Above Heaven and Below, I Alone Am Supreme!
The golden square in front of Little Thunderclap Temple was enveloped in an atmosphere that was almost frozen, a mixture of supreme majesty and ultimate tranquility.
The place where those six figures stood seemed to become the absolute core of this world, and even the magnificent radiance of the Little Thunderclap Temple itself seemed to become a backdrop to set them off.
After a moment, the Bodhisattva among the six, whose aura was the most profound and weighty, seemingly bearing the weight of all things, and whose feet rested on a dark Xuanhuang lotus platform, slowly spoke.
The voice did not originate from their mouths, but resounded directly within the Divine Soul of each Arhat, carrying an undeniable Daoist resonance. "The World-Honored One's Chan Assembly begins now."
"During the Dharma assembly, one should maintain righteous thoughts and be single-minded."
Fighting, noise, and prying into the minds of those with Outer Dao Divine Ability are forbidden.
All actions must follow the instructions in the sutra; one must not overstep the bounds even slightly.
"All those who enter this venue with this invitation will have the fortuitous opportunity to hear the supreme and wondrous sounds and to comprehend the profound meaning of the World-Honored One's words."
However, the depth of one's affinity with others and the level of one's understanding depend entirely on oneself; one cannot force it.
"Anyone who violates the rules of the Dharma assembly or disrupts the order of the meditation session—"
The voice paused slightly, and an invisible yet Divine Soul pressure, as powerful as an ancient mountain, gently swept across the entire area.
All the Arhat felt their Purple Mansion tremble and their Dao Foundation shake.
"----Erase the sutra, banish from Spirit Mountain, and never again enter the Buddhist realm."
Concise and to the point, with strict rules and regulations.
There's no unnecessary talk, just the most fundamental rules and the strictest punishments.
Having finished speaking, the Bodhisattva fell silent again, with only the dark golden lotus platform slightly rotating, emanating a faint sense of the cycle of reincarnation and annihilation.
Immediately afterwards, the Bodhisattva, shrouded in a seven-colored, flowing Buddha light, whose figure shifted and transformed into various heavens, slowly stepped forward.
A golden lotus naturally bloomed in the void beneath her sleeve's feet.
At the lotus platform, a pure and clear light of Buddha, seemingly able to reflect all thoughts and cleanse all dust, floated and shone.
Amidst the Buddha's light, an ancient and worn scripture slowly emerged.
The text is carried on a dark yellow, ancient material that is neither silk nor brocade, nor gold nor jade, and the edges are slightly worn.
It looks ordinary, even somewhat dilapidated.
But the instant it appeared, "BOOM!!!"
The entire Little Thunderclap Temple square—no, the entire Spirit Mountain— trembled violently!
Infinite Light erupted from the scripture!
In an instant, it engulfed the figure of the Seven-Colored Bodhisattva, the golden lotus of Principle, and the area where the six Bodhisattvas were located. Like a supernova explosion, it rapidly expanded towards the entire golden plaza, towards the Little Thunderclap Temple, and towards the Spirit Mountain mountain sky!
Where the light shines!
Even the vast Daoist aura emanating from the six Bodhisattvas themselves seemed to become a faint background highlighting their greatness under this light!
This is— the World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture!
The authentic Heart Sutra, imbued with the aura of a supreme being and possibly containing profound mysteries "above the True Lord," has manifested!
The figure of the Seven-Colored Bodhisattva appeared and disappeared amidst the Infinite Light, his hands outstretched as if displaying the most precious treasure in the universe.
A peaceful, lingering chant, amidst the torrent of light, clearly imprinted itself on the minds of every Arhat who still retained a sliver of clarity. "The Gate of All Wonders lie within this sutra."
"All faith, observe it all in your heart—"
The moment the Bodhisattva's voice rang out!
"Don't look!"
A rapid, solemn voice transmission, like a cold steel needle, pierced Qi Yun's ear!
It is Prince Zhao Yin of the Crown Prince of Southern Yin!
Focus all your mind! Seal off your six senses!
Never let even the slightest glimmer of that scripture's golden light enter your eyes or be imprinted on your mind!
The Crown Prince of Southern Yin's voice was more serious than ever before.
Upon hearing this, Qi Yun's eyes suddenly lowered!
The Buddha's light around his body was contained to the extreme. The power of the [Great Radiance Mahasthamaprapta Dharma Body] and the newly born [Primordial Spirit] operated simultaneously, building layers of solid mental barriers in the Ancestral Aperture between his eyebrows and deep within his Purple Mansion, isolating him from all external information intrusion.
However, the way in which the light and Daoist charm manifested in the scriptures exert their influence does not seem to depend solely on "seeing"!
Just as Qi Yun lowered his eyes and closed his vision.
A voice suddenly rang in his ears.
The voice seemed to come from near and far, sometimes male, sometimes female, sometimes filled with irresistible allure, sometimes with a gentle, persuasive charm. "Take a look—why not?"
"This is a genuine work of the World-Honored One, containing supreme Buddhist teachings. The profound mysteries beyond the realm of True Lord may lie within it—just one glance might allow you to glimpse the true face of the Great Dao, saving you from ten thousand years of arduous effort—"
What are you afraid of? The fortuitous opportunity is right in front of you, within reach—
"Who's that person next to you? A remnant of the Southern Yin, a stray dog, and you have an old grudge against him—he's stopping you, he must have ulterior motives, he doesn't want to see you get the fortuitous opportunity and surpass him!"
"Don't believe him! He's blocking your Dao Path and ruining your future!"
Open your eyes—just one glance—one glance is enough—
These voices were not forcibly instilled, but rather arose from the depths of his own heart.
