Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

However, if people were to learn this, it would be like entering a demonic path. You must never mislead yourselves.”

As the Venerable Dragon Subduer, he was already perceived as incredibly powerful and imposing in the eyes of the monks. Now, when he spoke of eating wine and drinking meat, he had his own set of theories.

Although the monks felt it was inappropriate upon hearing this, they did not dare to criticize or object to the person's noble status, so someone immediately prepared wine and meat.

Upon hearing this, Bodhidharma slapped his forehead and secretly cursed his master, saying that he was good in every way except for his love of wine and meat, but he was used to it and it was fine.

Li Xiuyuan was drinking and eating meat without any restraint in the Jingnian Zen Temple. In this pure Buddhist place, it was really disgraceful to him. However, they thought that he was the head of the eighteen Arhats under the Buddha, so they couldn't very well kick him out.

Now they are actually hoping that Li Xiuyuan can leave as soon as possible. This Venerable Dragon Subduer, apart from when he first arrived, has no trace of an enlightened monk, especially when he is eating.

Sometimes when Li Xiuyuan invited the monks over to eat, they could only flee quickly with bitter faces.

Three days later, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief, because Li Xiuyuan was about to leave.

Li Xiuyuan was seen riding a white horse, followed by Zen Master Liaokong and two other ordinary monks. The Four Vajra Guardians remained in the monastery, including his disciple Bodhidharma.

Li Xiuyuan wanted to find a place for Bodhidharma to settle down, and Jingnian Temple was the perfect choice. Moreover, he had already planned to turn Jingnian Temple into Shaolin Temple and make it a disciple of his lineage.

Along the way, Li Xiuyuan discovered that after taking Bodhidharma under his wing, he could also gain a lot of merit points if Bodhidharma saved people and did good deeds. Although it seemed like a small amount, as long as someone was from his lineage, they could bring him benefits.

Even Li Qiushui, who cultivated the Supreme Heavenly Demon True Scripture, was the same, which is why he planned to establish the Jingnian Zen Temple as a place for Bodhidharma to reside.

If it were Bodhidharma himself, Li Xiuyuan would not doubt whether he could build such a great empire. After all, he was the founder of Shaolin Temple and naturally had that ability.

It is by no means something that can be accomplished overnight. Now that we have Ningnian Zen Temple as a foundation, we can save a lot of effort.

Chapter 23 On the Emperor's Peak

When the time comes, if anyone from his lineage does anything chivalrous or righteous, it will be attributed to Li Xiuyuan. If he has many disciples and followers, he will accumulate a lot of merit points.

Of course, this still requires Li Xiuyuan's planning. With Zen Master Kong and the Four Great Monks around, it will still take some time for Bodhidharma to rise to prominence in the Tang Dynasty.

…………

Zhongnan Mountain, Emperor's Peak.

Dita Peak is surrounded by mountains, with peaks and ridges, lush forests, and countless exotic flowers and plants.

At the foot of the mountain stands a stone plaque inscribed with: "My home is in this mountain, where the clouds are deep and I know not where."

"Cihang Jingzhai!"

Li Xiuyuan stood with his hands behind his back at the foot of the mountain, looking up at Emperor's Peak. In the forest at the end of the mountain, he could vaguely see a tower, which he guessed was the Cihang Jingzhai sect.

After five days of travel, Li Xiuyuan, led by Liao Kong, arrived outside Emperor Stepping Peak, where other disciples had already gone to inform him.

Legend has it that in ancient times, Guang Chengzi came to the Temple of the God of War at a certain time, comprehended the mysteries of the universe, and after returning to the ground, he passed on this knowledge to the world through the Yellow Emperor. He also wrote the "Longevity Secret" in oracle bone script, and then secretly returned to the Temple of the God of War to enter the extraordinary realm of shattered diamond.

During the Western Han Dynasty, Xie Tiao, the first evil emperor who created the "Dao Xin Zhong Mo Da Fa" (Great Method of Planting Demons in the Heart of the Dao), recorded a passage about the "War God's Record" in his "Records of Demonic Thoughts". He said that the book had a mysterious origin and surpassed ordinary martial arts in the mortal world.

He discovered the "Record of War Gods" in an ancient tomb dating back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, thus gaining insight into its secrets and creating the "Great Method of Planting Demons in the Heart of the Dao".

