Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

The wind swept through the ruins, and the chanting of Buddhist hymns ceased.

Above the clouds.

His crimson-gold eyes swept coldly over the ruins before disappearing into the churning dark clouds.

The dark clouds receded like a tide, and the sky became clear again.

Ruyi Zhenren stood in mid-air, gazing down at the shockingly large claw marks on the original site of Baoguang Temple.

He shook his head slightly, his tone complex, a mixture of sigh and reverence: "Nothing could be more poignant than pouring water from a cup onto the sky."

Chen Jiao stood with his hands behind his back, his black robes fluttering lightly in the wind, without uttering a word.

With a slight flick of his black sleeves, the clouds beneath his feet naturally gathered, carrying the two figures silently into the higher, more distant sea of ​​clouds, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Several days have passed since Baoguang Temple was destroyed.

The royal family of Baoxiang was the first to be shaken, and the queen, who had been praying that day, was so frightened that she was bedridden.

The king summoned his ministers overnight and issued several decrees to appease the people, only saying to the outside world that "a thunderbolt struck and Baoguang Temple was destroyed," keeping the matter very secret.

The disposal of the temple's lands remained undecided for a long time; all that was done was to order people to guard them strictly and forbid unauthorized people from approaching.

Within a few days, the news spread like wildfire throughout the mountains, marshes, and waterways surrounding Baoxiang Kingdom.

Several demon cultivators who had long-standing ties with Baoguang Temple initially disbelieved the bad news and scoffed at it.

However, there are always those who are impatient and immediately use the Water Mirror technique to try to see the truth.

The moment the technique was completed, all that could be seen in the mirror was the deep scorched earth, with the remaining energy sharp and cold, piercing into the divine consciousness.

The water mirror shattered immediately.

The sorcerer sat motionless in his cave for a long time, oblivious to the tea growing cold. After a long while, he finally waved his sleeve at the demons and said, "Close the mountain, no guests."

A visiting card that was originally intended to be sent to Baoguang Temple was quietly crushed into powder on the table.

In the humble alleys of the capital, and in the remote villages and countryside.

Many families would close their doors and windows tightly late at night, silently place a plate of coarse cakes and three sticks of cheap incense on the table, and kowtow on the ground facing the western suburbs.

No memorial tablets are erected, and no honorific titles are recited.

Only a soft murmur, as light as a whisper, yet every word was earnest, as if afraid that people would hear it, or that heaven would not hear it.

"His crimson eyes shone brightly, piercing through the dark clouds; his divine claws were sharp and fierce, sweeping away the evil monks... Thank you, Heaven, for opening your eyes and letting evil be punished."

"May Your Majesty endure forever, may all evil be eradicated, and may You protect the weak and suffering... Though the offerings are meager, our hearts are sincere, and we only pray that justice will prevail."

After speaking, he kowtowed again, entrusting all his faint hopes to this wisp of smoke.

The smoke from the incense rose in wisps, blending into the night, and was quickly dispersed by the wind, leaving no trace.

…………

Inside the secluded cave of the True Man Ruyi, all was quiet.

Only below the central [Fire-Gathering Cauldron], a wisp of pale white true fire burned faintly, emitting a slight crackling sound.

Runes flowed across the cauldron's body, and a faint emerald light could be seen moving slowly within, like a trapped dragon—this was the [Stone Fire].

It is being slowly refined at this moment.

Master Ruyi sat cross-legged before the cauldron, his expression focused, his fingertips forming intricate hand gestures as he carefully guided the heat, unaware of the fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Chen Jiao sat beside a stone table in a corner of the cave, where a bright pearl emitted a soft glow.

He did not pay attention to the fire-refining process, but instead closed his eyes slightly and let his consciousness sink into a jade slip as thin as a cicada's wing and dark yellow in color in his palm.

Although Chen Jiao was not proficient in alchemy and weapon crafting, he was determined to pave the way for his next incarnation who would specialize in fire magic and master alchemy and weapon crafting.

The practice of refining the hidden fire within the stone and seeking the true fire of the sun both serve as preparations for this purpose.

This "Golden Stone Fire Treatise" is a collection of notes by the True Man Ruyi, reflecting his lifelong research into the properties of metals and stones and his mastery of fire in refining elixirs and artifacts. The writing style is simple and even somewhat trivial.

The opening section, "Distinguishing Materials," begins with an analysis of various types of metals and stones.

