Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 561 Abandonment
Red clouds.

From the Golden Robe Valley, the entire northern region was transformed into sacred soil. Golden lotuses of all sizes bloomed amidst the mountains and rivers, emanating intoxicating fragrances. Mortals along the way all bowed in worship.

Mingying's appearance became increasingly solemn and grand, with an unfathomable majesty.

Its upper body is like a natural white jade, without any trace of carving, while its lower body is a dark black wooden body, as hard as metal and stone, with roots extending and penetrating into the nine-tiered white jade lotus platform at the core of the Pure Land.

The once empty Pure Land of Wishing Lotus has now accumulated nearly hundreds of thousands of believers. The surging golden power of their vows, like a rainbow, first flows into the white jade lotus platform, and then feeds back into the luminous Dharma image.

The second stage of Bodhi has been achieved.

Even without the aid of the Pure Land, Ming Ying now has the confidence to compete with those in the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm. And sitting in this ancient Pure Land left behind by the [Lotus Cause Great Transformation Bodhisattva], his cultivation has reached an unfathomable level.

'Completely lost the opportunity to attain [equal enlightenment]'

Mingying's feelings were quite complicated at this moment, and he didn't know whether to be happy or sad. He was now completely doomed to follow the path of Buddhism, and at most he would have the chance to become a Venerable in the future.

Generally speaking, there are two paths that a Dharma Master can take if he wants to break through. The first is to directly seek refuge in a Pure Land, receive the power of vows to elevate his life, and thus borrow various supernatural powers from above.

If one day, having accumulated enough karma and received the blessings of fate, one can also ascend to the Pure Land and attain Bodhi through making vows and reincarnation.

The second is the ancient Buddhist method, which states that one attains enlightenment and becomes a Bodhi, without any connection to vows or reincarnation. Even if one makes a vow, it is witnessed by heaven and earth, and one does not take it from others.

Therefore, the ancient interpretation is that one enters the stage of non-retrogression through great compassion without self, and then realizes the wisdom of the Dharma, thus dispelling ignorance.

The one who cultivates attains unimpeded supernatural powers free from karmic ties, ultimately reaching the state of "Equal Enlightenment," where one can be called a Bodhisattva. The next step is the state of "Perfect Enlightenment," where one can be called an Awakened One, whose rank is equal to that of a True Lord.

This path is superior to the current interpretation, hence it is also called "Mahasattva". Only through this path can one attain self-realization and reach the World-Honored One.

The present interpretation is that one is bound to the Pure Land and cultivates through the power of others.

This method does not break through ignorance, so its supernatural powers are limited and it is often constrained by karma. If one wants to progress, one can only continuously rely on the Pure Land to widely accumulate vows and cause and effect, and finally fulfill one's vows by relying on all sentient beings, thereby becoming a venerable one.

The term "Bodhisattva" refers to those who have transcended the three stages of Dharma, attained sainthood, and reached the state of "equal enlightenment."

In this world, only the monks of the Hanging Temple on the Ancient Boat possess this level of skill, even surpassing the great supernatural beings in the immortal path, though they are also few and far between.

If we broaden the scope further, the incarnation of the [Desire Overflowing] Primordial Lord, the [True Demon], would also be included. However, neither the Chan nor the Jing lineage recognizes this demon, and although they dare not discuss him to his face, they have certainly spoken ill of him in private.

Mingying regained his composure, his expression becoming solemn and dignified.

He looked at the great array with rising flames in the distance, his gaze lingering on the Binghuo Purple Mansion for a while, as if he were drooling, but his Dharma Eyes were filled with coldness.

As believers from Tianshui County continued to kowtow and chant Buddhist scriptures, a fiery aura gradually arose from the Pure Land and entered his lower wooden body, causing it to dry out and the wood energy to condense. The dark red light of the wood gradually covered his body.

"He saved countless lives. How wonderful!"

