Chapter 313: Entering the Zen Temple at Night

The night was low and heavy, and the moon sprinkled thin frost.

Inside the large courtyard, ancient trees towered all around. Under the moonlight, mottled black shadows appeared on the walls.

The surroundings were deathly silent, seemingly swallowing all sounds. Li Yan could even clearly hear his own breathing. The surrounding Buddha statues, incense burners, and ancient trees were all permeated with a strange aura.

"Senior, I have arrived!"

Li Yan's eyes were full of vigilance as he shouted loudly.

However, there was no response from the surroundings.

Li Yan squinted his eyes to look around, slowly drew his Duanchen Saber, exerted force with his feet, and his body flew backward, leaving the courtyard where the Daxiong Treasure Hall was located.

The situation before him was clearly not right.

Could it be a trap?

And why would Baotong Zen Temple do this?

Li Yan was puzzled, but at this moment, he clearly couldn't afford to think too much. It was better to leave this dangerous place first before making further plans.

However, after exiting the gate, a chill suddenly rose in his heart.

Before him was still the courtyard where the Daxiong Treasure Hall was located.

It was still the same appearance, empty, lonely, and dark...

Li Yan gritted his teeth, turned around, and exited the gate again, but after going back and forth several times, he didn't continue.

Every time, he would enter the courtyard where the Daxiong Treasure Hall was located.

Li Yan's face was gloomy. He pinched a magic formula, exerted his olfactory supernatural power to the fullest, and took a deep breath. Various smells instantly flooded into his nasal cavity.

He smelled soil, trees, bricks, and sandalwood, exactly the same as before, but the smell outside the courtyard seemed to have completely disappeared...

Is this some kind of strange formation?

Li Yan frowned, looking around with full vigilance.

He had heard Wang Wang Daoxuan say that some manifestations of being trapped in a formation are like this: dizzy, unable to distinguish direction, a bit like being haunted by a ghost.

But the one before him was too mysterious.

Why couldn't even his supernatural power distinguish any abnormality?

Li Yan was thoughtful. Suddenly, he pulled out a paper horse from his bosom, tied it to his leg, pinched a formula, and chanted: "Nuogao! Six Jia, Nine Chapters, Heaven is round and Earth is square, Four Seasons and Five Elements, Sun and Moon are light..."

Whoosh~

A violent wind rose around him. This time he didn't walk through the gate but soared into the air in two or three steps, jumping directly over the wall.

The Northern Emperor Divine Travel Technique has methods for dealing with danger, specifically used for various perilous situations and formations. By borrowing momentum according to specific steps, one can escape.

However, no matter how he climbed the wall or soared, he would always return to this courtyard.

Helpless, Li Yan had no choice but to pull off the paper horse.

He waited for a while longer and found there was no danger, so he carried his saber and walked cautiously toward the Daxiong Treasure Hall...

…………

It was still the Daxiong Treasure Hall courtyard, but the scene was completely different.

On the ground, Buddha lamps were placed, like stars shining brightly. The sound of wooden fish echoed, and numerous monks sat cross-legged chanting scriptures.

And on the stone steps outside the Daxiong Treasure Hall, several old monks were sitting cross-legged, Master Tongxuan and Master Tonghai were among them, each pinching the Fearless Seal, Zen Meditation Seal, Impermanence Seal, etc.

Li Yan was also in the courtyard.

But here, he was standing inside the gate, his eyes empty, his body seemingly not under his own control. It was only after a long time that he took a step.

"Senior Brother Master Tongxuan."

Looking at Li Yan in the distance, an old monk suddenly spoke: "I fear you have overestimated this child. It would be enough if he could break through the obstacle of afflictions. By directly blocking him with the obstacle of knowledge, I fear he won't be able to enter the main hall at all, wasting the opportunity in vain."

Master Tongxuan's white eyebrows moved slightly, and he said: "Last year, a disciple sent a book from Jinling, titled 'Journey to the West: Exorcism,' collected from folk tales and legends."

"The person who wrote the book might have some understanding of the Mystic Sect. Many things in the book are hinted at, referencing stories of various Dharma lineages."

"The book mentions one thing: the Great Sage's somersault cloud covers 108,000 miles, yet he cannot escape the Buddha's palm. I thought about it carefully, and it is somewhat similar to the Mystic Realm of our Baotong Zen Temple."

"Our Mystic Realm has five obstacles: the obstacle of afflictions, the obstacle of karma, the obstacle of retribution, the obstacle of knowledge, and the obstacle of habit. Very few can pass through. We have invited outsiders to participate in the enlightenment, but at most, they pass through the obstacle of afflictions."

"I thought about it carefully, perhaps the mental effort is quite large, so it is difficult to pass through. It might be different if we start directly from the obstacle of knowledge."

The old monk still shook his head, "If he can't even pass one obstacle, this year's opportunity will be wasted."

Master Tongxuan smiled slightly, "Opportunity is opportunity; there is opportunity, but it also requires fate. If there is no fate, so be it. Just send him something else. Why must you be so persistent, Junior Brother?"

