Chapter 88: Floating Vanity Like a Dream

After a brief moment of loss of composure, Grandmaster Yuan Ci of Daci Dabe Temple heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the door.

He hurriedly adjusted his breathing to calm himself down quickly.

Using a tone no different from usual, Grandmaster Yuan Ci let the monks enter the room to clean it and tidy up the bookshelves and other items.

These monks, who had run over upon hearing the strange noise, were all awed by the Abbot's majesty and dared not ask for the reason, assuming only that the Abbot had accidentally bumped into a vase and subsequently knocked into the bookshelf.

As long as the Abbot did not bring it up himself, they naturally dared not ask or even discuss the matter with outsiders.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci watched the monks leave after they finished cleaning.

Only then did his expression turn solemn again, and he sat cross-legged on the meditation couch in front of the mural, beginning to struggle to recall every word of his conversation with that mysterious ghost, and even the details of the other party's expressions.

"Fuhua Ruomeng Temple... it sounds like a holy site within my Fomen lineage; why have I never heard the name of such an ancient temple?"

"Is it because I, the Abbot of Daci Dabe Temple, am still not qualified enough?"

"No, Daci Dabe Temple also has a thousand-year history and is a well-known ancient temple in the Nanhai regions; in terms of long-standing heritage, it shouldn't be that I'm not qualified."

"The fact that that strange existence would come to find me and be so surprised by my ordinariness should be proof of that!"

"Thinking about it this way, does the problem lie with Daci Dabe Temple itself?"

"Could it be that the inheritance was interrupted halfway?"

Thinking of this, Grandmaster Yuan Ci's complexion changed slightly; this was also the fact he worried about most!

"Impossible, those fellow Daoists of mine, and those Daoist friends from the Association..."

"Could it be that among them, there really are true practitioners who possess supernatural powers, but have just been hiding it from me?"

In Grandmaster Yuan Ci's mind, face after face appeared—some gentle and modest, some compassionate, or some feigning mystery.

He soon shook his head, rejecting this absurd thought.

Those fellow Daoists were all losers who had been defeated by him in years of scripture debates.

If they truly had ability, how could they have failed to win against him?

Thinking of this, Grandmaster Yuan Ci regained his confidence, leaning more toward the idea that those high-status Daoist friends were just like him before—mortals who did not realize it themselves!

"Right, the Token!"

"That strange visitor mentioned a legacy Token!"

"Could it be some legacy Token left behind by a master or a patriarch that was not valued by later generations due to some accident!"

Grandmaster Yuan Ci was well-read in the classics and could recite the historical records of his sect by heart.

He remembered that Daci Dabe Temple was quite fortunate and had never encountered any major natural or man-made disasters sufficient to destroy the temple.

The inheritance was generally traceable in an orderly fashion.

However, it had indeed experienced several calamities, and even three hundred years ago, it encountered a plague where more than half of the high-ranking monks, including the Abbot at the time, died of illness!

It was also after experiencing that blow that Daci Dabe Temple fell into a low period.

It was not until Grandmaster Yuan Ci's time that it gradually showed a trend of reaching its peak again.

He was already seventy years old.

After thinking of this point, he was so excited that he no longer had any sleepiness at all!

He vaguely felt that the reason he was a mortal Abbot had to do with the calamity three hundred years ago!

It was that calamity that caused Daci Dabe Temple to lose its own transcendent inheritance!

And if one followed this line of thought to delve deeper, it was even more terrifying to contemplate; he feared that the plague three hundred years ago was not as simple as just a plague!

Perhaps the reason the human world could be so peaceful and quiet was because someone was bearing the darkness for them!

Although Grandmaster Yuan Ci was old, deep in his heart, he still had that dream of being a great compassionate one who cultivated supernatural powers to protect the peace of one side.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci could not wait any longer, and regardless of the fact that it was already dark outside and nearing his bedtime,

he walked out of his room in a hurry and headed toward the Sutra Repository in the temple.

