Chapter 490

"Can gods and immortals be learned?"

Li Rui narrowed his eyes.

The three Buddhist disciples going to the immortal cultivation world—the topic was indeed very fitting.

Thinking this.

His peripheral vision cast a faint glance at Monk Linglun, who was hidden among the crowd.

This time.

A small part was to observe the grand ascension ceremony, but the greater part was actually for the current scripture debate.

Scripture debate is an extremely important part of Buddhism.

Legend has it that before the Buddha attained enlightenment, he loved debating with others; today, scripture debate is even considered a practice for increasing wisdom and revealing the principles of the Dharma, and it is highly revered in Buddhism.

Every grand religious event.

Almost always includes a scripture debate.

The winner of a scripture debate can become famous throughout the Buddhist world.

Many Buddhist masters started their fame through scripture debates.

For those Buddhist cultivators who came to observe the ceremony, it was a rare opportunity.

Of course, Li Rui did not come here to show off his eloquence, nor to become famous in the Buddhist sect, but because the scripture debate concerned the mysterious and elusive luck.

In other words.

He was here in the Buddha Kingdom to snatch luck.

It was just that this method was not bloody, nor did it involve slaughter.

Relatively speaking, it was much gentler.

As the Tai Ping Ling, the two words "Tai Ping" were embodied in helping the Great Yu monitor and stabilize luck, which had the same effect as the Imperial Observatory.

What was even more interesting.

Was this topic.

Those who were unaware only thought it was fitting for the occasion; only officials like Li Rui, who knew many secrets, could understand the true purpose hidden by Master Wuyu.

Eight hundred years ago, the Yu Kingdom had a grand anti-Buddhist movement.

Once, the Buddhist and Daoist sects had fought each other in the Yu Kingdom for a thousand years.

They had even engaged in seven Buddhist-Daoist disputes in total.

And the method of fighting on the surface was scripture debate.

In the previous six times, the Buddhist sect won every time.

Therefore, for a very long time, Buddhism flourished and Daoism declined on this land of the Yu Kingdom.

Until that time eight hundred years ago.

At that time.

It was Dan Fuzi, the leader of the Daoist sect, debating with the high Buddhist monk Master Shiekong; the two debated ten times in total, and Dan Fuzi lost the first nine times.

Only in that last time did Dan Fuzi win.

In the Buddhist-Daoist dispute, the Daoist sect had been suppressed for hundreds of years, and this was their first victory.

It was not long after that scripture debate that the then-Emperor of the Yu Kingdom launched the anti-Buddhist movement.

To this day.

Only the Wan Fadian remained as the sole survivor.

Since then, the Buddhist sect had plummeted, never returning to its former glory of thirty million temples and believers everywhere.

It could no longer be mentioned in the same breath as the Daoist sect.

The Buddhist seeds all returned to the Western Desert, which created the Western Desert Buddha Kingdom as the undisputed holy land for Buddhist cultivators in the world.

And what Dan Fuzi and the high monk Shiekong discussed back then was whether gods and immortals could be learned.

It was just that it was held inside the imperial palace at the time, so very few people knew the details.

Li Rui only knew about it after becoming the Tai Ping Ling and having the authority to read the secret records of the imperial court.

Now Master Wuyu was bringing up the old matter again.

Perhaps it was a dispute of spirit, but in Li Rui's view, it was more to take this opportunity to reclaim the Buddhist luck that had dissipated between heaven and earth after the anti-Buddhist movement back then.

One must know that today, elites from nearly a hundred Daoist immortal sects had gathered.

Moreover, the reason why "whether gods and immortals can be learned" could be debated before was because the Immortal Gate of the immortal cultivation world had not yet opened, and the Daoist and Buddhist sects could still debate; but now the Immortal Gate was wide open, and there were countless immortal cultivators.

Debating whether gods and immortals can be learned at this time was clearly intended to cut off the Great Dao practiced by the Daoist sect.

Even more, it was to ensure that the Daoist sect could never produce land immortals again.

Of course.

The consequences after today would certainly not be so terrifying, but the intention of the Buddhist sect was already clear.

Not only Li Rui, but other experts from the immortal sects also had cold expressions.

They also saw the clues of the Buddhist sect.

It was not a scripture debate; it was clearly a dispute of the Great Dao!

Times had changed.

In the past, because the Buddha Kingdom was also affected by that anti-Buddhist movement, it had always been in a state of turmoil internally.

Now, not only had everything been pacified, but because of the cultivators from the upper realm.

The prosperity of Buddhism even surpassed that of the past.

Naturally, the thought of re-contesting for Buddhist luck arose, continuing the Buddhist-Daoist dispute of the past.

While Li Rui was thinking.

A high monk of the Buddha Kingdom slowly walked onto the high platform that was originally the Immortal Gate array and slowly spoke: "All phenomena are not self-born, nor are they born from others, not together, not without cause, thus know they are unborn."

The voice sounded like a great bell ringing in everyone's hearts.

It even carried a trace of the power of the laws of heaven and earth.

Heavenly Phenomenon Realm!

The Buddha Kingdom attached great importance to this scripture debate; the fact that they let a high monk of the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm take action right at the beginning made people secretly surprised.

