In the future, Earth becomes a relic of the mythical era.

Chapter 185 Reincarnation, the Conflict Between Buddhism and Taoism

"This is truly... a miracle, a divine intervention!"

Wen Yifu gazed up at the enormous shrine before him.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen it.

He has been working on the hacking here for some time, but he still marvels at it every time he sees it.

Before me stood a huge and magnificent building.

It resembles a temple but not a temple; rather, it looks like a shrine or Buddhist altar that is being worshipped.

But with its imposing size, reaching hundreds of meters high, it's hard to imagine that this is just a shrine.

Inside the Tongtian Pagoda, there is a gigantic tree of unimaginable size.

From bottom to top, it supports the nearly 1,000-meter-long tower of the Tongtian Pagoda.

They called this giant tree the Heavenly Tree.

This building is constructed using a single, towering wooden beam, and is inlaid with various materials including gold, jade, stone, and wood.

Beneath the golden glazed tile roof, there is a huge statue of a demon god, sitting cross-legged.

The ghosts and gods were holding a huge wheel, which had four layers.

On the first level, at the center of the wheel, there is a giant Buddha statue.

The Buddha statue radiates six rays of light, carved from precious jade, which shine directly outwards from the wheel, dividing the giant wheel into six parts.

Each piece is engraved with a series of strange statues, densely packed together.

Grass and trees, flowers, birds and beasts, fish and insects, pigs and snakes, cattle and sheep, humans and ghosts, spirits and monsters...

It seems to encompass all living beings in the world.

Extremely complex, extremely mysterious, extremely bizarre, extremely magnificent!
"The key to this towering pagoda's ability to lead to the unknown lies probably in the chariot wheel of this shrine."

Nearby, Leng Yanwu and several masters of classical studies were discussing a problem when they heard Wen Yifu's sigh and came over.

We also look up at this miracle.

His eyes were also full of amazement: "I have vaguely heard similar legends, which may be related to this roulette wheel, but I have never seen the actual object, or even seen any definite records, so I really cannot make a judgment."

Wen Yifu knew what he was talking about.

He pondered, "Reincarnation? Does reincarnation truly exist in this world?"

He frowned: "But this is too incredible. When a person dies, everything is gone. Even a grandmaster whose body is indestructible and whose flesh and blood are reborn, or a great mage whose spirit is immortal and whose mind can achieve truth with a single thought, can only live for a thousand years or ten thousand years. They will still be unable to escape the fate of turning into ashes."

"Without becoming an immortal, it's all for naught."

"If there is reincarnation, why would things have come to this?"

The concept of reincarnation is rarely circulated in the Federation.

Because the federal government intentionally covered it up.

However, the concept of reincarnation is prevalent in the legendary realm.

How could they not have heard of it?

But as popular as it is, even in the legendary realm, no one has ever dared to say for sure that reincarnation truly exists, let alone witnessed a real reincarnation.

"Immortal?"

Leng Yanwu chuckled.

Where in this world are there immortals?
How many legends of immortals were passed down in ancient times?

But which one is true?

At most, they are just some true cultivators who have attained enlightenment but cannot withstand the erosion of time. They abandon their physical bodies and enter the realm of death and extinction, claiming to have ascended to immortality or become Buddhas.

Even the Ten Immortals, who are now revered by everyone in the Federation, are only half a step above Grandmaster and Grand Mage.

Despite having a lifespan of a thousand years, it still wanders in the chaotic sea of ​​the spirit, desperately searching for that elusive "path to immortality".

Wen Yifu was naturally familiar with Leng Yanwu, a famous scholar of classical studies, and knew of his prejudice against becoming an immortal.

He just smiled and didn't say anything.

Leng Yanwu merely offered his habitual sarcasm, then continued, "While it's uncertain whether reincarnation truly exists,"

"But this thing must be related to the legend of reincarnation. If we can figure out the details, we can know the builder's intention."

"Even if I find the way to activate it, I still won't feel comfortable letting anyone into it until I figure this out."

