Old Acquaintances Meet Again, Lairu at Mind Aspect

In the sudden burst of Buddhist light, Bao Ruyin, carrying only one member of the Bao Household's External Scenery, broke through the opponent's suppression.

The other External Scenery, holding Buddhist artifacts and with solemn expressions, sat cross-legged on the ground, unleashing the power of their artifacts to forcibly restrain the person in front of them.

Bao Ruyin's expression was filled with undisguised shock, and she dared not turn around, afraid of meeting those eyes again.

"Esteemed benefactor, are you leaving?"

The gentle voice, like a persistent sore, pierced through the Buddha's light and reached her ears.

Bao Ruyin's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and before she could react, the light above her head suddenly went dark.

She suddenly looked up, her pupils contracting sharply. A gigantic, gilded hand slowly descended from the sky, its palm lines spreading out like mountains and rivers, its five fingers covering the entire sky above the capital.

With this single palm strike, it seemed as if all things in the world were encompassed within it!

"The Tathagata Divine Palm?!"

Bao Ruyin cried out in surprise, recognizing the source of this Divine Ability.

In an instant, all the prayer beads on her wrist shattered, and the protective aura around her was instantly destroyed!

She groaned, a metallic taste rising in her throat, her breath ragged and disordered. She was slammed into the long street below by a palm strike, but suddenly a hint of surprise appeared on her face.

This exchange of blows allowed her to figure out her opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

This person is not of the Dharma Aspect!

His actual strength was only slightly higher than his peak, almost reaching the level of Grandmaster. However, because he was suppressed by this Buddhist land, he could not unleash even 30% of his full strength, which is why he was easily defeated.

As long as it's not Dharma Aspect, not the real person, they have a chance to leave!

Just then, a deafening roar came from the temple enclosed by the Imperial Preceptor's residence. This tremor seemed to have stirred the earth's veins beneath the capital, causing the earth to tremble.

The monk Mietian paused his slowly lowering hand, his brows furrowing. He stopped pursuing Bao Ruyin, flicked his sleeves, and turned back towards the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

At that very moment, Bao Ruyin heard three urgent words in her ear:

"Retreat eastward!"

Bao Ruyin Ru grabbed the junior beside her and shouted sternly:

"Go! Retreat eastward!"

The other figures, Bao Household holding a Buddhist jewel, External Scenery by Bao Ruyin, retreated towards the east of the city.

Before they had run far, a second earth-shattering explosion came from the Imperial Preceptor's residence behind them!

The Tongtian pillar of Buddhist light trembled violently at that moment.

A cold snort echoed throughout the city.

Bao Ruyin turned around and saw a towering Buddha Golden Body emerging from the pillar of light that reached Tongtian heavens and the earth.

The Golden Body had lowered its brows and eyes, and a solemn and dignified appearance. However, the Buddhist light surrounding it was a dark color. With one step, it made the entire royal capital tremble!

"Dharma... Dharma Aspect?!"

Bao Ruyin shocked. Just what level of cultivation did this person possess?!

"But are you from the Bao Household? Let's go this way."

The sound that had been heard earlier came again.

Bao Ruyin the sound and saw a gray-robed monk standing in the shadows at the alley entrance ahead. He was not old and held a dim blue lamp in his hands.

"This humble monk comes from Little Thunderclap Temple, and my Dharma name Miemo." The gray-robed monk lowered his eyes slightly. "I request that you members of the Bao Household evacuate with me without delay."

Little Thunderclap Temple...

Bao Ruyin realized something, and her expression turned wary and hostile as she said, "You are the Miemo entered the Pure Land with the Buddha's disciple? Where is the Buddha's disciple!"

The path taken by Little Thunderclap Temple is the Hinayana path.

The Shaolin Temple and Vajra Chan Temple, which the Bao Household is close to, both lean towards the Mahayana path.

Upon hearing the news of the Buddhist disciple's disappearance, they immediately suspected that the Little Thunderclap Temple was behind it all.

Because the internal situation of Vajra Chan Temple is very special now, the dispute between Hinayana and Mahayana is becoming increasingly serious, and the key to the struggle between these two schools lies with the Dingguang Buddha!

This Buddhist disciple will determine the future direction of Vajra Chan Temple!