"The forging of weapons is like a doctor prescribing medicine; the first step is to understand the materials. Metals and stones have their own properties, such as the fierceness of fire steel, the solidity of black iron, and the resilience of cold copper; these must be carefully observed."

The Ruyi Zhenren did not classify people according to worldly ranks, but rather categorized them carefully according to their nature, quality, and origin.

"Red Fire Copper is intense in nature. It becomes stronger when it encounters Wood and Fire, and it solidifies when it encounters Water."

When melting, use a gentle, slow heat; avoid using strong, forceful heat, otherwise the metallic essence will dissipate, turning it into ordinary iron.

Following this, more than a hundred kinds of metal and stone properties were listed, each accompanied by the lessons learned from the failures and successes of the Ruyi Zhenren when he tried to smelt them.

The middle section covers the essentials of fire control.

The True Man Ruyi divided fire into two aspects: civil and military, and four states: hard and soft.

Gentle fire is used for nurturing and permeating; strong fire is used for purification and shaping. Vigorous fire is intense and suitable for refining masculine metals and stones; gentle fire is long and suitable for yin and delicate spiritual materials.

What's even more remarkable is that he also meticulously recorded how to perceive the subtle changes in the metallic and stony properties within the fire.

For example, "When the surface of metal or stone shows fine fish-scale patterns, it is called 'the sound of metal,' and a gentle fire should be turned on."

"The flames are bluish-purple, leaping with measured rhythm," which is a sign that the metal is about to melt but has not yet fully melted. At this moment, one must keep the fire steady and wait patiently, and not act rashly.

The final chapter contains some scattered records, which, though not systematic, are still ingenious.

After some time of contemplation.

Chen Jiao put away the "Golden Stone Fire Strategy" and turned his attention to another gain from this trip.

With a flick of his sleeve, several Buddhist storage artifacts of various shapes slid out from his sleeve and floated silently in the air in front of him.

A small gilded pagoda, a string of dark brown bodhi seed beads, a jade plaque engraved with the swastika symbol, and a simple ebony alms bowl.

Although this operation was not for financial gain, the destruction of a long-established temple like Baoguang Temple was an easy task, so naturally, he would not leave empty-handed.

At the moment that claw struck down, destroying all living beings, Chen Jiao also separated a wisp of divine thought to sweep back several of the temple's most densely packed and heavily guarded stores.

He first picked up the gilded pagoda, and his divine sense, like a gentle stream, probed into it.

The space inside the ring was quite spacious. The first thing that caught the eye was the spiritual grains and rice, all sealed in specially made jade urns, piled up like mountains, full of spiritual energy.

It is clearly the daily living expenses of the monks in the temple, as well as some of the offerings, enough to support hundreds of monks for decades.

There were also a large number of neatly stacked spirit crystals, their luster shimmering, which were the hard currency for maintaining the operation of the temple and setting up formations.

After passing over these ordinary supplies, Chen Jiao's divine sense swept towards another area.

Many Buddhist implements are displayed here, mostly standardized monk knives and staffs, with a faint Buddhist aura emanating from them.

The ranks are mostly suitable for Qi Refining and Foundation Building, and should be supplied to ordinary monks and martial monks in temples who practice the Five Contemplations and Four Foundations of Mindfulness in the Path of Accumulation.

There were also some bottles and jars containing common medicines such as "Qingxin Dan" and "Bigu Wan".

There were also dozens of boxes of sealed medicinal herbs, mostly for strengthening the body, healing wounds and detoxifying. Although the types were varied, there were nothing particularly rare or unusual.

Chen Jiao put the ring away and turned his gaze to the Bodhi seed bracelet, whose radiance was even more dazzling.

This object has a stronger sealing power. When I probed it with my divine sense, I immediately felt that the space was slightly smaller, but the items were indeed much more exquisite.

Inside are several sets of robes that were clearly bestowed upon monks of the Preparatory Path, possessing inherent purification and protective effects.

Rows of jade shelves held jade slips containing cultivation techniques, mostly basic Buddhist practices and meditation methods, with a few scrolls recording supernatural powers for subduing demons.

There are also some jade boxes that are stored separately.

Once opened, several pills, each the size of a longan, are revealed, shimmering with golden light and emitting a subtle medicinal fragrance.

However, these are items like the "Invigorating Vajra Pill" and the "Enlightened Mind and Seeing Nature Pill," which help break through bottlenecks or improve cultivation.