"Senior Brother is right."

The old monk nodded slightly and said no more...

…………

On the other side, Li Yan had already stepped into the Daxiong Treasure Hall.

The treasure hall was lonely, the hall door was slightly ajar, moonlight spilled in, and the statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were solemn and indifferent, seemingly looking down at him.

In the air, a smell of mold and incense was intertwined, indescribable, and time seemed to have congealed here.

Of course, there was also no danger.

Li Yan didn't know what had happened, but he had a strange intuition that all this weirdness before him might be related to that stroke of fate.

He had long heard that Zen Buddhism "does not establish words, but points directly to the human heart." Even the stroke of fate was made so mysterious, which was truly confusing.

Looking at the Buddha statue before him, Li Yan's heart moved. He took down the clean water offered on the platform, placed it on the ground, took out the Gou-Die, pinched a magic formula, and stepped over.

This is the method of communicating with gods through the Gou-Die.

He remembered that the Buddha and Bodhisattva statues in this Daxiong Treasure Hall had all condensed into secular gods and should be able to communicate.

However, the method of communicating with gods was used, but there was still no movement.

Li Yan looked around and suddenly understood.

Everything before him might be an illusion.

But this kind of illusion was too terrifying. He could feel his own physical body, and he could even perform magic arts...

Magic arts?

Li Yan's heart moved, and he hurriedly reached into his bosom.

Sure enough, he discovered the strangeness.

He had originally placed five paper horses, and he had already used one just now, but now there were still five, and the quantity had not changed at all!

It seems he must first break the illusion before him.

With a plan in mind, Li Yan searched everywhere in the main hall, but after turning around several times, he didn't find any key.

His heart moved, and he returned to the gate, sat cross-legged, and practiced meditation.

Sure enough, he found the strangeness again.

In daily meditation, he would enter the space of divine consciousness, but here, he couldn't do it at all, as if the Daxiong Treasure Hall before him had blocked it from the space of meditation...

Li Yan also had a stubborn streak, continued to concentrate on meditation, and stared fixedly at the Daxiong Treasure Hall in front.

Subsequently, the Daxiong Treasure Hall began to become distorted.

Like a kaleidoscope, everything before him was constantly shattering and reorganizing, and in this process, divine consciousness was constantly being consumed.

Hum!

Just at this moment, a force suddenly appeared from his body, carrying an unstoppable momentum, and directly shattered everything before him.

Innate Geng Metal Qi, White Emperor's Fortune?

A hint of surprise appeared on Li Yan's face.

Since he obtained this thing on Mount Hua, it was only drawn out when he took the Duanchen Saber, and later it returned to calm, becoming the foundation for building the building.

He didn't expect that it would be drawn out again today.

Without any hesitation, he continued to meditate. As divine consciousness was consumed, more Innate Geng Metal Qi rushed out, shattering everything before him.

And he also vaguely established a connection with this Geng Metal Qi...

…………

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In the courtyard, the wind whistled around Li Yan, accompanied by several sharp auras, making the sound of iron colliding.

The Buddha lamps around were extinguished one by one, and several monks who were beating wooden fish also retreated in a panic.

"Innate Geng Metal Qi?" The old monk who spoke just now showed a hint of surprise in his eyes, "How dare an ordinary person introduce this kind of thing into their body?"

Master Tongxuan pondered for a moment, "I have seen this child's information. He once went to Mount Hua; perhaps he obtained the White Emperor's Fortune of the Chunyang Palace..."

As he spoke, he saw Li Yan in the distance suddenly lift his foot and walk several steps, crossing half the courtyard.

"Good!"

Master Tongxuan smiled slightly, the magic seal in his hand began to change, and the other old monks did the same, forming a new combination.

And Li Yan also stopped his steps again...

…………

In the illusion, Li Yan frowned and slowly stood up.

The scene before him changed again.

It was still the courtyard outside the Daxiong Treasure Hall, but there were six more clouds, each with different colors, surging up and down like living things.

!.

Whoosh!

Before he could react, a golden mist rushed toward his face. Before Li Yan's eyes, illusions appeared again.

Gold, silver, and jewelry, heavenly treasures, various cultivation techniques and wonderful formulas, dazzling, constantly appearing in his mind.

It seemed that as long as he wanted, everything could appear.

This feeling was truly a bit strange.

Li Yan had already guessed that this should symbolize some kind of greed.

But greed is not something that can be easily eliminated.

He didn't care about gold, silver, and jewelry, and he had no reaction to heavenly treasures, but when cultivation techniques appeared before his eyes, he couldn't help but take a glance.

It explained the ultimate of martial arts, broad and profound, every word a pearl, it seemed that as long as he understood it, he could attain the Dao at any time!

Li Yan couldn't help but take another look.

This time, he was addicted to it.

The thirst for knowledge is also a kind of greed.