As the Daoist aura bestowed upon him, the white jade lotus at the core of the Pure Land continued to rise, causing the radiant Dharma image to pierce through the clouds, obscuring the sky and the sun.

He gently lifted the Mani Jewel, and the [Great Sun Jewel] shone brightly, shaking the formation and causing the flames of the Bing Fire to extinguish. Under this immense pressure, the [Heavenly Fire Bingyang Formation] gradually deformed and twisted.

Liu Xiaowen activated his divine power, and golden-red flames surged up, clashing with the Mani Pearl. The radiance instantly engulfed his body.

"[Nü Han], lead [Sui Lei], [Ju Gui], and [Xu Liu] to attack the mountain!"

Ming Ying gave the order, his tone decisive.

The female Vajra's expression faltered slightly, as if she had some doubts. She had a pair of handsome male and female heads, and wore a tattered white hemp monk's robe. Her golden body had been burned by the fire, and the reconstituted form was not as good as before.

“Great Master, we have now obtained Ye Lingxiao’s body, and Tianshui has also been conquered for our Dao. We have already gained all the benefits.”

The Vajra said uneasily:
"If we don't retreat now, it will be difficult to deal with the arrival of the True Immortals Taizhen and Li Song."

“Someone is watching.”

Mingying's voice carried an unquestionable majesty, causing the four Vajras to immediately move and charge into the mountain.

Nu Han, however, was growing worried, unable to fathom Ying's scheme.

She was transformed from a demon into a Buddhist being. Her true form is a two-headed rat. She has considerable cultivation and has followed this great master the longest, so she has a deep understanding of him.

Ming Ying was a Taoist who transformed from an immortal. He was originally a True Man who served as a successor to the Cuiyuan Sect. He cultivated the Guangmu lineage, which is another branch of Guangmu besides [Yin Guang]. His ancestors also had True Lords.

Until his death, this person was seriously injured and his lifespan was not long. He abandoned the sect and entered the Rebirth Path with the cultivation of the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion. He was often delayed and was stuck in the Vajra position. The difference in their realms was like heaven and earth.

When Dali replaced Qi and Yin Guang was destroyed, his destiny was scattered. Ming Ying took advantage of this opportunity to make his vow and ascend to Bodhi. However, he was extremely cautious and rarely took risks.

No matter how much Nühan thought about it, she couldn't understand why Mingying didn't retreat quickly, but instead lingered here.

If the north is defeated, they will likely face an siege and may even have to confront that sword immortal!
At that time, they will probably be badly injured, if not killed.

Nu Han dared not disobey, and led the three Vajra warriors beside her toward the mountain gate, solemnly saying:

"Take it down immediately!"

Xu Liujing made the first move, a nun dressed in a blue robe with water patterns, holding a pale white porcelain bowl containing a stream of black water that looked like a dragon, clearly a substance of the Ren water element.

She then poured the porcelain bowl, and countless streams of black water transformed into serpents, rushing towards the flames outside the mountain, causing the power of this great formation to diminish further and gradually become unsustainable.

With a furious roar, the Vajra Demon revealed its true form: a Rakshasa demon draped in a tiger skin, its body growing taller with the wind, its form as large as a mountain. It brandished a trident, wreathed in black fire, and viciously slashed towards the thundercloud-shrouded Tianji Mountain.

"you dare!"

Liu Xiao roared and activated his supernatural powers, attempting to make another move, but the Dharma image above firmly suppressed him with the Mani Pearl, making it impossible for him to escape.

With golden power of vows flowing like a river around him, Ju Gui's expression was slightly smug. The Binghuo Grand Array in front of him had been greatly weakened by the [Great Sun Dharma Pearl], and it was time for him to break the array.

The trident crashed down, black fire exploded, slicing through the flames and ultimately stirring up the vast expanse of clouds and mountains, causing the central tribulation pool to tremble.

Ju Gui laughed loudly, took a step forward, shaking the mountains, and grasped the mountain-high trident with both hands, about to break the several spiritual peaks on the mountain.

