The immortal is beside me

Chapter 84: The Enemy Zhou Wuqing Cannot Defeat

Hua State, Liangzhou.

A long staircase stretched out in front of the magnificent Buddhist temple. Several monks in Taoist robes ascended it and arrived at the door in a moment.

In front of the temple, several monks in robes were standing there. Seeing everyone coming, an old monk in the lead stepped forward, clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name.

"Amitabha, I, the old monk Hongyuan, welcome all the sects in the universe to come."

He bowed slightly and saluted, "Amidst the turmoil of heaven and earth, the various sects of the cultivation world are experiencing undercurrents and divergent thoughts. Now that the various sects of the heavens are willing to be included in the Buddha's fold, this is truly a move of profound understanding and consideration for the greater good. As the abbot, I am truly delighted."

The Cang Tian Sect's expressions were ambiguous. For those of the immortal sect, walking alongside the Buddha was not a glorious thing, especially considering they had taken the initiative to come and negotiate with him. The old monk's words had a certain irony in their ears.

But these little details were nothing compared to what they were seeking this time.

The group sat down in the temple, with the Cang Tian Sect members and the Buddhist monks sitting on either side. After everyone was seated, the Cang Tian Sect members spoke first.

"I've heard before that Buddhism once created a 'Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss', which contains the path of reincarnation, where past karma can be recreated and even re-established."

Song Lishan, the leader of the Huangshan Cangtian Sect, asked, "I've heard that the Pure Land has reappeared recently. Could Master Hongyuan please explain in detail?"

"Master Song's words are biased. The Pure Land can indeed reproduce the cycle of karma, but this is only the tip of the iceberg."

Hong Yuan clasped his hands together and said, "As its name suggests—the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss—its purpose is to incorporate human karma into the cycle of reincarnation, thereby freeing the world from karmic desires and granting all living beings ultimate bliss. This is also the highest pursuit of our Buddhist sect, the ultimate path sought by generations of Buddhist disciples."

"After all, the builder of that pure land is..."

He paused here, glancing to the side. Everyone in the Cangtian Sect turned to follow his gaze, and what came into view was a massive golden Buddha statue seated on a high platform.

The founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni.

Hong Yuan shook his head. "Twelve hundred years ago, the Buddha built a pure land to relieve the suffering of all living beings and save them. At that time, the Tubo and Huihe nations all converted to Buddhism, and all four directions became pure."

"But just as the Buddha was about to save the sentient beings of the Central Plains, he was obstructed by the local demonic sect. The Buddha fought for all sentient beings, and although he ultimately defeated the demonic sect, he himself was severely damaged. The construction of the Pure Land was also stalled, and it remained silent for a thousand years."

Song Lishan asked tentatively: "Could it be the devil that the host mentioned?"

"Amitabha, just as Sect Master Song thought." Hong Yuan chanted the Buddha's name. "The name of that demon is Jiuli."

Although it was expected, combined with what the Buddhists had said before, this answer still made the faces of the Cang Tian Sect members change slightly.

"Did the Jiuli Immortal Alliance at that time actually possess the power to oppose the Buddha's Pure Land?"

"The Nine Li Demon Sect has been stationed in the Central Plains for hundreds of years, and its roots are quite deep. Among them are several demon leaders with profound cultivation. They rely on their roots to resist, making it impossible for the Central Plains to be purified."

Hong Yuan said, "According to Buddhist texts, the most brutal of the demons back then was named Wu Qing. Legend has it that he wielded demonic flames and was incredibly ferocious, killing countless Buddhist disciples. Our Buddha's foundation was damaged in that war, and he was the culprit."

"To pacify the demonic sect, the then-chief of the Buddhist sect, Mani, brought the Buddha's true spirit to the Central Plains and engaged in a fierce battle. Although he ultimately subdued the demon, Mani also perished. The relic containing the Buddha's true spirit was left in the Central Plains and was possessed by the Nine-Li demonic sect."

