The immortal is beside me

Chapter 97 Returning to Jiuli, the Buddha Appears

The brilliance of the barrier that isolated the surrounding areas gradually dimmed. Under the clear sky, the sound of howling wind echoed in the pierced valley.

The breeze blew gently, and in the halo of the sun, the face of the Taoist in red seemed a little blurry. Only his long hair and red clothes swayed slightly, and the long sword in his hand reflected the sun's light.

Yan Guoyun blinked, the halo of memory faded, and the scene before him returned to reality.

The person standing in front of him was not the Taoist priest in red, but a young man with short hair and casual clothes.

Everything was completely different, but that face and the sword lying quietly in his hand matched the glimpse he had seen many years ago.

In his memory, this man stood before the Jiuli Palace, saving the world with his might. Back then, he was just a young boy, admiring his figure from the audience. Now, a thousand years later, he finally got to see this man face to face.

Compared with a thousand years ago, his aura is no longer sharp, but he is as reserved and ordinary as a real ordinary person, even with a bit of laziness.

But compared to that year, he has undoubtedly become stronger, so strong that even I, the leader of the Jiuli Sect, cannot capture his aura.

The only thing that showed any trace was the body of the old monk Hongyuan lying at his feet.

Just now he saw with his own eyes how this great Buddhist master who burned his life died under an ordinary stick of incense. Even as a cultivator who had reached the state of spiritual transformation, he found this method incomprehensible.

Twelve hundred years had passed, and he was now qualified to stand before this man, but at that moment, he felt as if he had turned back into the young man who looked up at him with his head held high.

There was silence for a while. Under the dazed gaze of the Jiuli people behind him, Yan Guoyun let out a light breath, walked forward slowly, and folded his hands in front of his chest.

"Yan Guoyun, a descendant of Jiuli, greets His Majesty Wuqing."

He bowed slightly and said, "Thanks to Your Excellency for helping us in this discussion, we, the younger generation, are deeply grateful."

The words were like lightning, and the Jiuli people behind him heard them like thunder in their ears.

The lowest rank of the sect members who could stand here was an elite deacon, and more than half of the elders were present. When Zhou Qing appeared, they had already vaguely guessed the identity of the person before them, but when these words came from the sect leader's mouth, the shock was still incomparable.

"Luo Yucheng, descendant of the Jiuli people, greets His Majesty Wuqing!"

"I am Ge Siyuan, a descendant of the Jiuli people. I have met you."

"Qiao Yichun, a descendant of Jiuli"

A group of people hurriedly followed the sect leader to pay their respects and introduce their names one by one. Before they had said half of their names, Zhou Qing in front of them waved his hand, blocking out the rest of their words.

"Let's skip the complicated formalities. It's too much trouble."

Seeing that everyone had quickly put away their stances because of his words, he then turned to Yan Guoyun and said, "I'm planning to go back to the sect this time, and I need you to lead the way."

After so many years, he actually couldn't quite remember who this younger generation named Yan Guoyun was originally, but since he just needed someone to open the door for him, it was always right to go directly to the oldest person in the family.

He just said this casually, but the Jiuli people who were listening to him didn't think so. To them, the shock of these words was even greater than the change of dynasties.

"After twelve hundred years, are you finally going back to your old place?"

Yan Guoyun's expression changed slightly, and he tightened his grip on his chest. "Since Your Majesty wishes to return to Jiuli, we will do our utmost to welcome you. I will now pass the order to my disciples."

"It doesn't have to be so complicated. I just need to go back and get something." Zhou Qing said, "The relic of the Buddhist master from back then should still be in the sect, right?"

The Buddha's relic is a treasure he dug out from the body of Venerable Kashyapa when he killed him 1,200 years ago.

After the protracted battle, he handed it over to the Jiuli of that time. After everyone studied it in every possible way without success, they had no choice but to seal it.

It was because of that relic that the Buddhist community had been obsessed with it for over a thousand years. The current discussion between immortals and Buddhas, the battle involving powerful incarnations, and the battle involving the entire Liangzhou city all arose from this very fact.

However, after thinking about it for thousands of years, they chose to take action at this very moment. It is hard not to wonder whether there have been any new changes within it.

If it was another force, he would not be so concerned. However, the one coming this time was the Buddhist sect backed by Sakyamuni, an old rival with whom he had fought hard a thousand years ago, not to mention that the opponent's spearhead was directed at the descendants of Jiuli.

Now Hongyuan's forces have been completely wiped out by the Jiuli people, and all the Buddhist temples around Liangzhou have also been destroyed by him, but the Hedao inheritance, which is the foundation of Buddhism, still exists.

