Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1000 Versatility
The three did not return directly to Linji Temple, but instead wandered through the mountains and forests.

The direction was not towards the temple, but rather a winding path leading to a more remote and secluded mountain.

Huiren followed closely behind Xu Xuan, watching as this "Zen Master Fahai" not only landed lightly and silently, but also casually cleaned up the subtle traces left by the three of them while setting up various methods to confuse their pursuers.

Sometimes he would flick his finger, sending a ray of Buddhist light into the grass, mimicking the aura of a wild fox monk passing by. At other times, he would use Taoist talisman techniques to draw symbols in the air, drawing upon the surrounding wood spirit energy.

Occasionally, the Stone King would even release a faint trace of demonic energy, or it would simulate a wisp of eerie ghostly energy and violent demonic energy, mixing it along the path...

Hui Ren felt a surge of sincere admiration: How meticulous!

He could see clearly that walking in the sky would make him an obvious target, easily spotted by experts skilled in observing qi or flying.

When you walk through the forest as usual, you will inevitably leave behind traces such as footprints, broken branches, and smells.

So this Zen master simply did the opposite, not only failing to completely eliminate the traces, but also leaving behind many false traces of different directions and attributes outside the main path.

Even the scent and smell are disguised and simulated using all sorts of unheard-of methods, which is truly eye-opening.

Such exquisite methods alone were not enough; what caught Huiren's attention even more was Xu Xuan's unhurried demeanor and fluid, methodical movements as he performed them.

He is extremely skilled in using various anti-tracking techniques, and it is obvious that he has "rich experience".

Huh?
As soon as this thought arose, Huiren was taken aback.

Why would a highly respected and renowned Pure Land Buddhist monk possess such extensive experience?
But then I thought about it again. This Zen master was not only profound in Buddhism, but also possessed illusion techniques comparable to those of the Illusion Sect. He was also proficient in the ancient and lost Nuo dance and shamanistic rituals. So it seemed that it was quite normal for him to know some "miscellaneous knowledge" about counter-tracking.
A sense of emotion even welled up in my heart.

No wonder the Pure Land School has become the foremost school of Buddhism; the eminent monks it cultivates are of exceptionally high overall quality!

In contrast, Zen disciples mostly focus on cultivating their mind and tempering their bodies, and are ultimately lacking in these "practical skills".

If we survive this ordeal, we should also let the monks of Linji Temple learn and improve.

At the same time, I am even more grateful to Buddha for his blessing, which brought such a virtuous and eminent monk to us during this time of crisis.

Little did they know that the Pure Land ancestral temple far away in Jiangnan would never teach any "skills" such as hiding, escaping, or simulating the aura of demons.

All of this was thanks to the "extraordinary talent" of a certain "high monk," who honed his life-saving skills through repeated near-death experiences, demonstrating that true knowledge comes from practice.

By the time the three of them returned to Linji Temple via a long detour, it was already dusk, and the sun had completely set.

As soon as he stepped into the temple gate, a young monk hurriedly came to greet him, his face still showing lingering fear. Upon seeing Huiren, he immediately reported:
"Abbot! You're back! This afternoon, another fireball fell from the sky above the temple and crashed into the vegetable garden behind the mountain! Fortunately... fortunately, there were many elders who were copying scriptures and repenting in the Sutra Repository today. They heard the news and acted in time, forming a protective formation that stopped the fireball. No one in the temple was injured, but a section of the vegetable garden was burned down."

After the young monk finished reporting the situation, a lingering sense of fear remained in his eyes.

Such unexpected calamities followed one after another, how could these disciples with shallow cultivation not be terrified?

Hui Ren suppressed the agitation rising in his heart because of the news, and tried his best to maintain a calm expression. He reassured the monks who had gathered after hearing the news: "Amitabha, it's good that everyone is alright. There's no need to worry too much. This matter... will pass soon."

However, the successive attacks added an indescribable restlessness and urgency to my heart.

