PFC Chapter 1037 Pillars of the Righteous Path
Chapter 1037 Pillars of the Righteous Path
Chapter 1037 Pillars of the Righteous Path
By contemplating the illusory nature of the five aggregates, if one clings to the notion of a future existence after death, one will fall into the cycle of the sixteen marks.
Therefore, it is necessary to break through appearances and reveal emptiness, and to eliminate "self-view" and "self-attachment".
The difference lies in the fact that "self-view" is a cognition arising from the sixth consciousness, which needs to be eliminated upon attaining the first fruition; while "self-attachment" arises from the seventh consciousness and can only be completely eliminated after attaining Buddhahood.
Buddhist disciples use the Surangama Sutra as a mirror for practice, aiming to see through the sixteen marks of existence, break the cycle of reincarnation, ultimately return to their original, selfless mind, and attain Buddhahood.
But all forms are not forms.
After Kongwen finished regulating his breathing, his injuries had mostly healed with the help of the pure Buddhist energy: "May I ask Venerable Shi Yongxin?"
"I am not a member of the Buddhist community; Shi Yongxin is just a pseudonym used in jest."
Su Lin smiled, his demeanor unchanged: "This junior is Su Huanzhen, a commoner, whose sobriquet is Pure Fragrant White Lotus, and whose secular name is the same as Fellow Daoist Su Meng."
"Fragrant white lotus." Kong Wen paused for a moment, then uttered a Buddhist chant in a low voice: "Master, your Buddhist cultivation and merits are the best I have ever seen in my life. You have attained the golden body of Buddhism and are proficient in the Tathagata Palm. May I ask where your master is?"
“In my early years, I studied in the hometown of Tianfo and accidentally received the true meaning of Tianfo’s teachings, thus attaining the Dharma body of Buddhism.”
Su Lin smiled helplessly as he said this: "I couldn't overcome the bond of love and was expelled from Buddhism. I have long since abandoned Buddhism and entered the Daoist path. Therefore, I regard Fellow Daoist Su Meng, who is in a similar situation, as a close friend and fellow Daoist."
Kong Wen's two white eyebrows grew out and his cheeks twitched. Surprised and apprehensive, he wondered why the Buddhist sect always expelled some top geniuses.
However, he naturally understood that fate and destiny cannot be forced, but he was still puzzled:
"This old monk has not ventured into the martial world for many years, yet I have never heard of the Heavenly Buddha's Hometown or the Heavenly Buddha Venerable. Could it be an overseas land or a fragment of cosmic light?"
Having endured the great calamity of Mount Ling and the chaos of the demons and Buddhas, Buddhism has long lost its ancient glory and is in dire straits. However, it is understandable that some branches and sects might go into seclusion ahead of time.
"Senior, you are truly insightful. I did indeed ascend from the void beyond the Realm of Truth." Su Lin accepted the offer, which wasn't entirely a lie.
"As expected." Kong Wen didn't press further, but stood up to express his gratitude.
"I had thought that if you truly wished to join Shaolin, I could pass on my position as abbot. But since you are still bound by worldly ties, let's put this matter aside for now and invite you to the temple for a chat."
"Now that this matter is settled, I will not linger any longer. Only by continuing to pursue unorthodox methods can we prevent future troubles."
Su Lin took out some items from his storage bag and said politely, "Here are also Su Meng's notes on the 'Smiling Flower' and some healing pills for you. With that, the commission is complete."
After saying this, he waved his whisk, turned and left. Lotus flowers bloomed with each step he took, and his whole body was pure and clear, like a banished immortal descending to earth and returning to the celestial realm above the starry night sky.
"That's very thoughtful of you." Kong Wen sighed and accepted the gift from Meng Qi.
He had also considered having Zhen Ding return to Shaolin to succeed the abbot, but fate had other plans.
"When you see something, it is not truly seeing. Seeing is still separate from seeing, and seeing cannot reach it. The fallen flower is willing to follow the flowing water, but the flowing water has no affection for the fallen flower."
Just as Kong Wen was about to lead his men to clean up the mess, a streak of light flew in from the sky, and Su Lin returned.
"I almost forgot."
