Chapter 582 — I Was Originally a Zha

They passed a palace and heard Buddhist sounds reverberating. Looking inside, they saw that nearly all the great monks of the Daitingming Temple—the White-Browed Monks—had come and were seated within the hall. Ma Rulai sat at the center, and the many eminent monks chanted Buddhist invocations, layer upon layer of Buddhist heavens emerging above their heads.

These twenty heavens grew ever more vivid and real. Within each layer of heaven, the figures of Buddhas, gods, and bodhisattvas appeared faintly, as though about to step from the void into reality!

"Martial Uncle, what are they doing?" Wang Muran asked the Hermit of Qingyou Mountain.

"Opening a passage to the Buddhist realm."

The Hermit of Qingyou Mountain explained, "According to the records of Xiaoyujing, the Buddhist order has its own world, called the Buddhist Heavens. During the Kaihuang era, the Buddhas ascended to the Buddhist Heavens, and what remained behind was the Daitingming Temple. After the Kaihuang era ended, the path to the Buddhist realm was severed. The heavenly capital is a false one, a great seal, so naturally one cannot reach the Buddhist realm. But the world barriers of Taikang Heaven are incomparably thin. Ma Rulai must intend to open the Buddhist Heavens here and establish contact with the ancient Buddhas."

Long Yu said, "Ma Rulai intends to find the subsequent cultivation methods of the Tingming Mahayana Sutra?"

The Hermit of Qingyou Mountain nodded. "Most likely. The Tingming Mahayana Sutra can only be cultivated to the twentieth heaven, just barely entering the Buddhist realm, with no subsequent cultivation methods. Ma Rulai's ambitions are great—he must be seeking the cultivation path to the heavens beyond in the Tingming Mahayana Sutra."

Daoist Master Lin Xuan was filled with envy. He said to Danyangzi, "Martial Uncle, does our Dao Sect have a Daoist realm?"

Danyangzi shook his head. "I have never heard of such a thing."

Lin Xuan felt his head swell. He sighed. "When ancestors do not strive, their descendants can only grieve. The Daoist Masters of past generations were far too indifferent to fame and gain! If we do not strive now, we will be surpassed by the Daitingming Temple! How will we remain the holy land of Daoism in the future? The Dao Sect cannot go on wasting away like this!"

Danyangzi said quietly, "Daoist Master, though our Dao Sect has no Daoist realm or such heavens, we do have enlightened gods hidden throughout the heavens and earth. This Taikang Heaven is also a great heaven, and there should be masters of our Dao Sect here as well. As long as we find our Dao Sect's masters, we can complete the Dao Sect's system of Daoist cultivation, make the Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword whole, and receive the complete Innate Supreme Mystery Art…"

Daoist Master Lin Xuan's spirits soared, but then he said dejectedly, "There absolutely cannot be anyone of our Dao Sect in Taikang Heaven. Otherwise, how could the divination arts here be so terrible?"

Just as he spoke, a god of Taikang Heaven approached, wearing a Daoist robe and holding a horsetail whisk, with the bearing of an immortal. He greeted them, asking, "Are you young friends perhaps of the Dao Sect?"

Daoist Master Lin Xuan and the assembled Daoists were wild with joy. Lin Xuan hastily returned the greeting, his voice trembling. "This junior is Lin Xuan, unworthy leader of the Dao Sect. Is Senior an enlightened master of our Dao Sect?"

That god of Taikang Heaven said joyfully, "So you are indeed of the Dao Sect! This poor Daoist also counts as one of the Dao Sect. My name is Zha, Daoist name Zha Daoren. I was originally a strange beast guarding the mountain gate at Kunlun. When the calamity occurred, I followed Daoist Tianqing in cultivation and attained the Dao. Daoist Tianqing fell in battle, so I remained here in Taikang Heaven."

The assembled Daoists stared wide-eyed, at a loss. The Dao Sect did indeed have a master in Taikang Heaven, but it was a strange beast who had guarded the mountain gate and attained the Dao. It seemed impossible that he could be proficient in the Innate Supreme Mystery Art and the Dao Sword!

For all of the Dao Sect's supreme arts were built upon the foundation of divination arts, and Taikang Heaven's divination arts were so poor that it was simply impossible for any profound divination attainments to have been passed down here!

This Daoist Zha had most likely attained the Dao through other cultivation methods!

The Daoists were deeply disheartened. Daoist Master Lin Xuan forced a smile. "Senior Zha has worked hard all these years. Might Senior do us a convenience and allow our Dao Sect to settle here? These few are friends from Xiaoyujing and also have no place to stay for the time being."

Daoist Zha smiled. "That is simple. Sect Master Shen and Imperial Preceptor Jingping have instructed that any friends coming from Jingping must not be treated shabbily. By the way, do you know Sect Master Shen? He is truly a remarkable man, renowned and of extraordinary status in our Taikang Heaven. I hear he is also the Sect Master of the Heavenly Saint Cult—truly of sage origin, and a famous Overlord Body as well. Many people have come seeking him by reputation to join the Heavenly Saint Cult…"

Daoist Master Lin Xuan's expression turned strange, and he grumbled inwardly, "Is he not of the Demon Cult?"

Daoist Zha said, "This Heavenly Saint Cult inherits from the Heavenly Master and has an immense reputation. Our Dao Sect must not be overshadowed. By the way, before Daoist Tianqing fell in battle, he left some things with me. I have kept them all this time…"