The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 213 The Master of War Reveals His Profound Understanding, Inquiring About Reincarnation in Zhongnan.
In Louguan Pass, Zhou Yan finally came to his senses and carefully recalled what he had seen and heard in the underground palace. This time, on his trip to Shu, he found out where An Lushan was, learned about the divine will of Chi You's blood, found Consort Shen, and learned about the location of Kunlun Kaiming.

The gains were substantial, but the cost was also high.

Leaving aside Chi You, he can't kill An Lushan now. It would be best to kill An Lushan and let Chi You revive, so that the Great Sun Golden Crow's plan would be dead before it even begins, and there would be no need to face that first ancient war god directly.

We need to rescue Consort Shen and Kaiming as soon as possible.

Consort Shen's role was based on an agreement with Li Zhiwei, while Kaiming was a participant in the Kunlun Calamity and a significant asset to their side.

The power...

After thinking for a long time, Zhou Yan reached out his hand.

Its own lineage flowed and wove, transforming into the rudimentary form of the Dao foundation.

Find an opportunity, and you can break through.

Currently, with the convergence of his various lineages and realms, he has already achieved the sixth rank of True Body. Then, with the power of the Imperial Seal, he can deduce the fifth rank. However, the last time he deduced, he directly drained the spiritual energy of the Daoist Shangshan Pond.

The old Taoist priest's family was almost reduced to just their underwear after being slapped.

Where will we find enough resources this time?

How about we look for a sacred Buddhist site?

As for An Lushan, Zhou Yan thought, "Why don't we go find some reinforcements first? It would be best if we could get in touch with that old fox Li Longji. Li Longji definitely wants to kill this fatso. Besides, Li Longji is currently far away from Yang Taizhen and trying to regain his footing."

This should be a significant help.

Finding him wouldn't be difficult; Zhou Yan could use his incarnation technique to go to Chang'an City, but Emperor Li Heng of Tang was one of the Six Paths.

Zhou Yan was unwilling to go in his true form so easily.

After much thought, there was indeed someone who could take on the task of delivering the message: the monk Bukong who had come with the monk Kongkong. However, Zhou Yan had been discussing some matters with Xiweizi earlier, so he didn't ask him about it.

Now it seems the time has come.

After Wang Ben and the three hundred elite soldiers were ready, Zhou Yan picked up a white hair, transformed it into his own avatar, and used it as an anchor of life for these people. He then instructed Wang Ben to help train the Taishan Guards after they arrived in the Taishan area.

After bowing, Wang Ben calmly left.

He had even visited Zhou Yan's meditation room. When this famous general walked out of Zhou Yan's meditation room, Wang Ben slightly turned his eyes to look to the side, where an extremely tall man stood with curly black hair, dark and cold eyes, and a horizontal sword at his waist.

The usually arrogant Marquis Tongwu nodded slightly, a rare occurrence.

Then leave.

He once commented on the three military strategists surrounding Zhou Yan, with Pei Xuanniao being conspicuously omitted. Regarding Li Zhenyue, he said he possessed the fighting style of Lian Po; as for Shen Cangming, after much deliberation, he said:
"Judging from his appearance, he should be able to inherit the mantle of Lord Wu'an of Great Qin."

"Bearing the bloodthirst, with a hardened mind."

"pity."

Shen Cangming watched Wang Ben leave and entered Zhou Yan's quiet room. Shen Cangming didn't ask who Wang Ben was, but simply looked at Zhou Yan, who was maintaining his battle sword, and said concisely:

"You have a trace of bloodlust on you. Who did you fight? A military strategist?"

Zhou Yan paused in wiping the knife with oil. He looked at the man in front of him, unsure how to respond. For Shen Cangming, the turning points in his tragic life were Wang Zhongsi's suspected death and the massive An Lushan Rebellion.

For Shen Cangming, An Lushan and Shi Jiguang would not hesitate for a moment in front of him.

Zhou Yan was silent for a moment, then told the arrogant Lu Renjia to close the door.

“Uncle Shen, the Lord of the Prefecture taught me a technique that allows me to use my mind to investigate places.”

Shen Cangming listened quietly, like a silent volcano.

Zhou Yan said, "I encountered An Lushan."

Then the silent volcano began to ripple, and a fierce and cold killing intent began to emanate from Shen Cangming's eyes, like a tiger revealing its claws again. The blood-red murderous aura made Lu Renjia's head spin.

Zhou Yan said, "He is currently in Shu, secretly researching the blood of Chi You."

Zhou Yan recounted the whole story in one breath.

The murderous intent in Shen Cangming's eyes surged, then gradually calmed down. He didn't speak for a long time. Zhou Yan was a little worried about him. Shen Cangming removed his hand from the hilt of the knife and said in a low voice, "You don't need to worry about me. I won't act rashly."

"The living are just as important as the dead."

"However, if you are going to take action against An Lushan..."

