The mountains are undulating, and the stone cliffs stand thousands of feet high.
There are grottoes built into the cliff, which are densely packed with Buddha statues, large or small, sitting or standing, with different shapes and vivid expressions.
Walking among the mountain roads, you can see groups of stone Buddhas standing on both sides, either hidden or visible, and mottled, showing their vicissitudes of life.
The autumn wind is gentle, carrying the fallen leaves in the air, scattering golden color all over the ground.
The afternoon sun penetrates the clouds, and also coats the stone Buddha with a faint glow, carrying five points of eternity and five points of Buddhist charm, as if walking through Buddha Country.
This place is the famous Dazu Rock Carvings.
A group of people were walking along the mountain path.
Sha LiFei dressed as Yuanwai Robe, with the big golden sword sitting on the sliding pole, surrounded by servants in front and behind, it was very grand.
Lu San wears a bamboo hat on his head, like a servant following behind him. He is very inconspicuous. He pinches Mystical Gestures from time to time to listen to the surroundings.
In front, there are several elderly craftsmen leading the way.
"Tang Era, Jingnan Army Jiedushi Wei Junjing, build Yongchang Stockade in North Mountain, and build Northern Heavenly King and Thousand-Hand Guanyin statues at the same time. The trend of cliff statues is gradually becoming more and more popular..."
"Since Song Era, the practice of statues has become more and more popular. Today, there are more and more statues in the mountains..."
"This is a blessed land. If Sha Yuanwai is willing to invest in the construction of a Guanyin statue, he will definitely be able to increase his blessings and longevity, and ensure that his family will continue to be wealthy."
While the old mason was explaining, he peeked at Sha LiFei.
Dazu Rock Carvings is famous all over the world. There are naturally many stonemasons here, and they have even established a guild to unite with each other and set rules.
The so-called prosperity in the world is all for the benefit of others.
Naturally, masons will not work in vain.
There are also many people who have funded the statue, and devout monks have been alms for decades to build a Buddha in this cave.
There are also wealthy businessmen who have traveled thousands of miles from Jinling, the capital, and other places to fund the construction of Buddha statues to show their devotion to the Buddha.
The same is true for the wealthy man from Shaanzhou in front of me. Although his language is vulgar and he looks like a poor man suddenly getting rich, he still gives money quickly.
If the flattery is good, the disciples will have no worries about food and drink for several years.
Thinking of this, the old mason's face became more humble, and he said flatteringly, "Excuse me, how big do you want to build it?"
Sha LiFei touched his bald head and laughed and said, "The bigger the better, of course. It would be best to be like the one Jiazhou."
Poof!
A young mason almost laughed out loud.
The old mason glared at him fiercely, forced a smile, and said, "To be honest with you, Lingyun Giant Buddha is not easy to build."
"The construction was started in the early years of Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty, but was interrupted several times. Xichuan Jiedushi donated a salary of 200,000 yuan, and Xuanzong issued a "tax on sesame salt", but it was not even enough. It was not until eighty years later that the Buddha was completed."
"It goes without saying that you are wealthy, but it's too long to make the trip..."
The old stonemason sure has a way with words.
They clearly said they didn't have enough money, but they found other reasons.
Sha LiFei It's pure nonsense. He didn't care when he heard the words. He touched his chin and said calmly, "That's true, but the Buddha statue I made may be small, but it will definitely be extraordinary."
"When I was in my hometown, I heard about a thing. There were a lot of people dying in a place, and weird things happened from time to time. I built a Buddha statue to suppress it, and it immediately brought peace and quiet. This is what it takes."
"Do you have a place like this here? If there is a similar Buddha statue, please make one for me according to the pattern."
This is his true purpose.
They had been here for several days and searched in the mountains. After several days of searching without any results, they pretended to be merchants and got advice from the masons who were familiar with the area.
The old stonemason was confused, shook his head and said, "Young Master Sha was joking, this is a Buddhist holy land, how can there be any dead people."
"Besides, I can't even build that thing..."
He actually told the truth.
A Buddha statue that can suppress evil objects must have "Filling the Statues" and "consecration". It must not only have Daoist craftsmen, but also Buddhist disciples to help.
Sha LiFei narrowed his eyes, "You can't make it even if you give me money?"
The old mason replied truthfully, "No matter how much money you have, you can't build it."
"Forget it."
Sha LiFei suddenly lost interest.
"Don't!"
The little mason who had just laughed suddenly became anxious, "Master, isn't there one near Wangu Town? You also recognize it..."
"Shut up!"
When the old mason heard this, his expression suddenly changed.
Sha LiFei touched his chin and said with a dark face, "You old man makes Buddha statues, why are you so dishonest and hiding something you want to say?"
"Hmph! Let's go. Laozi doesn't believe it. Anyway, you are not the only one in this place..."