Over a thousand years ago, he still couldn't see through the origin of this inheritance, but now it was no longer a problem for him. However, in order to trace the source, he still needed a medium to connect with the Buddha.

At the moment, the most suitable medium is naturally the relic that contains the true meaning of the Buddha.

"Of course. Thousands of years after you left, we have never forgotten your teachings."

Yan Guoyun nodded, but did not ask why he wanted to retrieve the relic. He simply replied, "Your Majesty, do you wish to retrieve the relic? I will summon the elders to remove the seal after I return to the sect."

The Buddha's Will Relic was a treasure treasure stored within the Jiuli. Due to its unique background, it was even more sensitive than Zhou Wuqing's spirit sword, making it a taboo. Yan Guoyun would never allow any other faction to touch it.

But when it comes to this person, all taboos and sensitivities can be directly abolished.

After all, this was the spoils he brought back. Now that he is allowed to take it away, strictly speaking, it can be considered as returning the property to its original owner.

"That's good." Zhou Qing nodded and casually threw the sword in his hand to him. "Lead the way and go back to Jiuli."

At the same time, Ganzhou, Tianzhu.

In Buddhist teachings, the name Tianzhu is synonymous with holy land. It was originally used to refer to the place where the Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment. As the influence of Buddhism expanded, Tianzhu no longer became a single name, but a common name for the core areas of every region.

The huge temple gate slowly closed. Inside the main hall, several monks wearing dazzling robes stood in the hall, each with a solemn expression on their face.

"According to news from Liangzhou, the discussion with the Nine Li Demon Sect was unsuccessful, and all those who participated in the discussion were killed, including Abbot Hongyuan."

The person who spoke had a low voice, and the words he uttered were like heavy stones, hitting the monks' faces one by one, making the faces of these monks who had already attained enlightenment turn a little blue.

This discussion, held after a thousand years, was not a rash undertaking. On the contrary, prior to the meeting, the Buddhist sect had dispatched representatives to the Jiuli for discussions and gathered intelligence from various sources. They had, if not a complete understanding of the Jiuli, at least a close grasp of their situation. Compared to the Jiuli's strength, the Buddhist sect dispatched Hongyuan, the foremost abbot of the northwest region, accompanied by elite members of the Cangtian Sect and dozens of eminent monks. They also leveraged the Pure Land to leverage the accumulated faith within a hundred miles of Liangzhou to provide their support. They had initially assumed victory, but the ultimate outcome was truly devastating.

Losing in theory is not a loss that hurts both sides, but a complete defeat, a true annihilation of the entire army.

It would have been fine if only a few people had died, but there was an even more horrifying news that followed.

The Pure Land has been damaged.

If the death of Hongyuan and others cut off the hands and feet of Buddhism, then the damage to Pure Land directly pierced through the five internal organs of Buddhism and damaged the foundation on which they rely. For the people in Buddhism, especially the current high-ranking Buddhists, this is no less than hearing that India has fallen.

"Is the leader of Jiuli so powerful?" One of the monks spoke, with a slight tremor in his voice.

The Buddha who had cultivated to their level had already achieved the state of emptiness of the five aggregates and a mind as calm as still water. This slight tremor was the only fluctuation he had shown in a hundred years, proving that a crack had appeared in his still water-like state of mind.

"Impossible." Another person immediately denied, "When the sect leader Yan Guoyun came to Jiuli a few months ago, he was still in the Spiritual Transformation Realm. No matter how powerful he is, there is no way he could have made a breakthrough in just a few months."

"With the methods of the Divine Transformation Realm, even if he could truly achieve the same extreme killing power as the demon Wuqing a thousand years ago and single-handedly annihilate Hongyuan and his group, he would not be able to reach the Pure Land, let alone suppress our Buddhist faith."

"So, the Jiuli Demon Sect from 1,200 years ago left behind a backup plan? Do they also have a powerful legacy?"

"Could it be that in the past thousand years, someone other than the Sect Master has emerged from the Nine Li realms?"

"None of this matters anymore."

A senior monk standing at the front spoke, his voice overwhelming the crowd: "The important thing is that we have not been able to retrieve the Buddha's relic. If this is the case, there is no way to complete the lineage."

They had mobilized such a large force in order to retrieve the relics and complete the Pure Land, so that Buddhism could return to its peak state a thousand years ago. However, the fact was that not only did they fail to reach the peak, they were even brutally kicked down from halfway up the mountain.

