Chapter 89: Upon Seeing the Tathagata, Why Do You Not Kneel!

Grandmaster Yuan Ci, who knelt down with eyes full of tears, was not putting on a show.

Rather, after seeing the full frontal view of Fuhua Ruomeng Temple, he had been subjected to the mysterious suggestion of this main structure.

He had been influenced even before entering the Main Hall, and with the added blessing of the light cast by Su Ping, Grandmaster Yuan Ci saw the Tathagata Dharma Image he held in his heart truly standing above the temple, watching him in silence.

Overcome with emotion, he lost his composure and wept.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci should not have been unfamiliar with such minor proselytizing techniques that use architecture or imagery in conjunction with the right time and place to create suggestion.

In the feudal era, there were no shortage of people who understood the key to this, using it to win the favor of noble families and even emperors, thereby embarking on grand construction projects and leaving their mark on history.

It was just that Grandmaster Yuan Ci had experienced all sorts of mysterious events over the past day and night, and now, with the constant barrage of the Immortal Boat and the mysterious suggestions of Floating Vanity Dream Temple.

His inner defenses had already been breached more times than he could count!

"Mortal Abbot, wake up... it is time to go to the Main Hall."

The Ghost Messenger floated over, approached Grandmaster Yuan Ci, and reminded him aloud.

It was also this voice that interrupted Grandmaster Yuan Ci's self-suggestion.

The golden, shimmering Tathagata Dharma Image before his eyes gradually returned to the beautiful scenery of the sea of clouds and golden light.

This beautiful scenery, combined with the magnificent temple, was still awe-inspiring, but the impact was no longer as intense as it had been just a moment ago.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci nodded, wiping his tears with his sleeve.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci suddenly discovered that the air here was not only exceptionally clean and fresh.

Every breath he took seemed to make his spirit feel a little better.

"This place must be a holy land of true cultivation for the Fo, just like the Cave Heaven and Blessed Land mentioned in those Daoist temples."

"I just wonder, while our holy land still remains, do their blessed lands still exist as well?"

The closer he got to the true mystery.

The more Grandmaster Yuan Ci realized that those fellow practitioners he had known before, regardless of how high their status or position, were all just a bunch of fake practitioners when compared to this!

In the past, Grandmaster Yuan Ci would have considered the other party's status, position, and insights into cultivation to make a comprehensive judgment.

As for now, hehe, as long as they lacked transcendent abilities, they were all just mortals who hadn't even made Entry!

Grandmaster Yuan Ci bent slightly, and after stepping off the Immortal Boat, he followed the leading Ghost Messenger to the mountain gate, then stepped onto the winding stone stairs.

On the mountainside on both sides of the stairs, many stone carvings were engraved.

Each set of stone carvings contained a small story from the Buddhist scriptures or a certain philosophy.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci wished he could stay here for a day and a night to commit all the stone carvings to memory.

It was just a pity that he had no time now, and he had never even thought about whether he could use technological equipment to record this wonder.

Although no one had told Grandmaster Yuan Ci that smart devices were prohibited since he entered this holy land.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci instinctively and subconsciously avoided even thinking about such an act of disrespect.

The mountain was not high, and the winding stairs were no more than a hundred meters long.

Even so, after Grandmaster Yuan Ci climbed the mountain and saw Fuhua Ruomeng Temple, which made his body tremble uncontrollably.

He was still somewhat surprised that he felt no fatigue at all.

Don't look at how he held sway at Daci Dabe Temple.

He knew his own situation; he was already an old monk over seventy.

To climb a mountain without stopping, without panting or having a sore back, was simply incredible!

This must be the holy land at work; this must be the "advantage of the land" within the "right time and place" of cultivation!

Grandmaster Yuan Ci saw the Six-Tusk Stone Elephant on both sides of the temple gate; vaguely, he seemed to see the lifelike Stone Elephant suddenly move its eyes to look at him.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci could not help but quickly press his palms together, bow his head, and silently recite an apology.

The Ghost Messenger floated to his side and sighed:

"Go in; since you have the Token, you don't need to worry about the attacks of these guardian statues."

"Once you pass the test of Fuhua Ruomeng Temple, you will have the qualifications to receive orders."

"Many thanks, Messenger."

Grandmaster Yuan Ci nodded, and upon hearing the word "test," he took a deep breath, recalling the hardships and joys of his life.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci straightened his back, held one hand upright before his chest, and strode toward the temple gate.

Whoosh!

The heavy red-wood, gold-gilded gate opened slowly without a breeze.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci felt as if he heard bursts of whispering coming from inside the door.

Hesitating for less than half a second, Grandmaster Yuan Ci resolutely stepped over the threshold.

Suddenly!

Grandmaster Yuan Ci discovered that the Main Hall had become much brighter.

