The Secret of the Great Tribulation (II)

"Sir!"

Zhu Lai bowed and scraped humbly, stepped forward, and adopted a submissive posture as he explained:

"We're going to Half-Moon City on business. What can we do for you?"

The guard, carrying a long spear, asked coldly:

"Where's your travel permit? Show it to me!"

Zhu Lai paused for a moment. Half-Moon City was only forty miles away from here, and no travel permit was needed to travel there. Only when the distance exceeded one hundred miles would pedestrians and caravans need to show a travel permit.

The travel permit was issued by the city lord's mansion.

Zhu Lai's caravan was a disguise and could not obtain a travel permit issued by the city lord's mansion.

Seeing Zhu Lai remain silent, the guard blocking the way sharpened his gaze, while the three guards beside him looked at him coldly.

Zhu Lai's heart skipped a beat. He glanced back at his fellow disciples, who looked nervous, and smiled humbly:

"This... I've never heard of this before. Why do I need a travel permit to go to Half-Moon City?"

He came from a beggar background, and was born with the ability to bow and scrape; using a humble attitude to please people was a professional skill for him.

The guard with the sharp edge was very satisfied with Zhu Lai's attitude and explained:

"These are the rules from above, don't ask why."

Because I don't know either.

His answer actually relieved Zhu Lai, because he had just been thinking— Non-Self!

They reported the relocation of Mahayana Buddhism to the city lord's mansion.

It should be noted that there are many Mahayana Buddhism, and there are bound to be some who are unwilling to migrate eastward. They themselves do not want to leave the Western Regions, but they also do not want to see others leave. With such a distorted mentality, it is not impossible for them to report everyone.

Although the Mahayana Buddhism leadership promised to not abandon or give up on the believers who remained in the Western Regions Western Regions, and encouraged them to continue preaching.

This reassured the believers to some extent.

However, Zhu Lai, who came from a beggar background and had witnessed the ugliness of human nature, immediately suspected that his sect had been betrayed.

Fortunately, it seems to be something else?

"Sir, could you do me a favor?" Zhu Lai took out a silver ingot from his pocket and quietly handed it to the guard.

"You bastard!"

The guard was furious and reprimanded him:

"We are warriors loyal to the city lord; the city lord's orders are our faith."

Zhu Lai thought for a moment, then reluctantly took out three more silver ingots, and respectfully presented them:

"Sir, what do you think?"

The guard thought for a moment and said in a deep voice:

"The Buddha said that he would not allow those who believe in him to suffer, and I suppose the city lord would as well."

He looked at the three guards behind him and asked:

"Aren't you right?"

The three guards nodded solemnly.

After smoothing things over, Zhu Lai breathed a sigh of relief and turned to give the instructions:

"Set off!"

The caravan was able to leave the city smoothly and proceed slowly along the bumpy official road outside the city.

The sunlight shone on them, making each of their faces glow, as if they were embarking on a new chapter in their lives.

Mahayana Dharma was forbidden in the Western Regions, they went to the Central Plains, to Central Plains fertile land, to spread their faith.

At the same time, in various city-states and kingdoms of the Western Regions, similar groups left their homes where they had lived since childhood and headed to the wilderness in pursuit of their faith.

They are like streams, converging towards the sea.

Aranda.

The Bodhisattva Liuli stood atop the mountain, overlooking the dense crowd at the foot of the mountain. Almost everyone of status and position from the Western Regions had come.

At the foot of the sacred mountain, on the plain, there are rows of clearly defined tents.

"After the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the Fate of our Buddhist Order will soar like oil on a raging fire. If we can merge with Shenshu, Buddha will be the strongest Transcendent Rank in the Nine Provinces."

A voice, indistinguishable in gender and age, came from behind.

The young monk, dressed in a kasaya, walked in with his hands clasped together.

"Even without merging with Shenshu, Buddha remains the most powerful Transcendent Rank, as long as the Fate of the Western Regions remains intact. In my opinion, Buddha's suppression of Shenshu's head, which caused him to slumber for five hundred years, actually caused him to miss many opportunities."

Liuli eyes were clear and bright, her lips were full and sensual, and her skin was fair and delicate, a stark contrast to the rough skin of the Western Regions.

Bodhisattva Guangxian sighed:

"That's Half-Step Martial God!"

Why did the Buddha establish the system of dual cultivation of Zen and martial arts?

First become Transcendent Rank, then Half-Step Martial God; that would make one truly invincible in heaven and earth.

However, a Confucian Sage emerged from the Central Plains Human Race, sealing away all the Transcendent Rank in the Nine Provinces, completely disrupting the Buddha's plans and forcing Him to find another way.

Then, the uncontrollable "avatar" Shenshu was born. Later, in order to get the plan back on track, Buddha dismembered and sealed Shenshu, originally intending to Spirit Transformation's head first.

"Half-Step Martial God is immortal and indestructible. Even Transcendent Rank can only be sealed, not killed." Bodhisattva Guangxian sighed again.

He paused, then stood shoulder to shoulder with the stunningly beautiful Liuli, looking down at the immeasurably vast number of believers on the plain, a smirk playing on his lips:

"In any case, we are one step ahead of the Gu God and the Shaman God."

"By the way, I heard Xu Qi'an went to sea?"

