The Two Sages of the West's Scheme Succeeded, Awakening Duobao's Buddhist Intent
Just as Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiaos returned to the Interception Sect,
Elsewhere,
A staggering distance of hundreds of trillions of li from the Interception Sect's cultivation grounds,
Lay a place almost at the western reaches of the Primordial World.
A few hundred thousand li farther west,
And one would be within the territory governed by the Western Teachings.
This spot
Happened to lie where the eastern and western reaches of the Primordial World met.
Spiritual Qi had once filled the place.
Green grass and spiritual plants had been too numerous to count.
It had been a paradise for cultivation.
But years ago, the Dao-Demon War between Dao Ancestor Hongjun and Luohu had brought a great calamity.
The foundations of Mount Sumeru's Qi veins in the western Primordial World had been destroyed as a result.
Thus, spiritual Qi in the West had grown thin, foundations of the Dao had become scarce, and the land had become utterly barren.
Its former splendor had given way to the desert that now stretched across it.
An eerie hot wind blew through the desert,
Stirring up the sand that lay on the surface.
It brought such intense heat that even the space here seemed to warp.
Through that warped space, a magnificent golden temple could faintly be seen,
Standing in the deserted sands.
Even from afar, one could see the incomparably pure Buddhist intent above the temple,
Accompanied by brilliant rays of Buddha light
That shot straight into the sky.
The powerful force even made the dry surroundings feel refreshingly cool.
Inside the temple,
Buddhist prayer beads of all kinds and imposing Buddha statues added to its splendor.
Among them sat a bald, slightly plump young Daoist with an honest, guileless face.
Dressed in an earth-yellow Daoist robe, he sat quietly before a Buddha statue.
An indistinct, brilliant golden light also rippled around him.
Though not as strong as the temple's, his Buddhist intent was still abundant.
Were it not for the baleful Qi faintly emanating from between his brows,
One might have taken the bald young man for an enlightened monk of the Western Teachings.
But if a Jie Sect Disciple had come here now, they would surely have recognized him!
He was none other than
The Interception Sect's eldest senior brother, Daoist Duobao!
At that moment, Daoist Duobao sat cross-legged in silence before a meditation cushion,
Staring absentmindedly at the Buddha statue before him.
His deep eyes held an extraordinary profundity, as though he had gained some insight.
I never expected that, after traveling for so many years, I would find an opportunity of my own here!
The wondrous Dharma of this Western Pure Land seemed dull when I first heard it, but on closer thought, it does have some merit.
Most importantly, my state of mind is remarkably compatible with the wondrous Dharma of the Western Paradise World.
As that thought crossed his mind,
A trace of helplessness flashed in Duobao's eyes.
But I am the Interception Sect's chief disciple. Wouldn't everything be thrown into confusion if I cultivated the Buddhist Dharma of the West?
If Master found out, he would surely be angry, and I would have wasted all the care he has taken to teach me over the years!
As he dwelled on this,
A conflicted look crossed Daoist Duobao's honest face.
Some reason still remained in his heart.
But whenever he caught sight of the golden Buddha statue out of the corner of his eye,
His mind grew somewhat dazed.
He could not look away.
That last shred of reason began to fade.
He felt only that the Buddha statue before him was incomparably familiar.
It was as though his heart belonged here!
Duobao continued to gaze at it,
His state of mind gradually coming under its influence.
Little by little,
Within his primordial spirit,
An inexplicable sense of tranquility slowly emerged,
Then spread throughout his entire body.
At the same time,
Before Duobao,
A dazzling golden light flashed into being.
It shone with incomparable brilliance, carrying a profound Buddhist principle
As it appeared before him.
The golden light drifted for a while
Before it began to fade.
At last, a transparent prayer bead
Was fully revealed.
Duobao started slightly and instinctively stretched out his hand.
As though summoned by Duobao,
The bead fell straight into his palm.
The instant he touched it,
Duobao sensed an inexplicable Buddhist intent
Seeping through his palm and into his body,
Piercing through to his primordial spirit.
It was an exceptionally gentle force.
In an instant,
All unusual emotions vanished from Duobao's heart.
It grew as calm as still water.
Duobao gazed at the transparent prayer bead,
An inscrutable look flashing in his eyes.
"Phew!"
The power in this prayer bead can make my state of mind even calmer and more tranquil.
Perhaps it can improve my strength.
My cultivation has also been stuck at the Mid-stage Quasi-Sage realm for millions of years.
If this prayer bead can improve my state of mind, perhaps I can break through to the Late-stage Quasi-Sage realm...
But I don't know whether this prayer bead will affect the Qi around me.
I only want to improve my strength...
As that thought crossed his mind,
Duobao's eyes flickered.
His expression shifted, and he put the prayer bead into his storage pouch.
Though he still looked somewhat conflicted, the temptation of greater strength seemed to make the decision only natural.
Never mind.
I'll take it back with me first.
If things eventually get out of hand, I'll tell Master and see if he has a way to undo it.
If nothing unusual happens, then it will be a stroke of good fortune for me.
With that thought,
Duobao's expression returned to normal.
Just then,
His primordial spirit suddenly trembled violently.
A sense of being summoned immediately spread through his heart.
Hmm? Master is forcibly recalling all Jie Sect Disciples?
Could the Interception Sect be facing some kind of crisis?
Upon learning this,
Duobao's expression changed.
He lingered no longer. Turning around,
He vanished from the spot.
Not long after Duobao left,
Two small, thin figures in rather plain clothing
Slowly emerged from the place where he had been sitting.
They were none other than the Two Sages of the West,
Jieyin and Zhunti!
Zhunti flicked a finger, and the surrounding Buddha statues turned into countless points of light that darted between his brows.
The lustrous, jeweled prayer beads around them likewise turned into streams of radiant Qi and returned to his body.
Then,
The luxurious temple turned into clouds of dust
And vanished from the desert, as though it had never existed.
Seeing Zhunti withdraw the spell, he could not help but speak in praise.
"Junior Brother, that was truly a brilliant move."
"The Buddha statues and prayer beads formed from your divided consciousness constantly transmitted Buddhist principles to Duobao."
"And this temple, transformed from a hundred-millionth of your primordial spirit, was also an enormous formation."
"Anyone inside it would become infatuated with the Western Wondrous Dharma without even realizing it."
"No matter how strong their heart of the Dao, they couldn't possibly emerge unscathed under such circumstances."
"On top of that, Duobao took a prayer bead formed from your Buddhist principles."
"It won't be long before it completely influences Duobao!"
Hearing Jieyin's words,
Zhunti smiled and said with considerable satisfaction,
"You flatter me, Senior Brother. That was merely a small trick."
"As long as Duobao keeps that prayer bead on him, he'll be influenced by its Buddhist principles in less than a few days, and a Buddhist seed will be planted in him!"
"Once that happens, no matter how much Duobao cultivates the Daoist arts of the Xuanmen in the Interception Sect, it will be of no use."
"He'll have no choice but to seek out the Western Wondrous Dharma."
"And Duobao's spiritual roots are remarkably gifted. He'll soon reach the Peak Quasi-Saint realm."
"When the time comes, the West will have another Quasi-Saint in its ranks!"
Hearing this,
Jieyin's eyes flickered. He pressed his palms together toward Zhunti and said with a smile,
"Junior Brother, truly excellent!"
As the two made their plans, they seemed certain of success.