Everything around was resplendent with gold and jade, and Bodhisattvas and Arhats were rising into the air, looking at him with gentle faces.

Even more familiar Bodhisattvas nodded slightly at him, as if secretly supporting his arrival.

In addition to these human-shaped venerables, around the hall, there were Spirit Beasts such as divine dragons, giant elephants, lions, and savage bears, most of whose bodies were hidden in the clouds and mist, staring at him with various expressions.

And in the most honorable position in the center, surrounded by these Bodhisattvas, Arhats, divine dragons, and giant elephants.

A golden Tathagata Dharma Image, at least several tens of meters tall with its head nearly touching the ceiling, sat majestically on a lotus throne.

This Dharma Image looked like a statue yet also like a real person, perfectly matching the image of the Buddha in Grandmaster Yuan Ci's heart.

"This humble monk, Yuan Ci, pays respects to the various venerables of Fuhua Ruomeng Temple."

Grandmaster Yuan Ci dared not look at the gods and Buddhas of the heavens around him; he hurried to the prayer mat at the entrance and bowed to the Tathagata Dharma Image.

After finishing the bow, he did not continue to kneel.

"Having seen the Tathagata, why do you not kneel!"

The Tathagata Dharma Image had not yet spoken, when a divine dragon lowered its head, its vicious, gaping maw closing to within ten meters of Grandmaster Yuan Ci as it let out a reprimand.

Saliva and a foul stench even splattered directly onto Grandmaster Yuan Ci.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci prepared to kneel, but suddenly paused.

At this moment, the experiences and realizations of his entire life flashed rapidly through his mind.

His appearance as a youth, an adult, and an old man emerged one by one.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci was suddenly enlightened.

He turned a deaf ear to the divine dragon's reprimand, instead raising his head to look directly at the Tathagata Dharma Image and saying:

"This poor monk has sought the Dao since childhood; after failing to find it in middle age, I came to seek the Buddha. Though I have only found peace of mind after all this seeking, I have also learned not to kneel to the Buddha within my heart."

"Amitabha, all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and like lightning, they should be viewed as such."

Grandmaster Yuan Ci formed a seal with his hands before his chest and silently recited the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra.

The surrounding gods and demons of the heavens revealed fierce visages one after another, emitting ear-piercing whispers.

Even more divine dragons, giant elephants, lions, and savage bears opened their mouths to roar as they approached Grandmaster Yuan Ci, appearing as if they could swallow his body in the next second.

The golden-light-shimmering clouds and mist all around boiled like hot oil, and bursts of thunderous sounds exploded within them.

For Grandmaster Yuan Ci, a mortal, even though he understood in his heart that this was a trial, a mere illusion, and a projection of the obsessions he once held,

after persisting for several seconds in the center of this storm, he still felt that his old bones were nearing their limit.

Good!

Finally, Grandmaster Yuan Ci, whose legs had already begun to buckle, heard a heavenly sound like the tolling of a bell.

In an instant!

The Array in the Main Hall of the Floating Vanity Dream Temple ceased its operation.

The Tathagata and the gods and demons of the heavens, projected from Grandmaster Yuan Ci's state of mind, all vanished without a trace.

The empty Main Hall appeared before Grandmaster Yuan Ci's eyes.

Only the lamps and various divine statues kept Grandmaster Yuan Ci company.

Gazing at the gilded Buddha Golden Body at the head of the Main Hall.

This time, Grandmaster Yuan Ci knelt on the prayer mat without hesitation, kowtowing respectfully to this clay figure that possessed not a shred of mysterious power, to show his reverence for the Buddha.

Su Ping sat cross-legged in the sea of clouds in the sky, observing Grandmaster Yuan Ci's every move.

Seeing that he had broken free from the illusion formed by his lifelong obsession so quickly,

he felt it was unexpected yet within reason.

Although Grandmaster Yuan Ci dealt in the affairs of worldly wealth, he was also a legitimate cultivator of Water Blue Star.

Just as he said, he sought the Dao in his youth, entered Fomen in middle age, and then became the most authoritative Abbot of the Daci Dabe Temple in his old age.

If this person were in the Cultivation World, he would certainly be called a person of wisdom by the Buddha-cultivators.

As long as he had a Spirit Root, even if it were only low-grade, he would definitely be taken into the Inner Sect and carefully nurtured.

Even if his future achievements in cultivation were not high, he could still be sent to the Seeking Buddha Academy to conduct basic research on techniques or even make improvements.

The technological progress of the Cultivation World cannot be separated from the silent contributions of these cultivators who possess insight and wisdom...

"In your hand, you hold the Token of the Daci Dabe Temple."

In the Main Hall, a bass voice with a somewhat desolate tone echoed.

Hearing this voice, Grandmaster Yuan Ci, who had intended to stand up, chose to maintain his kowtowing posture and hurriedly spoke to declare his identity.

