Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 587 Hanging in the Air
South of Lizhou lies the ancient Changlang Plain.

This place is adjacent to the Wu and Yue regions, and is home to the Hanging Temple, the first Buddhist temple in Dali.

As dawn broke, a figure walked slowly from the edge of this ancient plain, his appearance simple and his expression calm.

The light shone brightly on his worn-out gray monk's robe.

He turned his head and looked back, and saw that the radiant light of the Li Fire in the direction of Lizhou had risen again, piercing through the sky and weaving into a net.

The gray-robed monk stood quietly on the main road, exuding an aura that blended into the world. He ignored the passing carriages and pedestrians, who simply brushed past him.

【Wu Chang】Stands quietly here. As a great master who travels outside the Hanging Temple, his cultivation has reached the second level of Maha, which is enough to compete with the late stage of the Purple Mansion.

The present interpretation is called Bodhi, while the ancient interpretation is called Maha. Both have three stages, but they ultimately lead to the "Lotus Throne Good Ground" and the "Non-Retrogression Ground" respectively.

If one reaches the second level, the main practice for rebirth is Pure Land Buddhism, while the main practice for the human world is the Dharma Gate. The Suspended Lineage focuses on the path of sudden enlightenment through Chan meditation, without relying on written words, and cultivates insight.

He already had his own insights.

Continuing south, one sees rolling green hills and towering ancient trees, but no trace of any cultivators. Occasionally, woodcutters can be seen chopping wood and hunters coming and going. The only other sounds are the chirping of birds scattered throughout the mountains.

Wu Chang stopped, stood before the mountain, and took a step forward.

The surrounding scenery began to change rapidly. The clouds were misty and the wind was blowing. In an instant, he arrived at a place in the sky, isolated from the world. Only a few peaks were visible, suspended in the air, standing in the clouds, and a few ancient and weathered temples stood on them.

There was no radiant light or auspicious clouds, and no one was chanting sutras or reciting Buddhist scriptures.

The clouds stretched out, extending upwards, leading directly to the secluded ancient temple atop the central peak. The sound of bells rang out from afar, echoing endlessly, causing Wu Chang's thoughts to become somewhat hazy.

His expression gradually calmed as he stepped into this secret realm. The mountain gate of the Hanging Temple stood in the sky, not a pure land, not a grotto, but a real place suspended in the present world. However, outsiders would hardly see it in their lifetime if they did not have the right karmic connection.

"Brother!"

A call interrupted his thoughts. A young man in a blue monk's robe approached from afar. He had clean-cut features and a hint of arrogance in his eyes.

When he saw Wuchang return, he smiled more.

"Your journey to Liaodong, where you entered the Great Shenhai Temple, a center of the [Cultivation of Knowledge] path, and on your return journey you also visited Emperor Li, is far better than me staying here."

"You live a secluded life in the mountains, untouched by worldly affairs; I envy you to some extent."

Wu Chang's gaze was calm, his tone indifferent, and he simply said:

“Junior Brother Wuyuan, you have been studying Buddhist principles in the mountains for many years, meditating and contemplating. Have you gained any insights?”

"It's not that easy to fix."

Wuyuan stepped forward and walked with his fellow disciple. A gentle breeze made his monk's robes flutter, while lights shone from the ancient temple on the spiritual peak ahead, mingling with the sunlight.

“I’ve heard that the path of cultivation is renowned for its virtues, but it’s also what you consider the lowest form of Buddhism and Taoism, and it has established the Pure Land. Senior brother, you went to see it for yourself, but I don’t know what it’s really like?”

Wu Chang's expression softened slightly, and he continued:
"Dachenhai Temple is located on the shore of the North Sea. This place is bitterly cold, and there are many ordinary people who cannot survive. The great bodhisattvas in the temple use the Pure Land to nourish the world, rather than using the world to nourish the Pure Land. At least they have given millions of people a place to stay."