While it was called the Sutra Repository, in fact, except for the first floor which had small Fomen storybooks for casual visitors to read,

the second floor contained various classic scriptures.

The third and fourth floors, in addition to the many commentaries by high monks collected over the past thousand years, mostly contained the relics of high monks of Daci Dabe Temple itself, including former Abbots.

The relics were primarily in the form of written documents.

And one point that must be clarified is that most of the documents were no longer the originals.

Or rather, given the temple's preservation conditions and manpower, it was simply impossible to protect all of such a large quantity of relics.

The main method of maintenance was to arrange for monks to transcribe them and treat those as the originals.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci had a clear goal; he wanted to find an opportunity from the relics left by the Abbots and high monks from three hundred years ago!

Even if he couldn't find it, he would not give up.

Having seen the truth of the world, Grandmaster Yuan Ci had already made up his mind; he had already given enough to Daci Dabe Temple in this life!

He would use the rest of his life to find the truth about Fuhua Ruomeng Temple and find his own true Fo-affinity!

He, Grandmaster Yuan Ci, also wanted to cultivate into a true great compassionate one of Fomen in the present world!

Under the surprised gazes of the monks, Grandmaster Yuan Ci knocked open the door of the Sutra Repository, gave an order not to be disturbed, and went straight to the fourth floor.

The following monks were completely bewildered.

One clever one whispered quietly that perhaps the Abbot was still dissatisfied with the upcoming Dharma Assembly and wanted to find the patriarchs' relics to seek inspiration.

This immediately drew a round of nods and agreement.

They were old hands who had followed Grandmaster Yuan Ci for many years and had all keenly sensed a trace of urgency in the Abbot.

This made them inexplicably uneasy, and because of this, they immediately accepted this explanation to put their minds at ease.

The fourth floor of the Sutra Repository.

After modern renovations, it was brightly lit and had good air.

However, surveillance was only set up at the entrance and exit.

After all, only internal temple personnel can come here.

Just taking a few precautions is enough.

Because of this, the security personnel in the monitoring room never knew that an hour ago, two mice—one white and one gray—had quietly snuck in and stealthily added something.

Yuan Ci Grandmaster arrived at the area for the Patriarchs' relics, bowing and chanting mantras before each wooden cabinet to show his respect.

Afterward, he approached the cabinets and first examined them through the glass.

Following a portion of the memories he had seen before.

Yuan Ci Grandmaster found the Abbot who had died of illness.

With a trace of palpitation, he opened the cabinet to examine it closely.

This time, Yuan Ci Grandmaster looked at the many cultivation stories mentioned in the records that he had previously thought were just bragging.

For example, the Patriarch recorded that one year, on a certain month, he felt something during his cultivation, so he went to a certain peach forest to absorb the essence of wood.

As a result, he drew the dissatisfaction of the Peach Wood Immortal in the peach forest, and the Patriarch chose to offer an apology to resolve the matter.

There was another story where, one year on a certain month, the Patriarch was eating in a wooden pavilion under the moon with a Daoist, and the other party lifted a kettle and waved his hand to borrow hot, top-quality Longjing tea.

The Patriarch then took out a fishhook and directly fished up vegetarian food from a temple in Nanhai.

Such things were not lacking in the records.

Looking at these, Yuan Ci Grandmaster no longer felt as he did before that this was just the Patriarch bragging.

Because when they, these fellow practitioners, drank tea together, they also bragged like this...

Now, Yuan Ci Grandmaster gradually felt... perhaps these records were all true?

It was just that they, these unworthy descendants, had lost the Transcending the Mundane inheritance of the Patriarchs and had ultimately declined, becoming ordinary!

Nothing, nothing, still nothing!

Yuan Ci Grandmaster finished reading the documents of that Abbot and several High Monks of the same generation.

Yet he could not find a single hint related to Fuhua Ruomeng Temple.

"Inheritance... Relics! Right, relics!"