After saying that, he waved his hand and the hired servant immediately turned the slide and prepared to leave.
The old stonemason's expression was gloomy, and he gave his apprentice a sharp look before sighing, "Don't be anxious, Mr. Sha. There is another hidden reason in this matter. If you mess around with it, it will be trouble."
"Decades ago, there was a wealthy man named Cai JiuYuan nearby. He paid homage to the Maitreya Sect in Jinzhou, then returned to his hometown, led his people to cause chaos, and became dominant in Shu. He was named Nine Heavens Buddha Lord. He was later destroyed by the imperial court."
"It was rumored that countless people died in the war, and Cai JiuYuan himself transformed into Ghost Lord to cause trouble. Later, emei monks built Buddhist caves and were able to suppress it."
"It's been too long. Wangu Town people are now good citizens and live a peaceful life. They are also very taboo about this matter, so don't ask around."
"There are some old monks guarding the place. I'm familiar with you. If you are interested, I'll go and find out what's going on..."
Sha LiFei was a little embarrassed after what he said.
After all, he didn't really want to build any Buddha statue.
Thinking of this, Sha LiFei pretended to be impatient, waved his hand and said, "It's just a Buddha statue, why is it so troublesome?"
"Forget it, I won't play anymore. Just take this hundred taels of silver and treat it as hard-earned money for running errands. Don't say I don't follow the rules!"
After saying that, he turned around and left with everyone.
Watching their retreating figures, the masons looked at each other in shock.
"If you don't have any sincerity, how can you create a Buddha..."
The young apprentice couldn't help but complain.
"Shut up, you're the only one who talks too much!"
The old mason cursed, then shook his head and sighed, "That's all, if you keep searching, it will be the end of the year soon. If you can settle down your life early, you can have a peaceful year..."
On the other side, Sha LiFei led people to the intersection, and after paying them money to send them away, they followed Lu San into the dense forest beside the road.
"San Er, what do you think?"
Sha LiFei asked quickly.
"It's hard to say."
Lu San shook his head and said, "According to what Yan XiaoGe said, the 'Shitilavana' is older, the Tianzhu Fantasy Monk is from Tang Era, and the tomb was chosen near the Dazu Stone Grottoes, which may be related to 'Shitilavana'."
"But the location of 'Shitilavana' was found in the secret volume hidden by the Sacred Maiden of the Incense Smelling Sect. This 'Nine Heavens Buddha Lord' is also the person of the Maitreya Sect, so there may be a connection."
"Why are you thinking so much?"
Sha LiFei shook his head and said, "Finally we have a clue, so naturally we have to investigate. Let's go tonight..."
Before he finished speaking, Lu San suddenly raised his head.
But in the sky, I saw a black spot approaching quickly, fluttering its wings and falling down. It was Falcon Li Dong.
Lu San threw a piece of rabbit meat, and after appeasing him for a while, he took out the bamboo tube from the falcon's feet and checked the secret message.
After just two glances, his expression became solemn.
"Something happened?"
Sha LiFei suddenly felt something was wrong and asked quickly.
Lu San looked gloomy, handed him the letter, and said coldly, "Shu King Residence took action over there and gave out a bonus."
"In order to buy us time, Yan XiaoGe decided to take a high-profile action and call us all the way. When we get to Neijiang, we will take another route to meet up."
"Happiness?"
Sha LiFei also read the letter and cursed, "This King of Shu has been kicked in the head by a donkey. He is a piece of shit. Why is he causing trouble for us?"
"We don't have much time, let's go take a look tonight!"
In the corner of the wilderness mountains, there is a deep valley hidden.
The night is low, the sky is like ink, there is no starlight, only the strong wind passes through the valley, hitting the walls and rocks, making a whimpering sound.
In the deepest part of the canyon, stands the Grotto Buddha, about five feet tall, wearing a cassock, Vairocana Crown on his head, and holding a tin staff.
The Buddha statue is exquisitely carved. Although it is very old, it is still intact. Its facial features are compassionate and solemn, as if it is quietly watching the canyon.
This is a typical Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva image.
But something different is that on the stone walls around the Buddha statue, there are also carvings of blazing flames, biting ice, Knife Mountain like a forest, and thousands of ghosts wailing.
This is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva hell phase.
The so-called "Hell Bu Kong, I vow not to become a Buddha", carving this shape represents the Bodhisattva's use of wisdom and compassion to save the souls of the dead.
Underneath the grotto, there is an ancient temple. It is not large in area. After years of erosion, the walls have peeled off and the beams and columns have long been mottled.
The temple door was half open, and a candle flame was as dim as a bean.
In front of the bronze statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, several old monks are meditating.
Their robes were white and full of patches. Unless they were washed clean, they would look like beggars.