"There are such people—"

Wuyuan's expression changed slightly, a hint of melancholy appearing between his brows, and his voice was low:

"The Pure Land Dharma Gate is not entirely bad. If one cultivates consciousness, it can be considered a path to save sentient beings. I am following the path of the ancient Buddhas; I do not know what the future holds."

"The people in the temple are all too arrogant."

He sighed and looked at this [Suspended Secret Realm]. If one wants to practice Zen, one must first assess one's aptitude and whether one has the potential for enlightenment. Otherwise, the temple would rather have its lineage die out than accept a disciple.

Since the founding of the Great Li Kingdom, it has only taken in two or three people.

Wuyuan also had a disciple, but unfortunately he went astray and practiced Northern Buddhism. Now, according to calculations, he should have already perished. After all, he was tainted by the karma of the mortal world, and who can easily escape it?
Upon hearing this, Wu Chang felt as if dust had settled on his gray monk's robe. He gently brushed it off and simply said:

“In the past, Hua Shifa thought the same way. His teachings emphasized the Dharma, and when it came to Buddhist principles, our temple had to learn from him. This path has now turned to the present interpretation. At first, it wasn't like the practice of cultivating knowledge, but what about now?”

"With a weapon in hand, the desire to kill arises naturally. Which family in the world can escape this? Even the Thunder Palace, which is high above and in charge of morality, had some scandals in the past. What do you think is the origin of the [Punishing Punishment] divine power?"

They had now reached the end of the cloud path and arrived at the ancient temple. Wu Chang looked at it one last time, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"In just three generations, the morality and customs of the world can be transformed. If you think you can use this method to save all living beings, you have actually fallen into a demonic trap."

"To substitute one person's heart for the heart of the world, to substitute one person's thoughts for the thoughts of the world, junior brother, you think you are saving all living beings, but your actions are no different from those of the former Xia Emperor."

Wu Chang walked towards the temple, leaving Wu Yuan alone on the cloud path. The junior brother seemed to be pondering his words, and finally turned into a wisp of breeze and left.

He walked along the temple road and saw many monks along the way, some debating the Dharma, some meditating, but few practicing any magic or supernatural powers, or refining any magical artifacts or Pure Lands.

Entering the gleaming hall, the bright lights illuminated the green walls. There were no Buddha statues or golden bodies, nor any scriptures or books. There was only a monk in white robes with a long scroll of paintings spread out on the table in front of him.

This person has an elegant appearance and refined demeanor, yet he shows little sign of Buddhist cultivation. If he hadn't shaved his head, one might mistake him for a high-ranking immortal.

Wu Chang entered, found a place to sit down, and silently meditated. After a while, he saw the white-robed man on the seat put down his ink brush and look over.

"Has your practice outside yielded any results?"

"Reporting to Master, all people suffer."

Wu Chang's face showed a hint of reluctance. He stepped forward and said:

“I reprimanded my junior brother at the foot of the mountain. He has always had the intention to subdue demons and cleanse his karma. The incident in Nanfa had a great impact on him. But this path is ultimately wrong. Using good intentions to perform evil deeds will inevitably lead to bad results.”

He sighed softly and continued:

“Master, now that you have the hope of enlightenment, why do you leave the mountain and interfere in cause and effect? ​​Back then, when you were saving sentient beings from evil, our temple intervened, which already accumulated negative karma. Now you want to get involved in the conflict between Liaodong and Lijiang. How is that any different from your current role as a monk?”

The man on the seat slowly stood up, looked over, and his eyes held a gentle light.

"There are things to do and things not to do. So-called self-cultivation is not about shutting yourself away and hiding in the mountains, but about entering the world openly without falling into worldly dust."

The Bodhisattva continued, “In my temple, the transmission of the Dharma is becoming increasingly difficult, and it is not without reason that the Great Master Shi is now in power. Even if there were one more enlightened one, it would be of no use to the situation.”

Wu Chang sighed deeply and looked at the famous Ancient Boat Bodhisattva sitting on the throne.

The other person walked down and came to his side.