The gray-robed monk had already turned and walked towards the corner.

"Now is not the time to worry about this. We absolutely cannot allow us 'outsiders' to fall into that person's hands."

Bao Ruyin and the others quickly followed. "What do you mean?"

The grey-robed monk looked up and saw the towering Buddha Golden Body reaching out with one hand towards the Imperial Preceptor's residence. His gaze was deep and unfathomable as he said:

"Senior Bao should have recognized him by now, right?"

"After all, how could the core pillars of each family not recognize the Dharma Aspect experts on the Heaven Ranking?"

Bao Ruyin's heart sank. "What are you saying? You recognized him too... no, you mean, that person, that person really is..."

She felt a chill for no apparent reason.

Even after a hundred years, she still couldn't forget that meeting. That seemingly gentle man had eyes that seemed to reach into the Nine Netherworlds hell, enough to stir up the deepest desires in people's hearts.

"That's impossible!"

She hissed almost in a fit of rage.

"There is no other gateway to this place in the world. How could Kou Ziling have infiltrated this realm before us!"

The Dharma Master Miemo, Deng Canglan, looked up silently at the figure who had single-handedly suppressed the four hosts from the surrounding countries, and slowly said:

"What if it wasn't Kou Ziling?"

"What do you mean?" Bao Ruyin stared at the back of the monk who claimed to be the exterminator of Miemo, feeling that this guy seemed to know a lot.

But Deng Canglan did not answer her again.

He withdrew his gaze and quickened his pace.

The method created by my own master is called the "Primordial Self-Slaying Scripture," also known as the "Infinite Return to One Primordial Devil Scripture."

It claims to be able to "enlighten" three thousand versions of oneself with different identities and life experiences—a Buddhist School monk, a Daoist School True Person, a general on the battlefield, or a butcher in the marketplace.

Even the number three thousand here is just a figure of speech; in reality, it should be an infinite number.

Each time he kills one of his "selves," he can transform the entirety of that other self into nourishment, ultimately unifying them into one, achieving the [Primordial Heavenly Demon], which is neither god, nor Buddha, nor demon, nor human.

He used to think this was a method of self-harm.

The Master's so-called "enlightenment" is nothing more than a method of splitting and playing a role in Primordial Spirit.

He split his primordial Primordial Spirit into parts, each playing a different role, wandering in a world of illusion.

But now it seems he greatly underestimated the path his master had paved!

But he didn't believe that everything was under his master's control and plan.

As Master often says, he is a human being, not Gods and Devils.

Was this encounter an accident, a coincidence, a chance meeting, or some kind of Predestination?

This made Deng Canglan's pupils grow even deeper, making it hard not to think of the Buddha behind the Little Thunderclap Temple.

In the mountains.

The temple gates were open, and the plaque read "Mind Aspect Temple." There were no monks in the temple, only the eternal lamp in front of the Buddha statue on the altar was still burning.

Not far from the temple, Chen Dingxin withdrew his foot, staring intently at the temple ahead, feeling a chill run down his spine.

When he landed, he happened to be not far from the temple, and another person landed in a similar position, both near the temple.

As soon as the two landed, they saw the ancient temple gates ahead half-closed, with golden light faintly shining from the halls, making them both envious.

This place is already a pure land of Buddhist School, and with the addition of a temple that shines with golden light...

There's almost no need for hesitation!

The other man laughed loudly and said, "Brother Chen, first come, first served. Don't blame me for being quick if you're slow!"

Having said that, he rushed straight to the temple.

Chen Dingxin hesitated for only a moment before the other person beat him to it.

The man rushed into the main hall, and before his laughter had even subsided, he suddenly froze on the spot.

The person who was laughing just a second ago suddenly froze, remaining motionless as if reaching out to grab the golden lamp in front of the Buddha.

Immediately afterwards, a cluster of pale golden flames, about the size of a soybean, slowly emerged from the top of his head.

The flames slowly burned, spreading from the top of his head to his eyebrows, all the way down. The person seemed to be nailed to the spot, losing all five senses. Even with his eyebrows burning, he neither screamed nor struggled.

In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a human candle engulfed in pale golden flames, standing silently in the Buddhist hall. The firelight illuminated the Buddha statue behind him, creating an indescribably eerie and solemn atmosphere.

