The Buddha's Passing, Maitreya's Scheme

"With your wisdom and aspiration for enlightenment, and possessing the virtues Tathagata the Tathagata, you perfectly align with the Buddhist School of 'self-reliance.' As long as you cultivate the true Dharma, you have the potential to attain enlightenment by the end of this era, becoming Future Buddha and transcending the sea of suffering on the Other Shore."

"Enter the Buddhist School?"

Yu Tunzhou looked at the old monk in front of him with some disappointment, because the person in front of him was still not the one he had met at Mind Aspect Temple, the one who had given him the blessing of this world.

He shook his head and laughed:

"You monk, how utterly ignorant of manners! I guided you to your Buddhist kingdom and quelled the chaos of the Demonic Monk, yet you repay kindness with enmity, wanting to drag me into the Buddhist School to receive ordination?"

The old monk smiled knowingly, put his hands together and said, "Seeing that you have Tathagata the virtue of the Tathagata, I was truly delighted. Therefore, even though I knew that you had previously refused the Buddha, I still couldn't help but have the thought of recruiting you. In the end, I fell into the trap of being attached to appearances."

"You rejected Buddha before?" Yu Tunzhou raised an eyebrow and asked, "When?"

The old monk suddenly burst into laughter and uttered three words:

"Mind Aspect Temple!"

Suddenly, the scene of him offering his fist to the old monk in Mind Aspect Temple flashed into Yu Tunzhou's mind.

That person is... Buddha?!

"Is Buddha still Mortal Realm?" Yu Tunzhou's expression turned solemn, and his tone became serious.

The Buddha of this world is said to be the second person to attain enlightenment after the Dao Venerable.

Before the Buddha disappeared, he sensed that a great calamity would befall the Mortal Realm and all beings would be forever trapped in suffering. Therefore, he left behind a supreme method for the world, which was the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic in his mind.

"It comes from nowhere and goes nowhere," the old monk said slowly. "Although the Buddha has passed away, the essence of his teachings still flows in this Saha World. He will compassionately appear in the world to expound the Dharma and enlighten sentient beings according to their karmic conditions and capacities."

"The fact that you, Fish Benefactor, received the Buddha's teachings shows that you have a karmic connection with the Buddha, but unfortunately..."

The old monk shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the inconspicuous "ring" between Yu Tunzhou's fingers, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

It's the same situation as back then.

The Daoist and Buddhist School Daoist School, led by Grand Purity, are betting against each other—this has been the case in the past, and it remains so today. But will the outcome change?

A hint of worry flashed across the old monk's eyes. Things were different now. Within Buddhist School, after the loss of the highest-ranking Buddhas, there were signs of unrest. Various lineages were openly and secretly fighting for the position of the "Future Buddha."

Yu Tunzhou was deeply shaken and pressed on, "The Buddha has passed away?! Wasn't it rumored that the Buddha had already gone to seek the Dao Venerable and attained enlightenment on the Great Dao?"

"That's nothing but wild speculation and rumors," the old monk sighed. "Both the Dao Venerable and the Buddha disappeared one after the other, and people all believe that they attained a higher level of Dao Path. We don't know the true nature of the Daoist School Dao Venerable, perhaps the high-ranking Daoists do, but the Buddha has indeed passed away."

Upon suddenly hearing such a secret, Yu Tunzhou's expression turned solemn, and various speculations came to mind.

If he wasn't mistaken, the monk before him should be the true master of this Buddhist kingdom, Rahula, one of the Buddha's ten great disciples and the foremost in secret practices!

Given his status, he is already a core member of the Buddhist School, so his words are highly credible.

Has the Buddha truly entered Nirvana?

It is not the enlightenment and transcendence that people believe in, but true Nirvana?

"Are you Venerable Rahula?" Yu Tunzhou asked first to confirm.

"It is indeed this humble monk." The old monk clasped his hands together and bowed slightly. "Greetings to fellow Daoists of the Grand Purity Lineage."

Yu Tunzhou's gaze sharpened; it turned out that this person had already recognized his identity.