"A mere mortal, able to find the Token and receive recognition to come to this Floating Vanity Dream Temple."

"In these three hundred years, you are the first."

"This Dharma lineage of the Daci Dabe Temple is destined to have the karmic connection to continue."

Hearing this, Grandmaster Yuan Ci felt more than half at ease, while secretly wondering: if he is the first in three hundred years, could it be that three hundred years ago, there were other monks like him who found this place through a Token and also continued the Buddha-affinity for their own sect?

In this instant, Grandmaster Yuan Ci's mind turned to the immortals, arhats, and Bodhisattvas who only officially appeared three hundred years ago as recorded in ancient books.

And those demons, ghosts, and monsters...

His thoughts even extended to those famous sects in the lands beyond the Great Wall that had already been designated as the righteous path.

He even suspected for a moment that perhaps the higher circles had long known that certain people were true cultivators, which is why they recognized those strange-looking factions as famous righteous sects.

Su Ping did not know that because of his casual remark,

Grandmaster Yuan Ci began to fill in the cause and effect, even automatically supplementing details to form a mysterious world view that was still vague but logically self-consistent.

"However, you are ultimately just a mortal; the task of the Floating Vanity Dream Temple is not something that can be accomplished just by having a firm will and a heart that seeks the Buddha."

The bass voice paused here:

"But you have passed the trial after all... you truly have a karmic connection with the Floating Vanity Dream Temple."

"Withdraw now; there is an envoy outside who will give you what you need and tell you what you must do."

After saying this, the bass voice did not appear again.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci was initially somewhat panicked; that was the fear of being unneeded.

Fortunately, upon hearing the subsequent voice, Grandmaster Yuan Ci bowed again in gratitude, then backed out of the Main Hall with his waist bent.

Boom!

The wooden doors of the Main Hall closed again without wind.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci saw the ghost envoy waiting by his side.

He discovered that despite only having entered and exited the Main Hall once, this ghost envoy's attitude toward him had changed drastically.

On that dead face, it was actually smiling with twisted muscles toward him.

"It really is... even ghosts understand human social graces."

"But that makes sense; since mystery exists and the legends of the Old Ancestors are true, then in their records, why wouldn't those cunning immortals, demons, and ghosts also understand human social graces?"

"Money makes the mare go; it seems this holds true in the mysterious world as well, though I wonder what currency is used in this world?"

As the Abbot with real power, many thoughts instinctively flashed through the mind of Yuan Ci.

Yet, he maintained a kind expression on his face as he greeted and thanked the Ghost Messenger.

"Grandmaster Yuan Ci, your Daci Dabe Temple is truly blessed this time!"

The Ghost Messenger said with a stiff smile:

"The Venerables value affinity highly, and Grandmaster, you have passed the heart-questioning test, proving you are one with wisdom roots."

"Next, as long as you carry out the assigned tasks step by step, it is only natural that the Venerables will bestow upon you Dharma Artifacts and cultivation inheritances."

"This humble one offers his congratulations to you in advance, Grandmaster!"

After the two exchanged more pleasantries, the Ghost Messenger led Yuan Ci back to the Immortal Boat and pointed to several scrolls of silk and a wooden box the size of a briefcase that had appeared on the deck:

"Please look, Grandmaster; these silk scrolls depict the specific layout diagrams for the Demon-Slaying and Evil-Repelling Array."

"And this one here is the prayer scripture for dispelling evil, which serves as the incantation to accompany the array."

"Also, this box contains Dharma Artifacts that have sealed Evil Spirits; you need to place them at the key positions of the Dharma Array."

Yuan Ci nodded while examining them, asking about his doubts from time to time.

This time, the Ghost Messenger displayed excellent patience, answering almost every question asked.

This reaction from the other party gave Yuan Ci peace of mind, making him feel that his opportunity was mostly secure; otherwise, this ghost creature could not have changed so much!

Through the answers of the Ghost Messenger.

Yuan Ci also gradually understood.

Floating Vanity Dream Temple is a holy land built by the joint efforts of Venerables with great power.

It is also a Forbidden Land!

One hundred thousand meters beneath the temple, thousands upon thousands of Evil Spirits that have come from beyond the realm over these thousands of years are suppressed.

These Evil Spirits are almost Undying, and even the Venerables find it difficult to eliminate them in a short time, so they can only seal them first to prevent them from wreaking havoc on the world.

It is just that there are more and more Evil Spirits, and many have not been worn away even after a thousand years of time.

Helplessly, every once in a while—be it ten years or a hundred—they invite fellow practitioners to come and contribute their efforts to reinforce the Seal or to exert great strength to eliminate those that are particularly abnormal and variable.

