Immortal Road.

Chapter 160 Joyful Religion

On the outskirts of Yinchuan market, a red-faced monk was nodding and bowing with an apologetic smile as he told the young man in white in front of him about his experiences over the past few years.

"After saying goodbye to the senior in a hurry, I left the Yanyun Mountains."

"In the days that followed, in order to find a chance to break through the foundation-building stage, I traveled around the major immortal cultivation markets in the Great Song Dynasty."

"But you also know how difficult it is to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill. Whenever I participate in major auctions, I always miss out because I don't have enough shares, or because I lack a little spiritual stone."

"Later, I heard that the YC market in Huainan was sluggish, so there might be less competition for various rare treasures, so I hurried here, hoping to find a bargain at the auction. Unfortunately, it happened."

"It's just my bad luck to meet you!"

Lin Shan looked at the flattering red-faced monk in front of him with a smile. Thinking back to the Yanyun Mountains, he thought of how domineering and arrogant this guy was.

He came up to me and waved his Zen stick aggressively, demanding the Happy Buddha statue that I had bought at the auction. Even after I gave it to him, he still wouldn't give in. He started fighting with me as soon as we disagreed, and blocked me by the stream, making it impossible for me to move forward.

What about now? Why are you pretending to be a grandson?

"To be honest, I still like your rebellious look back then."

Lin Shan was slowly snapping his fingers while enjoying the Sichuan Opera face-changing. Such opportunities to meet old friends in a foreign land were rare, so he wanted to enjoy this time.

The red-faced monk was now under someone else's roof, so he had no choice but to bow his head. After all, the other person was at a higher level than him, and this step was a world of difference. He had no intention of resisting at all, for fear that the person in front of him would bear a grudge and make trouble for him.

"How dare I, how dare I, I was blind and didn't know the jade in its raw form. As the saying goes, how can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?"

"Now that the senior has made great progress and has mastered his magic, I have just woken up from my dream and regret my decision!"

"Now, with a scientific view of the objective laws of development of things and the extraordinary talents of the elders, sooner or later you will be able to roam the world and look down upon the heavens, call the wind and rain, pluck the stars and chase the moon, and ascend to the immortal realm to live as long as the heavens."

"As the saying goes, when the great roc soars with the wind, it soars up to ninety thousand miles!"

"Senior, you are the most handsome man of your time. Your deep, star-like eyes that see through eternity look down upon all the living beings in the long river of time from ancient times to the present. Countless geniuses are like crucian carp swimming across the river, all just to leap over the dragon gate and transform into a dragon to lick one of your toes!"

……

Lin Shan enjoyed this guy's impassioned speech. He saw him spitting all over the place while praising, shaking his head and talking eloquently. His torrent of words became more and more intense until he was forced to stop due to dry mouth and lack of words.

Judging from his expression, it seems to be from the bottom of his heart, as if he still has something to say!
"Not bad!"

"Not bad!"

Lin Shan and the Black Skull Demon Lord nodded at the same time, with admiration in their eyes. They both felt that they were the protagonists of the world appointed by fate, and they would surely be able to dominate the world and reverberate for eternity in the future!

At the same time, he developed a strong interest in the Red-Faced Monk's eloquence and felt that this boy was a talent and should be kept by his side to be "trained well". It would be a pity to let him wander outside and waste his talent.

"Will you follow me?"

"Will you follow me?"

The two of them simultaneously extended olive branches, wanting to recruit the Red-Faced Monk under their command. The latter was stunned for a second after hearing this, and then was overjoyed.

He originally thought that his life was in danger, but suddenly there was a big turn of events and he was noticed by two monks in the Foundation Establishment Stage.

It is extremely difficult for a casual cultivator to break through the Foundation Establishment Stage. Too many people have been stuck at the Foundation Establishment Pill stage. If there is a big guy to rely on, most of the cultivators in the Qi Condensation Stage would probably be overjoyed.

