Journey to the West: Deer Power Immortal, Starting from Becoming a Disciple of the Supreme Lord Tais

This was clearly thanks to the Dao Ancestor's alchemy insights; for Lu Qingxuan, these insights were nothing short of enlightening.

On this day, Lu Qingxuan was meditating in his quiet room when he suddenly had a thought and opened his eyes.

He did some quick calculations, then his gaze pierced through the wall, looking towards the western horizon.

There, a faint Buddhist light flickered, carrying a hint of fierce killing intent.

"So, Buddhism... has finally had enough?"

Lu Qingxuan murmured, his expression calm and without a trace of emotion. He had built the Sanqing Temple in Chechi Kingdom, cutting off the incense offerings of Buddhism, so naturally the Buddhist community would not let it go easily.

I just didn't expect them to be able to endure it for so many years...

He stood up and pushed open the door to the quiet room.

The sunlight was just right in the courtyard.

Tiger Power Immortal is munching on a peach on the stone steps, while Sheep Power Immortal is refining elixirs in the alchemy room.

Upon seeing Lu Qingxuan emerge, Tiger Power Immortal leaped to his feet and laughed, "Third Brother, has your cultivation level stabilized?"

Lu Qingxuan smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have worried you, Senior Brother. My cultivation level has stabilized."

Yangli Daxian also came out of the alchemy room, stroking his beard and looking Lu Qingxuan up and down with great satisfaction in his eyes. This was the first Golden Immortal of their Three Immortals Temple!

The three sat down at the stone table, and Lu Qingxuan asked, "Has there been any unusual activity at the Three Immortals Shrine in recent years?"

Tiger Power Immortal waved his hand and said, "Everything is as usual, and the incense is even more abundant than before."

"but…"

Yang Lida changed the subject, saying, "Third brother, a few days ago a wandering Taoist priest passed by Zhongnan Mountain and said something very strange."

Lu Qingxuan asked, "What did you say?"

The Great Immortal Yangli said, "He said that the temples in Chechi Kingdom are probably going to be in trouble."

Lu Qingxuan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said with a deep gaze, "What's meant to come will come; there's no need to worry."

Tiger Power Immortal asked in surprise, "Could it be Buddhism?"

Lu Qingxuan nodded.

Yangli Daxian stroked his beard, his face solemn, and said, "My third brother built the Three Immortals Shrine in Chechi Kingdom, severing the foundation of Buddhism in Xiniu Hezhou. There has been no movement for the past few years, which may be because he is secretly making arrangements."

Lu Qingxuan stood up, his senses sweeping over Chechi Kingdom. After a moment of silence, he said, "My two elder brothers, I need to go to Chechi Kingdom."

Yangli Daxian nodded: "Alright, but Third Brother, you must be careful on your journey. Although you are now a Golden Immortal, there are many Golden Immortals in the Buddhist sect, so don't underestimate them."

Lu Qingxuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I know what I'm doing."

Immediately, Lu Qingxuan's figure flickered, transforming into a streak of azure light that soared into the sky.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he arrived outside the capital of Chechi Kingdom.

However, Lu Qingxuan did not enter the city directly. Instead, he landed on a mountain outside the city, concealed his presence, and observed from afar.

The capital of Chechi Kingdom was very different from when he had visited several years ago.

The Sanqing Temple stands in the center of the city, with magnificent halls and thriving incense offerings. From afar, one can see crowds of people lining up to enter the temple and offer incense.

In contrast, Zhiyuan Temple, which was once very popular, is now much quieter. The temple gates are closed and fallen leaves are piled up in front of the gates, indicating that no one has cleaned it for a long time.

However, above Zhiyuan Temple, there was a faint layer of Buddhist light, which, though inconspicuous, carried a sharp aura.

Lu Qingxuan frowned slightly; the Buddhist sect had indeed sent a master.

As he was pondering this, the gate of Zhiyuan Temple suddenly opened.

An old monk wearing a brocade robe and holding a tin staff walked out of the temple, followed by several young monks.

The old monk looked up at the mountain where Lu Qingxuan was, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Amitabha."

