Chapter 192: Painting Hell, Startling the Bodhisattva

Hearing that he was joking, Lord Zhong Kui breathed a sigh of relief and panted, "Your pill has a big setup, but the idea is correct. The remaining demons can no longer shake the foundation of the Chang'an Divine Capital Array. We only need to set up another layer of measures on the array to avoid any influence on the array at critical moments!"

Qian Chen pondered slightly and shook his head: "There is a way, but it's not something that can be done in a day or two!"

Seeing Yan Shu also nodded and said, "If we can find eighteen flying swords, I can set up the Two Instruments Dust Sword Array, so that whoever touches the seal will die. Even if the eighteen array eyes are activated together, I can summon flying swords to behead them. With the help of the Heavenly Master's Dharma Seal and spiritual treasure, even an ordinary Yin Spirit cannot trigger it."

Lord Zhong Kui's beard was almost curled to his ears. He stared and said, "Where am I going to find eighteen flying swords for you?"

Seeing Yan Shu also said angrily, "It's your Chang'an, and you're asking me?"

Qian Chen calmed down at this moment: "Ning Ning Shimei Si probably doesn't have any way either. The Pingyang Merit Seal in her hand is, after all, not the Heavenly Master's Dharma Seal in Master Tao's hand. No matter how it is arranged, it cannot exceed the seal of Heavenly Master Ye Fashan. However, if the wind shadow of the Heavenly Master's Dharma Seal is shaken, Ning Ning Shimei might have a miraculous effect there!"

Ning Qingchen held the Erdao Shen, who had woken up but was still a bit confused, and said, "No method can be arranged in a moment. Tomorrow is the Thousand Autumn Festival. If it really starts on that day as Senior Brother thinks, it will be too late to arrange it no matter what!"

After the Erdao Shen woke up, it angrily wanted to pounce on Qian Chen, but just as it flew in front of Qian Chen, it suddenly smelled a trace of fragrance and immediately fell down again!

Ning Qingchen gave Qian Chen a cold look, telling him not to bully this little monster anymore, before holding the Erdao Shen back.

Qian Chen smiled slightly, not knowing what the little thing had dreamed of to have such great courage!

It usually didn't dare to be so prickly with him!

Sima Chengzhen frowned slightly and said, "The hundreds of Daoist temples in Changancheng originally had prepared array bases. If we set up measures temporarily, we could set up an Eight Gates Spirit-Locking Array. But these array bases are closely related to the Divine Capital Array. If they are easily used, they will conversely affect the Divine Capital Array, and then I, the Heavenly Master, will truly become a sinner through the ages!"

"Unless there is someone who has already laid many foreshadowings in Changancheng, otherwise, in a hurry, who can set up a second seal?"

Ning Qingchen shook her head and sighed.

"How about asking Li Mi to invite the Crown Prince?" Qian Chen pondered: "Except for the royal family, it's hard to find a second person who can have such preparations."

Sima Chengzhen rejected it: "The Profound Emperor will definitely not believe that the Great Heavenly Demon's layout has endangered the survival of Chang'an! Not to mention the Crown Prince who cannot be easily moved. Everyone knows how difficult the Crown Prince of the Great Tang is!"

"Don't talk about His Majesty! Even I don't believe it!" Lord Zhong Kui said frankly: "If it weren't for you, Sima Ziwei, willing to guarantee with your head, I trust you, the Heavenly Master of the Daoist sect. I wouldn't have waded into this muddy water!"

"But speaking of such a layout, I do have a candidate here!" Lord Zhong Kui whispered: "Do you still remember where the mural that best manifests the divine will in my City God's Mansion came from?"

Sima Chengzhen suddenly realized: "The mural!"

As Qian Chen and the others saw along the way, there were murals in the temples that could house gods and demons. Each of these murals was equivalent to a small painting realm. Many murals could even conjure illusions, containing ghosts and gods within, and even people's souls could leave their bodies and enter the murals to experience all kinds of things.

These many murals, along with the ghosts and gods on them, were easily beheaded by Qian Chen.

But in fact, if the cultivation was lower and the means were clumsy, such as most of the Daoist priests under the Great Wild Goose Pagoda today, facing these murals and the ghosts and gods housed on them, they would only be easily prohibited and turned into people in the painting.