The ever-burning lamp in front of the Buddha statue, which had been extremely dim, suddenly flickered upwards and became much brighter.

Whether it was his imagination or not, Chen Dingxin inexplicably felt that the Buddha statue was smiling at him.

This eerie feeling made him no longer hesitate. He retreated rapidly, covering several miles in no time.

He stood several miles away, gazing in the direction of the temple, and a sudden chill ran through him.

The temple, which had been pushed open, had somehow fallen back into a half-closed state, as if it had been gently closed, with a faint golden light of Buddha shining through the crack in the door.

If he hadn't remembered his great-uncle's reminder to always let others take the lead, and hesitated for a moment, he wouldn't have let that person get there first...

Chen Dingxin took a deep breath, turned around, and left without looking back.

This godforsaken place is really a Pure Land of Buddha?!

A flash of sword light seemed to fill the entire sky, sweeping through the army formation of tens of thousands of people. A Daoist nun, with her hand on her sword, slowly stepped out of the encirclement of the army.

It was Daoist Qingzhi of the Nanhua Sect.

She frowned and looked around, only to see a sea of heads all around her.

As far as the eye could see, there were soldiers in full armor, layer upon layer, like the waves of a rising tide, stretching from the ground to the horizon.

A quick glance revealed at least tens of thousands of troops, with camps stretching into the distance, banners obscuring the sun, and even more troops could be vaguely seen being mobilized.

Shouldn't the Buddha-land of Venerable Rahula be a pure and solemn place?

According to ancient texts, the ground should be made of lapis lazuli, the steps of gold, mandalas should fall from the sky, and chanting should fill the air.

But the scene before me is clearly a battlefield where people fight each other in the mortal world!

"Where did this swordsman come from?"

A clear whistling sound came from behind the army.

A white figure rose gracefully, walking through the air with fluttering robes, and landed on the command platform in front of the army formation in a few leaps.

The newcomer was dressed in pure white, with a long sword at his waist. His long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, with the rest falling over his shoulders.

He was tall and slender, with a refined and elegant demeanor, and a gentle smile playing on his lips.

He still held a plain folding fan in his hand, gently closed it, bowed to Daoist Qingzhi, and spoke in a gentle tone like a spring breeze, "This young lady looks unfamiliar. May I ask where you come from? Could it be that you have come here specifically to help us fight against the evil monk of the Turbid Kingdom?"

He spoke with elegance and gentleness, giving people a sense of being a gentleman, like a spring breeze.

Daoist Qingzhi had initially thought to herself that this person possessed an extraordinary demeanor; she had been living in her grotto-heaven for many years and hadn't seen someone like him in a long time...

Suddenly.

Daoist Qingzhi was so frightened that she took a step back.

She saw the man's face clearly, her expression changed instantly, and goosebumps rose all over her body.

That face, that outfit, that manner of speaking... the impact of this scene on her was no different than a rough, uncouth man who liked to pick his toes when he had nothing to do suddenly donning the skin of a Aristocratic Clan young master.

She nearly cried out, "Old Mo?!"

"Are you possessed?!"

Upon hearing this, the man in white revealed a slightly puzzled smile, yet the smile remained as gentle and Ruyu.

"Miss, you've mistaken me for someone else. My name is Fu Tingxue, the commander of the allied forces here, not some ' Old Mo '."

Fu Tingxue?

Daoist Qingzhi trembled all over.

She'd rather believe a dog had learned to play the zither than believe Old Mo could be so refined and gentle!

What exactly is happening in this Buddhist Pure Land?!

Suddenly, a towering golden Buddha Golden Body emerged from a distant pillar of light Tongtian.

The white-robed man, Fu Tingxue, suddenly changed his expression and said in a deep voice, "My lady, the Demonic Monk from the Turbid Kingdom is causing trouble. I need to go and meet some of my comrades. Please excuse me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished from the spot.

When Daoist Qingzhi turned around, she looked surprised.

This is... Dharma Aspect?!

After leaving the city beneath its feet, Yu Tunzhou headed east, away from the direction of the Buddha's light and sound. Fortunately, its physical body was not restricted, and with its full power, a single leap was enough to crush a small hill, traveling several miles straight ahead.

