Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 209 Dharani (Part 2)

"Buddhist teachings are profound and truly possess the ability to save the world,"

Inside the governor's residence, Lü Shang put down the scriptures and gazed at the yellowed book on the table. The moonlight reflected in his eyes, as if a faint gold was flowing within them.

At this moment, Lü Shang saw the Zen mind and Buddha nature of those great masters through the annotations of eminent monks throughout history in the scriptures.

He used this knowledge to draw inferences from one instance to another, which enabled him to see the Buddha's nature and understand the Zen mind even though he did not practice Buddhism.

It should be known that those who can leave commentaries on this scripture are at least Arhats who have attained the first stage of enlightenment, and are people of great virtue and wisdom.

Even though Lü Shang had already attained the status of a martial arts immortal, he could not underestimate these great cultivators in the mortal realm.

After all, those who can cultivate themselves into Earth Immortals or attain Arhatship in the mortal realm are all exceptionally talented in some aspect and should not be slighted.

"However, emptiness is not necessarily abandonment, and form is not entirely delusion,"

Lü Shang stood with his hands behind his back by the window, the moonlight shining on him, illuminating the various acupoints on his body with a faint glow.

"Plants have roots to receive rain and dew, and humans have flesh to connect with heaven and earth."

He seemed to be deep in thought. He raised his hand and clenched it lightly. His knuckles moved slightly, and the sound of his bones cracking was like pearls falling onto a jade plate. His internal energy hummed, which faintly harmonized with the thunder in the distant night sky.

A breeze blew through the window, causing the lanterns under the eaves to flicker, casting shadows on Lü Shang's face.

He gazed at the flowing moonlight outside the window, his inner strength surging like a river.

"The Buddha said to sacrifice oneself to attain enlightenment; I say to carry the Way with one's body. The ultimate power can shatter the void!"

With a thought, Lü Shang slowly raised his hand, palm down, and his surging blood and qi flowed upwards, climbing up his spine like a dragon, passing through Jianjing and Quchi, and finally converging in the palm of his right hand.

At this moment, a faint golden light could be seen moving beneath Lü Shang's skin, a sign that his vital essence had been compressed to its limit.

It resembles the initial manifestation of 'flesh relics' described in Buddhist scriptures, yet it possesses an even more abundant vitality than flesh relics.

Lu Shang could clearly feel that what was beating in his palm at this moment was not only true strength and blood, but also the Zen mind and Buddhist nature he had comprehended. The three were intertwined, and it seemed to have the aura of a martial arts supernatural power.

"The Buddha uses his palm to save the world, while I use my strength to prove the Way and shatter all illusions."

He slowly pushed his right palm forward, the air in front of his palm was compressed and made to explode with unbearable force, and the clear moonlight outside the window was slightly distorted half a foot in front of his palm, forming a faint halo.

“This palm strike,” Lu Shang’s eyes narrowed, he withdrew his palm and stood up, the residual warmth of his palm still lingering, causing ripples to appear in the air.

Perhaps it was because Lü Shang studied Buddhist scriptures and attained enlightenment that he came to this supernatural power; his palm strike can be described as having boundless Buddhist compassion.

If Lü Shang were to become a Buddhist monk and attain a higher level of Buddhist enlightenment in the future, this palm strike could even become the supernatural power by which he achieves enlightenment.

If he were to attain the golden body of the Tathagata, this palm strike could very well be called the Tathagata's Divine Palm.

"However, whether it's Buddhism or Taoism, it's ultimately a path trodden by our predecessors. I have my own way."

After Lü Shang withdrew his palm, the distorted halo in his palm did not immediately dissipate. Instead, it spread outward like ripples, brushing over the scriptures on the table.

The yellowed pages of the sutra moved swiftly without wind, making a soft rustling sound. The vermilion characters flickered in and out, as if the images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were floating between the characters.

Lu Shang glanced at the constantly turning pages of the scripture on the table and snorted coldly. In truth, if he hadn't encountered an immortal in Zhongnan Mountain and received the "Golden Flower Secret Technique of the Floating Ancestor," which allowed him to attain immortality through this primordial secret transmission, he would have already fallen into the clutches of the monk Faming by now, possessing any other martial art.

After all, if one understands the Dharma and realizes one's true nature, even if one does not immediately become a monk, one will instinctively lean towards Buddhism.