"May I ask how the Buddha passed away?" Yu Tunzhou asked. "It seems that only the higher-ups in Buddhist School know this, but looking across the heavens, who else could make the Buddha, who existed in this way, pass away so silently?"

The old monk remained silent for a moment before saying, "The Buddha's passing was a sudden event. At least, this humble monk is not aware of the details. Indeed, this matter has never been made public and is a top secret within Buddhist School."

Yu Tunzhou frowned, suddenly?

That would be even more baffling.

Could it be that the Dao Venerable is in a similar situation?

"If it is such a top-secret matter, why did the Venerable One so readily reveal it to me?"

"Because you, benefactor Yu, have a karmic connection with Buddhism." The old monk looked deeply at Yu Tunzhou. "There is one more thing I must remind you of. The scriptures left by the Buddha are imbued with profound karmic implications. They may be meaningless to you, but they are of utmost importance to our Buddhist School. Therefore, many Buddhist School will inevitably come seeking you in the future. I hope you will prepare accordingly."

Yu Tunzhou asked solemnly, "What is the cause and effect?"

The old monk looked up, Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but turn around as well. They saw a crystal lamp hanging above the boy's head, Dingguang walked over from afar, saying:

"The karmic connection between the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic and you, my senior brother, is not yet resolved. You can keep it with you without worry. It may prove useful in the future, perhaps even saving your life. I will come to retrieve it when the karmic connection is truly settled."

The old monk, with a solemn expression, bowed and said, "Greetings, Ancient Buddha."

Dingguang calmly returned the greeting, his eyes clear and bright, and said, "Past lives are past lives, this life is this life. This humble monk Dingguang greets Venerable Rahula."

The old monk looked serious, as if he wanted to say something, but he held back.

Yu Tunzhou looked over, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "I was originally going to ask you whether I should call you Dingguang or Ancient Buddha Dipankara, but judging from what you just said, are you preparing to sever your past karma?"

My senior brother can simply call me Dingguang.

The young monk smiled, his features still the same as before, only the naivety of the past was gone, replaced by a more profound wisdom that came with age.

"Senior brother, once you leave the cave and return to the Central Plains, be careful of the Little Thunderclap Temple. If I'm not mistaken, Maitreya is behind them."

Beware of Maitreya?

Yu Tunzhou's mind raced, and he asked, "How did you initially enter this Buddhist kingdom?"

"It's that Miemo benefactor; he possesses a contingency plan left behind by a powerful Buddhist School Divine Ability," Dingguang said. "His true identity should be Deng Canglan, a disciple of Kou Ziling."

"Is it this guy?" Yu Tunzhou frowned. "He's just a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect, getting involved with the Little Thunderclap Temple?"

At this moment, he suddenly remembered Shen You, whom he had met on his way from the Dragon Palace to the Eastern Wilderness.

This guy is Deng Canglan's senior brother; he came to find him to confirm Deng Canglan's whereabouts.

After leaving Dragon Gate, the latter did not return to the Heavenly Demon Sect, but instead colluded with the Little Thunderclap Temple?

Thinking of this, Yu Tunzhou looked up at the world around him, using the lingering blessings of heaven and earth to search for Deng Canglan's whereabouts.

The old monk shook his head and said, "This Benefactor Deng is quite an interesting person. After Benefactor Yu made his move, he chose to leave, and this humble monk did not try to stop him."

"Oh?" Yu Tunzhou was moved and looked at the person in front of him. This person's state was extremely special, between life and death, between reality and illusion. He didn't know how much power this person had left.

"Deng Canglan, Heavenly Demon Sect..." Yu Tunzhou pondered, recalling the words of Mietian before his death.

In Mietian's view, it was not he who defeated him this time.

He originally thought that "Mietian" referred to the old monk he had met before.

However, it seems that this is not the case at present.

As Kou Ziling's disciple, Deng Canglan entered the Buddhist Kingdom under the guidance of the Little Thunderclap Temple, ultimately preventing Kou Ziling's "projection" from Mietian...