Under normal circumstances, Buddhism could continue to lie dormant, slowly develop and accumulate based on its existing foundation, and wait for the right time to take action. This is what they have done for more than a thousand years.

But only the monks in this hall know that there is no time left in Buddhism today.

"The world is undergoing a major transformation, and all those holding inheritances are making every effort. If the Jiuli Sect truly possesses a powerful inheritance, perhaps they will seize this opportunity to launch a counterattack. Without the protection of the Pure Land, the situation will be unpredictable."

The monk said, "Even if Jiuli does not take any action, given the Buddha's current state, he will definitely be noticed by other forces holding the inheritance."

"A few days ago, we received news from the northern grasslands that the people of the grasslands have gathered their souls and faith, and have initially revived Changshengtian. Now they have begun to target the inheritances held by other forces. We are afraid that we will become their target as well."

There was a deep silence in the hall, and a shock that had not been seen in hundreds of years appeared on the faces of every monk. If they were ordinary people who had not been immersed in Buddhism, they would definitely have been hysterical at this moment.

Just as the eminent monk said, a great change in the way of heaven that has not been seen in a thousand years has occurred. The spiritual energy in the world is rising at an unprecedented rate, bringing countless possibilities.

So within just a few years, the world of cultivation has become a battlefield for various major forces, and the survivors of history are scrambling to revive the heritage behind them.

The Buddhist faith is so widespread that its mere existence is a huge target. Without the protection of a complete Pure Land and the support of the Buddha's inheritance, the vast Buddhist community would become an empty shell with a huge size but no foundation.

Buddhism is a giant whale composed of faith. The failure of the discussion between immortals and Buddhas has cut a wound deep to the bone in the whale. Not to mention how fatal the wound itself is, the smell of blood alone will attract predators from all over the world.

As a sect based on faith, Buddhism will not completely perish, but it is entirely possible that it will never recover and become food for other forces to devour.

"If this continues, not only will we not be able to save the world, but even our existing foundation will be in danger."

"So what should we do next? Gather forces from all over and attack Jiuli again?"

"Hasn't the loss we suffered this time been enough? Jiuli must have a complete inheritance behind them. They are also entrants. Only when we complete the Pure Land can we be sure to truly suppress them."

Without the Pure Land, they cannot do anything to Jiuli; if they cannot defeat Jiuli, they cannot obtain the complete Pure Land.

The situation seems to have reached a dead end.

".Right now, we only have one last resort."

After a long silence, the senior monk standing in the front said, "Abandon the Buddha's relics and replace them with other objects of faith. Prioritize the revival of the Pure Land at all costs."

These words immediately attracted the attention of the monks, and everyone's face showed a hint of doubt.

Replace it with something else? The relics contain the true meaning of the Buddha, a faith at the level of the Dao. What can replace it?
Many doubtful eyes fell on the monk, watching his movements, but in just a few breaths, the doubtful eyes all turned into fear.

In front of them, the monk raised his hand, a faint light emanated from his hand, and a peach blossom slowly bloomed in the halo.

"Shi Ming! You!" a senior monk at the side shouted, the emotion in his voice even more intense than before. "You are involved in the evil ways of Peach Blossom Spring?! When did you obtain it?"

"The five aggregates are within the heart, and the distinction between good and evil is but a thought away. When things are put to good use, even evil can become good."

The monk, known for his masterpieces, lowered his eyes, watching the peach blossoms in his palm swirl. "The Peach Blossom Spring has appeared in the world, its meaning is immeasurable, and all parties have fought tooth and nail for it. This legacy in my palm was also obtained with all my might. I originally wanted to give it to someone in the Cangtian Sect, but for now, I have no choice but to use it for myself."

"If this object is placed in the Pure Land, it will surely complete it, allowing the Buddha's might to return to the world. When that happens, both the Nine-Li Demonic Path and the people of the Eternal Heaven will be reduced to dust in the Pure Land."

"As an Arhat, you can actually harbor such blasphemous thoughts!"

The eminent monks from all directions gathered around and stood beside the monk who had spoken.

"To throw such an evil thing into the Pure Land is to defile it and blaspheme the true meaning of our Buddha!"

"Defilement?" Shi Ming raised his eyebrows. "If the Pure Land no longer exists in the world, even the Buddha's will will perish. How can there be any talk of defilement?"

As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand, and peach blossom light bloomed in his palm.

"Today, I will complete the inheritance and welcome the Buddha's true spirit back to the world. Now, I ask you to cooperate with me and open the Pure Land together."

(End of this chapter)