The monk Faming intended to use this method to subtly guide Lü Shang, a martial arts master, into the path of martial arts.

However, although the Dharani Sutra of the Precious Box Seal is a Mahayana Buddhist classic and has been annotated by eminent monks throughout history, the Secret Instructions of the Golden Flower of the Founding Ancestor of Fuli ultimately originated from the beginning. No matter how extraordinary the Dharani Sutra of the Precious Box Seal is, it cannot compare with this secret transmission from the beginning.

Because he possessed the secret teachings of the Primordial Beginning, Lü Shang, although he had comprehended the Buddha-nature and Zen mind, was able to restrain himself with the "Secret Formula of the Golden Flower of the Ancestor of Fuli," integrating the wonders of Buddhism and Taoism without being bound by conventions.

Just as Lü Shang was demonstrating his martial arts skills, footsteps approached from afar in the corridor, accompanied by the soft rustling of armor plates.

Huo Xiao gripped the sword at his waist, followed by four bodyguards, all holding their breath and scanning their surroundings with wary eyes.

Lu Shang became a Daoist immortal, his aura astonishing; the sounds of golden bells and jade chimes echoed throughout the city. Huo Xiao, aware of the danger, led his men to guard outside the mansion, only daring to enter after the strange phenomena had completely dissipated.

Upon seeing Lü Shang, Huo Xiao bowed and said, "My lord, the strange phenomena in the city earlier alarmed the patrols, but I have already sent people to appease them."

"It doesn't matter,"

Lü Shang nodded slightly and said, "The patrol officers are unaware of the situation and are inevitably disturbed. It's good that you handled it properly."

"My lord,"

Huo Xiao paused for a moment, then said, "The strange phenomena just now not only alarmed the patrols, but the governor's office also sent people to inquire."

As he spoke, he glanced at Lü Shang and, seeing that Lü Shang's expression was calm, said in a low voice, "The one who came was the commander of the personal guards of the General's Mansion. He was quite polite and only asked if there had been any unusual activity in the mansion. This humble general did not dare to say much, but only said that he would report back to the lord first and then give a reply."

Lu Shang replied calmly, "Just tell the Chief Steward's office that I was practicing martial arts tonight and made a bit too much noise, disturbing the surrounding area. I will be more careful in the future."

The so-called General Administration Office, also known as the Liangzhou General Administration Office, governed Xiliang and was in charge of the military affairs of fourteen prefectures including Liangzhou, Qinzhou, Ganzhou, and Guazhou. Its chief official, the Liangzhou General Administration, was a second-rank official and was the direct superior of Lü Shang, the governor of Liangzhou.

"promise,"

Huo Xiao accepted the order and withdrew, his footsteps extremely light. The glow of the lanterns under the corridor cast long, faint shadows on the ground as his figure receded into the distance.

"General's Office, He Louzigan,"

Lu Shang lightly tapped the window frame with his fingertips. His calm profile was reflected in the wooden lattice window. He said in a low voice, "This steward is more perceptive than I imagined."

He Louzigan came from a military family. In his early years, he followed Emperor Wu of Zhou in conquering Qi, and later served under Emperor Wen of Sui in guarding the northern frontier and attacking Tuyuhun in the west. He had accumulated many military achievements and was the stabilizing force of the court in Xiliang.

He was not only skilled in archery and horsemanship, but also adept at strategy, especially at discerning changes in circumstances from subtle details. After Lü Shang arrived in Liangzhou, he took the initiative to befriend him, but He Lou Zigan always maintained a respectful distance from Lü Shang.

Lü Shang was also aware of He Louzigan's concerns. Emperor Yang Jian was extremely suspicious, and as the current governor of Liangzhou, if He Louzigan were to associate too closely with the imperial family's relatives, it would inevitably arouse suspicion in the court.

The Governor-General of Liangzhou held a high position and wielded great power, controlling the military affairs of fourteen prefectures. He commanded not only 100,000 soldiers but also held the lifeline of thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Regions. It was precisely because of this power that Helou Zigan had to be even more cautious and prudent in everything he did.

Perhaps it was this caution that enabled He Louzigan to become one of the few high-ranking officials in Yang Jian's reign to die a natural death. To die a natural death in Yang Jian's reign was no easy feat.

(End of this chapter)