Chapter 618 The Great Luo Dharma Assembly, The Truth About Spiritual Qi
Guided by the guest monk, Zheng Fa flew towards Thunderclap Temple.
Thunderclap Temple, with its white walls and white roof, looks like a snow-capped mountain peak from afar, extremely sacred.
Upon entering the temple, the first thing one sees is a Mahavira Hall, radiating dazzling Buddhist light. Lu Mo sits high on a lotus platform, flanked by two Golden Immortal Buddha Ancestor on each side, with several Bodhisattva Arhat bowing and standing behind him. He appears unapproachable from afar.
Zheng Fa realized that those sitting on the lotus platform were probably the so-called Five Direction Buddhas.
There were also ten golden lotus platforms standing on both sides. The hostess led the way, and Zheng Fa found a lotus platform on the right, near the end, and sat down.
Looking around, he found himself facing the Blissful Heavenly Maiden of Jade Pool. Upon seeing Zheng Fa arrive, she nodded and smiled at him, showing no trace of the coldness she had shown him in the past few days.
Zheng Fa nodded in return, but then felt a gaze fixed on him. He turned his head and saw that the Nishang Yuanjun was looking down at her nose, with an honest expression on her face.
This Nishang Yuanjun's attitude seems rather strange...
Seeing that Nishang Yuanjun seemed to have something difficult to say, he didn't ask any further questions, but continued to observe the situation in the hall.
Before the Blissful Heavenly Maiden, there were also the Demon Race Peacock Great Emperor and the Earthshaker Demon Lord the demon race. Judging from the Peacock Great Emperor's seating arrangement, he held an extremely high position in Thunderclap Temple and seemed to have the air of the number one Golden Immortal from outside the region.
The Supreme Dao and the Three Reclusive Immortals were absent, perhaps out of pride in their status, or perhaps to deliberately let others know that they were acting in concert.
No one spoke, and they waited in silence for a while before the three Golden Immortal of the Supreme Dao Three Reclusive Immortals and their disciples.
Seeing that the five lotus platforms on the left were empty, they all took their seats. One of the Three Reclusive Immortals still had no place, so he reluctantly sat down to the left of Zheng Fa.
With the arrival of Supreme Dao and others, all the participants of the Great Luo Dharma Assembly were now present.
Suddenly, a bell rang out from behind the hall, its sound echoing throughout the hall. Then, various Western Continent musical instruments, such as chimes, wooden fish, and gongs, played in unison, interspersed with the chanting and praise of monks, which sounded like soft singing.
Zheng Fa and the others looked out and saw that every Buddhist temple on the Western Continent was shining brightly, like the starry sky hanging upside down.
With so many cities, so many temples, and countless believers, the chanting of Buddhist prayers was perfectly synchronized, as if uttered by a single person.
He heard with his own ears a disciple of the Supreme Dao gasp in shock.
Even Zheng Fa himself was somewhat surprised—he had heard the chanting of Buddhist scriptures in the Western Continent before, but he had not come here and did not know that Thunderclap Temple had such a high degree of control over Western Continent.
As the music faded and the chanting subsided, Lu Mo finally spoke:
"Thanks to the Heavenly Immortal Realm who generously descended upon Leiyin Temple in the Western Land."
As he spoke, he bowed to the crowd, seemingly in gratitude.
"Today's gathering is not for the sake of Leiyin Temple alone. The Xuanwei Realm's destiny has flowed through countless ages; the Golden Immortal Way Fruit has its own path. However, with the Reincarnation, the Dao Fruit fear each other, and the world has lost its way, truly a world on the verge of collapse."
Zheng Fa felt that the other Golden Immortal in the hall were glancing at him, almost imperceptibly.
He knew that Lu Mo was probably doing it on purpose; anyone else would have felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Though this old monk is of meager wisdom and limited strength, I have endured many tribulations and my heart is filled with compassion. Therefore, I have invited you all to my Thunderclap Monastery. Regardless of past ties or differences between East and West, I only wish that you fellow Daoists would set aside sectarian prejudices, cease hostilities, and allow the Xuanwei to enjoy peace, so that all living beings may find their place in tranquility."
