Sword of the Nine Heavens, the Fall of the Gods

Chengfeng was startled and quickly took a few steps back. Looking at the cave that suddenly appeared in front of him, he was extremely surprised.

The entrance of the cave is shrouded in a layer of mysterious mist, faintly exuding an ancient and profound atmosphere.

Chengfeng calmed himself down and cautiously took a few steps forward.

The mysterious atmosphere of the cave entrance hit him in the face, and Chengfeng felt both nervous and excited.

I don’t know what secrets this cave hides, but I feel a throbbing sensation deep in my heart.

It was as if a voice was telling me that there might be some opportunity here.

Standing at the entrance of the cave, Chengfeng hesitated for a moment.

In the end, curiosity overcame fear, and they decided to go into the cave to find out what was going on.

Chengfeng walked slowly into the cave, his footsteps so light that he could hardly hear them.

The light in the cave was very dim, and only the occasional faint light flickering on the wall allowed one to barely see the surroundings.

The ground is rugged and uneven, as if it is an ancient passage eroded by time.

The walls were engraved with all kinds of strange patterns and runes, exactly the same as the patterns on the hill outside.

As we go deeper, the mysterious atmosphere in the cave becomes more and more intense.

With every step I take, I can feel an invisible pressure, as if there are pairs of eyes watching me in secret.

Suddenly, a faint light came from the front.

Chengfeng's heart tightened and he quickly stopped, observing the situation ahead vigilantly.

The faint light looked very strange in the darkness, as if it was drifting gently forward.

After the faint light disappeared, Chengfeng took a deep breath and continued walking into the cave.

After walking for a while, the faint light gradually appeared in the field of vision again, but it stopped moving.

"Master! Why are you here?" An old and deep voice suddenly came from the front.

Chengfeng was startled and stopped in a hurry, looking carefully forward.

After a period of groping in the dark, my eyes have adapted to the surrounding environment.

Only then did Chengfeng see clearly that the faint light in front of him was actually a bald head.

The person holding this head seems to be an old monk wearing a cassock.

But his back was facing away from her, so she couldn't see what he looked like.

Opposite the old monk, kneeling was an old man dressed as a Taoist priest.

The old man had white hair and a youthful face with a ruddy complexion. His silver hair was neatly tied on top of his head and fixed with an antique wooden hairpin.

He was wearing a navy blue Taoist robe with a faint yin-yang and eight trigrams pattern embroidered on it.

The edges of the Taoist robe were outlined with golden silk threads, which sparkled with mysterious light under the dim light.

I only heard the old monk say: "Zunti! This time I came here to resolve the long-cherished wish between you and Jieyin."

"Today, the Buddhist sect that I'm guiding is facing a huge challenge, which has already affected my Pure Land of Bliss."

"I hope you can put aside your past grudges, return to the West, and work with Jie Yin to carry forward Buddhism."

The Taoist frowned slightly, "Master! Back then, in order to build the Paradise, Jie Yin and I made friends with the East and transferred many Eastern gods. The Paradise should be able to compete with the Ancient Religion. Why do you say this, Master?"

The old monk shook his head and sighed: "Back then, the three giants of the ancient sect split up, and my master's Pure Land of Bliss was able to be established."

"But now, the two giants of destruction and maintenance seem to be in contact. Although Brahma is watching, as one of the three giants of the ancient religion, there is no guarantee that they will not unite again."

“By then, not to mention Buddhism, even my own paradise will be in danger of collapse.”

"So I hope you can return to the Western Land and train more talents for Buddhism."

"Master! Disciple Jie Yin and I have fallen out, and I don't want to go back. Besides, my Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and Xieyue Sanxing Cave can also provide talents for the Pure Land." Zhunti Taoist said softly.

The old monk stretched out his hand to help the Taoist Zhunti up, with a hint of vicissitudes in his words.

"Cundi! Although you have been reincarnated as Subhuti and are called Bodhi Patriarch, you have not forgotten your master. I am very pleased."