However, after watching for half an hour, Li Yan looked up blankly, his back suddenly felt cold, he immediately woke up, and couldn't help but curse secretly.

Sure enough, he couldn't remember anything, and still gained nothing.

This state was a bit like brushing short videos in his previous life, watching and understanding the world, but in fact, it was just the dazzling flowers confusing his eyes.

Zen Buddhism is truly tricky!

Li Yan took a deep breath, regained his clarity, and said calmly: "The road must be walked step by step. This kind of thing cannot trap me..."

After saying that, he took a step forward, and the golden mist instantly dissipated.

At the same time, another red mist enveloped him.

This time it was "Anger."

The things he had experienced in the past and the people he had seen were all provoking him with various words, forcing him to fight.

Li Yan's temper was naturally not good, so he couldn't help but take action directly, but no matter how many he killed, there were always new ones coming.

And those who were killed would also use new methods to stir up his anger.

In the end, Li Yan gradually calmed down and muttered: "Others' words are like ghost fires, disturbing people's minds. There are countless people in the world who like to argue."

"My heart is like iron, why bother talking nonsense with you!"

In an instant, the red mist dissipated.

Looking at the remaining clouds, Li Yan already had a guess in his heart.

He had heard that in Buddhism, there is the obstacle of afflictions. There are six fundamental afflictions in the world: greed, anger, ignorance, pride, doubt, and wrong views. On this basis, twenty more afflictions can be derived.

Greed, hatred, inability to distinguish right from wrong, arrogance... all these things make people's hearts trapped, and suffering is born.

Those who can see through it are Buddhas.

Li Yan is certainly not a Buddha, but these afflictions can also exercise his character. Isn't this also a stroke of fate?

Some things cannot be avoided. Just like cultivation, it also requires examining oneself to see all living beings and the world!

Thinking of this, he became calm and actively met the afflictions.

Not long after, in the eyes of several old monks, he advanced a large distance again...

…………

At the same time, the banquet at the Shi mansion had reached its end.

The moon in the sky was bright, the mansion was brilliantly lit, the troupe was still performing hard, the wine table was already a mess, and many people were already drunk and collapsed on the ground.

The Duanyang Festival is also a time for the Pai Sect disciples to gather. It is hard to travel on the river on weekdays, so today the leader is treating, and naturally, they have to drink to their heart's content.

Shi Chen also drank a bit too much.

Even though he was hindered by his status and wouldn't compete with others, this one toasted a cup, and that one toasted a cup, one after another, and it added up to quite a lot.

He drank another cup and secretly glanced at the other side.

In that corner, there were twins, a man and a woman. The man was handsome, the woman was charming, both dressed in white, talking to others with some restraint.

"Who are those two?"

Shi Chen couldn't help but ask.

The old man with the white paper fan nearby hurriedly stepped forward and whispered: "Two greenhorns from Qilu, invited by someone to see the world."

"See the world?"

Shi Chen sneered and said disdainfully, "Those old things only want people to see the world, thinking the world is a world of flowers, not knowing that the world is the human heart."

"Only after seeing the sinister human heart do you know what the martial world is..."

"The leader is right."

The old man with the white paper fan nodded hurriedly and then said: "I will let them come over and listen to the leader's guidance."

Soon, the twins were invited over. Facing Shi Chen, they respectfully greeted him according to the rules of the martial world.

Shi Chen's face was solemn, and his words were neither salty nor bland.

But in his heart, a fire of desire had already risen.

Several people in the distance saw this and couldn't hide the disdain on their faces.

This guy Shi Chen has a bad habit: he likes both men and women, not only likes to visit brothels but also often goes to the Xiang Gong Tang.

I don't know which bad seed wanted to please this bamboo pole and deliberately lured these twin siblings to come...

Of course, disdain is disdain, but no one is willing to offend this guy.

And the old man with the white paper fan nearby was also nodding and bowing, constantly using words to provoke, letting the siblings toast Shi Chen.

Not long after, they turned to the back hall.

In the darkness in the distance, a monk from the Law Enforcement Hall was disguised, looking at all this with suspicion, and whispered: "Have the identities of these two been verified?"

"Reporting to the Master."

A man from the Commandant Office nearby looked respectful and whispered: "Checked clearly, they are disciples of a small sect in Qilu, no problem."

As he spoke, he sneered: "Master, don't pity them. These two siblings probably heard some wind and wanted to recommend themselves to climb a high branch."

The monk sighed slightly, "Amitabha."

He didn't notice that although the man from the Commandant Office was lowering his head, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes...

…………

Whoosh~

Another violent wind rose, and a large number of Buddha lamps were extinguished.

And Li Yan had already arrived outside the Daxiong Treasure Hall. His eyes were still empty, his face was pale, sweat was falling like rain, and his feet were trembling, seemingly about to fall at any time...

The old monks on the stone steps all had solemn faces, and even Zen Master Master Tongxuan was no exception.

"Senior Brother, something is not right..."

"Why is this person's mental energy inexhaustible?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 314 =====