Does this count as a loving teacher and a filial brother?

Yu Tunzhou suddenly asked, "If Mietian successfully conquers the entire Buddhist Kingdom and ascends to the Central Plains with overwhelming power, what will happen?"

The old monk slowly said, "Because of the unique characteristic of the True Spirit, the moment it ascends to the upper realm, it will clash with the 'main body' true Spirit Aspect. There will inevitably be a life-or-death battle between the two to determine who will ultimately become the 'master.' The victor will control everything, the True Spirit will become one with the body, and the cultivation will greatly advance."

He paused, then said, "If I'm not mistaken, the main body of the Mietian uses Heavenly Demon Method as its core to enlighten the beings in the lower realms, luring them to ascend to the upper realms. It guides them step by step to grow and eventually ascend to the upper realms, while it sits back and reaps the benefits."

"This person has likely reached the pinnacle of Immortals and Gods and is not far from the [Primordial Unity] realm."

Yu Tunzhou immediately understood.

Kou Ziling has been at the Dharma Aspect for hundreds of years, and has probably reached the end of the Dharma Aspect level long ago. Moreover, he is holding a celestial weapon that corresponds to the level of Great Sage. If Mietian wants to ascend, he has no chance of winning.

Once he ascends to Mietian, everything he has gained here will become Kou Ziling's resources for cultivation.

The one behind Little Thunderclap Temple had foreseen all of this long ago, which is why he guided Deng Canglan to this place, disrupting Mietian's path to ascension and thus blocking Kou Ziling's Dao Path to enlightenment.

Yu Tunzhou looked at the old monk and Dingguang, and asked in a deep voice:

Is the Venerable One's current state related to the obstruction of the Mietian?

The old monk nodded. "This humble monk's True Spirit has been lost for a long time, which is why it was taken advantage of by the Mietian. Fortunately, Benefactor Yu suppressed the Mietian, and the Ancient Buddha enlightened it with the Glazed Immortal Lamp, which is why it was able to awaken."

Dingguang said softly, "My awakening point shouldn't be now."

The old monk's eyes were deep, and he sighed inwardly. That person was indeed still uneasy.

Yu Tunzhou asked again, "What consequences will there be if you wake up early?"

"There are advantages and disadvantages," Dingguang said frankly. "It's an advantage for ' Dingguang,' but a disadvantage for ' Dipankara.' The most direct impact is that what's in control now is the present self, not the memories of the past."

Yu Tunzhou instantly understood the key to it.

It was Dingguang Buddha who awakened, not Ancient Buddha Dipankara.

The difference lies in the fact that Dingguang is now more inclined to believe in the reincarnation of Immortals and Gods rather than the return of Immortals and Gods.

Is this Maitreya's scheme?

With one move, not only was Kou Ziling's path blocked, but Dingguang also awakened prematurely. However, Dingguang was preoccupied with "this life," so the Ancient Buddha Dipankara could not be considered to have truly returned.

Finally, he conveniently resolved Rahula's predicament, allowing this foremost Buddhist School of secret practices to escape his Arhat and return to Buddhist School.

Killing three birds with one stone, without leaving a trace.

"Is it for the position of the Future Buddha?" Yu Tunzhou looked at Venerable Rahula.

The old monk murmured Buddhist chants softly, remaining silent, which could be considered tacit agreement.

Dingguang remained remarkably calm in response, his gaze sincere as he said:

"Senior brother, I will stay here for a while to help stabilize the True Spirit of Venerable Rahula. After this matter is over, I hope you can accompany me to Vajra Chan Temple."

Looking at the little monk in front of him, Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Even if one is not currently dominated by the vast memories of their past life after awakening them, the impact is still unavoidable.

And as his memories gradually merged over time, Dingguang would only become more and more like the ancient Ancient Buddha Dipankara, who sat serenely on a lotus throne, illuminating all eternity.

"Good"

Yu Tunzhou nodded in agreement, "You can have someone contact me then."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Dingguang his hands together and bowed respectfully.