Weren't these murals, which were originally equivalent to small arrays and illusion arrays, exactly the array bases they needed?

If many temple murals were connected together, they could also create some amazing means.

Sima Chengzhen thought for a while. There were many painters in the temples of Chang'an, but there were not many who could display such amazing means, and there were even fewer who had painted all the temples in Chang'an. Speaking of candidates, there were a few suitable ones. Yan Liben, Wu Daozi, Lu Lengjia, Wang Wei, and even Zhou Fang, Zhang Xuan, Han Gan, and Zhang Zao were all masters of this path.

But when he really thought about it, he found that there was only one person who met these requirements.

That was the Painting Saint who painted the "Ten-Finger Lord Zhong Kui Diagram" and "Lord Zhong Kui Catching Ghosts Diagram" for Lord Zhong Kui—Wu Daozi!

"Only Wu Daozi can paint a hell that you want to imprison these many ghosts and gods!" Lord Zhong Kui said decisively.

Seeing Yan Shu and Ning Qingchen were both silent. They didn't know who Wu Daozi was. But Qian Chen and Sima Chengzhen knew deeply that if there was anyone else who could paint hell and imprison the many gods and demons who wanted to break into the Divine Capital Array, it could only be this Painting Saint!

Sima Chengzhen immediately stood up and said: "Go... There is a mural by Wu Daozi in this Daci'en Temple. I will take you to see it!"

At this time, Seeing Yan Shu and Ning Qingchen both looked at Qian Chen hesitantly. Qian Chen said in surprise: "Why are you all looking at me? It's not like I have to destroy every mural!"

Apparently, the various events in Tianwang Temple and Ananda Temple had deeply remembered by the two.

Qian Chen felt inexplicably aggrieved. Didn't Seeing Yan Shu also happily chop off the heads of those sculptures and stone statues? Everyone smashed the place together, so why was it all counted on him alone?

When Sima Chengzhen led them to see the statues of Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva painted by Wu Daozi, Qian Chen felt a bit ashamed. Because these two murals were right under the Great and Small Wild Goose Pagodas, and if he wasn't careful, they would be destroyed by him! Fortunately, when Qian Chen faced the siege of the demons, he still had the heart to protect these two pagodas. Although there was some damage when beheading the gods and demons, the two murals were not hurt.

"Wu Daozi, this person, paints alone and can take three thousand li of rivers and mountains into his chest, then splash ink out. The Bodhisattva he painted has bright eyes, and the eyes seem to be watching you turn, flowing waves wanting to speak. This painting path is very superb, almost incredible! When he finished these two murals in Daci'en Temple, I secretly came to see them once. The Bodhisattva in the painting almost gave birth to a god."

"I immediately decided to invite him to paint the murals of the many holy traces in the Xuanyuan Emperor Temple, which is the Supreme Dao Ancestor Temple!"

Sima Chengzhen introduced enthusiastically. He led the crowd to the mural under the pagoda, and everyone looked at the Bodhisattva's eyes for the first time. At this moment, everyone was stunned!

Seeing Yan Shu whispered: "Heavenly Master, did you remember wrong! This Bodhisattva is closing his eyes!"

Ning Qingchen pulled him and whispered: "Who would paint a Bodhisattva with closed eyes? Then this Bodhisattva is not presentable?"

Sima Chengzhen was also very stunned. He looked at the mural and saw that the two Bodhisattvas on the mural were really closing their eyes. The divine light was immediately reduced by more than half. Other parts of the mural were flying with heavenly clothes, and the wind was moving across the wall, which was very vivid. Compared with the Qilin General Diagram painted by the novelist, it almost had a trace of the Bodhisattva's divine will. Ning Qingchen was a bit shocked!

She whispered: "If this person were in the Great Wei, he would be a guest of honor in all temples. With such painting skills, he could even paint true scriptures!"

The true scriptures she mentioned were not others, but the contemplation diagrams in the Buddhist scriptures. Many Buddhist disciples who didn't know big characters could cultivate supreme Buddhist Dharma by relying on contemplation diagrams. It was certainly due to their innate wisdom, but it was also because of the great power of the Buddhist Dharma image golden body, who pricked ten fingers to draw golden blood, and used the blood of the Buddha body to draw scriptures, sealing their own thoughts in them.