Su Lin smiled awkwardly: "Shaolin is a peaceful place, so I'll take these monsters back as ingredients for Fellow Daoist Su Meng's wedding banquet."
“Amitabha, fellow Daoists, you may take these corpses with you. As for the White Tiger, Kui Niu, and other demon clan fellow Daoists…” Kong Wen glanced at the stupa.
shhhhh--
Several sword energies shot out with a series of whooshing sounds. Several demon kings who were already seriously injured and had not had time to escape lost their life force, while the demon lords were unable to move and followed in their footsteps.
"Ah, how did they die by accident..." Su Lin said with compassion, "Senior, rest assured, I will definitely recite the Rebirth Mantra for these fellow Daoists and help them pass on peacefully."
"By the way, these two Bai Ze are destined to be part of my lineage..."
Su Lin swept up the demon corpses, Xuan Xin, and the Bai Ze Demon King, and vanished without a trace in an instant.
Kong Wen: "..."
This fellow Daoist's temperament is similar to Zhen Ding's; he was expelled from Buddhism for more than just violating the precept against lust.
In the deep mountains of Jiangdong, a lineage of demons surnamed Shen infiltrated the human territory using a secret technique recorded in the Demon Emperor's Canon.
Flames pierced through the void, and the little fox, the successor of the Demon Saint, led the weakened demon race into this place. Her pure and beautiful face now showed a slightly silly and annoyed expression, and she stomped her foot in anger.
"Young Master, how are you?!" The Shen family members, whose eyes were like snakes, sensed the pre-arranged formation being activated and quickly came to greet him.
This also includes Jin Li, a missing member of the Jin family whom Meng Qi had investigated during the Nine Apertures period. He fell in love with a demon and chose to fake his death to escape his family, but was eventually exposed by Meng Qi, who came to his door with a mission to uncover the truth.
"We need to recuperate, so please prepare quickly." The little fox put away her previous expression and returned to her aloof and incomparably beautiful appearance.
One of the roles of the Shen family's demon clan is to act as mobs within human territory, facilitating intelligence gathering and support. After being exposed last time, they simply moved to a sparsely populated area to continue lying in wait for any eventuality.
"Find me some blood to replenish my depleted blood energy," the demon king, who had been suppressed by the stupa for too long, ordered.
"Yes, the manor always keeps some in stock. I will continue to search for more later." Shen Qinan's respect was tinged with a hint of flattery.
"Don't cause any more trouble. The human avatar we just saw was at the Celestial Immortal level. We're still being hunted down. If we're discovered, we're in grave danger!" the little fox warned.
She herself was only at the half-step Dharma Body realm, while the demons here were all descendants of ancient demon gods and sages who had condensed their source blood. Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for her to convince the masses.
However, given his status as the successor of the Demon Saint, coupled with the fact that Su Lin's direct confrontation with the rampaging Demon Saint Spear had left a psychological scar on the demons, many demon kings and demon lords tacitly accepted the other party's statement.
"Bring us your reserves. We'll have plenty of ways to heal our injuries once we get back to the demon race."
"clear."
Soon, maids and servants recruited from the mansion, as well as martial arts practitioners who had been imprisoned for investigating the Shen family, were brought out. Upon seeing the monsters in the courtyard, some of them immediately became so frightened that they leaked yellow and white substances and screamed in panic.
However, this place has long been concealed by a profound array, and not a trace of the demon race's aura can be leaked out.
"I want this one! It's good for your blood and energy!"
Before any of the other demons could speak, the four-winged, six-legged demon king Fei Yi pointed at a large man nearly 2 meters tall and said, "That face looks like a bald monk's!"
He was a young man who gave off a good-natured vibe. It wasn't that he had a kind face, but rather that his temperament gave off a sense of peace. In addition, his vigorous energy far exceeded that of ordinary martial artists, making him a truly nourishing person!
All the demons were amazed by Fei Yi's cunning. At that moment, the salamander immediately jumped out and swiftly wrapped its long, snake-like body around another young man with a resolute, square face.
"The blood energy is not obvious, but the life essence is endless. It is either a special physique or the bloodline of a great human being. It is much better than the human medicine in your hand." The salamander said smugly.