"Your return to Vajra Chan Temple this time is to settle the dispute between Mahayana and Hinayana?" Yu Tunzhou recalled what he had heard before.

Dingguang nodded. "This matter shouldn't be debated for so long. Once this is over, I will end all of this."

Yu Tunzhou looked at Dingguang and knew his choice without even asking.

The core difference between Hinayana and Hinayana Buddhist School lies in the distinction between self-salvation and Pudu.

Hinayana Buddhism focuses solely on personal practice and discipline, seeking self-liberation and escaping the sea of suffering.

Mahayana Buddhism believes that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature, and that one should not only seek personal liberation but also Pudu all sentient beings, helping them escape the sea of suffering.

Dingguang's choice must have been Mahayana Buddhism.

However, Little Thunderclap Temple represents... Hinayana Buddhism.

That Maitreya Buddha actually chose Hinayana Buddhism in the end?

Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but recall what he had learned in his previous life—

Maitreya is the Future Buddha revered by both Hinayana Buddhism.

However, in Mahayana scriptures, there is more than one Future Buddha. For example, Venerable Rahula is also one of the Future Buddha. Maitreya is only regarded as one of the countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three times in Mahayana.

Hinayana Buddhism, on the other hand, views Maitreya as the only prophesied Future Buddha.

From this perspective, this person's choice was not entirely without precedent.

Yu Tunzhou remained silent for a moment, then realized that the power he had gained from the blessings of heaven and earth was beginning to fade.

At the same time, the old monk also bid him farewell:

Today's cause, tomorrow's effect.

"When this humble monk returns to the world in the future, I will repay the karma of today."

Before leaving, the old monk hesitated slightly, then sent a telepathic reminder:

"Benefactor Yu, the item you wear on your wrist seems to be a core fragment of the Nine Heavens? If you intend to contend for the position of ' Heavenly Emperor ' in the future... you might as well establish a firm foothold in the Nine Heavens as soon as possible."

The position of "Heavenly Emperor"?

Upon hearing that it was related to the Heavenly Court, Yu Tunzhou turned his head to look, about to ask a question, but the person adopted a mysterious and knowing attitude, his figure merging into the golden Buddhist light scattered throughout the sky.

Afterwards, Dingguang also bid him farewell, as he was about to travel to the Turbid Kingdom to completely eliminate the inverted karma of the people Turbid Kingdom.

Yu Tunzhou did not try to stop him and left as well. He did not meet with Jingchen and the others, but instead found a place suitable for quiet meditation.

The blessings from this world are fading; most directly, the illusory fruition of the Dao Sprout Immortal Embryo in his Dantian is disappearing.

The reason he was able to fight against the Mietian today is entirely due to this.

He had essentially reached the External Scenery Fourth Layer Realm ahead of time, and the outcome of his battle against the newly ascended Mietian Immortals and Gods, Mie Tian, was obvious.

This battle proved that, at the External Scenery Fourth Layer, he was qualified to contend with the Dharma Aspect based on the uniqueness of his Dao Path.

According to Huntian, even in the ancient times, there were very few people who could defeat immortals Immortals and Gods with their mortal bodies without relying on divine weapons and Law Treasure.

Therefore, at this moment, he is seizing the last moments before the blessing dissipates to calmly comprehend the principles of the External Scenery Fourth Layer.

One of the biggest gains from this trip to the Buddhist Kingdom was that it directly paved the way for him to the External Scenery Fourth Layer.

In future spiritual practice, one only needs to solidify the Dao Foundation step by step, and success will come naturally.

After comprehending the fusion of the principles of law and the Primordial Spirit Inner Form, Yu Tunzhou then took stock of the rest of his gains from the trip.

For example, the news of the Buddha's passing away, the suspected Future Buddha and Daoism within the Buddhist School, and the concepts of projection and the main body...

In the end, all his thoughts returned to that punch Mind Aspect Temple.

Compared to his battle with Mietian, this punch is something he should re-examine and reflect upon even more.

The determination with which that punch was thrown had absolutely nothing to do with who the opponent was.

