Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
There was a vast sea of clouds. Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei were on it, flying freely with their clothes flowing.
“Displaying ‘Seeing True Self through Dao’ at the Xijian Pavilion was equivalent to preaching here. Aren’t you afraid that your additional self would benefit and in the future develop rapidly to compete with you for the position of self?” Meng Qi asked with a smile.
Jiang Zhiwei looked up slightly, “She has yet to build her foundation and I’ve already achieved half-step Dharmakaya; she only has the hand-copied version of the ‘Taishang Sword Manual’ only had only seen ‘Seeing True Self through Dao’ once, but I have the true inheritance of the ‘Taishang Sword Manual’ and ‘Seeing True Self through Dao’, and also the near complete framework of ‘Seven Strokes of Heaven Interception’; she didn’t meet any Legendary secret realms or objects in the Universal Fragment and have limited experience, but I have been through numerous tests of life and death, reincarnation and magical encounters. How not confident of me do you have to be to think that she could surpass me?
She looked confident and high-spirited as she gazed around.
“I’m just afraid that the Master of Six Dao of Samsara would arrange to pull her into Samsara, give her a magical encounter and use it to control you,” Meng Qi said. As for himself who ask not about the past, cut away additional selves and was the one and only, he wasn’t afraid of this.
Jiang Zhiwei smiled and looked at the side, “I’m only a half-step Dharmakaya and neither someone’s fish nor Tao sign. I’m afraid a mighty person would be too occupied with other things to think of me. Even if he arranged to pull her into Samsara, as long as she’s not groomed deliberately, what have I to fear? Even if she was groomed deliberately, there are so many encounters and I don’t think I would lose to her.”
Meng Qi nodded. This bit of confidence was the most basic thing a swordsman should have.
He pondered for a while before saying, “Zhiwei, the way you treated your additional self didn’t seem to be the simplest communication and assimilation?”
Just now when the two Jiang Zhiweis were at a near distance to each other, Meng Qi was aware that the subtle link became stronger.
“Yes, Taishang is impartial toward all. How I treated the additional self was an imitation of Heaven — not claiming ownership, not manipulating and not dictating toward all things. Just building a link is sufficient, and there’s no need to assimilate. Heaven does not assimilate all living things or worry about them resisting,” Jiang Zhiwei elaborated on her understanding of “Taishang Sword Manual”.
But without assimilation, the various resulting thoughts and struggles would be a great test to the mind and primordial spirit. A little carelessness could result in a counterattack or entering the demonic path.
Meng Qi clapped and laughed, “A person of true morality, marvelous.”
Jiang Zhiwei pressed her lips together as she accepted Meng Qi’s compliment before looking around and said, “Where are we going next?”
“Shaolin,” Meng Qi said calmly.
Jiang Zhiwei was a little surprised, “I hope you’re not thinking of helping them complete the ‘Maha Exorcism Fist’?”
Meng Qi shook his head and said with a deep gaze, “No, I’m actually very selfish. I only have one teacher in my heart.”
The additional self isn’t me. If I let the Xuanbei in this world grow, wouldn’t that be a threat to my teacher?
After a slight pause, he continued, “The Shaolin here should also not have the true inheritance of the ‘Smile of Flower-Picking’ anymore, but Abbot Kongwen had already achieved Dharmakaya and comprehended the ‘Smile of Flower-Picking’ during the separation forty years ago. He wouldn’t forget the related memories and gained knowledge, so I want to go to Shaolin and display the framework of the Buddha’s Palm, hoping that he could gain from it and slightly master the ‘Smile of Flower-Picking’ to make up for his regret.”
Meng Qi had comprehended the framework of Buddha’s Palm many times and gained some knowledge from it, but to fully display it was impossible. He could only show the content of his own understanding, and how much Abbot Kongwen could gain from it depended entirely on his cultivation of Buddhism and practice.
At that time, Abbot Kongwen had been freed for a few years and was about to attain Bodhisattva when he died in the battle between good and evil. Meng Qi felt that it was a great pity.
“That’s right.” Jiang Zhiwei nodded and smiled, “If we bring this Abbot Kongwen back to the real world, many would be shocked.”