"But why are you guarding this ancient cave at the bottom of the lake, which is full of restrictions, alone, instead of teaching in the Three-Star Cave of the Slanting Moon?"

A trace of sadness appeared on the old face of the Taoist Zhunti.

"Master! I am in this ancient cave for a reason. This was the earliest place where I lived after leaving Buddhism. The Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave was built after I practiced Taoism and Buddhism."

"The reason why I hid here is that I really don't want to have any entanglement with Jie Yin, oh no, that is, the reincarnated Buddha Shakyamuni."

"Are you hiding here to avoid him?" There was a hint of complexity in the old monk's words.

Zhunti Taoist nodded and said, "In order to show his generosity, Sakyamuni once sent Mahasthamaprapta to Sanxing Cave to find me and invite me to go back, but I refused."

"Later, he sent Maha Moggallana and Ksitigarbha to visit me several times. I was not tired of hearing their stories, but I did not want to quarrel with them, so I had to hide away here to seek peace and quiet."

Zhunti Taoist smiled bitterly and continued, "Who knows, what is that Sakyamuni thinking? In order to force me to show up, he actually trapped one of my favorite disciples under the Five Elements Mountain."

"Even so, I don't want to have any more contact with Shakya."

"Back then, after the great war among the ten thousand immortals in the East, Jie Yin and I followed your orders, Master, and reincarnated together to establish Buddhism."

"At that time, you also promised that after reincarnation, Shakyamuni would be the leader and I, Subhuti, would be the deputy leader."

"Who would have thought that after Shakya became the leader, he always excluded me and marginalized me. He also passed the position of deputy leader to his disciple Maitreya."

"Since then, I have made up my mind not to have any further contact with Buddhism. I hope Master will forgive me."

"Are you blaming me for favoring your senior brother and not standing up for you?"

The old monk's voice sounded particularly heavy in this desolate ancient cave, and a strange light flashed across his shiny head.

"Disciple, I dare not!" Taoist Zhunti lowered his head slightly, with a hint of respect and helplessness in his tone.

"Master, I have never had such thoughts. It's just that my brother and I have different ideas. Since he is the leader, I should stay away from him to avoid further disputes."

The old monk was silent for a long time and sighed slightly.

"Zhunti, I understand your grievances. But the situation is critical now. Buddhism and even the Pure Land may face major challenges. Can't you let go of the past and think about the overall situation?"

Zhunti Taoist pondered for a moment and shook his head slightly, "Master, it's not that I don't care about the overall situation. I am here to practice hard, just to find inner peace, and I don't want to be involved in the disputes of Buddhism anymore."

After hearing this, the old monk sighed again, with a hint of reminiscence and a hint of regret in his words.

"Zhunti, you and I, the master and disciple, have gone through countless reincarnations and witnessed the rise and fall of all living beings."

"As your teacher, I know the pain in your heart. But things in the world are unpredictable and cause and effect are cyclical. Sometimes, only by letting go of obsessions can you see your true self."

Zhunti Taoist's expression slightly changed, but then he regained his composure and said with a wry smile:

"Master, I understand what you mean. But it is really hard to cross this hurdle in my heart. However, you are always the Amitabha in my heart, and I will never betray you."

The old monk shook his head slightly, patted the Taoist Zhunti lightly on the shoulder, and spoke earnestly.

"Since you have made up your mind, I will not force you. You and I both know that the path of cultivation lies in the heart."

"As long as you have the Pure Land in your heart, no matter where you are, you are my disciple."

"As for your disciple who is trapped under the Five Elements Mountain, I will make proper arrangements for him."

"After all, he is your disciple and a member of my Paradise."

A trace of gratitude flashed in the eyes of Taoist Zhunti, and he bowed.

"Thank you, Master! Although I don't want to get involved in Buddhist affairs anymore, I am still worried about my disciples. If I can get your help, I will be very grateful."