Legend has it that the realm is inherently fraught with danger, and the Dead Realm is even more unpredictable.

They would never dare to open these buildings to the public without thoroughly understanding every detail.

That is the significance of their work.

Wen Yifu nodded, then his gaze suddenly shifted slightly.

For some reason, he suddenly thought of Xie Lingxin.

If he were here, would he know anything about it?
Xie Lingxin's knowledge of some ancient secrets shocked him.

The ancient Eight Trigrams and the Five Ancient Theories are clear evidence of this.

These are things that even many great scholars of classical studies in the Federation dare not say they understand, yet he knows them perfectly well.

Although his father was a great Confucian scholar and his family had a long tradition of learning, it is enough to show that he was exceptionally talented.

However, he had previously told Dai Yang that he would invite Xie Lingxin over to try his luck, but for some reason, she hasn't come yet.

"What? Professor Wen, do you have something in mind?"

Leng Yanwu noticed that Wen Yifu's expression was strange.

Wen Yifu came to his senses: "Oh, I was just thinking of a young friend. If he were here, he might be able to solve our predicament."

Leng Yanwu was surprised: "Oh? Who has such ability?"

Who could have made Wen Yifu think this way?

It's probably not from the Far East region.

He wasn't bragging, but in Leizhou, Donghai City, and even the entire Far East region, there was simply no one who could surpass the two of them in the study of classical texts.

Young friend? You sound quite young.

How is this possible?

Among the younger generation, who can compare with my family's celadon?
Hmm... no, there is one right now.

Leng Yanwu's eyes lit up: "Professor Wen, you're not talking about that world-saving artifact, are you?"

He must have had a very good impression of Jing Shiqi, this once-in-a-century genius of classical studies.

He was exceptionally handsome, possessed extraordinary talent, and achieved unparalleled success among his peers. Moreover, he was devoted to his daughter.

Despite his humble origins, Leng Yanwu didn't care at all.

Unfortunately, his daughter was so stubborn that she didn't have any interest in such a talented person at all!
What a waste of such an excellent son-in-law candidate!
On the contrary, that kid surnamed Xie is just an ordinary person!
Her heart is fluttering, it's infuriating!
But Wen Yifu smiled and shook his head: "No, no."

"However, with that young friend's talent and ability, he is like an awl in a bag, destined to become famous throughout the Federation. Mr. Leng will find out sooner or later. For now, please allow me to keep you in suspense, haha!"

The Scripture Masters Association, the Seven Star Academy, and Dai Yang all expressed their intention not to publicize Xie Lingxin's attainments and achievements in scripture studies.

The intentions are all different, but they all convey some sense of protection.

Wen Yifu naturally wouldn't break this tacit understanding.

Leng Yanwu pointed at him, a look of reproach on his face.

"There's no rush, so there's no need to worry too much."

Wen Yifu smiled and glanced at the time: "It's getting late, let's call it a day."

Leng Yanwu had no choice but to nod, and then, on a whim, said, "Professor Wen has been in Donghai for quite some time now, and I haven't yet fulfilled my duty as host."

"There's no time like the present, why don't we meet at my humble abode today, and allow me to treat you to a meal?"

After a moment's thought, Wen Yifu nodded in agreement: "Very well, the Leng family has a long tradition of classical studies and is a model for us classical scholars. It's a rare opportunity to visit them, so I'll take the trouble to do so!"

……

The Leng family's backyard.

Leng Qingci watched Xie Lingxin practicing a horse stance in the courtyard, making strange gestures with her hands.

The movements were slow and heavy.

She looked at it for a while, feeling that it looked somewhat familiar, yet also very unfamiliar.

There's a strange contradiction between being both fast and slow, heavy and light.

Even with these simple movements, Xie Lingxin was sweating profusely as she mimicked them.

After a while, it finally stopped.

Surprisingly, white steam rose from his entire body.

This is the intense heat of the blood, which evaporates the sweat from the body.