It perfectly aligns with his yearning for the Great Dao, his pursuit of power, and his curiosity about the secrets "above the True Lord," making it incredibly alluring and persuasive!
The power originating from that Heart Sutra is penetrating his closed six senses and mental barriers.
Using his own "desires" and "obsessions" as a bridge, it silently infiltrated and tempted him!
Qi Yun frowned slightly, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
He kept his mind focused, silently reciting the calming mantra from the Great Radiance Glazed Treasure Scripture, resisting the all-pervasive temptation.
Can't watch!
Absolutely do not watch!
That scripture contains great mystery and great danger!
On the golden plaza, Infinite Light continued to erupt and sweep across.
The vision at the heart of the scripture is still evolving wildly.
The six Bodhisattvas stood silently amidst the light.
Among the Arhat, some had already closed their eyes in agony, while others struggled to maintain their composure amidst the light, their gazes hardening. A very few, seemingly unable to resist the temptation or perhaps overconfident in their cultivation, were slowly and laboriously trying to lift their eyelids and look into the deepest part of the light.
"What exactly is this scripture?!"
Feeling the immense power emanating from this Heart Sutra, Qi Yun's expression turned solemn. He directly sent a message to the Crown Prince of Southern Yin: "If you continue to be evasive and mysterious, and fail to explain yourself clearly—"
He paused slightly, his voice as cold as tempered ice. "The cooperation is hereby nullified!"
I would rather crush the sutra right now to attract the attention of the Bodhisattva than play any more guessing games with you here!
In a life-or-death situation, there is no room for hesitation or trial and error!
He needed intelligence; he needed to know immediately what he was facing!
Moreover, his true self is not here; this place is merely a manifestation of his Dharma Body.
If we really flip the table, let's see who suffers more!
Sensing the unwavering resolve in Qi Yun's words, Crown Prince of Southern Yin quickly replied, "This Heart Sutra —it is indeed an authentic work! Written by the World-Honored One himself, and the profound mysteries of the Great Dao contained within it, surpassing even the True Lord, are genuine! Absolutely not a fabrication!"
He spoke quickly, clearly also resisting the immense power of this scroll World-Honored One's Handwritten Scripture: "But the problem lies in— the World-Honored One —the path cultivated by the World-Honored One is extremely domineering!"
"He claims to be the only one who reigns supreme in heaven and earth!"
The Crown Prince of Southern Yin practically spat out those eight words through gritted teeth, each one deliberate and deliberate.
Each word seemed to weigh a ton, carrying an absolute authority and exclusivity that sent shivers down one's Divine Soul!
"Therefore, any living being that hears its teachings and understands its meaning will involuntarily begin to be attracted, assimilated, and enveloped by its essence!"
"Like a drop of water flowing into the sea, like a spark merging with the sun!"
"What he thinks is what the World-Honored One thinks; what he desires is what the World-Honored One desires!"
This is what it means to All Minds as One!
All Minds as One?!
These four words, like four thunderclaps, exploded in Qi Yun's mind!
The World-Honored One's teachings are truly so domineering and unparalleled!
Hearing it will transform you; seeing it will make you the same!
After the initial shock subsided, Qi Yun forced his nearly frozen thoughts to start working again. "This kind of secret touches on the taboos of the Buddhist and Daoist traditions!"
You, a former crown prince who has lost your kingdom, even if you were hiding here, how could you possibly know such a top-secret information that even ordinary Arhats under the tutelage of Arhat might not know?!
The Crown Prince of Southern Yin's voice transmission quickly arrived, his indifference undiminished. "Fellow Daoist, have you perhaps forgotten—my father, the Emperor, is now also a Buddhist cultivator, holding the rank of Bodhisattva."
The truth behind "this All Minds as One" is the final admonition he forcibly conveyed to me at a great cost, before my spirituality had been completely assimilated.
The spirit is not lost!
Qi Yun's pupils suddenly contracted!
"So, this— the World-Honored One's path—even the True Lord cannot be exempted?!"
Wrong!
If even Bodhisattvas and True Lord can be misled by this Heart Sutra, then isn't the World-Honored One's teachings nothing more than a potent poison for other True Lord?
Why would they tacitly allow Buddhism and Daoism to travel eastward to fight for such a "weapon" that could lead to the loss of self once obtained?
That doesn't make sense!
Qi Yun's mind raced, rapidly deducing in his head:
The Heart Sutra contains profound mysteries that transcend the realm of the "True Lord," making it endlessly attractive.
However, the World-Honored One's teaching is "I am the only one who is supreme." Hearing the teachings means losing oneself, which is a major taboo for almost all practitioners who pursue independence and transcendence—especially True Lord have already reached the pinnacle, whose hearts are as firm as a rock, and who each have their Dao Path!
They may yearn for a higher realm, but they would never be willing to sacrifice their "self" as a price!
For True Lord, this Heart Sutra was a complete hot potato.
But the truth is that the True Lord of the Heavens maintained a strange silence on this matter, which led to today's World-Honored One's Chan Assembly.
This is a huge contradiction in itself!
Even the Crown Prince of Southern Yin was able to learn the terrifying truth about the World-Honored One's Path through the remnants of his father's spirituality.
Could those supremely shrewd and calculating True Lord, who hold sway over their respective territories, be kept in the dark?
Don't they have their own intelligence channels?
Has he not studied the World-Honored One's teachings in depth?
Did they not foresee the terrible consequences that coming into contact with the Heart Sutra might bring?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Something's not right—
Within the Great Luo Heaven, deep within the eyes of Qi Yun, the Primordial Immortal Light intertwined and flickered, the light of his deductions almost bursting out of his eye sockets.
Something's nine out of ten wrong!