Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 639 Passing on Unique Skills
"Nanshan".

Looking up, the mountains seem to be shrouded in a thin veil, as if reflecting some mysterious force lurking here.

This wasn't Qingyou's first time visiting Qiantang, but it was his first time setting foot on Nanshan Mountain, which was said to be the secluded retreat of his abbot.

During the journey, the master who had become a monk at Lingyin Temple and trained at Jinshan Temple felt a strange sense of awe.

Take a deep breath, put your hands together, silently recite the Buddha's name, and then slowly open your eyes—your spiritual eyes are fully open, and golden light faintly flows in your pupils, trying to see through the mysteries hidden in the mountains.

According to the legends of the monks of Jinshan Temple, a giant demon capable of wreaking havoc on the world was sealed in the back mountains of Nanshan.

On the day the seal was broken, mountains collapsed and rivers flowed backward. Wherever its sound passed, living beings perished and vegetation withered. Wherever it went, cities crumbled and palaces were reduced to ruins.

This rumor still has a lot of traction. Even when Abbot Guangliang reprimanded his disciples for spreading rumors, he only said "Don't make unfounded comments" and did not directly refute it.

The former abbot of Lingyin Temple also had some guesses in his mind.

Otherwise, why would the former Pure Land monk Ruoxu have been guarding this place all this time? He was the successor of the Pure Land School, and his Buddhist cultivation was unfathomable.

After Ruoxu disappeared, the one who took over guarding this place was the equally powerful and even more powerful Zen Master Fahai.

Given that the Pure Land School prefers to suppress demons and evil spirits in its practice, it's normal for anyone who knows a little about the inside story to have these doubts.

Qingyou tightened his robe and started walking up the mountain.

The mountain path was rugged, yet surprisingly quiet. With each step, you could feel a slight vibration beneath your feet, as if the entire mountain was breathing.

Before coming here, I had made full mental preparations, thinking that the most difficult task in the monastic world was about to be handed over to me.

He even secretly practiced several demon-subduing techniques—although he followed Master Guangliang in practicing Zen Buddhism, how could he be prejudiced against sectarianism for the sake of all living beings?
"Qingyou, come up." The abbot's voice came from the mountaintop, clear as if it were right next to his ear, even though they were far apart.

After bypassing the main gate of the academy, we finally reached the top of Nanshan Mountain.

He found the abbot standing on a flat boulder, his back to him, gazing into the distance. The mountain wind rustled, blowing his white robes, outlining a solemn silhouette in the morning light.

Xu Xuan perfectly captured the demeanor of a wise man who turns his back on the masses.

"Qingyou, you're not an ordinary monk, you know that?"

"I know."

It only took Qingyou three years to transform from a middle-aged, widowed fisherman into a high-ranking Buddhist monk.

Compared to his fellow disciples' cultivation progress and strength, even if he were slow to realize it, he would know that he was extraordinary.

Moreover, when fighting the Blood Demon, he shattered the Blood God's Child with his own body, and his Arhat Fist made the Blood Demon howl in pain.

During the calamity of the Golden Dragon Dancing Across the Land in the New Year, it even struck the Golden Dragon of Fortune with a single punch.

These extraordinary and remarkable performances even changed the way Master Guangliang looked at him.

According to Guangliang, he might have been a great figure in his past life who comprehended the Bodhisattva practice of "returning by vow." However, the past life is the past life, and the present life is the present life. Since the power of knowing past lives has not restored his memories, he should simply study the Buddhist teachings of this life.

As the Diamond Sutra says, "All forms are illusory." The reincarnated body is like a dream, a bubble, or a shadow; though it appears, it has no inherent nature.

As for his past life identity, it's not hard to guess. Generally, he would return to his original lineage, so he was a Zen master who failed to attain Arhatship and passed away in the human realm. The reason we didn't speculate about his heavenly status is that those who attain enlightenment don't have any mysteries about their birth.