"Wuqing." Everyone in the Cangtian Sect whispered this name.

Unlike the Buddhists, they were originally from the Immortal Sect's perspective, so they naturally knew that this so-called "demon" was a powerful immortal. Hearing that he had been subdued by the Buddhists, everyone's minds were a little confused for a moment.

In such a context, there is only one meaning of "subdue" - the "Wuqing" has died at the hands of the Buddhist sect.

This is understandable in the face of the power from the Buddha. Moreover, he was able to struggle enough before his death, which can be considered outstanding.

Hong Yuan raised his eyes and said, "Now that the great changes have occurred, we have recovered the heritage from all over the world and recreated most of the Pure Land. All we need to do is to retrieve the relics from the demons and restore the Buddha's true intention. Then we can complete the Pure Land and fulfill the Buddha's thousand-year wish."

"At the same time, by utilizing the Pure Land Reincarnation, the Cang Tian Sect can also retrieve their inheritance and restore the glory of the Han Cang Tian. From now on, Buddhism and Cang Tian will join hands to eradicate all evil in the world and save all people."

Everyone in the Cangtian Sect secretly exchanged glances, and there were different emotions in everyone's eyes.

Complete the inheritance and rebuild the heavens. This is the mission and pursuit that the descendants of the Cangtian Sect have never forgotten for two thousand years.

Especially in the face of the impending great changes in heaven and earth, this is a temptation that is hard to refuse. It is for this reason that they put aside the idea that immortals and Buddhas are incompatible and choose to work together with Buddhism.

"So, what kind of assistance does the Buddhist sect need from us?" Song Lishan asked, "Do you want to destroy the Jiuli, destroy that demonic sect, and reclaim the relics?"

"If the Nine Li Demon Sect is willing to reform and voluntarily hand over the relics, we would not want to use such a harsh method."

Hong Yuan shook his head. "Unfortunately, we've already traveled to the Jiuli territory several times to persuade them, but they've remained steadfast. If they remain stubborn, we'll have no choice but to liberate them."

"The Pure Land is still incomplete, and most of the Buddhist disciples are out there searching for the legacy. To reclaim the relic, we'll need the assistance of the Cang Tian Sect." The Cang Tian Sect members paused for a moment before someone spoke up again, "I've heard that the Jiuli have close ties with various tribes within China. What if our actions attract them?"

"The common people are innocent; they were merely deceived by the demonic methods. Once we eradicate the demonic methods, we will naturally fill the gap left by them and replace them with Buddhist methods. The officials in the government will not refuse such a proposal."

Hong Yuan said, "We have issued an ultimatum to Jiuli, inviting them to come and discuss the Dao. While we are discussing the Dao, I would like to ask everyone in the Cangtian Sect to cooperate with us and convert the demons."

There was a moment of silence, during which several Cangtian Sect leaders looked at each other, transmitted messages through their spiritual platforms, and completed their communication in silence.

"We can agree to such conditions." This time, Song Lishan spoke on behalf of everyone again, "But before that, please see the true face of the Buddhist Pure Land. Only after confirming its effectiveness will we send personnel."

Hongyuan smiled slightly and nodded.

"Of course." He slowly stood up. "It just so happens that I can use the Pure Land to let you see the cause and effect that happened 1,200 years ago."

Mount Zhongnan, Jiuli Sect’s Cave Heaven, Sect Master’s Hall.

Wisps of green smoke rose from the incense burner. In the mist, Yan Guoyun, the leader of the Jiuli Sect, sat quietly on the cushion, looking at the ultimatum in his hand.

[We cordially invite the Jiuli Sect to participate in the discussion of immortals and Buddhas. The Cangtian Sect will be invited to serve as the judge and judge the winner.]

This was an ultimatum sent by the Buddhist sect not long ago. When the disciple who delivered the message read it out in the meeting hall, the entire room suddenly boiled over with unprecedented indignation.