Seeing this, Fei Yi cursed himself for being too hasty, which was why he hadn't observed carefully and missed such a good blood meal.
"This one is not bad either." The nine-headed serpent king picked up a boy.
He had a handsome appearance and vigorous blood and energy, and even a touch of yin energy that snakes liked, which was probably due to his cultivation technique. The only difference was that there was a gold-colored tattoo between the boy's eyebrows, which looked like a closed vertical pupil.
Even with the ferocious hydra scrutinizing him so closely, compared to the ordinary mortals around him who were terrified and fainted from the fighting among the demons, the boy appeared extremely calm, as if he had already disregarded life and death.
"These are all promising talents in any major sect. How did you manage to capture them?"
"Your Excellency, these people are carrying bloodline detection artifacts. They should be members of the Jin family who are looking for my son-in-law."
Shen Qinan's ingratiating tone carried a hint of self-praise: "Although my son-in-law is human, he put righteousness before family and helped us set up the trap, luring these people into the formation to capture them."
The number of maids and servants they had on hand was only a dozen or so, which was far more than enough for the demons. But fortunately, they had managed to catch a few high-quality prey.
"Excellent, you will be richly rewarded when we return to the demon realm."
The nine heads of the hydra flicked their tongues, seemingly extremely pleased with the boy: "It's this tattoo that makes me feel a little uneasy."
"Oh? Why is that?" Fei Yi asked curiously.
The snake head on the left said, "In the stories passed down from my ancestors, it is recorded that when the Heavenly Court had not yet fallen, there was a deity named Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun who was able to suppress my demon race's Great Sage. His characteristic was that he had a Heavenly Eye between his eyebrows."
"He has a legendary dog demon under his command, and the three-pointed double-edged sword in his hand is also an unparalleled divine weapon," the snake head on the right added.
"I heard that only the Great Sage Equaling Heaven could fight him, but after the Nine Heavens shattered, this immortal disappeared. I think his name was something like Yang Yang Yang something?"
The nine snake heads took turns speaking.
"Yang Jian."
"Oh right, it's Yang Jian."
The snake head in the middle froze for a moment, then all nine snake heads turned to look at the boy who had spoken up.
"how do you know?!"
"Is it like this?"
The boy's brow split open, and in the instant a golden light flashed, the Shen family mansion turned blood red as if it were in a ghostly realm. A three-pointed, double-edged sword pierced through the air, and six snake heads fell to the ground with clean cuts.
Before Hydra could recover, in the blink of an eye, the low growl of a vicious dog rang out.
The demons felt their hair stand on end, and when they turned around abruptly, they found a vicious dog had appeared out of nowhere without any warning.
This vicious dog was enormous, like a calf, and completely black. Its eyes were eerie and ferocious, and blood dripped from its teeth. It was surrounded by a pile of mangled demonic bodies.
When did it happen?!
"Xiaotian, come to me."
"Wang!"
The black wolfhound ran to Yang Jian's side, its eyes full of affection. He smiled, picked up a snake head and fed it to the wolfhound, stroking the vicious dog's head.
This scene sent a chill down the spines of every demon, not a physical freeze, but a terrifying, trembling chill that permeated their very soul.
how is this possible
"The True Lord of the Pure Source Mystic Way?!" The remaining head of the hydra exclaimed in horror.
The little fox, the successor of the Demon Saint, had her pupils contract. She was no longer able to activate the Demon Saint Spear. Just as she was about to hand over the divine weapon to the Demon Kings to activate, her fur seemed to float and sway as if struck by lightning, as if a sharp sword was hanging over her head!
"Cunning villain!"
A small, blindingly bright mountain pierced through the clouds and crashed down, only to be revealed as a giant golden sword when it struck the salamander's body!
Then, crimson flames blazed across the sky, and domineering sword intent swept across the area. Several fleeing demons, who had just flown out of the courtyard, were turned into dry, charred charcoal and fell to the ground, their bodies shattered into pieces.
That wasn't all; what was most terrifying was that the four-winged, six-legged fat relic's belly was bulging high, and it groaned in pain: "How am I pregnant?! I'm male!!!"
"The light of the Overlord's Blade shatters the nine heavens, and the Crimson Sky Sword cries out, causing even ghosts and gods to flee."