The red-faced monk saw that the two seniors in the Foundation Establishment Stage were willing to take him in. Although he was not clear about their relationship, judging from their appearance, one was a young man in white and the other was a hooded man in a gray robe. Everyone knew which one looked more promising!
"Thank you for not abandoning me. I am willing to stay by your side forever and serve you respectfully even if it means death!"

"Pfft!"

The red-faced monk knelt in front of the hooded gray-robed man and performed five bows and three kowtows, which in this world symbolizes the highest etiquette for a follower.

"???"

Lin Shan looked at this guy in disbelief. Didn't he just praise him so much? He even let bygones be bygones and gave him a way out. Why did he suddenly turn against the Black Skull Demon Lord?

"Good good!"

The hooded grey-robed man stretched out his skinny and dark bony claws and helped the red-faced monk up from the ground. His tone was full of the affirmation of a superior, and he held his hands tightly. The two of them felt that they had met too late!

"A wise bird chooses the right tree to inhabit, and a wise minister chooses the right master to serve. You are quite good."

When the red-faced monk heard the praise from the hooded grey-robed man, he became very excited. He finally had someone to lean on! As for why he didn't choose Lin Shan, the reason was very simple.

He had offended someone severely in the past. Even if Lin Shan didn't pursue the matter for the time being because of his flattery, who knows if he would turn against him after he recovered? It would be better to tie him up with another Foundation Establishment cultivator first, so that he could have a guarantee of life when the time comes.

But why do the new owner’s hands have such cold hands?
"Remember your choice today. You will never regret it in the future. It is your blessing for eight lifetimes to be able to follow me."

"Yes, yes, I am truly humbled."

"As long as you serve me sincerely, you can come and ask me any questions you don't understand in the future."

"Yes, yes, I am grateful to you."

"After 30 years, if you are unable to stay in this world, I will definitely take you away before I leave."

"Yeah, yeah, uh leaving? Where to?"

The red-faced monk suddenly had a bad feeling.

The gray-robed man in front of him suddenly lifted his hood, revealing a shiny forehead. It was a pitch-black skull with a ball of deep green soul fire burning inside.

"Of course it's hell."

"scare!"

The red-faced monk trembled like a frightened quail as he looked at his new master.

It's understandable that he looks like this, what does it mean to go to hell? Is he planning to turn against him right now?
"Senior, please don't joke around."

"I'm not joking." The black skeleton looked at him dimly, the soul fire in its skull beating weirdly.

The red-faced monk swallowed hard and tested it cautiously.

"Then get out of here and go to hell."

"That's what it means."

"Pfft!"

The red-faced monk immediately knelt down again in front of Lin Shan next to him, performed the ritual of five bows and three kowtows, and spoke to Lin Shan, whom he had just treated like a worn-out shoe, with a flattering smile on his face.

"I am willing to follow you, my elders, and serve you till my death!"

"roll!"

Lin Shan was in a very bad mood. He had gotten over the flattery he had just received. He was even more furious when he saw that this guy had just abandoned him and turned to someone else. He thought about how this guy had prevented him from hunting down Princess Guo and he had not yet settled the score with him!
"Come here, kid. A loyal subject should not serve two masters! You want to escape from the hands of this demon lord?"

"Ah~ No~ Don't come over here!"

……

As the Black Skull Demon Lord dragged the Red Face Monk aside and subjected him to some inhumane "torture", the latter finally became obedient. He followed his "new master" back to Lin Shan again, and stood behind the Black Skull Demon Lord, as limp as a cucumber, accepting his fate.

At this time, Lin Shan finally had time to ask other questions. He had always been curious about the "Happy Buddha Statue". He had come across several of this thing, all of which provided a lot of ancient charm, and seemed to be somewhat similar to the Black Lotus Sect in some aspects.

The red-faced monk was feeling dispirited at the moment. After being recognized as his younger brother by the Black Skull Demon Lord, he felt that his future was uncertain when he thought about having to follow the demon to some "hell" world in the future.

However, staying alive is the most important thing at the moment. I have just found a big partner, so I naturally cannot make the two gentlemen unhappy. I explain in detail what I know about the origin of the "Happy Buddha Statue".