"it is good."

On the other side, the [Thunder-Following] Vajra had gleaming eyes. He was a young monk with a cold and aloof appearance, and in his hand was a golden iron whip that pulsated with lightning.

Just as they were about to step forward to help break the formation, they saw the ghost suddenly stop moving, as if frozen in place.

"What are you standing there for?"

As Lei stepped forward, about to ride the wind and land on the mountain-like ghostly body, he seemed to sense something was wrong and immediately stopped.

A chilling sword intent arose from the mountain, seemingly left behind by the place's owner at will. Now, suddenly provoked, it struck silently, cleaving the ghost's golden body in two in an instant. The enormous ghost's body then began to move, every inch of its flesh and blood falling into the air, a torrential downpour that drenched the three Vajra statues nearby, filling them with terror.

Mingying acted immediately, but was unable to protect him.

A thunderous roar came from the north, echoing for miles. Silver and black lightning crisscrossed, and the Calamity Pool hung high, tearing away the pure land that had been attached to the Tianshui territory.

A silver figure wielding a long sword cut through this Pure Land of Wishes, as if carving a river, and broke into it.

Seeing this, Nü Han was horrified. His body was covered in blue ghost blood, and he said in a trembling voice:

"Great Master, with the arrival of that Immortal of the Tribulation-Slaying Realm, the north is bound to suffer a defeat. Shouldn't we retreat now!"

Ming Ying remained silent, simply watching the figure charging towards them from afar, his gaze deep and unfathomable. A faint heartbeat could be heard emanating from the jade coffin beneath the lotus platform.

"Great Master!"

Nu Han felt her blood run cold. Trembling, she took out a token surrounded by iron-gray clouds. This was a token of the Liao army; if something happened in the north, they would definitely send a message.

The token, engraved with animal patterns, was perfectly intact, without the slightest movement, and had even completely severed its connection with the Liao army!
"This is to—"

All sorts of terrifying speculations arose in her mind, but gradually a radiant light surged and rose into her eyes, making it difficult for her to have any other thoughts.

Even though Sui Lei and Xu Liu had a lot of questions in their hearts, they could only obey orders.

The three of them recited the scriptures in unison, and a radiant light surged forth:
May all sentient beings in the ten directions have sincere faith and joy.

Taking advantage of Mingying's distraction, Liu Xiaowen had already broken free from the Mani Pearl, but Vajra was already attacking from outside the formation.

The sword intent left behind had been exhausted, and the Binghuo Formation had been crushed by the Pure Land. Nvhan led the other two straight in and arrived above the Lishui River.

Its colors shift and change, and its golden form sways.

The nun-like Xu Liujingang raised the porcelain bowl in his hand again, and hundreds of black water serpents shot out from it, biting towards Liu Xiaowen.

A thunderous sound suddenly rang out, and a purple thunder drum rose into the sky, its surface adorned with the mythical Kui Niu and wind and thunder patterns.

Thirty-six heavenly soldiers stood in formation beside him, exuding divine aura. The leader was a man in green robes, whose thunderous voice held off the enemy, though his expression was somewhat solemn.

"I'll deal with this guy!"

As soon as Liu Xingfang spoke, the nun had already spotted the location and charged over.

He remained calm and unhurried, raising his hand to summon a crimson gold bracelet. The bracelet soared into the air and immediately transformed into a crimson centipede the size of a mountain, howling incessantly as it charged down with yin fire.

【Red Centipede】!
Xu Liu did not retreat, but fought back with the treasures in his hands. Now that the Pure Land was directly empowering him, his Vajra strength also increased.

Liu Xiaowen was suppressed by the Great Sun Pearl and his body was injured. He didn't have time to say anything before Nü Han, who had the highest cultivation level, was already in front of him.

With the Pure Land so close, the strength of these Vajras is almost equivalent to that of a first-level Divine Power cultivator in the Purple Mansion realm, and their magical power is extremely profound. Even if they are killed, they can quickly reconstitute their physical bodies using the Pure Land.

