In fact, Jianchou was not joking, and Xie Buchen was also very serious.
They both knew the true meaning of each other's every word, so at this moment, they just looked at each other, as if they wanted to see through each other in this brief moment.
But no one said anything more on the subject.
She is someone who will never pick up again once she lets go, and he is someone who will never regret what he has done.
Turning back or retreating has nothing to do with them.
But their choice is much more straightforward and decisive than this.
The two of them didn't speak for a while, and when they spoke again, they changed the subject.
Xie Buchen asked, "What are your plans for reaching the temple before sunset tomorrow?"
Jianchou asked back: "Don't you have any plans?"
"People outside the Snow Region, even Huaijie, don't know much about the affairs between you and me. But when I tested him with words earlier, Moga knew a little bit. I think the people in the temple will know more clearly."
Xie Buchen paused and glanced at the monks at the entrance of the cave.
"But there are many dangers in the temple. If you don't want to take risks, the safest thing to do is to search Moga's soul. I think you can find out a lot of things you want to know."
Soul search Moga
This is so hypocritical.
Xie Buchen obviously had other intentions. They were going to the temple now because of his sudden "rescue" at the inn that day.
Moga might know something, but Jianchou didn't come here just for the truth.
The incidents that happened to the disciples of Yashan and Kunwu were all caused by Xinmi, the only difference was the cause and means. Fudaoshanren, or Yashan, was most afraid of Xie Buchen or Kunwu.
She had thought it through clearly before she set out.
Wherever Xie Buchen wants to go, she will go with him.
What about the temple
Maybe Hengxu, maybe Xie Buchen, has his own plans and purposes there, but Jianchou is not without anything there.
even…
Maybe that's where the real "battlefield" will be.
So she narrowed her eyes and smiled: "Since I have already gone through so much trouble to sneak in, it would be a waste of effort to search Moga's soul now. Now that I am in the Snow Region, how can I not visit the Holy Temple? I am still a little curious about the Holy Son of the Snow Region, Jiye."
It seems that she is determined to go with her.
This is definitely not good news for Xie Buchen.
Every moment you spend together means a little more love, and with this, the inner demons will also grow.
Zhenren Hengxu asked him to come to the Snow Region, which not only gave him the news about the Jiuyi Cauldron, but also indirectly allowed Jianchou to follow him and travel together.
This righteous leader is well aware of his inner demons.
I just don't know—
Is the current situation intentional or unintentional
"Since Fellow Daoist Jianchou has made up his mind, let's sneak into the temple together tomorrow. However, the possibility of contacting Zuo Sanqian has been cut off in the Snow Region. It will be nearly dusk when we arrive at the temple, and I'm afraid there won't be enough time for you and me to investigate. We can't meet and discuss it that night. We should talk the next day at night, and then Fellow Daoist Jianchou, please come find me."
Xie Buchen spoke slowly and stood up.
"But if the situation is difficult, you and I don't have to force it. The Upper Five Sects have already sent Ruhua Gongzi, Lu Xiangleng and others to investigate the Zen Sect. They set out almost at the same time as us, and most of them have already arrived at the Zen Sect, and may have gained something..."
Ruhua Gongzi, Lu Xiangleng and others...
Jianchou didn't pay any attention to what Xie Buchen said before. She had a higher level of cultivation, and even if she went to the temple, she would be more convenient than Xie Buchen, so there was nothing wrong with Xie Buchen saying that she would go find her.
But when it comes to Ruhua Gongzi and Lu Xiangleng, her thoughts suddenly become a little dazed.
She and Xie Buchen went to the Snow Region, while Ruhua Gongzi, Lu Xiangleng, Xiahou She and others went to the Zen Buddhism.
I don't know what the situation is over there
There was a strong snowstorm in the Snow Region, but also in the Northern Region, the moon was dim on the West Sea.
On Cangtai Mountain, not far from the sea, stands a tall mountain gate with the word "Zen" engraved on it in a simple and plain manner. Entering the mountain gate is a wide square and a series of tall and magnificent halls behind it.
The golden glazed tiles are shrouded in moonlight, giving off a soft and clear glow.
In the Zen temple at the back, many monks had not yet gone to sleep and the lights were on in the rooms.
There were also some figures walking through the darkness, perhaps holding scriptures in their hands, or turning rosary beads, and their steps were mostly calm and peaceful, probably they had just returned from evening prayers.
The trees on all sides are mostly Bodhi trees, with small oval leaves, casting dense shadows with gaps on the ground.
In the rather spacious Zen room, Young Master Ruhua stood in front of the window and had been looking outside for a while.
Behind him, sitting by the window, were Lu Xiangleng, Xiahou She, who came with him, and Zhou Chengjiang, a temporary member of Longmen.
The person making tea on the main seat was a great monk.