"This matter is the will of the True Lord. That Tian Chi is merely acting as a successor, and I cannot refuse. However, it is not necessarily a bad thing."

Gu Zhou gazed leisurely northward and smiled.

"Although Gu Huaixu is utterly wicked, he is indeed a person who has both the Dharma and attained the Pure Land. My desire to go and see him is also due to fate."

Wu Chang's face showed a hint of anger, and he said in a solemn voice:

"That evil monk has corrupted the morals of our Buddhist sect. Countless cultivators have followed his example and joined Buddhism, making them neither immortals nor Buddhists. In my opinion, they are nothing but a bunch of demons!"

The main hall was silent, the lamps flickered, and only the distant sound of bells could be heard.

There was no change on the surface of the ancient boat. With a casual wave of his hand, a magical artifact radiating boundless wisdom light fell from the void, shaped like a long sword.

He weighed it in his hand and felt that the [Wisdom Sword] was getting heavier and heavier.

"If you practice Zen, you should not cling to falsehoods."

The Bodhisattva took a step and disappeared in an instant, leaving only Wuchang standing in the hall.

Suddenly a gust of wind stirred, blowing the scroll and causing it to fall in front of the gray-robed monk. He shook it flat and saw that the painting depicted a sea of ​​flowers, from which a golden-white light slowly emanated.

Wu Chang seemed to be deep in thought. He carefully returned the painting to its original place, now hoping that his master could confirm his thoughts and that he would gain something from his journey in the world.
-
To the west of Yinshan, a tributary of the Hun River.

A flash of blue light appeared, and supernatural powers changed. The energy of Jia wood surged and finally converged into one place, like a dragon or a jiao. The void was torn open, and a man wearing a green dragon-patterned Taoist robe emerged.

This man was handsome and had a majestic presence. The magical power of the Wood element constantly transformed around him, turning into leaves that blotted out the sky, trees that soared into the clouds, and branches that roared with thunder, displaying all sorts of extraordinary phenomena.

He seemed to have something on his mind, gazing into the distance towards Yinshan. He saw flames rising towards the sky, and numerous supernatural powers burst forth without any concealment. True Qi condensed into jade clouds, and Geng wind transformed into swords. Finally, a hazy light of thunder rose up.

"Leaving Songlan Mountain, Mu Wu Fuyun, Tai Zhen Wan Jin, and Shang Xiao Zhuo Xie. Finally, there is an ancient monk on a boat; it's unknown whether he can withstand the evil soil and the wind."

Guang Chan's mind raced; the time for a real battle had arrived, yet the monk on the ancient boat remained silent, causing some unease in his heart.

The Thunder Department only sent one person, Zhuoxie, since the area from Yinshan to Shengle was far beyond the reach of Yuanluo.

Even with the [Dou Shu Shang Fa Seal], it is difficult to connect them. Only this Shangxiao cultivator with extremely high cultivation can break away from the divine path and leave the formation on his own, while the power of his divine ability is hardly diminished.

"Su Yun said that this Sword Immortal who cuts through tribulations is easy to talk to, but I don't know if that's true."

Guang Chan was restless, a deep unease rising within him. He looked toward the direction from which Yan had emerged, his heart filled with all sorts of worries. If he were to die here, what would become of the sect?
He was not afraid of death, but he was afraid of failing his master's instructions and that his supernatural powers would not be able to protect the lineage completely.

The void shattered, silver lightning swirled, and a man in a silver robe descended on the wind, his expression calm and his eyes majestic. A profound aura of tribulation emanated from the sword behind him. He stood on the clouds, looking at Guang Chan.

Upon seeing the Guangchan Zhenren, with whom he was about to act, Xu Xuan sensed that he was indeed a mid-stage Zifu cultivator of the Jiamu Dao. However, the other party spoke first.

"Fellow Daoist Bijie".

Guang Chan's gaze sharpened slightly as he looked at the other party. He felt an extremely sharp sword intent surrounding the other party, which surprised him. Facing a true sword immortal brought considerable pressure.