Shen Cangming placed his hand on Zhou Yan's shoulder. Through the contact of his hand, Zhou Yan could feel the man's heart pounding like a raging fire beneath his chest. Shen Cangming said, "Don't forget to call me."

Shen Cangming's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "I must personally behead him."

Zhou Yan nodded slowly and said, "Okay."

Shen Cangming returned to his usual cold and quiet demeanor.

Shen Cangming had consumed Li Longji's elixir, his arm had been modified by the Qingming Fangzhu with demonic power, and his meridians had been opened one by one by the high-ranking Taoist officials, ultimately allowing him to grasp the bow used by the Qin Emperor to slay the Kunpeng.

Having experienced the battlefield where everyone was afraid and led the Taishan Guards to attack the Weaver Girl, his own realm has become more stable, and he has returned to the fifth rank. If he continues to cultivate, reaching the fourth rank is definitely not impossible.

Holding the Qin Emperor's bow and arrows, his fighting spirit remains undiminished; the arrows can pierce the brow of Buddha, demon, and Bodhisattva.

Shen Cangming burned like a flame.

He had once again found someone he absolutely had to kill, and—

Shen Cangming reached out and took out the letter from his younger sister that Su Hexuan had given him.

Shu land.

He clenched his fists, put the letter away, placed it in his pocket, and strode away to continue his cultivation. Zhou Yan watched Uncle Shen's retreating figure, wondering if it was the right thing to do to tell Shen Cangming about this.

Louguan Dao is very particular about rules and regulations. After the Taishan Prefecture Lord's Grand Ceremony, there is also a thank-you ceremony for the Taishan Guards. The Taishan Guards received a lot of replenishment of their vital energy. Zhou Yan was flipping through the section on physical tempering in the Daoist Canon and also talking with Xuanzhuzi about alchemy.

When they learned that Zhou Yan was an envoy under the command of the Lord of Mount Tai, searching for the elixir to be given to the guards of Mount Tai.

Xuan Zhuzi's lips twitched, and he slapped his thigh.

"You should have told me earlier!"

The descendant of the Medicine King said irritably, "The human body is made of flesh and blood, and the meridians and internal organs are very complex. Therefore, when combining medicinal properties, one must be very careful. You can never be too careful. You're talking about stone spirits?"

"Isn't that negating the wood element and simply strengthening the fire and earth elements?"

"Take it, take it!"

After obtaining the elixir formula from Xuanzhuzi, Lord Zhou pondered for a moment. Then, when he manifested at Mount Tai, he summoned the Kitchen God and used the Kitchen God's cooking method to combine all the medicinal properties into one.

The Taishan guards ate with great relish.

The injury has also eased somewhat.

During this period, the Jade Talisman of the Kitchen God also acquired the title of "Eastern Kitchen Master of Fate".

Everything seemed to have returned to a peaceful routine. If Zhou Yan hadn't known about the hidden dangers, the tranquil days in Louguandao would have been his favorite kind: flipping through scriptures, gazing at the scenery, and daydreaming—it was incredibly comfortable.

However, the young Taoist priest felt a headache coming on when he thought of Chi You and An Lushan. He also entrusted the monk Bukong to pass on the message to Li Longji when he returned to Chang'an. The monk Bukong seemed to be one of the eminent monks of the Tang Dynasty, praised as one of the three great masters of the Kaiyuan era, and had a good relationship with both Li Longji and Li Heng.

The monk Bukong looked at the young Taoist and accepted Zhou Yan's letter with both hands.

The young Taoist priest, dressed in a dark blue robe, flipped through the scrolls. As sunlight streamed down through the wooden window lattices of the scripture pavilion, even the undulating dust motes took on a warm, golden hue. He said, "Thank you for your trouble, Master."

"This letter should be given to the Emperor Emeritus."

"Also, this thing, please give it to the master as well."

Zhou Yan took out a scroll and handed it to the monk Bukong.

This is a record of the various places where the Weaver Girl hid, which Bihen collected after the Weaver Girl's death. Zhou Yan took out a part of it that was close to the Buddhist temple: "This is a part of the records of the evil spirits left by that great evil spirit. I will be responsible for a part of it. I will trouble you, Master, for this part."

The monk Bukong put his palms together and said, "This humble monk understands."

"only--"

He looked at the young Taoist and asked, "I came here with my senior brother Kongkong. He told me that he would answer a question for me. Now that he has left, I have no choice but to ask you, Master."

Zhou Yan's lips twitched.

Ask me? No, the three great masters of the Kaiyuan era, asking me?
But after a moment of silence, he still said, "Please."

The monk Bukong clasped his hands together and asked, "May I ask about reincarnation?"

Zhou Yan: "…………"

No, no! Ask again!

The gaunt, elderly monk looked ahead, while the gentle-looking young Taoist priest pondered quietly for a long time before asking, "Master, do you know that stars can also fall and explode?" The Taoist priest, of very high seniority, pointed to the sky.

"The dust left after a star falls will scatter in the world, breathing with people and growing with all things, eventually becoming part of the human body. Whether it's you or me, our bodies contain something we got from the same star."