The red robe he wore during the day had been taken off, and he was only wearing an ordinary dark yellow monk's robe.
His face was round and slightly plump, without a single wrinkle, and his complexion was very good. His eyes were dark and bright, giving people a sense of depth, but when combined with the rest of his facial features, he actually looked childish.
He rinsed the tea and refilled the pot with water.
Without even looking up, he seemed to have taken in all of Ruhua Gongzi's actions, and he smiled, "Amitabha, you have been watching for a long time, and it seems that you have realized something?"
“I have realized something.”
Hearing this, Ruhua Gongzi turned around and watched the monk making tea with his skillful movements. He wondered what kind of treatment it was to be personally entertained by this monk and have his tea made by him. But he didn't show it on his face and continued to make up stories.
"I've heard of the great name of Zen Buddhism for a long time. Today I saw it for myself. I didn't notice anything else, but I thought the feng shui was good."
That's just a joke.
But the monk who was making the tea didn't mind at all, and even the smile on his face didn't change. After two breaths, he slowly poured the tea out, poured it into tea bowls one by one, and distributed it to everyone.
"Before we moved north, we thought the Snow Region was the best choice. Later, when the Zen and Esoteric Buddhism split, we chose this place instead. In terms of feng shui, well, it's neither good nor bad."
He is worthy of being the first of the three Zen masters.
The person sitting in front of everyone was none other than the famous Zen monk Yichen, currently the number one on the Seventh Heaven Monument of the Nineteen Continents, the number one in the Return to Void Stage, and was known as the "Heart Master".
Although, whether it was Gongzi or others, they all had some confusion about this.
Although Monk Yichen is very powerful, he is not the abbot with the highest status in Zen Buddhism, nor is he the one with the highest cultivation among the "Three Masters" -
In terms of status, he is not as good as Abbot Wuque;
In terms of cultivation, he is no match for Zen Master Xuelang.
How come it is ranked first among the three divisions
Listening to him talking, the doubts in Ruhua Gongzi's heart came up again. But he also knew that he had something to do today, and in this Zen sect, he felt that it was not appropriate to be too unrestrained, so he didn't say much, but sat back in his seat.
Lu Xiangleng was the first on the left, sipping tea with an elegant posture, obviously an expert;
Xiahou She had a cold and expressionless face, and he couldn't tell whether he was tasting tea or drinking tea;
As for Zhou Chengjiang, he sat upright and was considered the most normal person among the four of them. He was observing carefully and seriously, and from his expression one could see that he respected the monk Yichen in front of him.
After all, the Longmen body-building technique is very powerful, but in Buddhism, especially Zen, it is nothing.
He may have come here with the intention of seeking advice.
Mr. Ruhua took in everyone's expressions at a glance. He also thanked Monk Yichen for the tea and took a few sips.
After the third brew of tea, he put down the teacup and spoke again.
"When we arrived, you had already prepared tea for us. I guess you knew why we were here."
"Master Hengxu and Elder Fudao have already informed me of this matter."
Monk Yichen did not deny it and put down the teacup.
He looked at the four outstanding disciples from the top five sects in the Central Region, as well as the two geniuses from Yashan Kunwu who did not come this time but were rumored to be very powerful. He naturally thought of those useless and mischievous people in his own sect.
For a moment, I just felt wronged and sad.
But speaking of what I want to ask this time, there is actually some truth to it.
Yichen pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, before the disciples of the Yashan and Kunwu sects got into trouble, our Zen sect also sent some people out, but not just to investigate the situation in the Snow Region, but to intervene in the dispute between the old and new sects."
Everyone was stunned. No one expected Monk Yichen to say such a thing!
You know, when Buddhism moved north and the Chan and Esoteric sects split, the entire Chan sect was at an absolute disadvantage. For eleven years, they have been isolated from each other and no one cares about anyone else!
But now he suddenly says that he has begun to intervene in the dispute between the new and old sects of Tantric Buddhism
But Monk Yichen acted as if he hadn't said anything scary. He smiled kindly and shyly, "There are many branches in our Buddhism. Although the Tantric sect left together at the beginning, there was no problem. But after arriving in the Snow Region, it has become a separate organization. The conflicts that existed when they were both under the name of Buddhism emerged. Even though they were both in the Tantric sect, they had different views on Buddhist principles. So they were divided into the old and new sects. Among them, the old Tantric sect is closer to the orthodox Buddhism in the eyes of Zen Buddhism. As for the new Tantric sect..."
When he said this, Monk Yichen seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking for a suitable description.
But in the end he shook his head.
"As for Xinmi, it is not even considered a heterodox sect. It could not be included in Buddhism as early as the split, but it still retains the name."
This is a harsh statement, so Xinmi should be expelled from the Buddhist community.
Several people all raised their heads and looked at Monk Yichen at the same time, but they were juniors after all, and could not intervene in the grievances and Buddhist arguments of these seniors. They just felt...
