Spirit Mountain's Wu Chao

"There are actually five versions of the Heart Sutra!"

Zhang Xuezhou knew about the Heart Sutra and the Heart Sutra, but he didn't expect that the two masters could divide the two into five different versions when they taught them.

He read the twelve volumes of the Heart Sutra and felt that these two volumes were Mental Strengthening texts tailored for Brahma and others.

Therefore, the formless is superior to the formless...

"This chapter of Vishnu mentions that form overcomes formlessness!"

"One of them practices forwards, and the other practices backwards!"

Not only Zhang Xuezhou was frowning as he studied the twelve volumes of the Heart Sutra, but Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra were also unable to understand it.

"This is completely different from my Nirvana Sutra," Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva said in a low voice.

"Even the Avatamsaka Sutra doesn't have this kind of practice!"

"The relevant content of the Lotus Sutra is inferior to that of the twelve volumes of the Heart Sutra!"

Manjushri and Samantabhadra also spoke.

Although they already knew that the two Western religious leaders taught according to individual aptitude, this differential treatment undoubtedly made the three bodhisattvas feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"The Heart Sutra doesn't seem difficult. If Vishnu could practice it, why can't we?" Manjushri Bodhisattva asked, puzzled.

"The Great Master once explained Brahma's Heart Sutra, mentioning that this method emphasizes control and bewitching. At the time, I did not recognize this method," said Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. "Brahma, through practicing this method and the Dharma Heaven Technique, gained the ability to have one head and four faces, and when he made a ruckus, he almost stole people's souls!"

If Zhang Xuezhou hadn't borrowed the Heart Sutra from Brahma, Avalokiteshvara and the others would still be unaware of the details of the other's spiritual practice.

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva had heard the Great Master Jieyin explain it once, but at that time she only heard it once and did not delve into its practice.

And the Heart Sutra of Brahma did not align with Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, making him feel that something was missing.

"Shall we learn from them?" asked Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.

He even had the Heart Sutra in his hands and explained it to Zhang Xuezhou in front of him.

Knowing that this is a practice exclusive to Buddhist disciples, it would be impossible for the three Bodhisattvas not to have any ulterior motives.

However, everyone felt in their hearts that even if they cultivated themselves, there would inevitably be flaws, making it difficult to achieve success in cultivation.

This wasn't just Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva's feeling; Manjushri and Samantabhadra also had some uncertainty when they were eager to try it out, while Zhang Xuezhou knew that these two versions of the Heart Sutra were only suitable for a very small number of people.

"Holy Son, you said you still have a few volumes of the Heart Sutra. I wonder if it is permissible to take a look at them?" asked Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva.

"There are still six volumes with Buddha Son Shigong," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Wait a moment, Vishnu will bring them later!"

"Buddha Son Shigong hasn't been making any noises these past few days; his health should have returned to normal by now, right?"

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva gave an uncertain reply and could only wait for Vishnu and the others to arrive.

Although the two sides were enemies, with Zhang Xuezhou acting as a link, things didn't escalate too much.

"I've heard that the Buddha's disciple you support also has a six-volume Heart Sutra. Why don't you let him bring it over so we can all read it together?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"This..."

"If you can retrieve the Heart Sutra from the Buddha's disciples, I will search for the Buddha of Wu Chao and gather all the Heart Sutras from the Buddha's disciples to see what this Heart Sutra is all about!"

Zhang Xuezhou gestured, and Guanyin Bodhisattva's expression changed slightly.

After much deliberation, he finally agreed and left the thatched hut.

"Manjushri, please receive Vishnu. Samantabhadra and I will go find the Buddha's son, the one from the Wu Chao!"

When Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva went to find the Buddha's disciple, Zhang Xuezhou didn't act as an outsider and directly made arrangements.

Manjushri and Samantabhadra exchanged a glance, and without uttering a word of objection, they each agreed.

Zhang Xuezhou gave the instructions so naturally, speaking as naturally as a disciple of the Buddha. Manjushri and Samantabhadra wanted to resist, but found that there was really nothing to resist in this kind of thing.

Manjushri and Samantabhadra were willing to do anything if someone could show them the secret scriptures, offer them real elixirs as compensation, or even invite them to visit the secret place.