The founder of Cihang Jingzhai, Di Ni, learned the secret of breaking through the void by reading "Records of Demonic Thoughts". The Cihang Sword Manual was also affected by breaking through the void. Immortal embryos and demonic seeds went to extremes, but their source was the same.

Therefore, there is a saying circulating in the martial arts world that the "Longevity Manual", "Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique", and "Compassionate Sword Manual" all originated from the "War God Record", and that the four great books have the same origin but different characteristics.

Li Xiuyuan was naturally interested in seeing the Cihang Sword Manual. As he traveled, his understanding of swordsmanship deepened, and he even created the Fourteen Deadly Swords, but that was not enough.

If Li Xiuyuan could study the sword manual, he was confident that he could quickly create the Fifteen Deadly Swords, or even the Sixteen Deadly Swords.

A short while later, a loud rumbling sound rang out!

The main building of Cihang Jingzhai was rumbling.

At the entrance, a series of maroon wooden doors with lotus-patterned door knockers were opened.

Hundreds of women emerged, each wielding a long sword. Ninety percent of them were nuns, while the remaining ten percent were lay disciples who practiced with their hair intact.

The woman leading the group was a middle-aged nun, dressed in a grey robe and holding a string of prayer beads in her hand.

Although she is now middle-aged, time has not brought her aging, but rather a youthful charm and mature beauty. In particular, her captivating eyes are truly mesmerizing, and one can only imagine that she must have been an unparalleled beauty in her youth.

A woman wearing a light blue long gown followed behind the Chinese man.

This woman possessed an ethereal and otherworldly air, as if she were a fairy descended from heaven. The elegantly designed ancient sword hanging on her back added to her heroic and awe-inspiring presence, and seemed to be a reminder to others that she possessed unparalleled swordsmanship.

“Disciple Fan Qinghui greets the Venerable One. Please come inside.”

When Master Liaokong left Jingnian Temple, he had already sent a message by carrier pigeon to inform the people of Cihang Jingzhai. Now, he had only just reported the news when hundreds of disciples came to greet him.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan calmly replied, "Hmm!"

As the Venerable Dragon Subduer, his status would undoubtedly be revered by monks within Buddhism, making him highly sought after anywhere.

Li Xiuyuan entered the gate, with Fen Qinghui, the host, leading the way, followed by Zen Master Liaokong and the ethereal woman.

Li Xiuyuan entered the gate and found himself in a huge plaza. Behind it was the main hall, Cihang Hall, and in the forest was a library tower containing various books. There was also a rain-viewing pavilion on the back mountain.

There is a vast tea garden in Cihang Jingzhai, with a huge rock four zhang high in the middle, and a stone cave with an iron gate at the foot of the rock.

Led by Fen Qinghui, Li Xiuyuan entered the Cihang Hall and said calmly, "I came to Emperor's Peak hoping to see the He Shi Bi, this treasure. Does the nun know about it?"

As he spoke, his eyes shone with a captivating light that made it impossible to look directly at him.

Upon hearing this, Fen Qinghui replied, "This disciple understands Your Excellency's meaning. Feixuan, quickly bring the He Shi Bi jade."

She already knew Li Xiuyuan's intentions after being informed by Zen Master Liaokong, but she was naturally unwilling to hand him over.

Shi Feixuan was indeed the woman with an ethereal air. She replied, "Yes, Master."

She parted her lips slightly and said, "This disciple has met the Venerable One. I have heard that the Venerable One is well-versed in Buddhism. I hope that you can give me some guidance."

Fen Qinghui scolded, "Feixuan, stop being so presumptuous! I hope Your Excellency will consider her youth and vigor and not take offense!"

If they were to say such things, it would naturally be inappropriate, but when Shi Feixuan said it, she dismissed it all with a simple "young and impetuous" remark.

Li Xiuyuan gazed at Shi Feixuan for the first time, and saw that she had a slender figure, and her bright and deep eyes under her naturally curved eyebrows were even more charming.

Combined with the two dimples on her jade-like cheeks that seemed to smile, her shoulders were like those of a knife, her waist was slender and graceful, and her figure was so perfect that it was impossible not to be captivated by her.

