.

Looking down with the Dharma Eye, the underwater world was teeming with clams and mussels, some as large as houses and others as small as washbasins.

It appeared calm, but it was filled with demonic energy and malevolent intent.

"The demons here are not benevolent."

These demons usually hide, but when it rains, the mirage on the lake spreads along with the rainwater, and then uses illusions to bewitch humans and attract them to this place.

The mountains of bones piled up beneath the lake's surface offer a glimpse into this.

"Since we're here, we might as well take care of this demon while we're at it."

Liang Yue raised his hand, summoned the Heaven-Turning Seal, and poured his true energy into it.

This seal possesses immense power; with just a gentle press, the clam spirit will vanish into nothingness in an instant.

"Hmm?" Liang Yue's ears twitched, as if he had heard something.

Chang Xi also looked into the distance.

...

Theravada Buddhism does not prohibit marriage and childbirth, but focuses on cultivating supernatural powers and pursuing the strongest supernatural abilities. Each generation of Vajrayana disciples descends to the mortal realm for trials, and these people are also known as Buddha's children.

This time, it was the Buddha Pukong who descended to the mortal realm. The Buddha was handsome, and his bald head could not conceal his extraordinary and refined aura. The human women and innate goddesses around him frequently cast glances his way, and there were also young men from other forces accompanying him in the crowd.

Every time a Buddhist disciple descends to the mortal realm, it provides an opportunity for people to make friends.

The women hoped to marry a Buddhist monk and become a celestial maiden in Buddhism. While ordinary monks had three wives and four concubines to continue their families, a Buddhist monk only had one partner in his life. In terms of both conditions and the choice of a partner, the Buddhist monk was the best choice in the eyes of all the women.

Gu Qing was one of them. Gu Qing said, "Ahead lies the Mirage Forbidden Land. Of the cultivators who venture into this land, nine out of ten never return. If it weren't for the presence of the Buddhist disciple Pu Kong, we wouldn't have dared to come here so easily."

The Buddhist disciple Pukong cultivates the Vajra Indestructible Divine Power, and Buddhist disciples often possess the ability to fight across levels, which is why these people felt at ease coming over. "Amitabha, rest assured, everyone, I will do my utmost to protect you all."

Seeing how much Gu Qing valued the Buddhist disciple, Ouyang Rong, a man in white robes standing nearby, felt a little jealous and said, "Qing'er, don't worry. I'll stand behind you and protect you."

The young talents were secretly competing with each other. Getting to know the Buddhist monk was one thing, but if they could surpass him, they would become famous far and wide.

One person activated a concealment formation, and eight people hid beneath it, slowly approaching the mirage lake.

Soon, the group arrived at the White Mist area.

Ouyang Rong instructed, "Everyone, please do not leave the Black Cloud Formation. The clam spirits and aquatic creatures are extremely sensitive to the presence of external life forms. We must use the black mist and water vapor to conceal our presence, otherwise they will easily detect us." Whoosh!

At this moment, white mist surged, and a head as large as a mountain emerged.

Its head was crimson, its muscles were bulging, its entire body was covered in oily green flames, and its two winding black horns resembled a giant python.

"what?"

"What is this?"

Everyone was shocked. It was the first time they had ever seen such a huge beast. They were no bigger than hairs in front of it. This beast must have at least the cultivation level of a Golden Core cultivator.

"Don't panic, this is an illusion."

With a furious roar, the Buddhist disciple Pukong instantly enlightened everyone, and the ferocious gods and demons before them had vanished.

"It was just an illusion. Thank you for your help, Buddha."

The group arrived at the water's edge and unleashed the Black Cloud Hook, a weapon specifically designed to capture aquatic creatures.

The black net opened and fell into the water.

Wow! !

The next moment, the black net emerged from the water again, pulling out a clam the size of a millstone.

The clam's surface is covered with thick seaweed, and the moment it emerges, it opens its shell and spits out a water jet.

boom!
The Buddhist disciple stepped forward and shattered the diamond-hard water flow with a single punch, while the others stepped forward to open the shells and retrieve the beads.

Next, the group attacked several clam spirits, clams, and river snails.