In addition, there are more than ten high-quality ritual implements, such as a demon-subduing golden bell with Sanskrit inscriptions, a precept knife containing Buddhist fire, and array flags that set up a Buddhist light barrier.

Next was the jade plaque with the swastika symbol.

The most peculiar thing about the jade tablet is that it contains dozens of orbs of light of varying strengths and colors.

With the slightest touch of divine sense, one could perceive that it contained either the essence of demonic beasts or the original essence of plant spirits that had been stripped and refined.

Each orb has a small label indicating its origin and efficacy. Such labels include "Blood essence of a hundred-year-old bear demon, used for body refinement and medicine", "Wooden heart of a flower demon, for nourishing yin and beautifying the complexion", and "Essence of a cougar, used to feed the Dharma protectors".

Here, another side of Baoguang Temple, which claims to be a place of salvation, is revealed: it treats demons as resources and takes them at will.

Finally, there was the ebony alms bowl.

The scene inside the alms bowl changed again, exuding an air of luxury.

Many exquisite objects belonged to neither monks nor laypeople, such as the Hehuan Plate carved from warm jade, the belt inlaid with auspicious gemstones, and the incense burner engraved with silver magic arrays.

Although there is no direct label, its purpose is obvious.

These objects are full of spiritual energy and are exquisitely crafted. They are clearly not ordinary pleasure items, but rather seem to be prepared for certain special practices or offerings.

Chen Jiao scanned the treasures with his divine sense, his expression calm.

He used his divine sense to categorize and reorganize the items in the four storage artifacts according to their nature and purpose.

After taking inventory of the treasures of Baoguang Temple.

Chen Jiao's gaze shifted slightly, landing on several other objects in the void, enveloped in demonic power, their spiritual light struggling uncertainly.

These were all personal belongings of Zen Master Baoxiang and Vajra Cangzong, imbued with the last breath of their original owners, their spiritual essence still intact.

The first thing that caught Chen Jiao's eye was a palm-sized, pale gold, almost transparent leaf treasure called the [Formless Cloud Leaf].

Its texture is warm and smooth like jade, and its surface has natural cloud-like patterns. At this moment, its spiritual light is restrained, and it floats quietly.

Chen Jiao scanned it with his divine sense and knew that this treasure was good at concealing its form and hiding its presence, and its ability to conceal its aura was quite extraordinary.

The "Formless Cloud Leaf" does not belong to the Five Elements, making it difficult to find. It is indeed a rare and precious item for saving lives.

It is likely that Zen Master Baoxiang and his group relied on this object to follow them all the way.

Next came a string of slightly dull-looking Bodhi prayer beads, which were none other than the "Prajna Demon-Locking Beads" of Zen Master Baoxiang.

At this moment, the string of beads is no longer nurtured by the Buddha's teachings, and the 108 beads are no longer as radiant as before, and the wisdom and Buddhist fire contained within them have also subsided.

However, the bead still faintly radiates pure Buddhist light and feels warm to the touch, indicating that its material is extraordinary and has been imbued with Buddhist teachings over the years.

Although this item is damaged, its essence remains. If it is refined again using secret methods, the Buddhist mark may be removed and it can be used for one's own purposes.

Chen Jiao also photographed a relic that was dark gold in color.

This object is the life relic of Zen Master Baoxiang. At this moment, its radiance is dim, but it still contains pure Buddhist power and a lingering anger and attachment. It trembles slightly, as if it is unwilling.

Chen Jiao scanned it with his divine sense and knew that the Buddhist cultivation contained in this object was quite profound.

If refined using profound techniques, one can increase magical power, but the entanglements of cause and effect and obsessions involved will require some effort to resolve.

There is also a vajra of the Vajra Subduing Demons with the head of the vajra carved with the image of a wrathful deity, and the body of the vajra engraved with mantras for subduing demons.

Although the spiritual light had dimmed slightly, the pestle still retained an aura of righteousness and majesty, clearly indicating its considerable power.

However, a few faint red lightning patterns could be seen swirling around the pestle.

Those were marks left by the Crimson Demon Lightning, which damaged the integrity of part of the Buddhist restrictions.

Finally, his gaze fell on a simple, antique-looking token that was neither gold nor jade.

The token has the character "禅" (Zen) engraved on the front and a dragon and snake coiled on the back. The aura is obscure, suggesting the authority to isolate and control a temple.

