Xiuxian: I studied abroad in modern times

Chapter 623 Zheng Fa undergoes tribulation, imprisoned.

When the Buddha's light shone in the Pure Land, Zheng Fa also sensed it—a hidden entity in the Pure Land was vying with him for control of the Pure Land!
The opponent chose a good time; Zheng Fa's five tribulations of decay had already arrived, and even with the help of the Golden Lotus, it would be difficult for him to spare any attention to fight against them.

Zheng Fa had some guesses about the person's identity.

"Respectfully welcoming the image of the Patriarch!"

Hearing Lu Yao and the others' words confirm Zheng Fa's suspicions.

The one who competed with him for the Pure Land was the founder of Leiyin Temple, one of the three great Taiyi Golden Immortals in the world, and the first owner of the Pure Land—Leiyin Buddha.

Li Sanxian also heard these words and understood, but he couldn't help but wonder: "Could the Thunder Sound Buddha really interfere in the affairs of Xuanwei?"

Xuan Chengzi's expression was also complicated. Their Supreme Daoist Master was elusive and rarely paid any attention to them.

So, the Buddha of Thunder Sound actually made a move?

This would certainly be a devastating blow to Zheng Fa, but it would also be far from a good thing for the Supreme Dao.

Xuan Chengzi squinted, tilting his head back to gaze at the Pure Land. The Buddha's light was dazzling, yet it was completely empty. A thought formed in his mind, and he said to Li Sanxian and the others:

"I'm afraid it's not the real Thunder Sound Buddha."

"Not the real one..."

“The Daoist Master once said that Taiyi Golden Immortals must not interfere in the affairs of the profound and subtle realms or even the heavens,” Xuan Chengzi explained. “The Thunder Sound Buddha would probably agree.”

The members of the Supreme Dao all nodded in agreement.

As disciples of the Supreme Dao, they naturally believed that the Dao Venerable was the strongest, and that the Dao Venerable's words were like heavenly laws to them, which even the Thunder Sound Buddha could not defy.

“In that case, there are only two possibilities,” Xuan Chengzi analyzed. “One is that the Pure Land is very special, allowing the Thunder Sound Buddha to use his supernatural powers.”

"Secondly, this Dharma form is the remains of the Buddha of Thunder Sound, not the Buddha's original body."

After these words were spoken, the members of the Supreme Dao Sect nodded in agreement, all feeling a sense of relief.

Lu Yao seemed to have heard Xuan Chengzi's analysis. He turned to look at Xuan Chengzi and the others with a smile on his face, as if praising them: "Fellow Daoist Xuan Chengzi is knowledgeable and insightful. This is the immortal body of our ancestor, residing in the Pure Land to protect our Thunder Sound."

"That is why we must wait until Zheng Fata is in decline and unable to compete with us before we can bring out the image of our patriarch."

At this point, Lu Yao couldn't help but glance warily at Jinlian, who was sitting on Zheng Fa's seat.

Li Sanxian understood that Zheng Fa's golden lotus was probably a relic of a saint, with a huge influence on the Pure Land, which even the Dharma form of the Thunder Sound Buddha could not resist.

Lu Yao of Leiyin Temple had been waiting for him to undergo his tribulation!
Thinking of this, Li Sanxian's heart skipped a beat, and he finally remembered the sect's records about the Five Signs of Decay of Heaven and Man:
The Five Signs of Decay of Celestials are the tribulations of aging and death of the celestial body, manifested in five external ways: clothes become dirty and greasy, flowers on the head wither, the body becomes foul-smelling, sweat appears under the armpits... and one becomes unhappy in one's seat!
Just as the group was discussing this, a foul odor emanated from Zheng Fa's location, permeating the entire Mahavira Hall.

Zheng Fa felt his breathing becoming increasingly labored, like an old ox pulling a cart, and the air he exhaled even carried a foul stench, as if his internal organs were rotting.

The scene before me seemed to be seen through a layer of frosted white glass, appearing as nothing more than a patchy, blurry mosaic.

He knew someone was talking, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. The voices were like the buzzing of mosquitoes at night; you could hear them, but you couldn't pinpoint where they were, let alone understand what they meant. After listening for a while, he just felt annoyed.

Suddenly, something seemed to be moving in his mouth, and with a clatter, he spat out one tooth after another—in an instant, he had no teeth left.

senescence……

Zheng Fa didn't even know how old he was—time in the Nine Luminaries Heaven was very strange, but from the time he was born until now, less than two hundred years had passed in the Xuanwei Realm.

By this reckoning, Zheng Fa is the youngest among the wandering immortals; he has never experienced the taste of old age.

He raised his hand, and the skin on the back of his hand was withered, covered with black age spots of all sizes, like mold growing on the skin.

Time flowed mercilessly around him.

His Taoist robe also began to weather, turning pale and dull like his hair, losing all its luster.

The Pure Land shines ever brighter.