"The fruit of the three lives gives birth to the fetus of calamity, and the pregnant woman gazes upon the extinction of all laws."
Song Shuhang's right eye flashed with a chilling light as he leisurely said, "This junior, Swordsman Scholar, greets you."
The demons glanced at the increasingly large belly of the fat relic, instinctively protecting their front and back orifices, and took several steps back.
"First Blood, Garen solo kills Cassiopeia." Ge Xiaolun stretched his limbs and stepped out onto the snake's body.
"Your style has gone off track, Ge Xiaolun," Song Shuhang reminded him.
"It's better if he's not a buddy than if he's weird."
As she spoke, the little fox felt a pang of anxiety and used her life essence to throw a stun talisman at Yang Jian's location. She held her spear upright in front of her, but it was blocked by the three-pointed double-edged sword.
Upon closer inspection, the location of the immobilization talisman was empty, and Yang Jian's figure shifted with the wind without any hindrance.
"It really is the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts," the little fox thought with a sinking feeling.
"The Celestial Emperor invites you to attend the wedding in the Great Zhou Dynasty. After this, he will personally escort you back to the Demon Clan." Yang Jian succinctly conveyed Meng Qi's original words.
"Don't even think about it!" The little fox glared at him defiantly.
Suddenly, an oil lamp illuminated the passage between the three realms, and a white wave came from the void, carrying the little fox who was the successor of the Demon Saint and disappearing into the lamplight and glass. It was none other than the famous Wanderer Lamp from ancient times!
"Xiao Tian!"
Following the red light, the black wolfhound suddenly gave chase.
"Damn dog!" The Lamp-Bearing God, unsure if it was true or not, recalled being bitten by a dog years ago. He quickened his pace, blew out the Wanderer's Lantern, and extinguished it.
Once the lights went out, the void became indistinguishable again, and the three realms returned to darkness.
Just then, countless sword lights descended from the sky, their sword energies intertwined and crisscrossing, shattering everything in their path.
"I'm a step too late." Seeing this, Su Lin had no choice but to abandon his idea of reciting poetry and stepped into the Shen family's villa.
“Su Su. Senior Huanzhen.” Song Shuhang recalled their previous agreement that everyone would use aliases when entering the martial arts world.
"Swordsman Scholar." Su Lin nodded, then looked at Yang Jian, who was about to greet him with clasped hands: "The number one warrior of the Green Green Grassland."
Yang Jian: "."
Even "Ghost Eyes Yang Jian" sounds better than this stuff.
“This is Yang Jian, the Divine Eye Heavenly Lord,” Song Shuhang coughed twice and said, “This is Garen, the Divine Eagle Ranger.”
Su Lin set off a day or two earlier, while Song Shuhang traveled here with Yang Jian and Ge Xiaolun, unaware of the nicknames of the others.
"Senior, what should we do here?" Song Shuhang asked.
"We have enough ingredients for now. We'll take these demon lords and above back to raise them, and feed these ordinary people with Forget-Dust Pills, leave them some money for themselves, and send them to nearby cities."
Su Lin scanned the Shen family with his divine sense: "These little demons can be left to the human dynasty to deal with. I've asked Meng Qi to contact the Six Doors."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Li's palm swirled out ruthlessly: "Ruo Xuan, take the child and go!"
Shen Ruoxuan, holding a half-demon child, had only taken a few steps as she transformed into a red light when she was struck by a sword light and fell, reverting back to a giant snake.
"lady."
Jin Li's expression changed drastically, and he suddenly lost all his strength. Immediately afterwards, one after another, the outdoor monsters of the Shen family fell down like dominoes.
"Can't humans and demons fall in love?!" Jin Li glared hatefully at the powerful figure who held the power of life and death: "You..."
His words caught in his throat, and his hatred vanished, leaving only fear.
The reason was simple: a wisp of sword energy was enveloping his sleeping son, which could be annihilated in an instant.
"Go on, I'm quite open-minded."
"I dare not...this junior...is guilty."
Jin Li knelt down bitterly, his emotions running high, and he had mistaken the other party for a righteous person.
I'll post one chapter today, and then gradually...
(End of this chapter)