Leng Qingci finally couldn't help but ask, "Is this the Bai family's Mountain and River Movement? But it doesn't quite look like it to me."

As a native of the East China Sea, I am certainly no stranger to the Bai family's martial arts techniques.

Xie Lingxin took a deep breath and, after catching her breath, said, "Yes and no, I'm thinking about something."

Leng Qingci's eyes widened: "You're really cultivating the Mountain and River Movement Technique?"

She knew about his bet with Bai Xuanji that he won the battle against Shanhe Dong.

But how easy is it to master the Ten Directions Martial Arts?
Moreover, the movement of the Bai family's mountains and rivers complements the hibernating dragon, creating a synergy.

Xie Lingxin walked to the shaded pavilion and took a big gulp of water.

He turned back and said, "No, I just have an idea... Have you heard of the Corpse Buddha Craftsman?"

Leng Qingci nodded: "A key member of the White Lotus Society, a major wanted criminal by the Federation, I heard that he caused a big commotion in your Leizhou not long ago and suffered a great loss."

Xie Lingxin nodded and said, "Yes, I happened to see him make a move back then. He has a mental technique called 'Buddha Kingdom in the Palm of My Hand,' which I've been trying to figure out, but I still can't."

"However, I've recently had some ideas that I feel I can draw inspiration from and integrate into the movement of mountains and rivers."

"..."

Leng Qingci's mouth was half open, her eyes filled with surprise and doubt.

That would shake mountains and rivers, and you actually mastered it, not only that, but you also want to improve it yourself?
And that Corpse Buddha Craftsman, although she had never met him, she had heard of his terrifying reputation.

That's a mage-level character!
You see someone's supernatural abilities once and want to learn them?

Calling it wishful thinking is an understatement.

But you actually figured it out?

If it were someone else, Leng Qingci would definitely think he was bragging.

But she did not doubt Xie Lingxin.

Xie Lingxin suddenly wanted to slap herself.

This is another mistake.

This unconventional nature, and the urge to show off whenever he encounters a beautiful woman, are all the unfortunate consequences of a restless and unrestrained mind.

As soon as the thought arose, lightning flashed in the sea of ​​consciousness, and bolts of thunder struck the head of the restless mind.

It struck the monkey and the dragon so hard they cried out incessantly.

This is the only thing he can do now; he can keep quiet for a while after each chop.

Then, changing the subject, he asked, "If we're not talking about that, is there another problem you have?"

Leng Qingci has been coming to freeload every now and then these past few days, and he's gotten used to it.

She thought about the question from earlier, but didn't understand it, so she simply stopped caring.

She had little interest in most things outside of classical studies.

Remembering the purpose of my visit: "I've recently been studying the Tang Dynasty classics and history you mentioned. You said before that the Tang Dynasty revered Taoism, and I've found records of that in some ancient books."

"But at the same time, we also found that there seem to be more records of Tang emperors and generals who were devout Buddhists during this period. Why is that?"

The conflict between Buddhism and Taoism during the Tang Dynasty was well-known in ancient history, a fact she had long known.

I just don't know the details.

Xie Lingxin had told her some of the reasons why Taoism was revered during the Tang Dynasty, which made her even more puzzled and curious about the emergence of this phenomenon.

Xie Lingxin hadn't expected her to ask that question.

"Well..."

He originally intended to say that it was the inclusiveness of the Tang Dynasty, the assimilation of diverse cultures, and also a political necessity.

However, from Leng Qingci, he also learned some of the "truths" about the conflict between Buddhism and Taoism at that time.

Combined with his current spiritual practice, he is no longer so certain about the "history" he knew in his previous life.

Just now, he felt that there must be other reasons behind this, and that reason was the key.

At this moment, Gu Wan walked in and saw the two sitting together, chatting happily, and couldn't help but smile.

"Qingci, Xiaoxie, we have guests at home, come out and greet them!"

　A new month begins, please give me some guaranteed monthly votes!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)