Throughout the ages, in the world of immortal cultivation, the so-called discussion of Taoism has always been a precursor to bloodshed.

If they didn't go, it would be a lack of compassion, tantamount to a declaration of war; if they did go, it was common for a disagreement to lead to a fight in the Dao discussion hall. This happened so often that everyone tacitly understood that the so-called Dao discussion was actually a declaration of war.

The Buddhist sect had visited Jiuli several times before, but was always turned away by the Jiuli people. Now sending an invitation to discuss Buddhism is tantamount to an ultimatum.

Apart from the meaning of the letter of war itself, what made everyone even more angry was the person who sent the letter.

Buddhism was the instigator of the Sakya Rebellion 1200 years ago. The once prosperous Jiuli Immortal Alliance was destroyed in that turmoil, and even the Tang Dynasty at that time was affected by it and fell into decline.

Now, more than a thousand years have passed, and many traces of the turmoil of that time have disappeared, but there is one thing that always exists at the core of Jiuli.

Buddha's relics.

Due to the turmoil, a lot of the history of the Jiuli Sect during that period was lost. From the few words in the historical materials, people only know that the Buddhist sect at that time sent out an unprecedented powerful person, who almost flattened most of the Immortal Alliance, and in the end everyone paid the price of blood to kill him, and the only thing left after his death was the relic.

The relic contained the Buddha's true meaning, a rare treasure in the world that could not be destroyed by ordinary means. Therefore, the Jiuli people at that time united their strength to seal and contain it, almost draining all the remaining power of the Immortal Alliance at that time.

For 1,200 years, the Buddhist community has been trying to retrieve the relic, and this time their attitude is particularly tough.

In the history of Jiuli, the existence of Buddhism is too special. It can be said to be the reverse scale that cannot be touched by the people of Jiuli. Now that this reverse scale has been severely poked, there is naturally no shortage of angry voices.

In fact, since the ultimatum was delivered, Yan Guoyun has received dozens of requests for battle, including many from senior elders. Jiuli has proved with their actions that they have never forgotten the history of the past.

There was a soft knock on the door, and a figure in a Taoist robe walked into the hall. It was the deacon Jiang Ruifeng.

The Buddhist sect, Cang Tian and Jiu Li were on the verge of a war. Naturally, this news also reached the Environmental Sanitation Bureau, so he rushed back as soon as possible to investigate the situation.

"Deacon Jiang Ruifeng, greetings to the Sect Master." He bowed and whispered, "I've come here to ask you about the Buddhist sect. When do you plan to issue your order?"

"The Liangzhou Environmental Sanitation Bureau has noticed the situation and is taking it very seriously. They hope to learn Jiuli's exact attitude and whether they need any support."

After a moment of silence, he continued, "From what I've seen since I came back, the Buddhist ultimatum has spread throughout the sect. The disciples are all excited and want to go to war with the Buddhist sect head-on. You see..."

Yan Guoyun did not answer, but gently put down the ultimatum in his hand.

"This isn't just a simple discussion. They've coveted the relic for a long time. If they weren't absolutely sure, they wouldn't act suddenly."

"Everyone in the sect knows that the Immortal Alliance was destroyed by the Sakya Rebellion, and therefore regards Buddhism as an enemy. But we cannot just remember the hatred and forget the other party's strength."

Jiang Ruifeng pondered for a moment: "Master, forgive my ignorance, but how terrifying was the Buddhist sect during that turmoil?"

Among the Jiuli people today, only the sect leader Yan Guoyun has truly experienced that era, and only he knows the true nature of the turmoil back then.

After a moment of silence, Yan Guoyun let out a sigh.

"Back then, that was an enemy Zhou Wuqing couldn't defeat."

P.S. I burned out all my money in two days. Considering that I slept less than eight hours in two days, please give me a monthly ticket, sir orz
(End of this chapter)