The old monk waved his hand, indicating to Master Zhunti that there was no need to be polite. Then he turned and looked towards the darkness where Chengfeng was, as if he was frowning or in deep thought.

At this time, the cave became quiet. Chengfeng was hiding behind a protruding stone wall in the cave, watching the scene in front of him quietly.

Because he was far away, he could only hear the conversation between Amitabha Buddha and Zhunti Taoist intermittently and could not hear clearly.

Seeing the old monk turning around and looking over here, Chengfeng hurriedly held his breath and pressed his body tightly against the stone wall, as if he wanted to merge into one with it.

"Don't hide, benefactor. It's rare to be able to enter here without making any noise. Please show yourself and talk."

Amitabha Buddha spoke towards the place where Chengfeng was hiding.

Chengfeng's heart tightened, knowing that he could no longer hide. He slowly walked out from behind the stone wall, looking a little nervous and uneasy.

Amitabha and Zhunti Taoist looked at Chengfeng at the same time, with scrutiny in their eyes.

Cheng Feng bowed slightly and said respectfully, "I, a junior, have no intention of intruding here and disturbing the conversation between the two seniors. Please forgive me."

Amitabha nodded slightly, his voice calm and steady.

"You were able to pass through the Buddhist Demon Subduing Formation, the Taoist Three Talents Formation and the Seven Absolute Formation without making any sound. It seems that you are extraordinary. May I ask your name?"

Chengfeng was slightly stunned. He totally didn't understand what the old monk was saying.

I followed the glimmer of light above his head and came here. I didn't encounter any formations at all? I didn't encounter any obstacles either.

Chengfeng calmed himself down and answered truthfully.

"I am a junior riding the wind! I was groping forward in the dark and didn't encounter any formations. I just came here by accident."

Taoist Zhunti frowned slightly: "This place is full of restrictions. Even a Daluo Jinxian would have difficulty passing through. You came here safely without making any sound. You must be extraordinary."

Chengfeng had no idea what the term "Daluo Jinxian" meant, and he didn't understand the level divisions in the fairy world.

He waved his hands and explained: "I am not an immortal, I am just a rough man from the mountains. I have learned swordsmanship from Master Xuanjizi, the master of swordsmanship, for a few days."

"Master Xuanjizi of the sword art?"

Hearing this, Amitabha Buddha and Zhunti Taoist looked at each other and both fell into confusion.

At this time, the two powerful men had already figured out that Xuanjizi mentioned by Chengfeng was just an ordinary mortal, not even an immortal.

They also figured out Chengfeng's real master. However, even if his real master came, it would be impossible for him to pass through the three formations set up by Zhunti Taoist.

But it is really puzzling that this kid in front of me could pass through safely.

Amitabha narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Chengfeng carefully, trying to find something special about him.

Taoist Zhunti stroked his long beard and said thoughtfully: "This is strange. There must be some secret in this boy that I haven't noticed yet."

Cheng Feng felt uneasy when being stared at by the two powerful men, and said nervously:

"To be honest with you two seniors, I came here by accident because I thought I could get a rare martial arts manual here. I didn't expect to interrupt your conversation, please forgive me."

Amitabha pondered for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, which was full of compassion and wisdom.

"How can you match such a mundane thing as a martial arts manual? No matter what, you are the disciple of my right attendant, and you can also be considered a future disciple of the Paradise."

"It is our destiny to meet here today. Since you have come here to seek opportunities, how can this leader let you down? Here is a "Pure Bliss Pearl", which can be regarded as a meeting gift from this leader."

After Amitabha Buddha finished speaking, he flipped his palm and a jade bead emitting a soft light appeared on his palm.

The bead was crystal clear all over, and the light flowing through it seemed to contain endless mysterious power.

Although Chengfeng didn't know the specific identities of these two powerful men, deep in his heart, there seemed to be a voice telling him, "Accept it!"