Before the other visitors could react, the other four Golden Immortal Buddha Ancestor and the various Bodhisattva and Arhat of Thunderclap Temple seemed to be completely convinced and praised, "Our Buddha is merciful."
The Peacock Great Emperor and the three Blissful Heavenly Maiden also rose from the lotus platform, bowed to Lu Mo from afar, and uttered the words "compassion."
They were making a great fuss, while Zheng Fa and the Supreme Dao group watched coldly. After a long while, Xuan Chengzi finally frowned and said, "We didn't come here to listen to your useless nonsense."
"Fellow Daoist Xuancheng, please calm down." Lu Mo spoke unhurriedly, "Since we are able to gather here together, I am fully aware of your thoughts and intentions."
Zheng Fa frowned slightly.
"You know everything?" Xuan Chengzi seemed somewhat skeptical, and asked Lu Mo, "What do you know?"
"What this old monk knows is the most worrying thing for all Dao Fruit in the world right now..." Lu Mo glanced at Zheng Fa and suddenly laughed, "It is death and the dissipation of one's Dao."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Chengzi was stunned, then pursed his lips, his face filled with suspicion.
Zheng Fa saw the look in Lu Mo's eyes and was shocked. He finally understood why the other party was so confident in winning over so many Golden Immortal.
" The Nine Nether Emperor established the Reincarnation, which brought great Merit to all the heavens and myriad realms," Lu Mo continued, "Yet we, who have cultivated our Dao Fruit for countless epochs, now live in constant fear, turning to ashes in an instant. How unjust!"
Inside the Mahavira Hall, everyone fell silent.
Everything here is the Dao Fruit.
Apart from Zheng Fa, these Dao Fruit can all be considered victims of the Reincarnation of reincarnation.
Lu Mo's words struck a chord with these people.
" Buddha Ancestor... is there perhaps a way?"
Xuan Chengzi's tone softened unconsciously.
Zheng Fa sighed inwardly—indeed, to achieve unity, one must have an enemy.
Despite the Supreme Dao's arrogant demeanor and lack of affection for Thunderclap Temple, Supreme Dao would certainly be tempted if it could deal with the Underworld and change the current situation where Dao Fruit can be killed.
" Reincarnation is the Dao Fruit of Grand Unity, which I naturally cannot change." But Lu Mo shook his head, saying, "In all the heavens and myriad realms, no one can alter it."
Xuan Chengzi frowned, about to speak.
"But I can enable you all to be reincarnated and attain enlightenment again."
"..."
A thunderous thought flashed through Zheng Fa's mind, and the others understood as well.
" The Tribulation-Transference Enlightenment Method?"
"Exactly."
Inside the Mahavira Hall, the members of the Supreme Dao looked at each other, seemingly puzzled yet also somewhat tempted.
The Tribulation-Transference Enlightenment Method is the highest Dharma gate of Thunderclap Temple. Its Divine Ability can be seen from Lu Mo -- reload the save file.
Who wouldn't want this?
"You mean, with this Tribulation-Transference Enlightenment Method, even if we die, we can regain our previous cultivation levels in the future?"
Lu Mo.
Xuan Chengzi's tone was even more surprised. "You're willing to teach us this method?"
Lu Mo chuckled and said, "As long as you are all willing to convert to the Thunderclap Temple..."
"..."
Zheng Fa could see clearly that when Lu Mo said those words, Xuan Chengzi and the others actually looked relieved.
Indeed, if Lu Mo claimed that he was selfless and altruistic, the Supreme Dao would probably never believe him.
But after Lu Mo revealed his ambition, Xuan Chengzi and the others felt much more at ease.
Xuan Chengzi frowned slightly. "How can we, the Supreme Dao, possibly convert to your Thunderclap Temple?"
" The Supreme Dao has no need to merge with my Thunderclap Temple." Lu Mo smiled, his tone extremely tolerant. "You only need to obey and uphold the laws of heaven and earth, and you will naturally be indestructible for eternity."