Liu Xiaowen immediately felt troubled. With his current abilities, suppressing Nü Han was not difficult, but he had to consider the sect's interests, which inevitably made him feel constrained.

Lei had already rushed towards the array flags at the foot of the mountain, his iron whip whipping up and golden lightning crackling, ready to completely break through this great array.

His golden body suddenly froze, as if frozen by something, when a crimson flame suddenly shot out from the spirit peak.

A large seal, imbued with the five elements, crashed down, and the mountain formation activated once more. The flames of the Bing fire surged forth, locking onto the intruding Vajra warriors while protecting the disciples.

Wen Guang rode the wind and stepped out, a hint of anger in his eyes. He settled the Five Elements Mountain and stabilized the great formation.

He activated his magic, and a green clay urn burst forth from the ground. He carefully collected the spiritual roots inside, and then fully activated the [Azure Dawn Nurturing Urn].

As Lei raised his head, his face contorted with blood and flesh. He felt an immense force coming from the sky, and no matter how much he struggled, he could only be trapped in this urn.

Wen Guang looked smug and called out to Liu Xiaowen from afar:
"Master, close the door and beat the dog."

Now that the grand formation has been restarted, and with this hidden spiritual treasure unleashing its power, these three Vajras have come to the wrong place, and could even be said to have been driven to the brink of despair by that Ming Ying.

'There are monks like this who don't cherish their reputation.'

Wen Guang has already protected all the cultivators in the sect with the help of the great formation. Now all that is needed is to send these three Vajras back to the Pure Land.

As for the outside world, in his understanding, as long as Xu Xuan comes, no matter who Bodhi Bodhisattva is, he will be executed without exception.

"Master, take the urn."

The Qingli Yangxiao Jar flew through the air and instantly landed in Liu Xiaowen's hands.

He activated his supernatural powers, and with the continuous flow of magical energy, a chilling, desolate aura emanated from the urn. It sounded as if something was chewing, and the foul odor spread.

Drops of golden blood gushed from the urn, within which golden thunder churned and radiant light rose. Finally, the mangled, flesh-eroded body of the Thunder Vajra fell from the urn.

"Lingbao!"

Sui Lei now only has half of his physical body left. With his Mingtang (a point on his forehead) as the boundary, the left side of his body seems to have been completely devoured by something, revealing bones and blood that gleam with golden light.

Liu Xiaowen silently sensed the power of the spiritual treasure in his hand, and his mind gradually calmed down. Meanwhile, the great array manipulated by Wen Guang began to exert its power again, and the flames of Bing Fire pressed down, leaving the three Vajras with nowhere to escape.

Nu Han looked terrified and was filled with anxiety. Seeing Sui Lei, who was already half-crippled, she had lost much of her fighting spirit and was only following Ming Ying's orders.

Thunder rumbled from the outside world, and the void crumbled in pieces. The enormous Dharma image was engulfed by the lightning, and its true form was nowhere to be seen.

With the constraints on her life slightly eased, Nü Han struggled to look at the real person and the fire spirit before her, gritting her teeth as she said:

"Gentlemen, could you please stop?"

From another direction came a scream. Xu Liu was being suppressed by the thunder drum, with a terrifying wound on his forehead, burning with yin fire, and a red centipede could be faintly seen crawling inside.

The fire of Bing (丙) blazed, the thunderous drums sounded again, and the red centipede completely devoured the nun, inside and out.

Xu Liu immediately perished, his true spirit flying out along the void towards the Pure Land outside. However, the once peaceful Pure Land of Wish Lotus had already been covered by lightning and sword light.

The true spirit of this Vajra was struck by the continuous bolts of lightning and instantly turned to ashes.

Nu Han's expression changed drastically. She looked outside and screamed almost frantically, letting the rays of light penetrate and distort her face.

"Ye Huanying, how dare you! How dare you abandon us!"

(End of this chapter)