The old monk clasped his hands together, his voice soft yet clearly reaching Lu Qingxuan's ears, "Benefactor from the mountain, since you've come, why not come down for a chat?"

Lu Qingxuan's heart skipped a beat; he knew he couldn't hide it any longer.

He swayed and landed in front of Zhiyuan Temple, standing with his hands behind his back: "Master, you have excellent eyesight."

The old monk sized him up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and said, "This humble monk is Fahai, a disciple of the Arhat Hall of Mount Ling. I have come to Chechi Kingdom on the Buddha's orders. May I ask your honorable name, benefactor?"

Fahai?

Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon?

Lu Qingxuan was surprised, but then he thought it was probably just a case of the same name.

The Legend of the White Snake dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty. There was no sign of it in the Tang Dynasty, and it was nowhere to be found in the Southern Song Dynasty either.

Composing himself, Lu Qingxuan cupped his hands and said, "Lu Qingxuan of Zhongnan Mountain."

Fahai's expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.

He had obviously heard of this name before. The feud between Buddhism and Lu Qingxuan, from the Yellow-Eyebrow King to the rain-seeking ritual in Chechi Kingdom, was no secret.

"So you are Master Lu. I have long admired you. I have heard of your construction of the Three Immortals Shrine in Chechi Kingdom and your widespread propagation of Taoist teachings. Today, I am fortunate to meet you and would like to ask you for some guidance."

Lu Qingxuan said, "Please speak, Master."

Fahai stared intently at Lu Qingxuan with piercing eyes and slowly said, "May I ask, Daoist Master, Chechi Kingdom is located in Xiniu Hezhou, and has been a Buddhist land since ancient times. Daoist Master, by building the Three Immortals Shrine here and competing with Buddhism for incense offerings, isn't that like a cuckoo occupying a magpie's nest?"

Lu Qingxuan smiled faintly and said, "Master, you are mistaken. Chechi Kingdom is Chechi Kingdom's territory, and its people are Chechi Kingdom's people."

What ordinary people believe in and what they worship is their own business and has nothing to do with Buddhism.

I built the Three Immortals Shrine here because the people are willing to come and worship, not because I forced them to.

If the master feels that the common people are not behaving properly, he might as well ask them whether they prefer to worship Buddha or Taoism.

Fahai frowned slightly and said, "Daoist, this is sophistry. The common people are ignorant and easily deceived by appearances."

The Taoist priest used his supernatural powers to pray for rain, and the people were naturally moved to tears of gratitude. However, this rainmaking was something the Buddhist sect had foreseen in advance; the Taoist priest had merely acted first.

Lu Qingxuan laughed, but there was a hint of coldness in his smile: "Is it another prophecy from Buddhism? Master, can't you Buddhists come up with a different story?"

Those three monks said the same thing a few years ago, and what happened?

They prayed for an hour, but not a single drop of rain came.

Before I had even finished taking half a cup of tea to ascend the stage, the Dragon King appeared on his own, and a torrential downpour began.

"If the master doesn't believe it, why don't you go up on the platform and pray for rain, so the people can see whether Buddhism or Taoism is more effective?"

Fahai's expression darkened, and he slammed his staff down, sending up clouds of dust.

"Daoist Master, I am not here today to argue with you. The Buddha has decreed that the Buddhist sect will not abandon the incense offerings of Chechi Kingdom."

"If you know what's good for you, Daoist, take your Three Immortals Shrine and leave Chechi Kingdom, and from now on, let's keep to ourselves. Otherwise..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Lu Qingxuan stood with his hands behind his back, his face calm as still water, and said indifferently, "So what?"

Fahai stared at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled, a smile that carried a profound meaning.

He said, "Daoist Master, you have great courage, I admire you. However, do you know that Buddha has already sent three of the eighteen Arhats to Chechi Kingdom?"

The Taoist priest was quite skilled, but he knew that even the strongest can't fight against many opponents.

This humble monk offers this advice to the Taoist priest: "Those who understand the times are wise; lest you harm yourself..."