Xuan Chengzi remained silent upon hearing this, then turned to look at the other two Supreme Dao Golden Immortal. After exchanging glances, he finally spoke, "What law?"
Zheng Fa's heart sank. Although Xuan Chengzi had not agreed, the wavering in his words was quite obvious.
Lu Mo suffered greatly when the Nine Nether Emperor established the Reincarnation, yet now he's actually using the threat that Reincarnation poses to Dao Fruit to try and win over other Dao Fruit, even suggesting a united front of all Xuanwei Dao Fruit...
" The Xuanwei Calamity stemmed from the disordered transmission of Daoist teachings, leading to Spiritual-Energy Decline."
Zheng Fa's heart stirred, and he began to listen attentively.
The Spiritual-Energy Decline was a major calamity that Zheng Fa knew about as soon as he came into contact with the Immortal Way.
"In the past, when Spiritual-Energy Decline, we could protect ourselves by avoiding Xuanwei," Lu Mo said. "But now, the Reincarnation connects all the heavens and realms, and we Golden Immortal must also endure the calamity of Spiritual-Energy Decline."
Xuan Chengzi nodded and said, "I also sensed something about this— the Spiritual Qi of my Xuan Cheng Heaven is also slowly declining... it started when Reincarnation began."
The other Golden Immortal nodded in agreement, seemingly showing their approval of Xuan Chengzi's statement.
So, at the end or beginning of each era, the Dao Fruit doesn't enter the Xuanwei because it's afraid of being affected by the Spiritual-Energy Decline?
If he were Golden Immortal, he would also hate the Nine Nether Emperor...
However, this was the first time Zheng Fa had heard of Lu Mo's claim that the Spiritual-Energy Decline was related to the disorder of inheritance.
Xuan Chengzi seemed somewhat puzzled. "What does the Spiritual-Energy Decline have to do with the inheritance?"
Lu Mo chuckled lightly, extended his palm, and said, "Please take a look, gentlemen."
Everyone looked at his hands.
A wisp of Chaos energy swirled in his palm.
"What's this?"
"I have undergone four tribulations, witnessed the Spiritual-Energy Decline three times, and this is the fourth time..." Lu Mo did not answer this question, but instead spoke of something unrelated, "Since the time of the Golden Crow, I have been pondering the reason for the Spiritual-Energy Decline."
Hearing him say this, everyone in the hall listened even more attentively.
"When I was the Golden Crow, the Yang Spirit Method had just been introduced, and that era of Spiritual-Energy Decline. It didn't reappear until five million years later."
"Later, when I founded Vast Sun Mountain, the Spiritual Qi of the Xuanwei Realm only lasted for three million years..."
" In the Previous Epoch, 1.5 million years later, Spiritual Qi had already disappeared."
"This era is even shorter, probably less than a million years."
Upon hearing Lu Mo's words, Zheng Fa fell into thought. The Nine Mountains Realm had been conducting research on history, but in this regard, those who had personally experienced history, such as Supreme Dao and Lu Mo, were naturally more persuasive.
According to Lu Mo, the intervals between the Spiritual-Energy Decline are getting shorter and shorter.
Zheng Fa looked at Xuan Chengzi and the others, and Xuan Chengzi nodded, saying, "We've already noticed that too."
Lu Mo continued, "In my early years, I thought the Spiritual-Energy Decline was due to the excessive number of cultivators... but later I discovered that while it could slow down the Spiritual-Energy Decline, it couldn't stop it from happening."
Zheng Fa knew that Lu Mo had destroyed an entire world once.
The others in the hall remained expressionless, listening indifferently.
"Later, it was Tianhe that gave me inspiration."
" Tianhe?"
Zheng Fa was stunned for a moment.
" Tianhe is truly a genius." Lu Mo glanced at Zheng Fa, his tone filled with genuine admiration. "He has a vague idea, one that he himself may not even be aware of..."
What are your thoughts?
"The essence of the Spiritual-Energy Decline is not that there is too little Spiritual Qi, but that Spiritual Qi is too much!"