Just by painting skills, he could imitate the divine marrow of the Primordial Spirit great power branding thoughts. Wu Daozi's painting path was truly unprecedented.

"But why are the Bodhisattvas all closing their eyes?" Seeing Yan Shu still didn't understand.

Qian Chen was a bit clear, he whispered: "Wu Daozi is indeed well-deserved! These two Bodhisattvas closed their eyes themselves just now!"

"What?"

Ning Qingchen confirmed again and again that there were no ghosts or gods housed on this mural. Although there was divine light inside, it was just a dead object after all. How could it close its eyes by itself?

Qian Chen was calm and unhurried: "They can't look at my sword light!"

Qian Chen's first two swords were fine, but the last sword was the marrow of the Supreme True Words and Demon-Subduing Thunder Sound. Although these two Bodhisattva statues were not demons, they dared not listen to or see this sword light that fused the Supreme True Words, so they could only close their eyes. Even if the divine charm that had been nurtured for many years was damaged, they would not hesitate to open their eyes again, which would not be as spirited as before.

Otherwise, at this moment, in the eyes of the Bodhisattva they saw, there would be the shadow of the Supreme Dao Ancestor riding a green ox.

Over time, maybe the portrait would become Manjushri Daoist and Samantabhadra Daoist!

After clarifying that this was a misunderstanding, several people went to see the Dragon-Subduing Diagram under the west corridor. This time, the dragon and the Arhat did not close their eyes, which allowed everyone to see the power of this Painting Saint, especially the dragon whiskers which were as vigorous as iron, making Seeing Yan Shu feel a stinging sensation after approaching, and he was amazed.

After turning around, it was almost time for the morning drum.

Lord Zhong Kui bid farewell to everyone and said to Sima Chengzhen: "If you want to save Chang'an, it is not enough to just prevent the Divine Capital Array from changing. You also need to find the true body of that Great Heavenly Demon. By dawn, An Lushan should be arriving soon, and he will enter the city to celebrate the Sage's birthday..."

Sima Chengzhen closed his eyes faintly and said: "I have heard of this person An Lushan for a long time. He once slaughtered living beings in the borderlands and refined demon heads and demonic arts."

After saying that, he suddenly opened his eyes, and the divine light in his eyes was awe-inspiring: "I have wanted to kill him for a long time!"

"He can slaughter Hu people, so how can he not slaughter the common people of the Great Tang? It's just that he has always done it cleanly, and the Profound Emperor protects him." Lord Zhong Kui sighed: "Therefore, Yang Guozhong, Taizhen, and Li Heng cannot become a climate. Those who can truly cultivate demonic arts to a very high level are only those border generals who are accustomed to killing and can easily pick up essence blood and living souls!"

"Back then, the Empress abolished the evil roots of the Demon Dao and created a new Demon Dao. The reason why it could flourish for a while was because many demonic cultivators of the new Demon Dao were by the Empress's side, under the eyes of the Son of Heaven, and their evil deeds were difficult to manifest. Although there was tyranny, compared to the old Demon Dao that relied on slaughter, blood sacrifice, blood refining, and living soul cultivation, the root of turbidity and evil was relatively shallow. It could rely on restraining the mind to control demonic thoughts."

"Judging from the actions of this Great Heavenly Demon, it is extremely tyrannical and crazy, without any mind to speak of. It is like a demon head of the old Demon Dao!" Lord Zhong Kui said solemnly: "Therefore, if there really is such a Great Heavenly Demon, I think An Lushan is the most likely!"

Qian Chen nodded slightly: "I think so too!"

He suggested: "Why don't we take advantage of the fact that the east is not yet bright, join forces to slaughter demons, and kill An Lushan, whom we suspect, first?"

Sima Chengzhen shook his head: "No, whoever kills An Lushan will be like rebelling in the eyes of the Profound Emperor! What kind of crime is it to kill a border general without authorization?"

Qian Chen thought to himself: "It's just the Great Tang. If it were a little later, you would know—killing a border general without authorization is not a great crime!"

"I'll go!" Sima Chengzhen said decisively.

"Several fellow Daoists go to find Wu Daozi and ask him to paint a Hell Transformation Diagram that can imprison gods and demons. I will go and meet this An Lushan!" ===== CHAPTER 199 =====