Suddenly, the water ahead rippled violently.

Wow!
Countless yellow-scaled water snakes, fish, shrimp, crabs, and clam spirits surfaced.

Amidst towering waves, the crowd spotted a lingzhi mushroom resembling an ice crystal underwater.

"A narcissus with intelligence? What a treasure! No wonder so many strange beasts guard it." Ouyang Rong's eyes lit up.

It is a consensus among cultivators that places with many demonic beasts must have treasures.

It must be because the treasure is about to mature, which is why so many strange beasts have gathered.

"Gentlemen, do not hold back."

Ouyang Rong drew his grass sword, and lush green vines with sharp thorns sprouted from the earth.

The Buddhist disciple revealed his sixteen-foot-tall golden body, chanting Buddhist mantras. The Buddhist sounds transformed into visible Buddhist characters that fell into the demon horde, exploding immediately. Everyone then unleashed their own spells.

They quickly slaughtered the demons, leaving none alive.

Although they didn't have any Golden Core experts, these peripheral demons weren't much stronger either.

The group killed the demon, and the demon's blood stained the entire river surface red.

Since all the demons in the vicinity had died out, the white mist had thinned considerably, and it was clearly visible for miles around.

"We must hurry and finish this quickly! Otherwise, if we alert the great demon, the consequences will be unimaginable," said Pukong Buddha.

He had already sensed the impending crisis.

"This is!!"

Gu Qing pointed to the things in front of him.

Everyone followed Gu Qing's gaze.

A man and a woman stood by the lake; the man had an ethereal air about him, and the woman was stunningly beautiful.

He was clearly no ordinary person.

Come to think of it, anyone who can appear in this treacherous place must be either a master or a demon king.

“Seniors, we mean no harm. If we have disturbed you, please do not take offense,” Ouyang Rong said, cupping his hands in greeting.

After saying this, everyone became secretly on guard, fearing that the two uninvited guests would kill and steal the treasure.

Liang Yue turned around, glanced at the Buddhist disciples, and said, "You stay here. I have something to ask you."

In the desolate wilderness, the visitor is ill-intentioned.

Everyone secretly felt that things were going to get ugly, and that a fight was probably about to break out.

However, even facing such a formidable enemy, they lacked confidence and, to this day, did not know the abilities of the person before them.

Pukong Buddhist disciple stopped the crowd with a look and said:

“Senior, my master, the Vajra Venerable of the Ninefold Golden Core, has important matters to instruct me, and I am afraid I cannot stay any longer.”

Jiedi Vajra is a renowned Buddhist master in the three kingdoms of Xuanwu, Yuluo, and Baozhu.

Pu Kong thought that the other party would give them face after hearing this name.

"Nine Revolutions of the Golden Elixir?"

Chang Xi glanced at the restless clam spirits underwater.

Wow!
Amidst towering waves, a giant clam, the size of a mountain, was born.

"Oh no! The Demon King has appeared!!"

Everyone's expression changed drastically, and they unleashed their supernatural powers.

When Liang Yue saw Pukong Buddha's Vajra Indestructible Divine Power, he raised an eyebrow and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes, as if he had thought of something.

"Beast!"

Chang Xi gave a soft shout, and her colorful robes reflected the innate ice essence, causing a pure white light to strike the Clam King.

The clam king was instantly frozen, its enormous body crashing to the ground and shattering into pieces.

"This……"

A hint of shock appeared on the Buddha's usually calm face.

This is not the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir; this is the Primordial Golden Elixir.

At this moment, Liang Yue spoke up, saying, "There will be a reward for staying."

As soon as he finished speaking, he threw out the Heaven-Turning Seal.

boom!
The Heavenly Seal fell like a mountain, crashing into the lake.

Its precise control prevented even the slightest spillage of power from the lake.

After the Heaven-Turning Seal departed, only a bottomless pit remained in its place.

Pearls, jade shells, and various kinds of marine herbs rained down from the sky.

The dazzling, multicolored light captivated everyone's attention.

"These are all your rewards."

The group exchanged glances, realizing they had struck gold; such a master would never lie to them.

A single question yielded a reward thousands of times greater; truly a reclusive master.