Along the way, he saw many people from the Turbid Kingdom, whether on the mountains, in the fields, or by the roadside... all of them were kneeling on the ground at this moment, their faces filled with infatuation and fervor, listening to the legendary Buddhist teachings.

He didn't stop along the way, choosing instead to speed up and leave.

About an incense stick's time later, the Buddhist chanting dissipated, and the people of the Turbid Kingdom along the way returned to normal.

Yu Tunzhou observed the journey and found that the further east he went, or rather, the closer he got to the outer edge of the country, the more normal people he encountered.

This corroborates the nun's statement.

This world has not been completely destroyed; rather, only the Turbid Kingdom has fallen into the inversion of precepts.

Another point is that normal people, in the face of those whose cognition has been distorted, all cower and retreat step by step, offering no resistance whatsoever.

Just as those who keep the precepts can only choose to tolerate those who break them, because they must abide by the precepts.

This scene is rather absurd, as if good people have to make way for bad people.

Why?

Because he is a good person.

If he resists, he will break the precept and become a transgressor.

Those who keep the precepts are powerless to resist and can only endure the suffering.

Those who break the rules act recklessly, living as they please and enjoying themselves immensely.

This absurd situation became the root cause of the Turbid Kingdom's continuous decline and was accelerating this change.

During their journey, Yu Tunzhou maintained constant communication with Huntian, wanting to know how to get out of the Inner Heaven and Earth of Immortals and Gods.

But the answer was cruel.

Even those of the same level rarely dare to trespass into another's Inner Heaven and Earth, because a complete Inner Heaven and Earth symbolizes an independent, complete, and airtight "system of rules."

"When you're on someone else's turf, you have to abide by their rules, principles, and reasoning. Who knows how much of your full strength you'll actually be able to utilize?"

"Of course, if one could forcibly break through the opponent's Inner Heaven and Earth, it would be a devastating blow, far exceeding any damage to the physical body or Primordial Spirit!"

Yu Tunzhou had no choice but to abandon the idea.

About half an hour later, he left the territory of the Turbid Kingdom and entered a mountain range.

Because his Primordial Spirit perception was suppressed, he was unable to explore his surroundings and could only continue eastward until he could see a temple standing in the mountains in the distance before he stopped.

"Mind Aspect Temple?"

Yu Tunzhou frowned. According to the nun, it should be [Little Formless Temple].

He noticed that the temple gate was half-open, and golden light emanated from it, which aroused his curiosity.

He approached, gently knocked on the temple gate, and politely asked, "May I ask if there are any eminent monks in the temple? I have always had a connection with Buddhism, and now that I am passing through this sacred place, I cannot fail to pay my respects."

There was silence inside; there was no response.

Only the golden light shining through the half-open door crack appeared all the more warm and bright, as if silently inviting you.

Yu Tunzhou did not rush in, but waited patiently for a moment.

Sudden.

With a creak, the half-closed door was slowly opened from the inside.

An old monk stood behind the door. He was thin and his robe was patched but clean. He clasped his hands together and slowly raised his lowered eyes to reveal a pair of cloudy but peaceful eyes.

Yu Tunzhou met those eyes, unaware of anything amiss, but a growing sense of vigilance began to rise within him.

Although his Primordial Spirit perception was suppressed, his five senses were absent, so even at such close range, he didn't hear any footsteps!

This person either appeared out of thin air or had been waiting behind the temple gate for a long time.

The old monk clasped his hands together, stepped aside to make way for him, and smiled:

"Please come in, benefactor."

As the gate opened, Yu Tunzhou looked around the hall and found it empty and deserted, though the ground was spotless. In the center of the temple was a faceless Buddha statue.

The ever-burning lamp in front of the Buddha statue was burning extremely brightly.

"Is the abbot the only one in this temple?"

Yu Tunzhou didn't lift a foot, asking seemingly casually.

The old monk smiled and said, "This is Mind Aspect Temple. I am the only monk here at the moment. My Dharma name Lairu. Greetings, Benefactor Yu."

Lairu?

Yu Tunzhou his spine.

If this were reversed, wouldn't it be...?

Tathagata?

(Chapter 232 was blocked for a while in the morning and was released in the afternoon. It's not that there was no update or that it was late...)