The Ghost Messenger hinted at a guess that perhaps some branches had lost their inheritance, which was related to the deterioration of the mortal world's environment on one hand, and possibly accidents that occurred while eliminating Evil Spirits on the other.

Because of this, Yuan Ci thought of the Abbot and High Monks of Daci Dabe Temple who died three hundred years ago.

Although there was no evidence, he was still inclined to believe that his predecessors had all sacrificed themselves for the sake of slaying demons and eliminating evil!

At the same time, Yuan Ci quietly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he was responsible for the safe aftermath work.

The Sealed Dharma Artifacts in the wooden box contained nothing but the remains of Evil Spirits that looked like stone powder.

He only needed to make good use of his old profession, hold the Dharma Assembly well, chant the scriptures well, and dispel the last bit of Evil Qi from the remains of the Evil Spirits!

After roughly understanding what he had to do.

Yuan Ci thanked the Ghost Messenger again, and then, as the other party bowed and cupped his hands in farewell.

Everything became a blur for a moment.

When his eyes could clearly see what was in front of him again.

Yuan Ci discovered that he had returned to his meditation bedroom.

The incense in the room still lingered in the air.

However, perhaps because of the comparison with the holy land.

Yuan Ci suddenly felt that the incense he liked was nothing special after all.

It was not as good as the fresh air he breathed casually in the holy land, which made his body and mind feel happy and his fatigue vanish.

Yuan Ci looked at the wooden box and silk scrolls he was holding in his hands.

These physical objects brought back from that dreamlike place made him firm in the belief that everything was real.

At the same time, after carefully reading the contents of the array diagrams on the silk again and experiencing the magical insight bonus the diagrams gave to people.

A bold idea did indeed flash through the mind of Yuan Ci.

He was about to hold a large-scale Dharma Assembly, and then he encountered this series of mysterious events...

But soon he shook his head and cast the thought to the back of his mind.

That mysterious holy land, that Immortal Boat capable of soaring through the sea of clouds, that magnificent and awe-inspiring Floating Vanity Dream Temple that could interrogate the human heart!

Would such great existences covet the Dharma Assembly he organized just to insert a few things?

Hah!

Yuan Ci! Yuan Ci!

You think too highly of yourself!

This is impossible, absolutely impossible!

Yuan Ci viewed this as a heart demon, locked it away completely, and forgot it.

Then, Yuan Ci walked out of the bedroom and immediately began to summon his junior brothers and the heads of the planning department for an overnight meeting.

The arrangements everywhere had to be changed!

And many positions also needed to be re-planned!

The budget could be increased, the work had to be done well, and if there wasn't enough time, then strengthen the manpower!

Yuan Ci displayed his consistent, swift, and decisive style in this matter.

Although it increased the tasks for all parties, it also made them feel more at ease.

Having accumulated prestige through so many successful Dharma Assemblies, everyone believed in the habitual thinking that listening to Grandmaster Yuan Ci was definitely correct.

Several meeting participants who were planning the event naturally would not offer any objections after hearing that the budget could be increased.

Fortunately, the Dharma Assembly already followed certain principles of Feng Shui.

It also somewhat aligns with the principles of the Array.

Coupled with the use of modern tools, and the fact that the Diamond Subduing Demon Array used for exorcism was originally a simplified Dharma Array improved with great effort so that even mortals could use it widely.

After being busy for a day and a night, everything was finally arranged properly before the start of the Dharma Assembly.

Grandmaster Yuan Ci was still not at ease, taking out a magical array diagram from time to time to observe and meditate.

Afterward, he would run to the scene to confirm, repeating this process, which made all the monks secretly marvel.

During this period, Su Ping was not idle either... oh, no, that's wrong, Spirit Mouse Xiaobai and Xiaohui were not idle either.

They dug through the underground passages of the Dharma Assembly site and buried Spirit Stones and small Spirit Gathering Arrays at key locations to ensure that this most important Dharma Array could take effect.

Especially in the Main Hall, considering the long-term benefits.

Su Ping also took out a set of high-quality Dharma Arrays bought at the Jinyun Mountain Market and set them up underground there, and he had already placed more than ten Spirit Stones in advance to ensure the supply.

This was so that after the Dharma Assembly ended, Grandmaster Yuan Ci could open the Main Hall to receive subsequent believers and travelers for worship, and still continue to collect thoughts to grind away the Evil Spirit inside the Sealed Dharma Artifact.

Su Ping was looking forward to his experiment being successful and having no hidden dangers.

As long as it could succeed and pass inspection without any hidden dangers, then he could enter the stage of mass replication and allow himself to enter a phase of rapidly accumulating merit.

By then, these High Monks and virtuous ones would have hope to strive for, the believers would have a sense of accomplishment for having contributed their efforts to slaying demons and eliminating evil, and he himself would be able to use it to exchange for divine abilities and various rare materials that could not be bought.

This, this is a perfect win-win-win!