The Western Sect's Hidden Hooks
The Heart Sutra!
The scriptures of the Western Sect are numerous, comparable to the vast collection of books in Kunlun.
It is difficult to understand what one is learning from thousands of scriptures, and the various ancient Buddhas, Tathagatas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats and others have each come up with new cultivation methods, which has made Western Sect cultivation methods even more mixed.
However, the Heart Sutra is a rather unconventional form of spiritual practice.
Whether the Heart Sutra is powerful or not is another matter, but it is undoubtedly a cultivation method that excels at creating an atmosphere.
Regardless of its power, a well-practiced Heart Sutra is at least visually appealing.
Sect Master Jieyin preached, thousands of golden lotuses fell; when the Amitabha Buddha Zhunti his finger, thousands of wondrous flowers appeared. Behind each of the two Buddhas, one had a great sun hanging high in the sky, and behind the other a bright moon.
Although the fights between the two cult leaders were nothing special, their entrances were incredibly imposing.
"The Heart Sutra is debatable, but those two old geezers only take and never give. How could they possibly be willing to give the Holy Son the Heart Sutra?"
The emperor and empress did not have a very high opinion of the Heart Sutra, feeling that it was mostly just fancy and superficial.
At their level of skill, not just anything is worthy of their attention.
The second-ranked student in the class cannot ask the third or fourth-ranked students for study methods; they can only learn from the first-ranked student.
In the eyes of the Emperor and Empress, Hongjun was the one they needed to learn from. Although the two leaders of the Western Sect were very outstanding, they were not worthy of their emulation.
That's the logic, but when the emperor and empress saw Zhang Xuezhou practicing the Heart Sutra, they couldn't help but waver for a moment.
Judging from Zhang Xuezhou's demeanor during his cultivation, he has probably found a shortcut to cultivation. He discovered that the Nine Treasures Wine and the Heart Sutra can be combined. They could use the guise of guiding Zhang Xuezhou to learn the Heart Sutra themselves, since they could repeat everything Zhang Xuezhou did.
"Let's wait until the Holy Son regains consciousness and ask him what happened!"
The Emperor nodded, agreeing with the Empress's judgment.
The Emperor was not ashamed to learn from his students, nor did he shy away from seeking knowledge from the two founders of the Western Sect.
However, the Emperor needs to know whether Zhang Xuezhou's cultivation practices are legitimate and whether there are any potential future problems. Otherwise, he might fall into a trap without realizing it, and by the time he is controlled or suppressed by the two sect leaders, it will be too late.
As an ancient power with a long history, the Emperor was well aware of the shady dealings of the Western Sect.
The gods of Heavenly Court are divided and disintegrating, even the Emperor cannot reconcile them. So why should the cultivators of the Western Sect be so loyal to their two leaders, even in the most remote and desolate places, they would stay with them until the end of time?
There are indeed some 'predestined' methods involved, and some Western Sect spiritual practices are mixed with the private agenda of controlling people's minds.
If one continues to learn Western Sect cultivation techniques, upon gaining cultivation abilities, one will inevitably be bound to the Western Sect and find it difficult to break free.
The Emperor and Empress whispered to each other for a while, and when they saw Zhang Xuezhou suddenly wake up and reach for the Nine Treasures Wine, they couldn't help but cough twice.
"Teachers, what brings you here too!"
After downing a pot of Nine Treasures Wine, Zhang Xuezhou found that he could tolerate the Nine Treasures Wine much better.
In the past, he would pass out after just a few drinks, his head would become dizzy, but now he was completely fine. The promotion of the Heart Sutra also brought about the rapid transformation of the Nine Treasures Wine, and Zhang Xuezhou felt his mind becoming clearer and clearer.
At this pace, Zhang Xuezhou felt that being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk wouldn't be a problem.
His antidote couldn't prevent him from getting drunk. The current situation made Zhang Xuezhou feel great, and he was ready to have a big drink before practicing the Heart Sutra for a long time until he returned to reality.