What this high monk said concerned the practice of Buddhist cultivators; Buddhist cultivators do not recognize immortality or attaining the Dao to become immortals.

What they seek is ten thousand generations and ten thousand years in reincarnation.

The high monk's words meant that if gods and immortals could be learned, then the Dharma would not exist.

At this time.

A Great Elder of an immortal sect in the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, standing not far from Li Rui, slowly spoke: "Truly ridiculous; we immortal cultivators exist for the sake of Great Dao longevity. Those who have ascended are numerous in the records; there is already empirical evidence, what more is there to debate?"

The high monk put his hands together, his expression indifferent: "Ascension is not true longevity; there are also the tribulations of five illnesses and three disasters; in the end, they are not true gods or immortals."

The Heavenly Phenomenon Elder was about to continue speaking.

But he discovered that he was suddenly unable to speak.

He was shocked and angry.

Using power to suppress others!

"The Buddhist sect has good methods!"

The people from the immortal sects who came to observe the ceremony also saw the clues.

The scripture debate dispute was certainly not just a dispute of reason or eloquence; it was also a dispute of magic power and Great Dao between the two sides!

Therefore, there had never been a saying in the world that a Ninth-Rank could win a debate against a Second-Rank.

Even if that Ninth-Rank were more learned, it would be useless.

If the power is not enough, then everything becomes a delusion.

But what made the immortal sects shocked and angry was not that the elder who just spoke had less magic power than the old monk, but that the Buddha Kingdom had formed a very special domain at this time.

His every word and action conformed to the Buddha Domain.

It was a case of "when the time comes, heaven and earth exert their power together."

To say it was one person fighting was not as accurate as saying one person was fighting against the entire Fucheng!

How could one win?

Li Rui narrowed his eyes.

He naturally saw the clues as well.

The Buddhist sect was using power to suppress others; it was clearly prepared for today long ago.

Calling the immortal sects of the world to observe the ceremony was to suppress the luck of the Daoist sect.

Once the Buddhist sect succeeded, not only would the luck of the Daoist sect be snatched away, but they would have no way to answer to their own sects when they returned.

Anger flashed in the eyes of many elders.

How could these bald donkeys be allowed to succeed!

But even if angry, no one dared to step forward.

Just kidding, even if there were no experts above the Second-Rank taking action besides that old monk, how could one person compare to the Buddha Kingdom using great means to condense the willpower of an entire city?

Among those observing the ceremony, there were many people from the immortal cultivation world.

They understood.

This was the Buddhist-Daoist dispute that had lasted for ten million years.

In the immortal cultivation world, these Buddhist cultivators could occupy three continents; their foundation was extremely terrifying.

Fear flickered in everyone's eyes.

But no one was willing to take action forcibly; losing would not only mean losing face, but also damaging the Great Dao.

For the Heavenly Phenomenon, it was no different from cutting off the path ahead.

Many people cast their gazes on Xuanwei.

Among those who came to observe the ceremony, the Qingwei Sect had the greatest power, and Xuanwei had the strongest foundation; if there was anyone in the city who could win, it could only be this eldest disciple of the Great True Person Qing Ding.

Xuanwei felt the gazes of the people in the city.

He remained unmoved, just watching quietly.

And the old monk sitting on the Immortal Gate array lowered his eyes and brows, just putting his hands together and chanting Buddhist scriptures in a low voice.

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly.

As the Tai Ping Ling, he was extremely sensitive to luck and could feel that some mysterious and elusive luck was slowly increasing.

It was exactly the luck snatched by the Buddhist sect!

He glanced calmly at an old monk in the crowd behind him.

Everyone was waiting for Xuanwei to take action.

And Xuanwei, just as everyone thought, was brewing.

But just as Xuanwei was about to take the first step—

An old monk walked out from the crowd while chanting a Buddhist name.

"Master Linglun!"

Many people before the Immortal Gate array recognized the identity of this old monk.

A high monk of the Wan Fadian, the leader of the Buddhist sect in the Yu Kingdom.

Only a few experts knew that although the Wan Fadian and the Buddha Kingdom belonged to the same Buddhist sect, they were indeed different Dharma lineages.

The simplest point could tell.

Monks in the Buddha Kingdom could marry, but those in the Yu Kingdom's Buddhist sect could not.

Moreover, the Wan Fadian was originally a means for the Yu Kingdom to restrict the Buddha Kingdom; precisely because of this, the Wan Fadian could survive until today in that grand anti-Buddhist movement and become increasingly prosperous.

The Daoist sect could not win against the Buddhist sect's power in the Fucheng.

But what if it were the Buddhist sect's own people?

For a moment, a playful smile appeared on everyone's faces.

Li Rui remained indifferent.

Because all of this was his layout.

To be precise, it was a layout set by Zhang Shoufu, but since he inherited the position of Tai Ping Ling from Zhang Shoufu, the follow-up move became his to continue and complete.

Master Linglun had practiced in the Buddha Kingdom for more than ten years and had long since connected with the Buddhist luck in the city.

It was all for today.

The luck of the Yu Kingdom must not be lost!

(End of chapter)