They are all old, with stooped stature, messy white beards, sunken cheeks and covered with age spots.
It looks like a Old Zombie.
These old monks were the ones who built the Buddha statue back then. After so many years, only a few of them are left.
In the canyon, Sha LiFei lowered his body, holding Divine Firearm, looking around from time to time, his eyes full of vigilance.
"San Er, there's something wrong with this place."
Sha LiFei swallowed and whispered, "Why do I always feel cold on my back, as if something is staring at us?"
"Shh, there's someone on the mountain, don't look up!"
Lu San tugged on his clothes and whispered a reminder.
Sha LiFei understood it, deliberately pretended not to notice, and whispered, "Is there anyone else who is eyeing this place? What's the reason?"
"I don't know."
Lu San whispered, "They used Paper Figure Puppet Technique. Their skills are average, but they have a lot of people. They are all hiding in the caves above the valley. They didn't find it until they entered the mountain."
Even so, Sha LiFei did not dare to be careless and said thoughtfully, "Leaving now will only arouse suspicion. Pretending to be two little thieves, let's find out what's going on first."
After walking not far, they finally saw the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva statue in the distance and the dim candlelight below.
Lu San's complexion changed slightly and he stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Sha LiFei was shocked.
Lu San looked at the distant statue and said solemnly, "There is indeed a problem in this place. That Buddha statue can suppress Divine Ability."
In Wushan, he accidentally dreamed of the Goddess Palace and successfully built a building. Like Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan, he reached Third Floor.
When Third Floor is activated, a new Divine Ability can be awakened.
Perhaps due to the accidental construction of the building, Lu San did not awaken the new Divine Ability, but the original Ear Mystical Power was more powerful.
At this time, the hearing range of his pair of divine ears was twice that of Li Yan, reaching hundreds of meters away.
No slightest movement could escape his ears.
In addition, not only can you understand the language of birds and animals, you can even hear some messages from plants.
It can be said that it far exceeds the same level Ear Mystical Power.
But even so, it was suppressed.
This situation only occurs in Daoist temples with famous mountains and rivers and strong incense.
"What to do?"
Sha LiFei asked in a deep voice.
He has rich experience in the world and can handle some things, but when it comes to things involving Xuanmen, Lu San can only handle them.
Lu San thought for a moment, looked into the distance and muttered, "Go and have a look, we don't have time to delay it any longer."
"Okay."
Sha LiFei gritted his teeth and clenched his hands Divine Firearm.
The two of them moved forward cautiously, but fortunately nothing happened along the way, and they arrived outside the ruined temple safely.
"Alas~"
Before they could say anything, an old sigh sounded in the ruined temple, "Donors, why don't you give up?"
Sha LiFei rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "Master, you have misunderstood. We are not bad guys. We just want to inquire about some things."
An old monk in the ruined temple slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes turned white and he was already blind.
The same goes for other old monks.
"Let's go."
The leader of the old monk said calmly, "There are some things that are not destined for you. If you get them, it will be a disaster. Why do the donors come?"
Sha LiFei was a little speechless, "Oh, you monk, you told us we are not evil people, yet you kicked them out without asking clearly."
Another old monk said, "This place is deserted. If you are not evil people, why are you here?"
Sha LiFei replied, "Looking for something?"
The old monk asked, "Is that thing yours?"
Sha LiFei shook his head, "No."
The old monk sighed, "Isn't that the same?"
"You..."
Sha LiFei suddenly felt dizzy.
He was also very eloquent, but he felt that he couldn't communicate with this old monk at all, and he couldn't even speak to the point.
Lu San suddenly looked back, not caring about the nonsense, and said solemnly, "Masters, we are not evil people. There are some people ambushing outside, and they are coming here. Most of them are not good people."
He could already tell that these monks were old and not experts, and they were probably not far from death.
Unexpectedly, several old monks listened and ignored him at all.
Lu San had no choice but to say, "I'm looking for 'Shitilavana'."
As soon as these words came out, the faces of several monks finally changed slightly.
The leading old monk was silent for a moment and said, "Come in."
Sha LiFei and Lu San winked at each other and entered the ruined temple cautiously, one behind the other.
It was beyond their expectation.
There are no formations or mechanisms here.
It's just a shabby, crumbling temple.
At the same time, dense footsteps also appeared in the darkness of the canyon.
But I saw a group of people approaching quickly with weapons in hand.
They have different images, including monks and Daoists, men and women, and even men dressed as hunters.
As soon as they appeared, they surrounded the ruined temple.
The leader was a fat man who looked like a businessman. He had a kind face, but his eyes were extremely cold, "Old monk, we don't have time to spend any more time with you."
"Tell me quickly, where is Lord Buddha's tomb hidden?"
Sha LiFei As soon as he heard this, he had some guesses in his mind.
These guys are from the Maitreya Sect...