Her skin glowed like jade in the sunlight, making her appear even more graceful, beautiful, and otherworldly.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiuyuan calmly said, "It's alright. Although my cultivation has not fully recovered after this reincarnation, I am more than capable of guiding Feixuan."

As he spoke, he appeared completely unperturbed. He knew this was Cihang Jingzhai's consideration, since the He Shi Bi was related to the plans of the Buddhist community in the Tang Dynasty, and they did not want to hand it over easily.

Although Li Xiuyuan is the reincarnation of the Dragon-Subduing Venerable, taking away the He Shi Bi would harm their interests, so they were naturally unwilling to accept it.

Shi Feixuan parted her lips slightly and replied, "In that case, please forgive Feixuan's rudeness, Your Majesty!"

As she spoke, she took a step forward.

Chapter 24: The Great Sun Tathagata holds a flower with one finger

Although Shi Feixuan remained calm as before, her beautiful eyes became even brighter, and even the Color Void Sword seemed to radiate a brilliant light.

Lightning flashed, and sword energy filled the sky.

Shi Feixuan's Color Void Sword transformed into a sky full of light and shadow, enveloping Li Xiuyuan within it.

She appeared and disappeared amidst the sword light, like a fairy dancing gracefully, or a bright moon lightly covered by a veil of clouds. The chilling sword aura could be clearly felt by everyone in the entire hall.

Li Xiuyuan gently placed his right thumb and forefinger together, as if he were holding a flower, and smiled, while his left hand flicked up.

His fingers moved with exquisite gentleness, flicking out with his left hand as if to flick away the dewdrops from the flowers on his right hand, yet as if afraid of shaking off the petals. His face remained kind and smiling, showing deep understanding.

According to the Zen tradition, when Shakyamuni was preaching at the Vulture Peak assembly, he held up a golden lotus flower and showed it to all the assembly. Everyone remained silent, except for Venerable Kasyapa, who smiled.

Knowing that Mahakasyapa had grasped the essence of the Dharma, Shakyamuni said, “I have the true Dharma eye, the Nirvana Dharma, the true formless reality, the subtle Dharma, which is not established in words and is transmitted separately outside the teachings. I entrust it to Mahakasyapa.”

As for the Flower-Picking Finger technique, Li Xiuyuan had studied its origins even more after seeing Kumārajīva use it last time. Although it was not as good as Shakyamuni's, it was still extremely extraordinary.

The Great Sun Tathagata—hold the flower with one finger!

Buzz!

As the trembling sound filled the air, the phantom of the Great Sun Golden Buddha appeared behind Li Xiuyuan, seemingly with his index finger and thumb touching, and a smiling expression on his face.

A series of ethereal chants of Buddhist hymns drifted in.

Li Xiuyuan's finger strike was slowly released along with the chanting.

The airflow dissipated in all directions, and Shi Feixuan's expression changed drastically. With a loud 'bang,' the Color Void Sword was snapped in two.

hum!

Shi Feixuan's figure floated backward, her aura completely relaxed, and it was obvious who was stronger at a glance.

Although everyone was somewhat prepared, they were still a little surprised to see that Shi Feixuan was no match for them.

Moreover, the image of the Great Sun Tathagata that appeared on Li Xiuyuan's back was the most authentic Buddhist practice. Indeed, he was worthy of being the reincarnation of the Dragon-Subduing Venerable.

Shi Feixuan sighed softly, "Your Buddhist teachings are astonishing, but Feixuan has overestimated herself!"

As she spoke, a look of heartache appeared on her face. The Color Void Sword had been broken, and it was one of the few divine weapons possessed by Cihang Jingzhai.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiuyuan chuckled and said, "Why should Feixuan belittle herself? Your talent is not weak. When the opportunity arrives, you will soar to great heights."

He paused and then said, "Very well! Of all the sword manuals practiced by Cihang Jingzhai throughout the generations, only the founder, Di Ni, has ever broken through to the point of life and death."

"I won't take the He Shi Bi for nothing; I'll help one of you break through to the next level."

This was a promise he made with the He Shi Bi jade. He secretly thought that to help them break through to the level of life and death again, they naturally needed to read the Sword Manual.

Hehe, then!

Thinking about it this way, Li Xiuyuan felt it was utterly shameless.