Unable to find useful information, Yuan Ci Grandmaster placed his Hope on the relics; he hoped the Patriarch would pity them and had not taken the Token into the underworld.

He opened the cabinet that stored the physical objects.

Skipping over those that had been repaired by later generations.

Yuan Ci Grandmaster's gaze turned toward a wooden box.

That was the relic of a High Monk from three hundred years ago.

He remembered that inside it was placed a scripture personally annotated by that person.

This was a rare, well-preserved original manuscript.

Plus, that High Monk was a monk who could be counted among the best in Daci Dabe Temple over the past thousand years.

This scripture was allowed to be stored separately.

Yuan Ci Grandmaster had once perused this scripture, transcending time to comprehend the Patriarch's thoughts.

Now, thinking of how that High Monk had loved this scripture as recorded in its notes.

Yuan Ci Grandmaster held a trace of longing in his heart as he opened the box, and after putting on gloves, he once again carefully used tools to turn the pages.

The Sutra Repository was incomparably quiet.

For a time, only the slight rustling sound of turning pages remained.

Yuan Ci Grandmaster looked at the annotations of the scripture, still not seeing the content he wanted to see.

Until he turned to the last page of the scripture!

Yuan Ci Grandmaster's body suddenly jolted; he saw that on the last page of the scripture, a pale red Sanskrit character had appeared.

Yuan Ci Grandmaster was very certain that he had never seen this Sanskrit character appear when he perused it before.

It had never been mentioned in the annual reports of previous years either.

And for such an obvious Mark, if it had been there before, the monks managing this place could not have failed to report it!

"It must have appeared recently... perhaps it is related to the summoning of that Floating Vanity Dream Temple?"

"My Daci Dabe Temple needs to go and obey the order..."

Yuan Ci Grandmaster looked at the Sanskrit character and found no changes, nor could he see anything more.

After chanting several classic scriptures, there was still no reaction.

Thinking of something, Yuan Ci Grandmaster took off his right glove and tried to touch this Sanskrit character.

Just as he touched it.

Yuan Ci Grandmaster's body tightened, and a piece of information appeared before his eyes.

"Amitabha, Yuan Ci thanks the Patriarch for the clarification!"

Withdrawing his finger, Yuan Ci Grandmaster put his palms together and performed a grand bow toward the scripture.

Just a moment ago, he had once again felt a mysterious power.

It was a prompt given to him by the mysterious power left behind by his own Patriarch!

Although at that instant, a thought flashed through Yuan Ci Grandmaster's mind: perhaps this was a trap?

But he quickly dismissed this thought.

This was his Daci Dabe Temple, and what he was encountering was a Transcending the Mundane matter he had never seen before in his life!

How could this be a trap! Even if it were a trap, he would still go; he even wished this trap could have come decades earlier!

Yuan Ci Grandmaster closed his eyes for a while to compose his mood.

Only then did he turn around and head straight to the place indicated by the Sanskrit character.

He did not know that the spiritual mice had set up similar Sanskrit characters in many places to ensure that at least one would be discovered!

Once he left, the spirit mouse moved out to quickly clean up the traces.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, aided by the moonlight.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci refused the monks' company and walked into the Main Hall.

After paying respects to the Buddha enshrined in the Main Hall.

He arrived at the stone slab beneath the Buddha's lotus throne, and following the Sanskrit prompts, he pressed down gently with both hands, discovering that this stone slab actually had a mechanism!

A hollow space immediately appeared inside, along with a Wooden Tablet that looked as if it were not a physical object!

Grandmaster Yuan Ci picked up the Wooden Tablet with trembling hands, and upon picking it up, he noticed that this Wooden Tablet was as light and thin as nothing, and so thin it felt as if it did not exist.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci hurriedly tucked the Wooden Tablet close to his body, then quickly restored the stone brick.

If Grandmaster Yuan Ci had brought in an expert to appraise it at this moment, he would certainly have discovered that the traces of the stone brick mechanism were clearly something new.