I can vaguely understand why this fat and fair man in front of me is the leader of the three Zen masters.
Monk Yichen, however, looked ashamed when they looked at him like that. He waved his hands and said, "Oh, I've said too much. I feel embarrassed when you look at me like that. Let's get down to business."
"… "
Why didn't they see any genuine embarrassment on his face
But after all, the other party was a highly respected monk, so no one dared to say anything and just listened attentively.
"Anyway, I, the Zen master, have already sent them out, and it has been a while. It's just that we haven't caught up with the right timing."
As Monk Yichen spoke, he shook his head with some regret.
"Our sect has a special way to communicate with the Snow Region, but a few days ago, the New Secret Sect defeated the Old Secret Sect. Our young disciple Liaokong said before that he found something strange over there that looked like a demon, but..."
"only?"
Stopping at the critical moment can really make people sick.
Mr. Ruhua was very curious about what Monk Yichen would say next, but this kind of turn of phrase was generally not a good sign: "Did something happen?"
"Well, something did happen, but it's really hard to talk about..."
When Monk Yichen said this, his tone was hesitant. He raised his hand and slowly bit his fingers, as if he was really conflicted.
The young man Ruhua's eyes twitched as he looked at her. With his unrestrained and fearless personality, he suddenly felt a chill at this moment and his mouth almost twitched.
But Monk Yichen seemed unaware of this. After a long while, he put his hand down and revealed a sincere smile that was still shy.
"Our little disciple Lekong who went to the Snow Region seems to have disappeared..."
No, it's gone?!
The handsome boy was glad that he didn't drink the tea, otherwise he would have sprayed it out by now!
"… Are you talking about the 'little wise monk' Lekong from your sect who was once ranked first in the Three Heavens Monument and has now achieved the Nascent Soul stage?"
"Um… "
Monk Yichen nodded awkwardly, but felt that admitting it like that would damage the reputation of Zen Buddhism, so he subconsciously pointed his fingers and added a sentence.
"But we are working hard to find Senior Brother Wugui and Senior Brother Xuelang. They should... have some results soon... right?"
"… "
It would be better not to add this sentence.
The four people sitting in front of Monk Yichen all showed indescribable expressions at this moment. While looking at this Zen monk, they all felt boundless sympathy for the "young wise monk" Lekong whom they had not yet met...
What can Liao Kong do
He is also helpless.
He was originally with the monks of the Zen sect who were going to support the old secret sect, and nothing happened along the way. But one day when he was resting at a mountain range west of the Snow Region, he unexpectedly saw a large black fog rushing over from the depths of the earth veins.
Considering the unusual situation in Xinmi during that period, everyone naturally felt something was wrong.
So he chased after him, and then something happened.
At first, Luokong walked in front, but they seemed to be discovered by the black fog. Then, this unknown thing rolled towards them, and their eyes went dark and they could no longer tell the direction.
Even the most basic spiritual awareness cannot be mobilized!
At that moment, the whole person became extremely weak and became an ordinary person.
This is also the reason why Lekong is helpless now—
My spiritual consciousness is useless. Not only can I not open the Xumi Ring, but most of the magic tools on my body cannot be used, except for a red sandalwood rosary that automatically protects me and hides my aura...
Contacting the master? It's just a dream!
At this moment, he had no idea what was happening in the Zen sect, let alone the situation of his fellow disciples who had come with him.
He only knew that he might be in big trouble.
On the busy streets, all you can see are pilgrims.
He was wearing a somewhat dirty crimson Tibetan monk's robe. He was not used to having half of his arm exposed, so he kept covering it, making his whole posture look out of place.
A handsome face with a pair of clear eyes, but the facial expression looks very strange.
Because he actually saw that mountain!
Even though he had never been to the Snow Region before, he was very familiar with the appearance of this mountain and the temple on the top of the mountain.
He had read the records of Zen and Tantric Buddhism no less than a thousand times!
Buddha!
What a joke! He just had a small direct conflict with the black fog! He opened and closed his eyes, and fainted; he opened and closed his eyes again, and he was actually at the Holy Mountain?!
Even a fool knows that this is the core area of the entire Snowland Tantric Sect!
No, no…
Why does it feel like it's over
"Namo Amitabha, Namo Amitabha..."
The man found a corner to lean against, and Luokong was so scared that he was trembling while pinching his rosary and muttering to himself.
"Now I am alone, but I have come here. What should I do? What should I do? Continue pretending? Or find someone to knock out and ask about the situation? How can I return to Zen...ah, and cultivate..."
Fortunately, there were so many people coming and going on the street that no one noticed him.
After all, this place is at the foot of the holy mountain, and there are a lot of believers and monks coming and going every day. It is not surprising for others to see such a strange person standing by the wall.