The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats were chanting sutras incessantly, and the Buddha light deep within the Pure Land became increasingly magnificent and domineering, sweeping across the entire Pure Land.

The golden lotus beneath Zheng Fa seemed to be rebelling, its petals trembling as if awaiting Zheng Fa's command, but Zheng Fa was completely unaware.

“I am not happy.” Li Sanxian recalled in his heart, “In fact, during the Five Decays, the immortal body completely perished in the world and lost contact with heaven and earth and all things, so there was no place to stand... The timing chosen by Leiyin Temple was really premeditated.”

……

Zheng Fa also sensed it.

At that moment, he died.

The immortal body and divine consciousness have both returned to nothingness.

The immortal power within him seemed to have rusted and deteriorated, losing its vitality and nourishing power, and even corroding his body.

Those spirits also showed signs of aging, their breaths were dying, and one by one they perished.

Gradually, Zheng Fa's immortal body and immortal power could no longer hold on and began to shatter.

The faint light before my eyes flickered twice like a star before going out completely.

He seemed to be passing through his final moments, about to fall into utter oblivion.

Li Sanxian looked at Zheng Fa, who was now emaciated, with a full head of white hair, sunken eyes, and a deeply recessed mouth, looking just like a rotting corpse.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the chanting of sutras by the Dharma figures in the Pure Land became even louder.

The entire Pure Land was bathed in the Buddha's light. Zheng Fa's golden lotus, having lost its master, could only resist on instinct and was still at a disadvantage.

The Buddha's light grew brighter and brighter, and the Pure Land, all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats pressed down upon Zheng Fa.

The golden bowl protecting Zheng Fa was being pressed lower and lower, looking as if it could not bear the weight.

Seeing this, Li Sanxian couldn't help but feel worried. He stared at Zheng Fa, hoping that he would get through this ordeal quickly.

He recalled the records in the sect's scriptures about the Five Decays of Heaven and Man. The Five Decays of Heaven and Man is death followed by rebirth. Heaven and Man are the distinction between the Way of Heaven and the Way of Man. This calamity is the killing calamity of the Way of Heaven, and only the Way of Man can give birth to it.

Suddenly, he heard a series of prayers.

Li Sanxian looked over in astonishment and saw that the prayers were coming from those temples.

On the altars of those temples, Zheng Fa's phantom image also showed signs of death.

At first, only a handful of people were praying. Later, some began to join in, and soon, it seemed that the prayers of believers echoed throughout the thousands of temples across the vast land of Xizhou.

They didn't know who Zheng Fa was, or even his Buddhist name, but the worry and piety in his words were clear to everyone.

The sound of prayer reached Lu Yao and the others, making their expressions even worse, and their gazes towards Zheng Fa became even more wary. Zheng Fa also heard the prayer.

His consciousness had sunk into a dark and tranquil ocean.

The prayers were so clear to his old, deaf ears that he slowly opened his eyes.

His vision was still blurry, but fragmented images flashed before his eyes.

In the mortal realm of Jiushan, some people mutter incantations before their own statues and offer incense daily. At Jiushan University, some students play and argue, while others gently stroke the newly produced teaching jade tube, seemingly discussing themselves with their classmates.

In the modern world, on the Eastern Continent, countless people either silently recited these words or talked about them aloud. These sounds and images finally brought Zheng Fa to his complete awakening.

However, his mind remained sluggish, and his immortal body was decaying. The immortal power within him was like sludge, motionless and emitting a foul stench.

He heard something different again.

"Now we're going to talk about the *Huang Ting Jing*, the first chapter, the Qi Refining and Foundation Building Chapter." In a classroom at Jiushan University, a teacher was instructing students. "The focus of this chapter is the Method of Building a Foundation with Talismans. I'm reminding you first, this is a major test point; it's on the final exam every year!"

……

In a laboratory in the modern world.

"The Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Method is not merely a cultivation technique, but also the foundation of the immortal manufacturing industry! With the Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Method, we can establish a complete industrial chain using limited spiritual materials!" A scholar-like figure explained the importance of his project to the nursing home administrators. "The reactor I'm designing now is a universal cauldron created based on the Nine Mountains Golden Elixir Method and the Theory of Spiritual Intelligence. With this cauldron, most common spiritual materials can be created!"

……

"The 'Celestial Dipper and Earthly Fiend Transformations' is a unique technique of the Nine Mountains Sect." Yun Fan said to Luo Yun, holding a jade tube, "I haven't stopped for a moment these past few days, accumulating a lot of good deeds, which is why I was able to obtain the introductory chapter of this technique..."

At this point, he suddenly laughed again: "It's so worth it! I advise you to switch to studying the Huangting Jing as soon as possible. In my opinion, proving the Dao with the Huangting Jing is much simpler than with the Chixiao Yuce!"

Luo Yun nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "Even Ancestor Yun is helping the Nine Mountains Sect with their work, so I naturally won't hesitate. However, now that the Sun-Shooting Army is newly established, I don't have the energy to switch to cultivation... It's just as well. By using the Sun-Shooting Army, I can accumulate some merit points and exchange them for the entire Yellow Court Scripture in the future."