One of them stayed behind to receive guests, while the other followed Zhang Xuezhou out of the thatched hut to lead the way.

"The Buddha of Wu Chao is an extremely low-key person; I've only met him a few times!"

Puxian seemed slightly awkward as he led the way, clearly unfamiliar with Wu Chao.

"It's alright, persuading Wu Chao Buddha won't be too difficult," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Having a family fortune is really advantageous!"

Puxian glanced at Zhang Xuezhou with envy.

Stealing and robbing are two different things. Stealing can be done quietly, without getting involved in any trouble or disputes, while robbing makes you a target, and the enmity between you will grow.

Puxian truly envied Zhang Xuezhou for having resources for cultivation, and believed that Zhang Xuezhou would use elixirs to pave the way and thus borrow the Heart Sutra from the Buddha of Wu Chao.

"That's the little house in the Wu Chao's Nest!"

Apart from the magnificent central hall, the residences of the Western Sect were only average; even the leader lived in a small bamboo hut.

The cabin in Wu Chao is like a shack; it's barely enough to sit in, let alone lie down to sleep or find shelter from the wind and rain.

From sleeping in caves at the Yedie River Holy Land to sleeping in thatched huts in the Western Sect, Wu Chao has hardly ever lived in a decent place in recent years. He is truly the prince of a great nation with the most miserable living conditions that Zhang Xuezhou has ever seen.

"Why don't you Western Sect like building houses?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"Wind, rain, and dew are all blessings from Heaven and Earth," Samantabhadra said solemnly. "Exercising one's muscles and bones is necessary for cultivation. A few external things are nothing but fleeting clouds. We in the Western Sect do not pursue houses and dwellings!"

"That makes sense!"

"What logic is that? They're just afraid to disobey the standards set by the sect leader. This is how it is in the Western Sect from top to bottom; the lower the status, the less likely they are to build a house. Everyone lives in a thatched hut, and the lower-level cultivators can only find shelter under the shade of trees!"

Just as Zhang Xuezhou uttered a word of praise, a dark shadow writhed in the shack, and then a figure lying prone emerged.

"Puxian, there's no profit to be made here. You've made the wrong choice!"

Zhang Xuezhou and his companions stopped in front of the shack; even the slowest person would know that a visitor had arrived.

Several years later, Zhang Xuezhou saw Wu Chao, with a clean white face, reluctantly crawl out of the hut.

Wu Chao had not fallen; the technique used by the opponent was the Following Like a Shadow Technique. However, Wu Chao did not move; instead, it seemed to be cultivating its ability to lie in wait.

He crawled out of the shack, stood up, looked at Puxian, and then at Zhang Xuezhou, who was dressed in a golden, rich robe, with a hint of envy in his eyes.

"Brother, we're complete strangers. You wouldn't have come all this way just to see me, would you?" Wu Chao chuckled awkwardly. "Someone like me isn't even qualified to participate in such a grand event. I'm not even a competitor of yours!"

"I have been invited by Vishnu, Brahma, Shi Gong, and the Buddha's disciple to jointly study the Heart Sutra. I wonder if the Buddha's disciple Wu Chao would be interested in discussing it?" Zhang Xuezhou invited.

"How could I possibly discuss anything with them?" Wu Chao asked in surprise. "Wasn't someone like me always the subject of ridicule?"

Wu Chao's words were not just polite talk; they reflected his current predicament.

Although he was Zhunti by the second leader of the sect, Zhunti, and overcame difficulties to become a Buddhist disciple, Wu Chao had very little influence within the Western Sect.

The people who had passed by were divided into two groups, one group favoring Tathagata and the other group favoring Brahma and others. There were not many people left in the middle for Wu Chao.

Furthermore, Wu Chao's strength is inferior to that of other Buddhist disciples, Wu Chao position on Mount Ling very awkward.

If all the Buddhist disciples gathered, he would inevitably be ostracized and reprimanded by his fellow disciples in turn, and even Wu Chao's feasible suggestions for cultivation would be ignored.

Knowing the outcome was clear, Wu Chao lost interest in the matter.