Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1053 Visitors from Outside the Palace
Whether a deity or Buddha is famous or influential in the Three Realms depends primarily on their function and status.

Ordinary families and organizations wouldn't dare to provide such high-end items, as the specifications are insufficient.

For example, if ordinary people rashly worship beings like the Three Pure Ones and the Four Emperors, it may easily lead to the disaster of "not being worthy of one's position," which may cause unrest in the home or even diminish one's fortune.

Those with very low profiles generally lack recognition and their backgrounds may be somewhat unorthodox, making it difficult for them to protect themselves.

For example, the "Stone God" and "Wooden Goddess" enshrined in some small mountain temples may have some efficacy, but they are ultimately ineffective. In the event of a real disaster, they would probably not even be able to protect themselves.

Therefore, the most worshipped deities in the human world are Guanyin Bodhisattva, who can manage everything, and various gods of wealth in the heavenly court.

The former is compassionate and universally saves people, granting all requests; the latter controls worldly wealth and prosperity, and who doesn't hope for good fortune?
The most common temples in the underworld are those dedicated to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun.

One vowed, "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty," while the other held the power to save the souls of the dead and deliver them from suffering. Both were the most relied-upon beings in the underworld.

The temples of these two masters are still well preserved to this day, and no demons dare to run wild there.

Not wanting, but not dare.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has the mythical beast Di Ting under his seat, which can discern good and evil in the three realms; Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun has a nine-headed lion under his seat, whose roar can open the gates of the Nine Nether Hells.

Such beings are not to be easily offended, even by the most ferocious demon kings and gods.

Since the Northern Capital Luofeng Youquan Hell falls under the jurisdiction of Taoism, there are numerous temples dedicated to Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (the Heavenly Venerable Taiyi Who Saves from Suffering). It is said that almost every important crossing point in hell once had an image of the Heavenly Venerable, receiving incense offerings from countless ghosts.

Xu Xuan has arrived at the Heavenly Venerable Hall, located on the banks of the Yellow Springs.

It was an ancient hall that was not grand but extremely solemn. Although the ever-burning lamps had been extinguished, there was no smoke in the incense burner, and the beams and pillars were covered with ghostly dust, the whole hall still exuded an indescribable sense of tranquility.

Time seemed to stand still here, and even the clamor of the underworld and the allure of the red spider lilies were shut out by an invisible barrier the moment they approached the palace gate.

Just by getting closer, I felt the restlessness and wariness in my heart, born of hell, subside somewhat.

Upon closer inspection, the entire statue seems to come alive, with every detail clearly visible.

The Celestial Venerable sat regally on a nine-colored lotus throne, each petal of which shimmered with different colors—blue, yellow, red, white, black, purple, green, orange, and gold. The nine colors intertwined, symbolizing the supreme vow to save all beings in the nine netherworlds and ten categories of beings.

Beneath the lotus throne, the dark and gloomy energy naturally receded, forming a pure and tranquil place.

His face was like a full moon, perfectly round and solemn; his eyebrows were long and thick, reaching his temples like two blue rainbows piercing the sky. His eyelids were lowered, and his gaze seemed to penetrate the deepest hell, taking in all the boundless suffering beneath the Yellow Springs.

A faint hint of pity played at the corners of his lips, as if he were listening to the cries of sorrow from all realms.

Wearing a dark blue crown adorned with the Big Dipper, symbolizing the rulership of the underworld; and draped in a nine-colored robe, with blue and black as the base colors, interspersed with thousands of Buddhist scriptures for saving people from suffering embroidered in gold thread.

In his right hand he holds a blooming nine-colored lotus flower, its heart radiating light, like a guiding light in the dimly lit hall; in his left hand he holds an eight-treasure glass vase, its body translucent, revealing the sweet dew within, as if just a single drop could extinguish the fires of karma and wash away the dust of the past.

Beneath the throne, the divine beast, a nine-headed lion, stood prostrate in attendance.

Its nine heads stand proudly, each facing one of the nine netherworld directions; its eighteen eyes are like lightning, discerning good from evil throughout the heavens. Though it lies still, it exudes an aura of majesty.

The lion's mane was like a cloud, and every hair was filled with the azure Dao Qi, which complemented the rosy robe on the Heavenly Venerable's body.

A bluish-black halo flowed silently behind the Celestial Venerable, like a boundless sea of ​​compassion, enveloping the entire hall in an eternal peace that transcended life and death.

Within the halo, one can vaguely see countless true talismans for saving from suffering, their existence and cyclical, each talisman representing an unfinished karmic connection for salvation.

This is the most revered, noble, holy, and spiritual being. It was not cultivated later in life, but was transformed from the essence of the Nine Yangs, originating from the primordial Qi. It is a spirit born innate. Because of its compassionate heart, it pities all living beings and has been saving them from suffering since the beginning of time.

In heaven he is the Celestial Venerable, on earth he is the Emperor, and on the ground he is the King of the Underworld. He establishes teachings in different places and guides people through countless eons.

At the same time, he has the most incarnations, not only in the underworld, but also throughout the ten directions: the "Saving Heavenly Venerable" manifests in all ten worlds, and the Heavenly Venerable in each world transforms into the King of the Underworld in the ten directions, and each King of the Underworld transforms into hundreds and thousands of ghosts and gods.

Only through such endless layers can one realize the grand ambition of "seeking out the cries of suffering and relieving their pain" in the boundless world and boundless territory.

After a moment of reflection, the person immediately took out cleaning tools from the Jade Pot Cave and began to work diligently.

No magic was used; it was purely physical labor.

His every move truly resembled that of a devout Taoist priest.

It's best not to use any high-tech simplification methods in front of your superiors. Do things in the most complicated and laborious way possible. These are the dregs passed down from our ancestors, and we can't discard them.