Zheng Fa's eyes widened; this was truly unexpected.
For a moment, Zheng Fa felt as if he had grasped something, but he didn't quite understand it.
The Chaos energy in Lu Mo's hand suddenly dissipated, and then wisps of Spiritual Qi began to appear.
At first, the Spiritual Qi was in wisps, thin and clear, and Zheng Fa could see its structure very clearly.
Later, as the Spiritual Qi increased, it intertwined, collided, and annihilated each other, making the complex Zheng Fa somewhat difficult to discern.
In the end, the concentration of Spiritual Qi seemed to reach an extreme, and the quantitative change led to a qualitative change, turning into a gray and hazy Chaos.
"This is..."
" Spiritual Qi comes from the Dao Fruit cultivators. As the number of Dao Fruit cultivators increases and the number of followers of the Daoist teachings grows, the Spiritual Qi will naturally increase, not decrease."
That makes a lot of sense.
Cultivators below the Dao Fruit do indeed absorb Spiritual Qi.
However, cultivators who have reached the Dao Fruit stage generate Spiritual Qi —for example, the Fusang Wood provides Spiritual Qi to the Modern World.
"However, when the amount of Spiritual Qi becomes too large, that is, when the number of Dao Fruit is enormous, and there are also many believers and disciples, the Spiritual Qi of the Xuanwei Realm will fall into chaos."
Everyone in the hall was stunned.
"You mean, we who have attained Dao Fruit are the root cause of the Spiritual-Energy Decline?"
"That's right." Lu Mo nodded slowly, then continued, "Therefore, when Tianhe wanted to destroy the mountains and temples and unify Xuanwei, he unintentionally saw through the truth."
Zheng Fa listened, somewhat bewildered. Many questions exploded in his mind, leaving him even more confused.
"World Honored One," the Blissful Heavenly Maiden seemed somewhat bewildered, and asked, "You mean, at the end of each era, the Xuanwei is actually filled with Chaos energy, so how can it again possess Spiritual Qi?"
Lu Mo nodded and said, " The Xuanwei Fetal Membrane is a remnant of a powerful being. It will expel the Chaos energy, at which point a brief Spiritual Qi True Emptiness Tribulation will appear in the Xuanwei."
"Besides this, there is no other way in the Xuanwei Realm to reverse the creation of Chaos."
Lu Mo finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
But Zheng Fa felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his heart. This expression was so similar to something he had learned in modern times in his early years— the Second Law of Thermodynamics!
Zheng Fa had never understood the reason for the Spiritual-Energy Decline.
After Lu Mo's explanation, he finally understood: this thing was what's known as Heat Death!
Spiritual Qi originates from the rules that the Dao Fruit comprehends from Chaos, or rather, it is the rules themselves.
The legal system inherited from Dao Fruit has absorbed and applied these rules, reorganizing, changing, and developing them.
In this way, the concentration of Xuanwei Spiritual Qi will be higher, and the interaction between them will become increasingly complex, until one day, they will return to Chaos.
The so-called lack of a way to reverse Chaos is just another way of saying that entropy increase is irreversible.
That's why Lu Mo said that when Venerable Tianhe wanted to destroy mountains and temples to unify cultivation methods, it was actually a mistake.
Having figured this out, Zheng Fa's mind exploded with inspiration. The various Cultivation Method recorded in the < Yellow Court Scripture > and the knowledge he had learned in modern times began to boil in his sea of consciousness.
Before coming to Thunderclap Temple, Zheng Fa had already been working on his Daoist skills to prepare for the Loose Immortal Nine Tribulations, and he was almost there.
Just then, after he understood the truth about the Spiritual-Energy Decline, he finally unleashed that kick!
Seeing that everyone was captivated by his words and had fallen into sorrow, Lu Mo couldn't help but feel a little smug. He was about to continue speaking when he glanced at Zheng Fa and was stunned:
Zheng Fa's soul seemed to soar to the heavens, his face beaming with joy, as if he were attaining enlightenment.
... No, what am I supposed to say that will make you enlightened?
(End of this chapter)