"It's good that you have a plan."

……

As Zheng Fa listened, a wisp of spiritual energy suddenly began to sprout from his dantian.

These spiritual energies transformed into ten spiritual talismans, forming a lotus shape, just like when he cultivated the "Talisman Foundation Building Method".

Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul Condensation, Spirit Transformation... Loose Immortal!
With each additional disciple practicing their own techniques, his spiritual energy increased.

Or rather, the progress of these disciples' cultivation will gradually be projected onto him; the more people who cultivate, and the higher their cultivation level, the greater the benefits Zheng Fa will receive.

He suddenly understood the meaning of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man – after this tribulation, Dao Fruit cultivators are fully connected with their audience and can increase their cultivation and Dao practice by relying on the power of their audience.

Zheng Fa suddenly felt that he had regained his strength. He moved his hands and found that his skin had regained its luster and was without any wrinkles.

When he looked up, a few strands of dark, shiny hair hung down from his head.

He opened his mouth, revealing thirty-six perfectly aligned teeth, like two rows of beautiful jade.

The scenery in front of me became clear.

What came into view were the faces of everyone in the main hall.

Li Sanxian's expression was the most peculiar, showing a mixture of joy and worry, a very complex mix.

However, there was another person whose expression also caught Zheng Fa's attention—Ni Chang Yuan Jun. Although her expression was calm, there was a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Zheng Fa had no time to pay attention to Ni Chang Yuan Jun; his attention was entirely focused on Lu Yao.

He clasped his hands together and smiled.

"Congratulations to Headmaster Zheng on overcoming the Five Tribulations of Decay of Heaven and Man and being reborn as an immortal." After saying that, his eyes grew colder. "However, Headmaster Zheng took it without asking and lent me his Pure Land to attain enlightenment. You are underestimating my Leiyin Temple."

Zheng Fa looked up and saw the Buddha images of all beings in the Pure Land, glaring down at him menacingly.

The golden bowl protecting him had lost much of its radiant glow, seemingly severing all connection with that pure land.

It is clear that during his tribulation, Leiyin Temple finally gained complete control of the Pure Land.

Zheng Fa urged the golden lotus beneath him to move, but found that a powerful force was suppressing the lotus, making him unable to move at all.

It is probably the Dharma image of the Thunderclap Buddha.

“Sect Leader Zheng, there’s no need to waste your energy—” Lu Yao said softly, “I admit that this golden lotus is a sacred object, related to the Pure Land, and we cannot damage it, but… please stay at my Leiyin Temple for a few more days, Sect Leader Zheng.”

Zheng Fa understood Lu Yao's plan.

The golden lotuses given by Zhunti and Jieyin have a great influence on the Pure Land, and even now, Lu Yao is somewhat helpless.

Lu Yao's choice was—if he couldn't kill Zheng Fa, then he would imprison him in Leiyin Temple.

"Everyone, please allow Sect Leader Zheng to be a guest at my Leiyin Temple. The promises I made before still stand."

Xuan Chengzi and the others exchanged glances, knowing that Lu Yao meant to trap Zheng Fa and continue to implement the previously mentioned system of co-governance by the Golden Immortals.

"That primordial purple aura..."

“If the Primordial Purple Qi isn’t in the Underworld, it’s probably somewhere in the Eastern Continent,” Lu Yao replied confidently.

"What if I can't find it?"

"Then we'll have to ask Sect Leader Zheng whether the Primordial Purple Qi is more important, or the foundation of his Nine Mountains Sect..."

He glanced at Zheng Fa, his eyes filled with cold light.

The Heaven-Shaking Demon Emperor understood these words, and a sinister smile appeared on his bull-like face: "Perfect, I've been wanting to go to the Nine Mountains Sect for a long time."

“You alone are not enough. The strength of the Nine Mountains Sect should not be underestimated.” Lu Yao shook his head, then looked at the others with sharp eyes. “The sword formation left behind by Tianhe is a threat to all of us… Why don’t we work together to eliminate this scourge?”

Everyone was shocked, not expecting that Lu Yao valued the Nine Mountains Sect so much, even hoping that all the Golden Immortals in the hall would come out together.
This attitude is giving the Nine Mountains Realm far too much credit!

Looking at Zheng Fa again, they understood—who would have thought that Zheng Fa could cause such a big problem for Leiyin Temple?

Even now, with Zheng Fa under that golden bowl, he's like a tortoise, and Leiyin Temple is at a loss for where to start, so they can only start with Jiushan Sect.

When dealing with this kind of person, you can never be too careful or cautious.

Zheng Faxian's power surged into the lotus platform beneath him, attempting to escape.

"Sect Leader Zheng, it's better if you stay!" Lu Yao seemed to have expected this. With a loud laugh, a palm broke through the Pure Land in the Buddha light, palm down, and pressed down on Zheng Fa!

(End of this chapter)