When Zhang Xuezhou was about to take the large amount of wine, he noticed the Emperor and Empress standing at the wine spout.
"I saw you practicing the Heart Sutra, so I came to take a look," the Emperor said. "Is your method from the Western Sect?"
"Yes," Zhang Xuezhou nodded in reply.
"What's so special about this method?" the Emperor asked directly.
"The Heart Sutra doesn't conflict with my cultivation, and it greatly enhances my strength. I figured it would be useful, so I decided to learn it," Zhang Xuezhou said.
"Are you aware that Western Sect like to conceal their own teachings in their cultivation methods?" the Emperor solemnly declared. "Those who practice Western Sect scriptures cannot escape the Western Sect and will ultimately belong to the Western Sect!"
"Is that so?" Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed in surprise. "No wonder I always felt there was something off about the Heart Sutra, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it!"
"Tell me about the scriptures you have obtained," the Emperor said.
They're all here!
Zhang Xuezhou reached into his waistband and pulled out the Heart Sutra handwritten by Vishnu and others.
There's nothing wrong with Ren Anran and the others practicing the Heart Sutra with their own agenda. Zhang Xuezhou doesn't believe the two leaders can travel to the real world, but Zhang Xuezhou himself needs to avoid this kind of problem. After all, he's been in too many situations where he has no control over his own life over the years, and he doesn't want to get involved in any more trouble.
"The handwriting is somewhat messy, it seems to have been written in a hurry. Was it stolen?"
The Emperor glanced at it and then roughly guessed the situation.
When Zhang Xuezhou nodded awkwardly, the Emperor immediately realized that there was a big problem with the grand event of the century-old agreement at the Lingshan venue, and that Zhang Xuezhou had probably sold his ranking for a good price.
But whether Zhang Xuezhou successfully outmaneuvered the Western Sect or was outmaneuvered Zhang Xuezhou is hard to say.
At least for now, Zhang Xuezhou has achieved good results.
"Sanskrit is a system in itself, and a lack of understanding can mean something else entirely. Your Highness, have you truly mastered Sanskrit?" the Emperor and Empress asked.
"I spent a few days learning from three Bodhisattvas at Mount Ling, and I feel that my understanding is barely enough to allow me to cultivate," Zhang Xuezhou said sheepishly.
You think you can practice Buddhism after just a few days of learning Sanskrit?
The Emperor and Empress were surprised, feeling that Zhang Xuezhou was incredibly audacious.
Zhang Xuezhou's practice is not only cross-school of thought, but also cross-national, cross-language, and cross-system.
Most people would be terrified if they even touched on any of these points, fearing they might make a mistake, but Zhang Xuezhou actually used a shortcut method.
"If it's about transmitting the Dharma, then at least it will be transformed into a method you understand. Cultivating based on palm-leaf drafts is too careless," the Empress said.
"Have you encountered any difficulties in your cultivation?" the Emperor asked.
"No, no, I feel my practice is going very smoothly!"
The Emperor and Empress were very concerned about Zhang Xuezhou's cultivation and even gave him some reminders.
However, Zhang Xuezhou did not discover any oversights in the early stages of his practice of the Heart Sutra.
In his mind, the spiritual power embodied in the Heart Sutra began to emerge, becoming a part of his spiritual power.
It is extremely rare for someone in the early stages of cultivation to be able to contend with the mental strength condensed by the Mental Strengthening Chapter and the True Fire Refining the Golden Body by Entwining Dragons and Pillars. This can only prove that the Heart Sutra is very advanced, even surpassing the mental secrets that Zhang Xuezhou has mastered.
In terms of spiritual power, the two leaders of the Western Sect were indeed at their peak.
It's one thing that Zhang Xuezhou is slow in practicing other arts, but he has a very clear understanding of the spiritual cultivation he is good at. His Sanskrit is not very profound, but it is just enough.
In less than a day, his cultivated mental power had taken shape, and he even condensed mental power radiance behind him, successfully acquiring a little trick for outdoor lighting.