"Whatever you ask, senior? I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

“Take me to visit your master. Don’t worry, I’ll just ask about the whereabouts of an old friend.”

Liang Yue pointed at the Buddhist disciple Pukong and said.

"My master?" Pu Kong Buddhist disciple weighed the pros and cons. Although the Vajra True Sect lived in seclusion in the deep mountains, he was sure that if he asked carefully, he would know the approximate location.

This person's cultivation is stronger than his master's, yet he still wants him to lead the way; he must have good intentions.

Thinking of this, Pukong said, "This junior is willing to introduce you to our master."

Soon, the others divided the spoils, privately agreed not to tell anyone about it, and then agreed to go home.

The Buddhist disciple ascended onto a cloud and flew towards the so-called Land of Jewels.

The scenery on both sides of the river is rapidly receding.

"Is there Mahayana Buddhism here?" Liang Yue glanced at him and immediately knew which sect this person belonged to.

The difference between Mahayana and Hinayana lies in the fact that Mahayana focuses on the practice of Dharma, while Hinayana focuses on the practice of techniques.

The mere presence of a Mahayana Buddhist disciple, standing still, evokes a sense of tranquility and profound enlightenment in others.

Xuanzang was one of those Mahayana Buddhist disciples who appeared only once in a thousand years.

The Hinayana practitioner is this person in front of me, who specializes in cultivating a single supernatural power, focusing primarily on techniques.

"Mahayana Buddhism? I am not familiar with it, but Master should know."

Upon hearing the term "Mahayana Buddhism," Pu Kong knew that this person must be a highly accomplished Buddhist.

Jewel Country.

This country is rich in gemstones, and its people have earlobes that reach their shoulders, hands that extend past their knees, and clothes adorned with gemstones, exuding wealth and luxury.

Most palaces and pavilions are white.

Deep in the mountains, miasma was dense.

The highest peak, Bai Shou Peak, is named for the misty clouds that surround it.

At dawn, as the sun rose, a golden light appeared on the summit.

A bald monk, draped in golden light, exhaled purple aura from the east; his skin was golden with a hint of purple, resplendent and noble.

This is the indestructible golden body, the ultimate manifestation of this method.

A short while later, a young novice monk came up to report.

“Your Excellency, my third senior brother has brought two people who want to see you.”

The Vajra Guardian opened his eyes, his voice hoarse and aged, and said, "Let him come over."

Before long, Liang Yue rode the clouds up the mountain.

“Distinguished guests, I am sorry that I was unable to greet you from afar. I hope you will not take offense.” Jiedi Vajra stood up and said politely, “Pukong, serve tea to our distinguished guests.”

The two men's cultivation levels were unfathomable, so the Vajra of the Gate could only treat them with great respect.

Chang Xi went to the edge of the cliff to see the scenery of the Golden Summit, while Liang Yue and Jie Di Jingang chatted idly.

The Vajra of the Gate discovered that this Taoist priest was practically omnipotent, and even had a deep understanding of Buddhism. He didn't seem like a Taoist priest, but rather like an enlightened monk.

"Who are you?" Jiedi Vajra couldn't help but ask.

"My Taoist name is Lingbao. I have come here to inquire about the location of Mahayana Buddhism from Your Excellency. Do you know Xuanzang?"

Upon hearing the name Xuanzang, the Vajra of the Gate changed his expression drastically, coldly dismissed the guest, and said, "Please leave, sir. This humble monk is unfamiliar with Mahayana Buddhism."

Liang Yue remained motionless and laughed, "Since you are like this, you must know Xuanzang's whereabouts. You do not know my Taoist name Lingbao, but... this Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill was created by me."

The first person to cultivate the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill was his own son, Liang Jingming.

Then, Liang Yue casually pointed out a few tips on the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill.

“Cultivating techniques and methods is not enough to comprehend the innate Great Dao. You might as well specialize in the Golden Body, which offers another hope of breaking through to the innate level.”

With a single sentence, Liang Yue revealed the secrets of the golden body, leaving the Vajra of the Gate of Heaven no choice but to believe his words.

"Very well, I will take you to the Great Thunderclap Temple."

(End of this chapter)