Daoist Master of Qing Xuan

The sword talisman seemed calm and peaceful. The ray bounced off from its veins, illuminating Fang Yanying’s face.

This small sword talisman helped her to kill the King of the White Moon Demon Clan. She was not even aware that his power was comparable to that of a Buxu cultivator.

In just an evening, a lot of impressive individuals witnessed the sword aura that shone as bright as the Milky Way. Their respect for the Temple of Killings deepened.

Some claimed that Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan was the only one in this world who mastered the essence of Milky Way Sword Aura. They wondered if the Daoist immortal Zhenren who rarely come out had actually come to Xi Huang.

However, no one had the guts to confirm their suspicions, and no one dared to stop Fang Yanying despite that there was nothing notable about her level of cultivation.

The vast field disappeared, and by spring next year, countless wild grass would grow again. The cycle of life would not end because of one move from the sword.

Fang Yanying calmed her shock and excitement. She continued her way to Jinguang Temple.

She was at the door of Jinguang Temple as the moon rose from the back of the temple.

The door was swung open slowly, and a young monk appeared at the door. The young monk put his palms together and greeted Fang Yanying, “Dear benefactor, please come after me. The abbot is waiting for you at the inner hall.”

Fang Yanying was not surprised at all. It was only normal that someone as exceptional as Zen Master Fahai had predicted her arrival.

When she was following Chen Jianmei around, she had seen plenty.

The moon was brilliant tonight, the pale-yellow moonlight seemed like a thin layer of veil that shrouded Jinguang Temple. The cicadas and insects chirped away in this quiet and chilly night.

As she stepped into Jinguang Temple, Fang Yanying felt a strange emotion surfacing within her. It came from the sword talisman. She did not pocket it after taking it out.

The sword talisman was like her flesh and blood, and it offered her a new perspective.

It was an unusual perspective that allowed her to perceive different things. In her heart, Jinguang Temple was no longer a cold building, but it was a creature of blood and flesh that breathed.

She followed the young monk to a pavilion, and she saw the heart of the giant creature – Zen Master Fahai.

Zen Master Fahai had beautiful brows and handsome features. His eyes were full of life and they reminded one of the calm sea at night.

He was clothed in gold kasaya, and there was a staff leaning against the pillar next to him.

The staff was embellished with a round bead that was covered in a thin screen of light, making any observer forget about the moon in the sky

Though, the bead was neither bright nor was it shiny.

A thought occurred to her – this was a relic.

Mister Sea who was now a part of Buddhism and went by the name of Fahai, spoke calmly to Fang Yanying, “This relic belongs to Monk Baoyue.”

Only then did Fang Yanying come to her sense. Slightly embarrassed, she bowed and spoke, “I’m Fang Yanying. I have come to send my regards to you on behalf of Zhenren Shen of Qing Xuan. This elegiac couplet was written by Zhenren for Eluohedi.” Eluohedi meant Arhat, and it referred to the accomplishment of Baoyue the Venerable when he was alive.

A set of couplet appeared in her hands, and respectfully, she delivered it to Fahai.

He stared quietly at the couplet, and the couplet was airborne. When it was in mid-air, it unfurled to reveal the content – “Body akin to Bodhi tree; Heart akin to mirror stand”.

In the phrase, ‘Body akin to Bodhi tree’, ‘body’ was the fundamental element of an epiphany, and ‘Bodhi’ referred to an epiphany. Back then, Buddha reached an epiphany and became a deity under the Long Hua tree, and the tree was subsequently known as ‘Bodhi’.

‘Heart akin to mirror stand’ referred to a heart as clear as mirror, so that it could reflect everything in the world. When the images came, the mirror did not increase in size; when the images had gone away, the mirror remained the same.

In just ten words, Shen Lian was able to convey an endless state of Zen and the fundamental qualities of Baoyue the Venerable’s cultivation.

“What other messages did Shen Lian tell you to pass on?” Fahai wrinkled his eyes and asked.

Fang Yanying answered frankly, “Zhenren did not say anything else.”

Fahai pondered upon the information for a while. He was slightly surprised that Shen Lian was able to see through the old monk’s fundamentals. This showed how advanced Shen Lian’s Dao was. It did not reflect the state of his mana and his combat power, but it did prove that Shen Lian’s progression would not be stagnated anytime soon.

Of course, he would not hold Shen Lian in higher regards simply because of that, because this involved another layer of mysteries of the state of celestials and Buddha.

Having received the teachings of Baoyue the Venerable, he realized why was it so difficult for the demons and monsters to become a Great Saint while the Daoists and Buddhists were able to produce an endless stream of individuals who transcended beyond the mortal world.

The cultivation of those at the state of celestials and Buddha was extremely special, the state of mana would not improve with time.

Most immortal Zhenrens or Golden-bodied Arhat of Buddhism would take a step forward in cultivation only to make one or two steps backward.

When the growth of mana had reached a certain point, it would fall naturally – just as how the moon would go through different phases in a cycle.

Shen Lian had only recently attained immortality, and he was in his prime. To use the words of Buddhism, his heart of irresistible force could destroy anything. The state of his mana was able to advance forward to an unimaginable state. However, in another five hundred years or a thousand years, if Shen Lian was not successful in attaining the state of Tian Xian, he would be in for a period of slump. He might not even be as good as he was now.

Even though this seemed like a major flaw of the cultivation in Buddhism and Daoism, but it also showed why these two were the authentic schools of cultivation.

Where not even the heaven and earth were perfect, how could one as a living creature birthed in the heaven and earth be perfect?

Hence, this was why Daoist Master Taishang said, “It is better to leave a vessel unfilled than to attempt to carry it when it is full. If you keep feeling a point that has been sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness. When gold and jade fill the hall, their possessor cannot keep them safe. When wealth and honors lead to arrogance, this brings evil on itself. When the work is done, and one’s name is becoming distinguished, to withdraw into obscurity is the way of Heaven.”

If it was not for the fact that he had received the teachings of Baoyue the Venerable and had received inspiration from his death, he might not understand this principle and would not even stand a chance of becoming the ‘Great Saint’ of the demon clan.

This was why the predecessor from the demon clan who was restrained at the Ming Wang Temple was able to transcend beyond the mortal world back then. During the days he spent at Ming Wang Temple, he understood a technique, and that allowed him to transcend beyond the mortal world.

Regardless of Shen Lian’s intention, his goal now was to wait for Baoyue the Venerable’s reincarnation to grow up and to find him, welcoming him back to Jinguang Temple.

As one who was from the demon clan, his combat power was remarkable, but his ability to look into the designs of nature was not as good as that of a monk or the immortal Zhenrens of Daoism, who were famed for their calculation abilities.

Hence, if he were to find the reincarnation of Baoyue the Venerable, he would need the help of a Daoist expert who was skilled in calculation. Right now, Shen Lian seemed like the perfect candidate.

Since Shen Lian did not say anything, it could be that he had not come up with a calculation yet, or perhaps he was waiting for Fahai to ask.

Fahai was not an indecisive person, and he said to Fang Yanying, “I will take this elegiac couplet. Tell Zhenren Shen that I will pay him a visit soon.”

He knew that Shen Lian still needed his help, and hence he was not worried that Shen Lian would refuse his request. For instance, Baoyue the Venerable had seen Chen Beidou’s Supreme Sword Aura firsthand, and there would definitely be traces of it that was left on the relic. Moreover, he himself had seen Chen Beidou techniques too.

All of these were information that Shen Lian needed to know