However, Grandmaster Yuan Ci, who believed he had discovered the greatest secret of the Daci Dabe Temple, how could he possibly think of such things!

He had always believed that finding the Token relied entirely on his own efforts and the protection of the patriarchs!

Upon obtaining the Wooden Tablet, he had already sensed new information.

Firmly believing that this was the Token left for him by the patriarch, Grandmaster Yuan Ci had already come to view the Wooden Tablet as his greatest secret!

In the distance, Su Ping, who was trying his luck looking for a Fishing spot, sensed that Grandmaster Yuan Ci had taken the bait.

He smiled, but was in no rush to immediately summon the Abbot to the Pot Heaven.

Su Ping deliberately waited until dawn.

Only then did he send out the ghost to appear once again in Grandmaster Yuan Ci's bedroom.

"You actually have the Token!"

The ghost, which had emerged halfway from the wall again, did not startle Grandmaster Yuan Ci this time.

He looked at the ghost, nodded slightly, and then pressed his palms together, wishing to ask for guidance.

But he saw the ghost impatiently shake its head in refusal and say:

"Alright, alright, having the Token is enough; wait for orders tonight."

"By the way, you are the only mortal with a Token!"

"It seems that for this summons, you might have to go alone."

"After all, each batch sent to receive orders is assigned tasks based on their cultivation."

After saying these words, the ghost did not offer further explanation and vanished directly into the wall.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci, having gained experience this time, did not dare to stop the ghost messenger from leaving.

Thinking that tonight might be the most important day to change the rest of his life.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci refused all discussions and invitations.

Except for his three daily meals and essential lessons, he did not miss anything.

For the remaining time, Grandmaster Yuan Ci allowed himself to enter a subtle state of rest to recover his Essence Spirit and Qi.

Finally, Grandmaster Yuan Ci, between half-dreaming and half-waking, suddenly opened his eyes.

He, having sensed a certain calling.

Chose to agree without hesitation.

And so!

In the blink of an eye, Grandmaster Yuan Ci, who should have still been meditating in his bedroom, appeared amidst a golden sea of clouds on an Immortal Boat!

"Is this truly flying in the sky?"

"This is truly... an Immortal Boat!"

Grandmaster Yuan Ci stood up excitedly, looking curiously at everything around him.

He could feel the wind brushing against his cheeks and could feel the Immortal Boat beneath his feet flying at high speed.

He could also vaguely see towering floating peaks appearing from time to time in the rolling sea of clouds under the sunlight.

As well as the Blue Birds and cranes flying past the flanks of the Immortal Boat after a crisp cry.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci walked to the edge of the deck, when suddenly the ghost messenger who had notified him appeared behind him and called out to him:

"You wouldn't want to be blown off the Immortal Boat by a sudden gust of wind, mortal Abbot."

"A gust of wind?"

Upon hearing this, Grandmaster Yuan Ci hurriedly and obediently retreated to the middle of the deck and greeted the ghost messenger.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci also saw the lower half of the ghost messenger for the first time, discovering it was actually a mass of burning blue flames.

The ghost messenger was a ghost that did not like to communicate.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci kept his mouth shut, only constantly looking around, seemingly unable to get enough of the sight.

With the help of the Array, the Immortal Boat circled the sky above the sea of clouds again and again.

Su Ping felt the time was about right, and his heart stirred.

The Immortal Boat began to slowly lower its altitude.

The fog ahead thinned out accordingly.

Accompanied by a ring of light that suddenly appeared through the sea of clouds, it shone down upon the Fuhua Ruomeng Temple.

Everything was so sacred and majestic.

Amitabha!

Grandmaster Yuan Ci stood on the deck of the landed Immortal Boat, looking at the towering Floating Vanity Dream Temple, and suddenly lost his composure, pressing his palms together to perform a grand salute before closing his eyes and weeping uncontrollably:

"My Buddha is merciful, allowing me to actually... behold the Tathagata."