Meng Qi also found it amusing thinking about it. He quipped, “If the Devil Master stirs up trouble again, we’ll secretly bring this Abbot Kongwen back and make him appear in front of him at a crucial moment. He’ll definitely be scared out of his wits or at least give himself away.”
Oh my goodness, Kongwen this baldie actually came back to life!
At this point, Meng Qi looked up into the sky and heaved a sigh, “This Universal Fragment is hidden at a dark place surrounded by wasteland. It is difficult for outsiders to find it without any link. As for Dharmakaya supremes in this world, they definitely wouldn’t find other universal fragments or pure lands, etc., when they go on a mental journey. If they go a little too far, they could easily get lost in the dark, so they could only have contact with other universal fragments and the real world by chance in order to broaden their horizons and complete their practice.”
“Without such luck, this world would slowly turn mediocre. After the Dharmakayas pass on one after another, it would be completely cut from the outside world, isolating itself and never be able to stand out again.
This was the situation of most of the universal fragments. Afterall, to the Dharmakayas in the real world, they were something that could only be met by chance and not by force.
“It’s a pity that Lan He Temple is only a Sambhogakaya pure land of Bodhisattva level and couldn’t exists in all worlds but only limited to the real world. Otherwise, it could be a communication channel between inside and outside,” after being popularized by deities and Meng Qi, Jiang Zhiwei had a deep understanding of the specific form of Lan He Temple.
Practising Sambhogakaya was different from that of normal Dharmakaya. Instead of slowly becoming one and controlling from the internals, it gradually merged with certain rules of heaven and earth with the help of karma, hence was everywhere in the current world, making it look small. And when a Sambhogakaya pure land reached Legendary level, it would spread over all layers of universe and universal fragments and merge with certain rules of theirs respectively, hence really existing in all worlds.
Although Lan He Temple was only a Sambhogakaya pure land of Bodhisattva level, it was originally derived from a fragment of the Pharmacist Buddha’s Eastern Pure Land of Vaiduryanirbhasa. As it involved the Legendary Realm, it disappeared during the separation forty years ago, and not many knew about the existence of Lan He Temple anyway.
As for the current world’s Dharmakayas understanding of the universal fragments and various pure lands, they would forget about them naturally unless they were being pointed out.
Hearing Jiang Zhiwei’s words, Meng Qi frowned, “Isn’t the Amitabha’s Pure Land said to be a complete Sambhogakaya pure land, that no matter where one was, he would return to the pure land as long as he had paid sincere respect to Buddha and chanted the name of Buddha before dying, but why can’t I perceive the existence of this pure land?”
Things related to the Pure Land of Buddha hadn’t been circulating in the real world for tens of thousands of years. When the Dharmakayas mentally traveled to the various pure lands, none of them had ever discovered this one and only complete Sambhogakaya pure land.
According to Daqinggen, heaven and earth could be destroyed but not a Sambhogakaya pure land. Even if an era ended, the Pure Land of Buddha was very likely to continue, so where had it gone to?
“Maybe it had jumped out of the Timeless River and is in deep sleep among chaos,” Jiang Zhiwei speculated according to the details that Meng Qi had introduced.
As they talked, they headed east from west toward Shaolin leisurely as they were not in a hurry.
After walking for a while, Meng Qi suddenly stopped and smiled, “Going south would be the Zhenwu Sect, shall we go visit Senior Zhang first?”
Zhang Yuanshan hadn’t been born forty years ago so he naturally couldn’t be a Samsara traveler and his existence wouldn’t be affected. After all, a Samsara traveler also had additional selves, otherwise all Samsara travellers would be Legendary. The difference was whether the additional selves were also Samsara travelers or not.
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“Senior Zhang?” Jiang Zhiwei’s eyes lit up and immediately nodded.
Senior Zhang should already be around eight or nine, the age to officially start practicing arts in a reputable sect or family. But the progress in the initial stage would be slowed down so as not to affect the growth of the body.
…
In Xuanwu City where the Zhenwu Sect was located.
Zhang Yuanshan sat in the middle of a waterside pavilion in the Zhang mansion house. He wasn’t in the mood to go out and play and was looking slightly depressed. He had the manner of an adult at a young age, and was quite mature.