Bukong pressed on, stepping forward, his robe sweeping silently across the stone steps:

"What the real person means is..."

"Between you and me, we are originally one; all living things are no different."

Zhou Yan paused for a moment. He realized that these great monks and masters truly had some enlightenment. He felt that he was just pretending. But at this moment, he thought of Manjushri Weaver Girl and the experience of the Old Mother of Lishan teaching him the myriad transformations.

The young Taoist priest replied, "No."

The monk Bukong leaned forward and listened attentively.

Zhou Yan said, "Instead, stars fall and you and I are born. One day we will die, our bodies either burning to ashes or buried in the earth. Our bodies will become nutrients for the earth, and thus all things will be born."

"If we're talking about the soul, memories fade, and fragments of the soul recombine, then it's no longer us, but don't be afraid..."

The young Taoist said, "Matter, everything, will not disappear, but will merely flow. On an endless timescale, perhaps, at some moment in the distant future, perhaps the real you and I will still be having the same conversation."

The young Taoist priest stretched out his hand, and a flower was carried by the wind. The young man picked up the flower.

"This is the true meaning of reincarnation."

"Reincarnation is a natural phenomenon, not something that applies solely to individuals."

"If there are any regrets, let them be fulfilled in this life."

The young Taoist priest seemed lost in thought, thinking of Yin Zichuan, Su Hexuan, and the monk Kongkong. After a long while, he smiled and said to the monk, "After all, the next reunion will be a very, very long time from now. Let's not leave any regrets in this life."

Monk Bukong stood quietly for three days and three nights, then bowed respectfully, turned around, took the Zen staff that Tang Xuanzang had used, and walked down Zhongnan Mountain step by step. He looked back and saw a young Taoist on the cloud-shrouded peak, his sleeves rolled up and his temples slightly white.

Monk Bukong turned around and stepped into Chang'an.

Returning to prosperity.

From then on, the creation of one of the six major schools of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty was completed. It was called the Vajra Peak School, also known as the True Word School, which pursued true teachings.

Also known as Tangmi, it stripped away the Tibetan Tantric practice of male-female sexual union.

They believe that all sentient beings are of the same nature as the Buddha and possess Buddha-nature.

It is a branch of Buddhism that does not cultivate for the next life.

It is said that one can attain Buddhahood in this very life.

After returning home, Amoghavajra tirelessly traveled between the two capitals, in Hexi, in Lingnan, and throughout the court and the countryside, spreading the Dharma wherever his footsteps led. In his later years, he instructed his disciples to build five temples on Mount Wutai and established the Manjushri Monastery in Taiyuan, the purpose of which remains unknown.

Later, while translating documents about stars, the elderly monk recalled what he had seen and heard on the mountain, and the conversation between the monk Kongkong and the young Taoist. He then picked up his pen and wrote the title of this scroll on the scroll—

The Sutra on Auspicious and Inauspicious Times, Good and Evil Constellations Spoken by Manjushri Bodhisattva and Various Immortals, in two volumes.

Actually, it has little to do with Manjushri Bodhisattva or any other immortal.

Perhaps it was just a high monk's remembrance, but which immortal did Manjushri Bodhisattva chat with? And how did the contemporary great monk Amoghavajra meet him? The elderly Amoghavajra did not respond at all, but simply put his hands together and recited the mantra.

"There is no sentient being who does not possess the wisdom of the Tathagata."

The monk Amoghavajra was also honored with the title of Tripitaka, and was known as Amoghavajra Tripitaka.

History and legends have their own footnotes to him.

On that day he reminisced about, Zhou Yan flipped through the Daoist canon, but he had a real headache. The Daoist records of the Heavenly and Human Lineage for strengthening the physical body seemed to offer absolutely no benefit in the face of Chi You.

They'll most likely be instantly killed.

Suddenly, a cat's meow came from outside the window; it sounded a bit like a gruff voice.

Zhou Yan looked up and saw a pure white jade lion cat perched on the windowsill, elegantly licking its paws. The cat had one gold eye and one jade eye, and when it looked at him, it had a touch of human-like languor.

Only her voice is no longer delicate.

It gives off a feeling of 'Why pretend between brothers?'

"The Old Mother of Lishan wants you to go there."

Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow and reached out to pet the cat: "Grandma, it's rare for you to come in person, is it something urgent?"

The white jade lion cat paw rested on the windowsill, stretched, and transformed into a cat's tail, elegantly avoiding the young Taoist's hand that was petting the cat. Then it said, "She said you shouldn't break through yet; breaking through in front of her will improve your condition. Also..."

"The parts have been disassembled."

"Disassemble what?" Zhou Yan's heart stirred.

The lion cat said, "Of course it's what you want."

"The Goddess of Mount Li extracted Chi You's martial arts techniques from his essence and blood."

"The most powerful offensive technique of the ancient human race!"

"The Art of Destroying All Businesses and Devouring the Heavens."

(End of this chapter)