The three-person team then went straight to the abbot's meditation room, closed the door, and set up a soundproof barrier.

Xu Xuan then carefully took out the fire seed that he had obtained from Ebotai.

The flame at this moment is no longer as dazzling as it was in the temple fair square. Its light has dimmed considerably, and the complex humanitarian vows and incense smoke it contains seem to have settled down.

However, that pure, ancient divinity, imbued with the meaning of judgment and destruction, remained incredibly strong, quietly emanating a heart-pounding fluctuation within the room.

The first covert operation yielded what appeared to be a crucial clue, but for someone with countless battles to have done it was nothing more than basic maneuvering.

However, for Huiren, who has been overwhelmed and under immense pressure due to various unexpected events recently, this feels like an overwhelming sense of good fortune.

My tense mind couldn't help but relax.

“Getting a clue isn’t necessarily a sign of luck,” Xu Xuan glanced at him, his tone calm yet carrying a worldly wisdom. “Perhaps it just means we’re one step closer to the Western Paradise.”

This is not an exaggeration. The battle-hardened Zen Master Fahai always maintained a stable mindset, deeply understanding the principle that fortune and misfortune are interdependent.

He spoke up at the right moment to wake up the "newbie" opposite him who had become somewhat relaxed because he saw hope, and to keep him on the right guard.

Upon hearing this, Hui Ren was taken aback at first, then his expression turned serious, and he suppressed the excitement that had just arisen from obtaining the clue.

Realizing that something was wrong with his own state, his Buddhist heart seemed to have suddenly fallen into an invisible raging fire, scorched and restless, and he was even somewhat unable to control himself.

The joy I felt just moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by a quiet sense of unease.

He pondered Xu Xuan's warning more deeply, and the more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became:

"If this matter is truly related to the divine will of punishment remaining from the ancient Fire Lord, then the cause and effect and the layers involved are far beyond what my Linji Temple can easily bear."

"Shouldn't we... immediately report to the Zen sect and request them to send a high-ranking monk to oversee the situation?"

People's awe and worship of fire has never disappeared. Fire holds an extremely special and lofty position in human civilization. It represents light, warmth, and the beginning of civilization, but it also symbolizes destruction and purification.

Even within Buddhism, the fire of wisdom and the fire of samadhi are often used as metaphors, and the power of flames is highly revered.

Where is this place? It is the Yellow River basin, one of the core birthplaces of Chinese civilization.

Any minor deity recorded in ancient books here, whose divine position would be considered an extraordinary figure in modern times.

Not to mention a great god like Ebo.

The more he thought about it, the more unfathomable the matter seemed, and the immense pressure made it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Xu Xuan frowned slightly at this moment.

His intuition was far sharper than his peers, and he clearly sensed that beneath Hui Ren's turbulent thoughts and fear, a faint but intensely anxious and twisted 'heart fire' was quietly growing, even revealing the hint of 'inner demons' within it!

"As expected..." Xu Xuan understood. "The entire temple was affected by the aftermath of this divine punishment. As the abbot and the head of the temple, your mind is connected to the temple's fortune. How could you be an exception?"

However, Huiren's cultivation was profound, and he was already at the peak of the second realm. The seed of inner demons was forcibly suppressed by his realm. In addition, Buddhism is a sect that focuses on cultivating the mind and has various methods to suppress inner demons. Therefore, it was not visible on the surface and he did not even notice it.

But ever since encountering the 'White Lotus Holy Father' who possesses inherent causal pollution properties yesterday, coupled with the indiscriminate punishment mechanism of divine retribution targeting 'obstacles', and today being further aroused by the Great Nuo Dance that connects with the ancient times, the latent spirituality and restlessness within him are now feeling immense pressure due to his approach to the truth...

With several factors combined, like a furnace under increasing pressure, his suppressed inner demons finally found a crack and revealed a slight flaw.

Xu Xuan's gaze toward Hui Ren now held a hint of approval.

Under such a series of attacks, only now has it shown a slight sign, indicating that its mental cultivation is already quite remarkable.