“Yangtai and Yao Xinghen are really geniuses in practicing arts. Others take half a month to grasp a stroke of swordplay, but they only took three days to fully master it without making it look frivolous.” Zhang Yuanshan let out a breath like a little adult, “I’m better than normal disciples, but still a little off if compared with them. Although the ancestor didn’t say so, I’m aware that my natural endowments are not as good as theirs, sigh, how am I supposed to meet the expectations of my ancestors and parents and uphold the family in the future?”
He thinks too much for his age.
Unable to reduce his worries, Zhang Yuanshan decided to go look at waves at the riverside, and he had to sneak there alone and not let the servants know about his frustration and worries, so as not to disappoint his ancestors and parents.
Once he had decided to do something, Zhang Yuanshan would do it systematically and calmly. He very quickly got out of the mansion, hiding from the servants, and the city, arriving at a quiet place beside the river, breathing in the fresh air and relaxing his mind.
At this moment, something struck him and he looked to the side. He saw a man and a woman walking toward him — the man was in a green robe and had graying temples. He was good-looking with an air of maturity. The woman in a yellow dress had unsurpassed beauty, and the sword in her hand accentuated her heroic spirit.
Seeing the man and the woman walking straight toward him, Zhang Yuanshan’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no, they were here for him?
“Little Zhang, don’t be afraid,” Meng Qi looked smilingly at the Senior Zhang who was already rather handsome despite his young age.
Little Zhang… they know me? Many thoughts appeared in Zhang Yuanshan’s mind immediately.
Could they be enemies of the Zhenwu Sect or the Zhang family?
Or have I met human traffickers who think that I am rather intelligent and want to sell me to the heterodox sects?
Escape? How? Jump into the river or shout for help? The current in the river is very strong, I might not be able to survive if I jump. The surrounding is so quiet, probably no one would hear me even if I shout…
Or should I play along first and wait for a chance?
With various thoughts in his mind, Zhang Yuanshan couldn’t make a decision straightaway.
At this moment, he heard the green-robed man let out a soft laugh, “He’s really exactly like Senior Zhang, always thinking and worrying too much…”
Zhang Yuanshan was stunned for a while after listening. He asked subconsciously, “You, what exactly do you want?”
“What do we want?” He saw the green-robed man with graying temples curl his lips, stretch out his right hand and said in a rather jocular tone, “In simple words, using common terms, you’ve met something known as a magical encounter.”
Magical encounter? Zhang Yuanshan looked lost as he stared blankly at the green-robed man use his right hand to touch his head.
Hot and cold interlaced — it felt like being poured by hot water but also like soaking in an ice pool — making him feel pain and suffering all over but yet couldn’t shout out a word.
Since the Yin Yang Seal could also be used to create Priest Cihang’s Jade Vase, it naturally had to ability to clear a body of its impurities, not to mention Meng Qi could also simulate the “Sinew-Changing Scripture” in another person’s body!
After his pain disappeared, he again saw the green-robed man flick his finger and a ray of light shot into his brain. It was a sword beam that extended everywhere in the universe irregardless strong or weak.
Heaven Interception framework and Spreading Dao to the Universe!
Of course, this was limited to the part that Meng Qi had currently comprehended.
The mysterious sword beam had Zhang Yuanshan totally engrossed. He only vaguely saw the man and woman go far away stepping on the river and faintly heard some of their conversation.
“Shall we introduce the Zhenzhen in this world to him?”
“No need, leave it to fate. I dislike my destiny to be controlled by the mighty people, so how can I control theirs?”
Who is Zhenzhen? Zhang Yuanshan gradually recovered from his preoccupation. He was at first puzzled and then lamented how the swordsmanship he had gotten just now surpassed his own imagination, and seemed even more powerful that the swordplay practiced by the sect leader!
This, this is really a magical encounter!
But, isn’t it baffling?
…
On the grasslands, inside a temple with yellow walls and black tiles.
A tall and thin Tantric monk with a mystifying charm walked out of the meditation room.
“Congratulations on coming out of retreat practice, gained full recovery and attained supreme skills, master!” a few disciples in lama robes looked delighted.
This Tantric monk was the Living Buddha Hatogtu. He smiled, “I’ve gained full recovery and would like to take a walk southward, to see how my old friends and new friends are now.”