Xu Xuan's guess makes a lot of sense.

However, that's still a conservative estimate. Not to mention that he was guaranteed to attain the status of a Great Arhat, this Arhat is not the same as the other Arhat. Mahakasyapa, who sat on half the seat of the Buddha, was an extremely remarkable figure.

"Ahem, Guangliang is right." Abbot Fahai thought to himself, "Guangliang is indeed Guangliang." He was quite pleased, thinking to himself, "Looks like I don't have to lie to people this time."

Then, changing the subject, he asked, "Do you know what Sichuan has become like now?"

Before Qing could reply, he flicked his sleeve, and a scene instantly appeared in the air:
A chilling wind howled, and a ghostly mist filled the air. Ghostly figures loomed, some grotesque, some pitiful, some wailing, some howling. The once-prosperous city was now ruins, the fields desolate, and corpses littered the landscape. This scene was truly a catastrophe for Yizhou, a tragic plight of humanity. There was no divine authority, no order of the gods; only demons and monsters roamed freely.

"The eight commanderies of Shu, Jianwei, Wenshan, Hanjia, Jiangyang, Yuejun, Zangke, and Zhuti have fallen into a ghost town," the abbot's voice was heavy. "I don't know when things will return to normal, when the laws of the living will be restored, and when these eight commanderies will regain their peace and order."

In this outpouring of information, the abbot exaggerated the scene he had envisioned several times over. Upon hearing this, Qing Youdu's eyes widened in anger, and a faint golden light emanated from his body, revealing his demon-slaying aura.

"Although our Jinshan Temple is newly built, safeguarding the safety of the Nine Provinces is what all righteous people should do."

"I have contacted the Confucian scholars and the Qingyang Palace of Taiqing Orthodox School in Shu to form an alliance, with the aim of suppressing the demonic energy in the southwest."

"This is a grand gathering to slay demons, a fusion of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. You should perform well on behalf of Jinshan Temple."

Qingduo listened to the abbot's words. He immediately put his palms together in greeting and turned to pack his bags and set off.

Seeing this, the abbot suddenly felt a pang of conscience: "Ahem, wait a minute."

Qingyou turned around and looked at the abbot with a puzzled expression.

"This journey is fraught with danger. To uphold the Dao and protect yourself, I will impart two more of my most profound skills to you."

Qingyou quickly waved his hand: "That's inappropriate. How can the esoteric teachings of the Pure Land School be passed on to outsiders? Besides, I cultivate the fundamental methods of Pure Land practice, which cannot be replaced."

Xu Xuan shook his head: "What I am about to impart to you is the ultimate teachings of Zen Buddhism." Only then did the monk agree.

Qing had no idea that the abbot's secret technique was so extraordinary.

The first gate is the fundamental principle of Zen Buddhism—the "flower-offering smile." Legend has it that when the Buddha held up a flower at the Vulture Peak assembly, only Venerable Mahakasyapa smiled, thus receiving the transmission of his mind seal. This is the supreme method of Zen Buddhism, which does not rely on written words but directly points to the mind.

The second method is the Zen Buddhist Protectorate Method – the Great Vajra Divine Power. This is the supreme supernatural power of Zen Buddhism for subduing demons and protecting the righteous path. When cultivated to its fullest extent, one can transform into a Vajra, possessing immense power and impervious to all evil.

The two most important supernatural powers of Zen Buddhism were thus effortlessly wielded and displayed by this Pure Land monk. For a moment, it became impossible to tell who was the true orthodox Zen master.

After the demonstration, Qingyou couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "You are the true disciple of Buddha!"

Out of reverence for the abbot, he also began to learn.

The result is that you can learn it in no time!
Just as he was supposed to be, Xu Xuan felt that this progress was only natural.

"Guangliang, you have a good eye! You must have been a high-ranking Zen monk in your past life to have such abilities."

"Alright, now that you've learned it, go for it."

(End of this chapter)