The token contains only a dozen or so palm leaves of different materials, each imbued with spiritual light.

Chen Jiao scanned the palm leaf with his divine sense and found that it was imprinted with fine gold characters using Buddhist supernatural powers.

These are the most core and authentic scriptures of the Baoguang Temple lineage, including the "Great Wrathful King Dharma Image Visualization Diagram," the "Secret Vajra Miracle Sutra," the "Mind Seal of Salvation," and the "Detailed Explanation of the Small Sumeru Array Diagram."

These are not the ordinary spellbooks in the archives that disciples can peruse.

Instead, it contains the true Buddhist teachings of the patriarch who founded Baoguang Temple, a transmission of Buddhist scriptures that ordinary disciples have no chance to see.

Zen Master Baoxiang carried it with him at all times, which shows how much he valued it.

All external items have been inventoried, and the contents are plentiful; the room has returned to tranquility.

Chen Jiao's gaze fell on his palm, where the relic of Zen Master Baoxiang was radiating a warm glow.

This is the culmination of a lifetime of cultivation by a highly accomplished monk who has reached the stage of enlightenment; it is truly extraordinary.

Its magical power is immense; if one can refine it, it will certainly benefit one's cultivation progress.

However, the anger and attachment that Baoxiang Chan could not dispel before his death, as well as the fierce karma accumulated from his years of practicing the "Great Wrathful King Dharma Image," remained deeply hidden within him like a malignant sore.

Chen Jiao did not rush to absorb its magical power.

He knew that if he forced the refinement, it would be tantamount to playing with fire, which would at least damage his Dao heart, and at worst cause his inner demons to arise.

It needs to be cleansed and refined first.

"That's just how stubborn they are."

Chen Jiao murmured, his expression unchanged.

He pointed his fingers together like a sword, and a wisp of crimson lightning quietly emerged from his fingertips, deep and restrained.

"This Crimson Demon Lightning is becoming more and more useful."

A sense of emotion swept through Chen Jiao's heart.

This thunderbolt was born from the bloodline of the ancient Xuanjiao dragon. It is extremely yang and strong, deep and fierce. At first, it was only used for killing.

Now, as his cultivation level has improved, he has come to realize its infinite uses. It can cleanse impure thoughts, destroy the soul, and even refine weapons and set up formations with ease.

The innate divine power inherited from the Xuanjiao bloodline indeed secretly aligns with the profound mysteries of the Great Dao.

A crimson arc of lightning, like a serpent reaching out its head, slowly touched the surface of the relic.

"laugh……"

A faint crackling sound, like cold water being dropped into boiling oil.

The peaceful Buddhist light on the surface of the relic suddenly fluctuated, and the dark red anger and pitch-black karma twisted and thrashed like startled poisonous insects, trying to resist.

In the dim light, a blurry face filled with anger seemed to flash by, and the illusory image of the wrathful form of the Bright King attempted to retaliate.

An atmosphere of anxiety and violence instantly filled the quiet room.

However, the Crimson Lightning, though seemingly subtle, is incomparably domineering, striking wherever it passes.

The dark red aura emitted a hissing wail, and the pitch-black karma, as if encountering its nemesis, turned into wisps of green smoke and dissipated into nothingness under the scorching lightning.

The relic itself trembled slightly, and the pure Buddhist power within it, refined by the lightning, became even more pure and translucent, its inner radiance shining forth without a trace of impurity.

Chen Jiao remained expressionless, guiding the Crimson Demon Lightning to continuously output, enveloping the entire relic like a woven net, and meticulously refining it.

The only sound in the quiet room was the faint hissing of lightning.

This process was not one of brute force destruction, but rather Chen Jiao's unparalleled ability to control lightning, which allowed him to meticulously analyze and refine the process.

His eyes reflected the increasingly pure radiance of the relic, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

Once the last wisp of black line completely disappeared, the relic suddenly became inwardly radiant, its entire body becoming crystal clear, without any trace of impurity.

Only the purest and most potent Buddhist power remained, gently floating above his palm.

Only then is it time for the refining process.

"Only by refining one's delusions and returning to one's true nature can one be of great use."

Chen Jiao muttered to himself, took a gentle breath, and the pure relic transformed into a warm golden stream that entered his mouth.

He slowly closed his eyes, and his aura became increasingly tranquil and profound.

Inside the cave, only the even breathing sounds and the soft crackling of the cauldron fire could be heard.