The Bodhisattva Liuli nodded slightly. "Since he didn't kill the Jialuoshu, his only chance was to go to sea. Unfortunately, that ancient Gods and Devils had already devoured the descendants of the overseas Gods and Devils gods before him."

This trip is destined to be futile.

Upon hearing this, Guangxian looked eastward and smiled, saying:

"After the Dharma Assembly, we will swallow up the Great Feng in one fell swoop."

As soon as he finished speaking, the melodious and high-pitched bells of Aranda rang out, their sounds echoing between heaven and earth.

On the plain at the foot of Mount Aranda, believers emerged from their tents, gazed at the holy mountain, and then, without prior arrangement, sat down cross-legged on the spot.

Regardless of age or gender, everyone sat cross-legged on the ground, hands clasped together, with expressions of piety.

"When!"

The ethereal and melodious sound of the bells echoed in the hearts of believers and rang in the ears of every listener, as if cleansing their souls and bringing them the most genuine emotions about life.

The most devout faith in the Buddha.

Guangxian and Liuli stopped talking and sat down cross-legged.

In the direction of the main temple, the Jialuoshu sat cross-legged in the square, its voice echoing in the ears of every believer along with the tolling of the bells:

"Since the beginning of time, for 723,680 years, no one has attained Buddhahood. After the Buddha, for 3,491 years, no one has attained Buddhahood either. The Buddha is the only one, the only true Buddha in the three thousand worlds."

The believers listened silently and prayed devoutly.

Gradually, the sound of the Jialuoshu in their ears transformed into a faint chanting of scriptures.

At first, they listened silently, but later, they unconsciously joined in the chanting.

Then, a grand chant of Buddhist hymns resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

The chanting of Buddhist hymns filled the air, carrying an inexplicable power that stirred the hearts of every believer from the Western Regions, and touched the hearts of this group of people who symbolized the upper class of the Western Regions.

No one noticed that the majestic and towering Aranda seemed to have come alive, as if endowed with life like a living being.

"The secret teachings cannot be shared with six ears, please wait a moment!"

Xu Qi'an turned his head and glanced at the burly, tall dragonman with slightly graying mane, and the beautiful Queen Pearl beside him.

"You two leave here first."

He used his divine sense to transmit his thoughts into the consciousness of the two descendants of Gods and Devils.

The Island Lord Furious Wave and the Merfolk Queen exchanged a glance, asked no questions, and obediently leaped into the sea, disappearing into the waves with two "plop" sounds.

Xu Qi'an then looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox.

The latter's eyebrows shot up, and she glared at him fiercely.

Xu Qi'an said:

"The king can stay, and the Superintendent is one of our own."

The Superintendent realized:

"Oh, so she's become your confidante?"

Do you think I'm a womanizer? I'm talking about friendship, the kind of friendship that involves risking one's life together. Xu Qi'an felt that the Superintendent must have some misunderstanding about him.

The Nine-Tailed Fox turned its head away and spat.

Once the Island Lord Furious Wave and the Merfolk Queen had swum far away, Xu Qi'an erected a barrier of energy to block the spread of sound.

Then, he and the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox sat side by side at the bow of the ship, looking at the Superintendent.

The Superintendent beckoned, took the Peace Saber into his hand, and while examining it, said:

"It will take some time to process that Daoist Order."

Xu Qi'an then voiced his doubts, saying:

"Why do I see a knife?!"

The Superintendent chuckled and said:

"Because you are a warrior."

"So what if he's a martial artist? Did he eat your rice?!" Xu Qi'an said irritably.

Stop being so mysterious, just explain yourself clearly.

After retorting to the Superintendent, a burst of inspiration struck him:

"Is this what makes warriors different from all other systems?"

The Superintendent nodded with a smile:

"One of the reasons, I'll tell you clearly later."

Xu Qi'an then asked:

"That knife, the one you mentioned as the 'door,' in my perception, while it is indeed wondrous, is it enough to drive Gods and Devils mad? Furthermore, what changes will occur to the Peace Saber after it is integrated with it?"

The Superintendent stroked the Peace Saber and said:

"Only by possessing this knife can you be qualified to become Gatekeeper; it is the Gatekeeper's weapon."

"You're right, it has indeed lost its most core capabilities, because the second great calamity is different from the first."

Just as I suspected, I guessed right. Xu Qi'an was about to ask again when the Nine-Tailed Fox beside him lashed out with its tail, angrily saying:

"Too much nonsense."

She didn't want to listen to Xu Qi'an's nonsense; she only wanted to hear the Superintendent the secret of the great calamity.

Xu Qi'an immediately remained silent.

The Superintendent cross-legged, his Peace Saber held horizontally in front of his knees, and slowly said:

Before revealing the truth about the great calamity, I have a question for you.

"What do you think the sky and the earth are? What is the sky like, and what is the earth like?"

They start pontificating at the drop of a hat; all I know is filial piety and love. Xu Qi'an turned his head and looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox:

"The Superintendent testing you!"

P. S.: The next chapter will fill in the plot holes. I've thought about it for a long time and decided to stop here for now. Because filling in the plot holes needs to be continuous, and there can't be any gaps in the chapters. That way, it will be more interesting for you to read.

PS2: I recommend a book called "The Immortal Fox" by Wandering Toad. It's a pretty interesting book; I've read it.

However, the title reminds me of the Immortal Gourd. Those looking for something to read might want to check it out.

Also, the Nightwatchers should be ending this month.