……

It turns out that the "Happy Buddha Statue" originated from the "Happy Religion". The Buddha's name is "Happy Buddha", and he is the only true Buddha that all monks in the religion need to worship.

The "Joyful Sect" is a sect in the world of cultivation established by a group of monks who believe in the "Joyful Buddha".

Different from the Black Lotus Cult's mode of spreading and collecting beliefs, the Joy Cult does not harvest mortals but only monks. In other words, the source of their faith and incense is provided by their own people in the cult, which is equivalent to an internal circulation.

The "Black Lotus Sect" does not require its own people to believe in it, but instead goes directly to mortals to preach and gain their worship and faith.

The "Joy Religion" brainwashes its own people into believing in this thing, and then the monks provide incense for their faith.

One is to fool the outsiders, the other is to reap the benefits of one's own people. This is the difference between the two.

In comparison, for the monks, of course, the Black Lotus Sect is more relaxed and does not restrict the freedom of thought of its disciples. But for mortals, the Joy Sect is better, because they do not fool the people, but only brainwash their own people.

After the spiritual transformation of monks, the amount of incense offered by individual monks far exceeds that of mortals. Even though the total amount of incense cannot be compared with the huge base of mortals, the purity of the incense faith is refined enough. This is also the reason why the Joy Cult looks down on the faith of mortals.

……

The Joy Religion originated in the distant Vimalo Desert, more than a dozen countries away from the Great Song Dynasty. It is said that the place is covered with yellow sand all year round. Countless mortal monks are struggling with the harsh environment. Only the Joy Religion deep in the desert is a paradise.

Because the Vimalo Desert is located in a barren area and has no involvement from other forces in the world of cultivation, the Joy Sect has slowly grown stronger through its independent development, but it has stagnated after reaching a certain level.

The reason is simple. The Vimalo Desert is so small, and there are only so many spiritual veins available for cultivation. If you want to continue to expand it, you have to expand and grab land and resources from the cultivation world of surrounding countries.

What one relies on for cultivation is wealth, friends, magic and land. Both wealth and land require support from the resources of heaven and earth, such as spiritual veins, spiritual springs, spiritual stone mines, spiritual iron mines, spiritual wood forests, and blessed lands and secret realms. Otherwise, how can a force maintain its huge expenses?

But the cake is so small. If you want to grow and develop, you must infringe on the interests of others.

So the Joy Church decided to expand outward, but the top leaders in the church were not stupid either. They chose to infiltrate slowly.

Eight hundred years ago, the Joy Cult secretly cultivated its power in dozens of countries in the east and established many immortal cultivation sects, attempting to infiltrate the local cultivation circle and take the opportunity to slowly expand like a frog in boiling water.

Its layout was so large that it even radiated to the distant Song Dynasty.

But there is no impenetrable wall, and it was eventually exposed to the public.

The local cultivation circles of dozens of countries suddenly felt insecure and quickly began to eliminate the Joy Sect forces in their own countries. The Joy Sect in the Jiangdong ruins of the Great Song Dynasty was just the tip of the iceberg of the turmoil in the cultivation world that year.

In the end, the Huanxi Sect was outnumbered and had to retreat back to the Vimalo Desert to defend its own territory.

……

After the Huanxi Sect in the Song Dynasty was wiped out, a remnant branch survived. However, due to the lack of external support, it gradually disappeared in the long river of history. Now, only the Red-faced Monk is left.

And considering that the Joy Sect was notorious in the past and was like a rat crossing the street, everyone wanted to kill it. For his own safety, he simply disguised himself as an authentic Buddhist believer to the outside world. However, he did not become a monk and was just a lay disciple. This was enough to keep the secret.

……

"So you are the only one left in the Joy Sect in the Song Dynasty?" Lin Shan looked a little strange.

"Yes."

The red-faced monk shrank his head. When they first met in the Yanyun Mountains, he had frightened Lin Shan. He said that all the disciples in the sect could sense the Happy Buddha statue, but in fact, there was no one else but him.
Lin Shan took out a statue of a happy Buddha from his storage bracelet, put it in the hand of the red-faced monk, and asked him directly what he wanted it for. The latter looked at it carefully for a while, activated the spell to test it for a while, shook his head and gave it back to Lin Shan.