Without hesitation, the Holy Father immediately visualized an Arhat in his mind.

This is no ordinary Arhat, but the lifelike true form of the Dragon Subduer, who is in charge of subduing external demons and karmic dragons!
He employed the supreme method of "mind-to-mind transmission" from the orthodox Zen school, gathering a powerful Buddhist force and a clear Zen mind in his palm. Without further ado, he slapped Huiren's bald head with his palm!

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound echoed in the meditation room.

This is precisely the most commonly used teaching method in Zen Buddhism—a sudden, sharp rebuke!
"wake up!"

Xu Xuan's words thundered like spring thunder, his voice booming like a bell, penetrating deep into Huiren's sea of ​​consciousness.

"Om-"

The monk felt a thunderous roar in his mind, like the sound of a morning bell and evening drum, shattering all illusions.

The inner demons that had just begun to sprout and had not yet had a chance to grow stronger were completely obliterated in an instant by this palm strike and shout containing supreme enlightenment, without even a trace left behind. It was a truly tragic end.

Hui Ren suddenly woke up, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

Recalling her earlier panic and almost out-of-control thoughts, and remembering how she had righteously and sternly punished her junior brother, the head disciple, for his sectarian prejudice and inner demons last night, she never imagined that she herself would be so deeply influenced without realizing it!
Not daring to be negligent, he immediately sat down cross-legged, activated the fundamental mental technique of his sect, and silently recited the Zen mantra "The one without mind has no mind at all," forcibly restraining his chaotic thoughts and calming his restless mind.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he opened his eyes again, having regained his usual calm and clarity, though his face was still somewhat pale.

"Amitabha," he said, rising up and bowing respectfully to Xu Xuan. "Thank you, Zen Master, for your timely and insightful advice! If it weren't for your intervention, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

While expressing my gratitude, I was filled with emotion: This Zen Master Fahai is truly omnipotent!

He can even use the "sudden blow to the head" secret method, which is the most proficient and core method of our Zen sect, so easily, and... he performs it even more authentically than I, a monk from a proper Zen sect.

To be honest, after this incident, even if Xu Xuan were to casually unleash the even more profound "flower-picking smile" from Zen legends, he probably wouldn't be surprised at all.

This is the unfathomable "high monk" persona that "Zen Master Fahai" has established in the minds of Huiren and many others who have come into contact with him.

Then, the three returned to the main topic, their gazes once again focusing on the flame that emitted a faint light and a strong divine aura.

Huiren asked the crucial question: "What is the solution to this clue?"

After all, a spark of fire doesn't come with any instructions, so deciphering the information it contains is a challenge in itself.

Xu Xuan, however, maintained a calm demeanor, as if saying, "I'm very experienced," and casually offered his guidance:
"People in ancient times communicated information in a very direct way."

"Simply extend your divine sense, as if touching the surface of water with your mind, and slowly immerse it in this spark. It will then reveal the information it carries to you."

Upon hearing this, Huiren once again admired the Zen master's level of knowledge. He knew so much, even the way to communicate with such an ancient and divine being.

Without further hesitation, he carefully extended his divine sense as instructed and merged it into the seemingly gentle flame.

At the same time, a slight fluctuation appeared on the Stone King's face, and he followed suit by probing the fire with his divine sense.

It wanted to see what the truth was that even its almost supernatural divination skills couldn't deduce!
Of this, eight parts were due to the frustration caused by repeated failed calculations, and the other two parts were simply due to aroused curiosity.

Anything that can stop Master Xu from advancing is definitely not a trivial matter.

Xu Xuan naturally wouldn't miss this moment of revelation.

After putting in so much effort to perform the Nuo dance and attract this flame, we can't let that exhausting dance go to waste, can we?
And there was an even bigger question in my mind:

In an era where it was widely believed that gods had long since vanished, how exactly did this seemingly authentic and powerful 'divine punishment' come about?
(End of this chapter)