"I'm late, I've kept Fellow Daoist Guangchan waiting."

Xu Xuan looked at the distant Yinshan Mountain. He had been healing his injuries in the sect for a long time and had just officially received his military orders to come here, preparing to attack Shengle from the east.

What followed was a matter of life and death. Although he and Guang Chan had never met, they had Guang Su as a connection, so they talked for a while longer.

"I wonder, fellow Daoist, who do you think will come to stop us?"

Xu Xuan's gaze was deep and fixed as he looked up at the Hun River, but he could not discern anything.

"The main force must have gone to the front of Yinshan. The immortal path in Liaodi is not thriving, so it is probably the Demon Lord who will come to stop us. If it weren't for Chouxi calling Taizhen to kill, it might have been this Hanshui Sword Immortal who came here."

After some extensive and thoughtful consideration, the answer will emerge. The Liao lands are in a state of considerable chaos, and the path of immortality is not flourishing, since there are many simpler methods to cultivate.

Whether it's casting oneself into the mortal realm, entering the demonic path, or transforming into a spirit, all are easier to cultivate than the path of immortality, and the lifespan is also longer. Apart from Tian Shu, whose stance is unclear, only one sword immortal has emerged in the entire Liao land, namely Chou Xi.

Such a figure should have been highly valued in Liaodong, but he was beheaded by Taizhen, which is truly strange.

However, it was good that Xu Jianxian was traveling with him, which made Guang Chan feel much more at ease. He also had a secret treasure of Qinghua that could protect the two of them.

When did the monk from the ancient boat arrive here?

Xu Xuan's tone grew solemn. Since the talisman array between Sheng Le and Yin Shan was not established, the role of the Pure Land was magnified infinitely. If it weren't for that ancient boat dealing with the evil land, the Pure Land alone would have caused all cultivators to pay a huge price.

"It should be soon."

Guangchan looked to the north and saw a patch of earth shrouded in a bluish-yellow light rising into the sky. The Pure Land stretched out, and the wind and sand raged, revealing all sorts of demonic images within it. The Pure Land of the Evil Earth Bodhisattva stood firmly in the middle, protecting Sheng Le.

"We don't need to directly clash with the evil land. As long as we can break into Sheng Le, disrupt their formation, and force them to retreat, we will have succeeded."

As soon as he finished speaking, the distant Yinshan Mountain trembled violently, with flames rising and surging endlessly. Finally, a white-robed monk appeared, making hand seals and casting a spell. Boundless wisdom light rose up and was finally bestowed upon an illusory sword.

This sword was neither real nor illusory, but it gave Xu Xuan a feeling similar to the [Formless Mind Image Technique] he had used in the past, a kind of condensation of a certain status. Tian Tuo, however, solemnly said:
"What a powerful [Wisdom Sword]! I was struck by it myself back then, Gu Zhou."

Xu Xuan and Guang Chan sensed at the same time that the monk on the ancient boat had arrived, and it was time to make their move!
Within the inner realm, Tian Tuo seemed to be observing. Upon seeing the appearance of this high monk from the outside world, his expression grew increasingly solemn, eventually falling silent. Xu Xuan, however, had no time to ask any more questions. He saw the Pure Land in the distance trembling violently, from which emerged a sheep-beast carrying the Xuan Palace on its back.

The beast opened its mouth, and a body sculpted from yellow clay slowly emerged from it. The vast expanse of light and the power of will were drawn in, ultimately falling upon this body made of evil earth.

On the other side, the white-robed monk remained calm and composed. He summoned the Wisdom Sword, which immediately split the Sea of ​​Vows, causing the entire Pure Land to tremble and making it difficult to maintain a complete defense.

The evil-earth monk, clad in a sand-yellow robe, stared coldly ahead:

"Ancient Boat, you have also emerged. In our battle back then, you had a slight advantage, but that may not be the case today!"

(End of this chapter)