"The incense and prayer power inside have all dissipated. They are of no use to me."

"The one you gave me in Yanyun Mountains..."

He secretly looked up at Lin Shan and did not continue talking. The implication was that Lin Shan had also deceived him and gave him an empty Buddha statue without any power of incense and vows.

Now Lin Shan was even more interested: "Do you have a method to use the power of incense and vows?"

The red-faced monk said nothing. He took out a tattered and old jade slip from his storage bag and handed it to Lin Shan.

After receiving it, the latter used the enhanced panel to confirm that there was no danger before scanning the contents with his spiritual sense. About a cup of tea later, he withdrew his spiritual sense, with a thoughtful look on his face.

This jade slip records a dual cultivation method called "The Secret Sutra of Joy", as well as some spells based on the power of incense and vows. Some of these spells are quite interesting, such as "the spell of invoking gods", "the spell of descending gods", "the spell of salvation", "the spell of calming the souls with incense", "the spell of great joy", etc.

The dual cultivation technique was rather peculiar, and many of the postures were extremely alluring.

Although what is said in the scriptures seems to be more sacred, it is not much more profound than the dual cultivation of the righteous and evil paths.

He had no interest in practicing those wish power spells. After all, every time he practiced and cast them, he would consume incense and wish power. How could he have those things? Even if he had them, wouldn't it be better to convert them into ancient rhymes for the strengthening panel and use them to strengthen it?
After having a general understanding of the background of the Joyful Religion, Lin Shan could only put it behind his mind for the time being. At the same time, he secretly memorized the place name "Viru Desert". If he had the opportunity to leave the Song Dynasty and travel far away in the future, he would go and find out more.

After all, the joyful Buddha statue is also a way to obtain ancient charm.

……

After asking the Red-Faced Monk for a long time, I didn't get any useful information. After listening to some general stories, the question became whether this person should stay or go.

"Are you really going to let him follow us?"

Lin Shan frowned. From a long-term perspective, if he left Song Dynasty to find the Joy Sect, this person might be of use to him.

But from a short-term perspective, someone in the late stage of Qi training can only be regarded as a burden beside him, which can be said to be good-looking but useless.

Unless this ascetic's cultivation can reach the foundation-building stage, he can barely help a little. Otherwise, we are not a charity, why should we support idle people?
As for giving him a foundation-building pill to help him break through? What a joke! Gu Yun himself felt that it was not enough, so how could he use it on others?

"This"

The Black Skeleton Demon Lord was a little hesitant. He really wanted to find a follower to entertain himself. However, he was now living under someone else's roof, and many things depended on Lin Shan's mood. In addition, the Red-faced Monk's cultivation was too low to help.

Lin Shan thought about it for a while, and he couldn't be too disrespectful to the Black Skull Demon Lord, so he thought of a compromise.

He took out a sound transmission talisman, put it in his mouth and muttered something to record, then handed the talisman to the red-faced monk.

"If you want to break through the foundation-building stage, go to the Demonic Path Camp outside the imperial capital Bianliang and take this sound transmission note to find the Ninth Detachment of the Central Theater. There is a man named Old Man Zhong in there, and he will arrange everything for you."

"Now the battle between good and evil is in full swing. Between the two camps, it is a good time to make achievements. If you want the foundation-building pill, you can exchange it with your merits!"

"After you have gained some experience, if you can break through the foundation-building stage and come back, maybe we can become fellow Taoists."

The red-faced monk was originally depressed, but after hearing Lin Shan's arrangement, he became bright again, as if he had been reborn for a second time. As long as he didn't follow the black skeleton, he was willing to go anywhere.

What's more, you can join the camp of a top sect, even if you are just cannon fodder.

"Thank you, senior!"

Lin Shan waved his sleeves and watched him leave. He and the Black Skull Demon Lord turned their backs to Yinchuan and headed east, following the route of the Black Lotus Sect's large transport flying boat.

(End of this chapter)