Even when Tang Sanzang was still a mortal, he led the Monkey King to sweep the ground layer by layer from the bottom up. It wasn't until midnight that they reached the tenth layer. This dedication was noticed by the Buddha.

Of course, it can also be interpreted as: starting from a low point, being pure in the present moment, being dirty in retrospect, and following the ordinary path—this is also a state of mind.
Zen Master Fahai also faced numerous hardships along his journey, no less than those faced by the Tripitaka Master.

Naturally, one should personally sweep away the dust, wipe the table, and replace the offerings with fresh ones. And these fresh peaches came in handy again.

Even the nine-headed lion statue under the Heavenly Venerable's seat was carefully wiped clean.

As Xu Xuan wiped the items, he thought to himself: After all, this guy is a tough character, so I have to be careful.

His first move was: "He opened his mouth and scooped up Sanzang and the old king and his son, then went down to the cave and scooped up Bajie as well." His second move was even more extraordinary: "He shook his head, and all eight of his heads opened their mouths at the same time, gently carrying Wukong and Sha Wujing back into the cave."

There are no opening poems, no dialogue, and no fancy actions. The word "lightly carrying" alone is incredibly powerful.

Such effortless mastery of cultivation is probably unparalleled in the Three Realms.

Once all the wiping was complete, the entire hall looked brand new. Xu Xuan then straightened his clothes, took out three sticks of fine sandalwood incense, and solemnly lit them in front of the incense burner.

As wisps of smoke rose, he began to mutter to himself:

"Your Majesty, I am Xu Xuan, a disciple. Though I come from a Buddhist background, I have always admired the righteous path of Taoism. To be able to enter this hall today is truly an honor beyond measure. In the past, Your Majesty saved countless people from suffering, and even the nine-headed lion was so majestic."

He paused, then added, "This disciple has long admired the supernatural powers of Taoism. If fate allows, I hope the Heavenly Venerable can offer some guidance."

This is clearly an attempt to build a relationship and get closer to someone.

Although the original form of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun has long transcended this world and disappeared into the ten directions, at the level of these great beings, every action, every breath, every glance, and every belief may contain supernatural powers and are all supreme righteous Dharma.

What if this ancient temple still retains some of the Celestial Venerable's original thoughts or Daoist charm?

As is well known, Xu Xuan longed for the Taoist style of painting.

Many great figures, during their long years of cultivation, also traverse both Buddhism and Taoism, comprehending profound mysteries.

Although our initial path of cultivation began with Buddhism, once we reach a high level, simply practicing both Buddhism and demonic arts is no longer enough; we must practice all three to continue to add to our stats and mechanics.

Xu Xuan felt that his little scheme shouldn't be too outrageous.

As fate would have it, the Great Savior of Suffering has a Pure Land of Eternal Joy in the East, Qinghua. If one is reborn there, one can constantly recite the holy name, never regress, continue to cultivate, and ultimately attain the fruit of enlightenment.

The wonders of this Pure Land are unique to both the Western Paradise and the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; both are supreme methods for transcending the cycle of reincarnation.

So even after going through seven or eight twists and turns and jumping over several chasms, this relationship can still be established.

"I think the Taoist sect could have a White Lotus Celestial Venerable in the future."

On a whim, I thought this name sounded quite nice.

It is said that the Eastern Dharma Protector Patriarch really admires Fahai, and has not yet appeared to kill this future traitor of the Pure Land School.

However, even if the Dharma Protector Ancestor really appeared, he would probably be more reasonable in this Heavenly Venerable Hall, and wouldn't resort to violence in the Heavenly Venerable's sacred ground.

After Xu Xuan finished his tinkering, the hall was quiet, and apart from his own breathing, nothing unusual happened.

"So, the Celestial Venerable is tacitly acknowledging my protection?"

He stroked his chin and nodded smugly.

Xu Xuan is a very human being.

The ability to glean favorable information from even the most subtle signs is a rare and admirable optimism.

Just as he finished tidying up and was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly stopped and stood still in the Heavenly Venerable Hall.

Suddenly, a person appeared outside the hall.

The man's figure was like a lone pine tree with a crane perched on it, exuding a calm and dignified air.

A dark blue robe fluttered without wind, its cloud and water patterns seeming to come alive, flowing endlessly in the dim light.

Upon closer inspection, his face was elegant and refined, with a faint golden divine mark in the shape of water ripples on his forehead, which complemented his dark jade-like eyes.

Her long, ink-black hair was only lightly tied up with a jade ring, the rest flowing freely, gently swaying in the eerie winds of the underworld.

Simply by standing there, one is surrounded by the solemnity and tranquility of an ancient god.

"By reciting the holy name of the Heavenly Venerable, the Heavenly Venerable will respond to your call and come to your rescue."

The man's voice was clear and melodious, like jade striking jade, and slowly echoed in the empty hall.

He did not look at Xu Xuan, his gaze remaining fixed on the image of the Heavenly Venerable, as if recalling a distant legend.

"The last time he manifested his power was about a thousand years ago. In the Blood Pool Hell under the Great Iron Enclosure Mountain in the Northern Yin of Fengdu, the Nine-Headed Primordial Saint spewed out Samadhi True Fire, breaking through ten thousand years of karmic obstacles and transforming the entire Blood Lake into a Pure Lotus Pond."

"The scene was indeed quite grand."

Only then did he slightly turn his head, his gaze seemingly sweeping over Xu Xuan:
"Unfortunately, that miraculous appearance did not occur in the Nine Springs Hell. You've come here to pray for the divine intervention left by the Buddhas and gods, but you've probably come to the wrong place."

(End of this chapter)