There was no calculation, no weighing of options, and no way out.

They don't question cause and effect, nor fear those who come after them.

Yu Tunzhou asked himself honestly, if he had known all along that the person was Buddha, would he still have thrown the punch?

Asking about boxing when you know the answer is completely different from asking about boxing when you don't know the answer.

The question had barely crossed his mind when he burst into laughter.

Because, if I ask myself honestly, the answer is--

meeting.

Even knowing that the person blocking his path was Buddha, he would still throw a punch like Yu Tunzhou!

Even though the blessing from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth had dissipated, his cultivation of Nature Cultivation still stood firmly on the threshold of [Nature-Seeing Heaven], simply because of this word "knowing".

During this trip to the Buddhist kingdom, he directly paved the way for the future access to the External Scenery Fourth Layer.

But now it seems that nothing can withstand this punch, which has allowed him to find his own Martial Dao.

Yu Tunzhou stood up.

The blessings of heaven and earth receded like the tide, and the illusory fruit position in the Dantian had dissipated its last ray of light.

He felt the power draining away, but he didn't feel empty. Instead, it was as if he had unloaded something. After all, this power was never his to begin with, and what was borrowed must eventually be returned.

At this moment, he wanted to return the last bit of "external possessions" he had left.

He looked up, twisted his wrist, and raised his fist to question the heavens.

This punch was devoid of any fancy moves or variations; it was simply, upright, and domineeringly thrust towards the sky.

The remaining power of heaven and earth's blessing poured in like a river overflowing its banks, all flowing into this fist. The fist imprint Fuyao and crashed down at the very top of the sky above this place.

Yu Tunzhou looked up at the clear sky, his eyes reflecting the vast and calm expansive blue expanse.

The martial artist asks the question with his fist.

Everything comes from the fist.

The old monk, who was nowhere to be found, turned around and took in the full splendor contained in that punch.

The sheer power of this punch truly lives up to the Buddha's assessment of this fish-like benefactor that day.

"What an arrogant and ignorant martial artist!"

The old monk couldn't help but sigh softly.

This move --

A young man named Deng Canglan realized what True Demon was.

The disciple of the Buddha, a reincarnation of an ancient Buddha, foresaw the true nature of suffering for all beings.

And finally, there was the fish benefactor who had a connection with both Daoism and Buddhism, who found his true self and understood the Martial Dao.

The old monk softly uttered a Buddhist chant.

Maitreya--

Was this also part of your plan?

July End-of-Month Summary

This month's update is a bit short of 180,000 words, slightly less than last month. Oh well, I'll try to update more in August.

As for the storyline, we've already entered the mid-stage, and a lot of groundwork has been laid, so the upcoming upgrades will definitely bring a small surge in progress.

Personally speaking, I think this book is smoother to write now than the later parts of the Bodhi Tree series...

To be honest, as my first fantasy novel, I really wrote the later parts of "The Bodhi Tree" out of habit. I don't know if everyone remembers the western storyline of "The Bodhi Tree," but I remember there was a chapter titled "Looking Down on the World, Celestial Person All Look Up in Awe."

After Ji Jingqiu overpowered the Celestial Person, I skipped the western storyline and jumped directly to two months later, finishing the story in one fell swoop. The main reason was that I didn't know how to write it...

Including the beginning and the end, my control over the plot of the Bodhi Tree and the setting of the supporting characters was actually out of control, so I didn't have much plot to write... At that time, my approach was rather crude; if I couldn't find a suitable framework, I would skip it.

So relatively speaking, apart from some major mistakes in the initial choices, I personally feel that I learned a lot while writing this book, especially in terms of the later development and the character development.

I won't share more insights for now, because I'm still trying, and I don't even know if I'm doing it right. I just hope that finishing this book will help me improve.

Thank you for your support, dear readers!

Finally, there will be Extended Net Moon after midnight, featuring the Shangqing Mountain and Grand Purity Lineage. You can enter the chapter first and then cast your monthly tickets to avoid casting your tickets only to find out you can't read it.