Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 971 The Third Realm is Easy to Cultivate, the Fourth Realm is Difficult to Cross

The White Lotus Sect has lost a "devout" follower.

The Holy Father was ultimately "kind," and as he looked at the spot where Hou Sheng had vanished, he softly recited a mantra for rebirth.

The incantation, like a gentle golden light, brushed over the fading remnants of the soul, ensuring that no resentment or lingering spirit remained.

Then, Xiao Qing King instinctively summoned a stream of water to wash over the earth, and Li Yingqi casually unleashed a sword aura that circulated in the air.

The three of them finally stopped, their movements composed and elegant.

Skills that become second nature will never be lost.

After reading it, Yu Ji fell silent; she didn't even know what had just happened.

"Prepare to open the portal." Xu Xuan then continued to give instructions as if nothing had happened, his tone still cheerful.

"Yes," the Stone King replied without any change in expression.

The multi-functional guardian does indeed possess a unique talent in formation manipulation.

At this moment, the complete simulation plan and data have been incorporated into its core, making execution not difficult.

The giant stone palm pressed down on the specific array point and began to precisely inject demonic power according to the steps to activate the runes.

Without activating the complete Ninefold Dragon-Slaying Formation, simply activating three key array platforms will allow you to construct a small but stable portal using them as fulcrums, directly pointing to the coordinates of Chen Sheng in the underworld.

However, this shortcut comes at a huge cost.

In order to provide enough energy, the remaining six inactive array platforms and the precious spiritual objects placed on them will be forcibly drained of all their spiritual power and completely destroyed.

More importantly, once the Dragon-Slaying Formation meticulously set up by the Great Wisdom Dharma King is "broken" in this way, he, as the core arranger of the formation, will inevitably sense it immediately.

This means that news of Xu Xuan and his group's trip to the underworld may not be completely concealed.

The situation in the north will undoubtedly become more sensitive and complex, and may even trigger some undercurrents ahead of schedule.

Thinking of this, Xu Xuan was not worried at all; instead, a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

This is really... so interesting.

As the Stone King manipulated the system, the silent nine-tiered stone platform lit up with a faint light one by one, and the layers of dark light curtains were activated, rippling out like water.

Dazexiang is located at the junction of a vast plain and an ancient swamp. Although there are no towering mountains in the north, the terrain gradually rises due to the Yellow River changing its course and eroding the land many times in history. In the south, there is an endless flat plain with crisscrossing rivers and a dense network of waterways.

The Tanjiang River within the territory has a long and winding shoreline, a deep riverbed, and a vast drainage area. Numerous rivers of varying sizes meander through the surrounding area, and lakes are scattered throughout.

When Chen Sheng and Wu Guang launched their uprising, the peasant army used the slightly higher earthen mounds in this area to build earthen camps, forming dozens of strongholds.

Over the years, these mounds have evolved into the barren hills and mounds scattered across the wilderness today, ranging in height from one to three meters.

These seemingly ordinary terrains, streams, and hills constitute the "mountains and rivers" of Dazexiang.

After surveying the terrain, the Great Wisdom Dharma King cleverly arranged these nine stone platforms based on the natural mountain and river network, subtly harmonizing with heaven and earth.

At this moment, the formation was activated in a specific way, and the spirits of the mountains and rivers that were sleeping here were guided and mobilized in an orderly manner.

According to the original principles of the Dragon-Slaying Formation, the burial site should be guarded by the yang aspect of the mountain and nourished by the yin aspect of the water vein. However, the formation has now been reversed, and the principles of yin and yang have been inverted!

"Om-"

The entire Dazexiang Township began to tremble slightly in the cultivators' perception!

A series of teeth-grinding, ear-piercing sounds, like cloth being forcibly torn apart, echoed through the void!
This is a sign that the boundary between Yin and Yang is being forcibly distorted and torn apart.

Xu Xuan frowned slightly, reacted extremely quickly, and threw a seemingly ordinary oil-paper umbrella into the sky.

The oil-paper umbrella stretched out in the wind, opening instantly to release the rich and pure mist and water vapor of Dongting Lake.

The area of ​​Dazexiang and even half of Jixian County was covered, effectively shielding the strange phenomena and atmosphere of the place and preventing unnecessary prying into it too early.

Just then, the fish that had been kept in a half-dead state by evil magic for a long time on the stone platform marked "Dingluotai" finally ushered in its final liberation.

The scroll inside his belly, which carried the "mandate of heaven," spontaneously combusted without fire!
The three large vermilion characters “Chen Sheng Wang” suddenly rose from the flames, transforming into a stream of black and gold light that circled in the air like a living thing, as if it were locating something.

Then, the light suddenly trembled and shot into the void ahead like an arrow!
"Shoot-"

A soft, yet soul-crushing tearing sound rang out, as if breaking through some invisible barrier, and vanished instantly.

Immediately afterwards, a familiar breeze carrying an aura of decay and coldness quietly seeped out from the void where the light had vanished.

That's a chilling wind! The scent of the underworld!

Xu Xuan grabbed a wisp and sniffed it. Hmm, to be precise, it smelled like hell, very pure.

Once the first stone platform was successfully activated, the remaining eight stone platforms connected to it immediately resonated, and the entire formation resembled a giant beast about to awaken.

The Stone King dared not be negligent, and his enormous stone palm flew up again, unleashing even more complex and profound spells.

