vrcanaries Chapter 1830 The Foundation of the Dao Heart
Chapter 1830 The Foundation of the Dao Heart
Led by the monk in charge of receiving guests, they bypassed the bustling temples on the front mountain and followed a quiet mountain path to a secluded bamboo grove on the back mountain.
Deep in the bamboo forest, there is a naturally formed stone cave. The entrance is shrouded in a soft golden light, and the words "Dust-free" are written on it.
"The abbot is meditating in the cave, and I will take my leave now, as it is inappropriate for me to disturb him." The guest monk bowed with his hands clasped together and quietly withdrew.
Master Lingxu walked to the cave entrance, but did not barge in directly. Instead, he said loudly, "My old friend Huineng, an old friend has come to visit. Please grant me an audience."
The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the cave.
A moment later, the golden light from the cave entrance rippled outwards like waves, spreading to both sides.
A peaceful, aged voice, seemingly capable of washing away all troubles, slowly drifted from within the cave:
"Amitabha... Fellow Daoist Lingxu, five hundred years have passed, how have you been?"
"Please come in."
Unlike ordinary caves, the Dustless Cave is not dark and damp.
Natural openings in the cave ceiling allow rays of sunlight to filter through and fall on the smooth stone floor inside. The walls are covered with soft vines and moss, exuding a fresh, natural fragrance.
In the center of the cave, on a natural stone platform, lay a simple futon.
An old monk, dressed in an old robe, with a gaunt face and long eyebrows that reached his shoulders, sat cross-legged on it.
His eyes were slightly closed, and he slowly twirled a string of ancient wooden prayer beads in his hand. There was no dazzling Buddhist light around him, but he had a peaceful demeanor that was as deep and majestic as a mountain, as if he were one with the cave and the entire sacred mountain.
He is none other than the current abbot of Dafan Temple, Master Huineng.
As Master Lingxu and his entourage entered the cave, Master Huineng slowly opened his eyes.
Those eyes were as clear as an ancient pool, seemingly able to reflect people's hearts, yet unfathomable, containing boundless wisdom and vicissitudes.
His gaze first fell on True Person Lingxu, and a genuine smile appeared on his usually calm face: "Fellow Daoist Lingxu, it's been five hundred years, and your demeanor is even more impressive than before. Late stage of Nascent Soul, congratulations!"
His gaze then swept over Ye Yan, the Green-faced Fox, and the Crimson Flame Fox, finally settling on Ming Chuan for the longest time, revealing a pleased smile.
"Young friend, it's been a long time. It seems you've changed a lot since then."
Mingchuan nodded, not daring to be negligent, stepped forward, and bowed: "Junior Mingchuan greets Master Huineng."
Ye Yan, Qingmianhu, and Chiyanhu also exchanged greetings.
Master Huineng nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on the Blue-Faced Fox and the Crimson Flame Fox for a moment longer, and said gently, "Blue-Faced Benefactor, Crimson Flame Benefactor, after we parted years ago, I thought we would never meet again. Seeing that my old friends are well, this old monk is very gratified. How is Benefactor Stone-Patterned Bear?"
The Blue-Faced Fox said gently, "Thank you for your concern, Master. The Stone-Patterned Bear is doing well. He stayed behind at the sect and was unable to come to pay his respects with us."
Crimson Fox clasped his hands in greeting, as he had never been particularly fond of such formalities.
"Sit down," Master Huineng said, pointing to several clean prayer cushions beside the stone platform.
Everyone sat down as instructed.
Master Lingxu didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Old friend, I have come here today with important matters to ask you, matters of great importance, which may even affect the peace of the Holy Realm and even the heavens."
Master Huineng paused slightly in his hand as he twirled the prayer beads, his expression remaining calm: "Could it be related to the Silent Zen Temple, Little Western Paradise, and that ethereal Star Gate?"
Upon hearing this, Mingchuan and the others were all shocked.
Master Huineng really knew!
Master Lingxu said in a deep voice, "Indeed. It seems that my old friend has also noticed something."
Master Huineng sighed softly, a sigh that contained a great deal of complex emotions.
"The matter of ascending to the Cloud Platform in the Spirit Realm, Yue Wuyai emerging from seclusion at the peak of the Integration Realm, the appearance of ascetic traces in Shaquanji on the edge of the desert, the dark golden pillar of light in the Fallen Star Wasteland... Although I am in seclusion, I am not entirely unaware of these events. The Great Brahma Temple has a long history and naturally possesses the ability to monitor the energy of heaven and earth and deduce calamities."
He looked at Mingchuan: "Especially young friend Mingchuan, your appearance and your actions are like a boulder thrown into this deep pool. The ripples you have created have long exceeded the scope of the spiritual realm. The secrets of heaven are in chaos around you, but because of this, many hidden currents have revealed their traces ahead of time."
Mingchuan said frankly, "I only want to protect the people and my home, and I have no intention of stirring up trouble. But if anyone sets their sights on the Spirit Realm, I will never back down."
“The heart of protection is the root of the Dao heart, well said.” Master Huineng nodded approvingly, then changed the subject and his tone became serious.
"But this turmoil is probably no longer a simple conflict between realms. Fellow Daoist Lingxu, and all of you, I am already aware of your experiences in Shaquan Village and the information you received from Gray Rat. This matter is more complicated than you imagine."
"Master, what is the origin of this Silent Zen Temple? What is Little Western Paradise? What is their purpose in searching for the Star Gate and mentioning the key and offerings?" Mingchuan directly asked the biggest question in his mind.
Master Huineng remained silent for a moment, as if recalling something from a very distant past.
The cave was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of water droplets dripping from the vines and the faint sound of the master turning his prayer beads.
Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice deep and resonant, as if echoing from history:
"Little Western Paradise... that was indeed an extremely prosperous and glorious pure land of Buddhism in ancient times, independent of all the heavens, forming its own world. Buddhism flourished there, and great masters emerged in great numbers. It was regarded as one of the highest holy sites of Buddhism. Its status was even more transcendent than that of the Great Brahma Temple today."
"However, prosperity inevitably leads to decline, which is the natural order of things. About 100,000 years ago, a great calamity of unknown cause swept across all the heavens. Little Western Paradise was the first to be affected. Its Pure Land collapsed, its lineage was severed, countless Buddhist masters perished, and its realm completely disappeared into the endless turbulent flow of time and space, becoming a legend."
“Jimie Zen Monastery…” Master Huineng’s brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of solemnity and rare apprehension flashed in his eyes.
"It is one of the very few branches that survived after the collapse of Xiaoxitian. But unlike other branches such as Dafan Temple, which adhered to the orthodox Buddhist teachings and gradually integrated into various worlds, Jimie Chan Monastery took an extreme and dangerous path."
"Amidst the ruins and despair, they comprehended a distorted form of Buddhism—believing that all Buddhas have perished and all dharmas should be extinguished, and that only in the ultimate annihilation and slaughter can one glimpse a trace of transcendent truth. They forcibly fused the demon-subduing power of the Vajra guardians of Buddhism with the malevolent energy generated in the calamity, creating the so-called Vajra Subduing Demons."
"This technique is extremely powerful and the cultivation speed is astonishingly fast, but the hidden dangers are even deeper. The practitioner's mind will gradually become biased and insane, seeing all living beings as demons and themselves as the only true Buddha, taking it upon themselves to kill and plunder all living beings. They believe that only by gathering the karma and spirituality of all living beings can they rebuild Little Western Paradise, or even... open the door to a higher Buddha land."