Liaokong actually doesn’t think he is that smart.
He didn't understand many things, whether it was in cultivation, Buddhism, or even the fact that others called him "Little Wise Monk."
After practicing for so many years, he still feels like the little monk he was back then.
Um…
A young monk who is extremely lucky.
After repeating a lot of useless words, asking for help from Manjushri Bodhisattva, then Sakyamuni, then Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, then Amitabha Buddha, Liaokong still couldn't think of any solution to the problem.
"Ah." He looked up at the clear blue sky after the snow, sighed, and muttered quietly, "It would be nice if I could meet someone I know here..."
If there was a fool here, he would know that this is impossible.
After all, Lekong had never been to the depths of the Snow Region before, let alone this core area where almost only Tantric believers and monks with high levels of cultivation came.
He is a Zen monk and doesn't know anyone, so how could he have such acquaintances
Can…
Some things are incomprehensible to Liaokong, who is now known as the "Little Wise Monk".
For example, just after he finished muttering this, a group of people came down the street not far away, seven or eight monks with more than ten women.
Then, there was a person inside who immediately caught Sora's attention.
This person is not an acquaintance.
But it seems...
More useful than acquaintances!
But the problem is, this senior sister is now considered a big figure in the Central Region, so why would she appear here
Lekong blinked, stood there for a while, and just watched.
There were many believers walking around. When everyone saw this group of people coming, they knew that the monks from the temple had returned with the newly chosen consort.
Some devout believers immediately knelt down and worshipped.
Some people were also quite interested in the concubines walking at the back, and their eyes moved among them.
The one who saw sorrow was naturally among these people.
They stopped to avoid the snow last night, and the heavy snow stopped the next morning. Although the weather was very cold, they had to reach the temple before sunset, so Moga set off anyway.
Now it was getting dark, and they finally arrived at this place.
—Mandala.
This was the most prosperous city she had seen in the Snow Region along the way. It was also the true core city of the entire Snow Region, which could be seen from the name.
Originally, the "mandala" was an earthen altar built on the ground when practicing Tantric Buddhism. It was similar to an altar and could summon the three Buddhas of the past, present and future to witness the practice, while also deterring external demons to ensure that the practitioners could practice with all their heart.
Later, after evolution, some people regarded it as the residence of gods and Buddhas.
But in Jianchou's understanding, the original mandala should have a meaning similar to "dojo". And the city in front of him is also called "mandala", and its meaning is somewhat intriguing.
She walked and thought, not really paying attention to the looks of people around her.
But when I passed a certain place on the street, I suddenly felt something was not right.
It's like...
It's like someone is watching me.
After all, he has already reached the late Nascent Soul stage. Even if he has gathered his spiritual consciousness, his perception of the world around him is still much more sensitive than before.
Jianchou almost immediately became aware of that gaze.
So he turned his head and saw a monk standing blankly against the stone wall at the street corner. He had a weird posture and expression, and the way he looked at him was even weirder!
At that moment, she frowned quietly.
Could it be that she had met the Tantric monk she had seen during the battle for the Extreme Domain Cauldron? But she had no memory of having this person, let alone fighting him.
As far as I can remember, almost all the Tantric monks who participated in that fight for the throne died, leaving only Zongtu.
But since she didn't think she knew him, who was this monk
Her frown did not relax, but at this moment she could not stop in front of Moga and the others and run to ask them if they knew her.
Isn't this seeking death
Jianchou had no choice but to hold back his sorrow and walked silently along the street in front of the monk. Soon, the holy mountain in the distance became clear.
The noisy crowd was soon left behind.
What appeared before their eyes was the mirage they had seen through the clouds and moonlight on the cliff when they had first entered the snowy area.
But compared to the illusion that was floating on the clouds at the beginning, the reality before my eyes has a greater power to shock my soul!
The majestic holy mountain is covered with white snow.
The setting sun cast a slightly orange-red glow on the mountain, adding a touch of grace to the cold and austere scenery. The weather was excellent, with a clear blue sky without clouds or fog, so standing at the foot of the mountain, one could see the extremely high mountain top at a glance.
The magnificent temple seemed to be built of ice and snow, and it was built on the top of a steep cliff, overlooking the entire snowy area!
It seems that all living beings are crawling at its feet!
During this time, no one spoke.
Every girl who came along the same path, including Sang Yang, had great shock and infinite piety in their eyes, a sincerity that was willing to give away everything they had.
Even Moga and others bowed their proud heads before this holy mountain and temple.
Only sadness...
After the initial amazement in the eyes passed, all that remained was an indescribable sense of unexpectedness and a strange sense of fate that "we were destined to meet here."
Because, on the top of the temple that stands on the top of the snowy region, a familiar figure stands there.
It seems like a long wait.
—The great demon, Fu Chaosheng.