To be fair, manipulating formations, once in operation, does possess a unique kind of coolness. Radiant light, flickering runes, and interconnected energy flow create a beauty of order and power, comparable to another form of "high technology."

Xu Xuan couldn't help but recall the scene back in Qiantang when Bai Suzhen fought against the Arhat Subduing Dragon; she was so incredibly cool.

Unfortunately, the art of formations requires not only extremely high talent and comprehension, but also a long period of knowledge accumulation and practical experience.

The Holy Father possessed extraordinary spiritual insight, easily discerning the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth, as well as the direction of mountains and rivers. His spiritual strength and willpower were also sufficient to control complex changes, making him an excellent candidate for cultivating the Dao of Arrays.

However, time is the biggest weakness.

He has too many things to do and too many directions to explore, so it's impossible for him to devote a lot of his precious energy to the research on array formations, which requires a long period of accumulation.

People always have to make choices.

Having long recognized that he couldn't be an expert in everything, he decisively gave up on delving into formations and instead focused his energy on areas that could more quickly improve his immediate combat strength.

After failing to help Bai Suzhen sever her emotional ties, his state of mind has recovered and stabilized in the state of "detachment from desire".

Now, the main goal of cultivation is to unlock the next barrier—to enter the fourth realm.

For Xu Xuan, breaking through the barrier of the "Land of Separation from Desire" was not particularly difficult.

Having undergone that tempering in my dream, my insight into and control over my own desires has reached a new peak; my mind is as clear as a mirror, untouched by any dust.

Simply follow the steps and the key principles steadily, and success will come naturally.

Moreover, he was already in the north.

Although it may be somewhat inappropriate to say this, for him, the more dangerous and desperate the situation, the more entangled the causes and effects, the more conflicts and disputes, the more pressure-filled and crisis-ridden the environment, the faster his cultivation progress will be.

This is not mere speculation, but rather a special encounter that arose after he possessed the essence of an "extraterrestrial demon," was given the destiny of a "white lotus saint father," and encountered the time of "the decline of the Dao and the rise of the demons."

Ordinary cultivators, even if they possess only one of the above identities, are enough to either soar to great heights or die a swift and tragic death.

Xu Xuan, however, was burdened with threefold karma. The weight of the karmic consequences he bore, the intensity of the tribulations he triggered, and the potential to draw upon them for cultivation were all far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

Now, the one-year agreement with the "white-haired monkey" Wuzhiqi hangs overhead, like an invisible spur.

Driven by both immense pressure and motivation, it is highly likely that they will break through their constraints and reach new heights within a year.

However, once you step into this fourth realm, it's a completely different world.

The exaggerated cultivation speed of four realms in four years will be forcibly paused.

In the Buddhist system, this state is called "the place of seeing the path".

Also known as "Tongdawei", it roughly corresponds to the "Refining Emptiness and Uniting with the Dao" state in Taoist internal alchemy.

This is a crucial watershed stage in the Buddhist Three Vehicles system of practice, and a key turning point for practitioners to move from the realm of ordinary people to the realm of saints.

True "enlightenment" is by no means a simple accumulation of power or an increase in supernatural abilities.

It must possess verifiable characteristics such as a fundamental transformation in mind and temperament, and a complete detachment from the concept of life and death.

At this stage, practitioners will experience for the first time the true existence of "no-self" and "emptiness," fundamentally breaking through their strong attachment to "self."

In other words, it is through the wisdom of non-outflow that one first realizes the true meaning of the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path to its cessation, thereby eliminating the most serious afflictions and achieving the initial purification and liberation of the mind.

Once one's spiritual practice reaches the stage of "seeing the Way," the guidance that the scriptures, sayings, and insights left by predecessors can provide becomes increasingly limited.

Ultimately, the path can only be understood and verified by each Buddhist disciple through their own wisdom and innate capacity.

Only by taking this unique path to its extreme can one break through the solid barrier between heaven and man and directly attain the state of Arhat.

The reason why unfathomable masters like the Dragon Lord, or powerful beings with complete and orthodox lineages like Bai Suzhen, generally believe that Xu Xuan "will have a hard time attaining enlightenment alive" lies in the core cultivation philosophy of this realm—

Detached.

In order to achieve "seeing the path," sever afflictions, and perceive the emptiness of selflessness, most normal practitioners will choose a relatively "pure" path.

It may sever ties with past relationships and karmic debts, or remove the shackles of worldly life, or cleanse the heart of its troubles.

This is not about becoming heartless and devoid of desire, falling into a desolate and demonic path, but rather like refining gold, aiming to strip away the impurities attached to one's nature, leaving behind the purest and most authentic spiritual light.

Even a peerless genius like Ruoxu, after walking this path for many years, never gave up his obsession.

However, they also chose to use the four great tribulations of the Avici Hell to thoroughly temper their character in order to get closer to the other shore of transcendence.

On the other hand, Xu Xuan's cultivation path is completely contrary to "tradition".

He accepts almost everything that practitioners try to abandon, including "afflictions," "cause and effect," "desires," and "karma," without hesitation!

His path is somewhat like that of a "merit immortal" who accumulates merit, and also somewhat like a "wish power method" that gathers the power of wishes.

However, throughout history, even the most accomplished practitioners of these two methods would never dare to absorb such a massive amount of evil causes, evil consequences, and karmic entanglements so recklessly!
His so-called "troubles" and "cause and effect" were not severed, but instead gathered and compressed in an inconceivable way.

(End of this chapter)