At the same time, strange phenomena appeared on Xiao Ning's body. A hazy glow emanated from his mouth and nose, as if he were holding a piece of beautiful jade. Jade glow appeared on his body, golden lotuses appeared on his head, and precious light radiated within three inches of his body. Wisps of white vapor escaped from his entire body, and the sound of the Great Dao seemed to come from the void.
Suddenly, he slowly withdrew his aura, opened his eyes, flicked his sleeve to open the door of the wooden hut, and said, "Master, please come in!"
However, Xiao Ning sensed that the Abbot of Qingxu Temple was flying over from a distance, so he stopped cultivating and opened the door to welcome guests.
Qingxu walked over from a distance, flicked his whisk, and bowed with one hand, saying, "Elder, a high monk from Jinshan Temple in Jinling County next door has broken through to the Bhikkhu Golden Core realm. He held a Dharma assembly on the eighth day of the second month to confer upon him the title of Buddhist disciple. Our temple has also received a talisman and message. I have come here to inquire!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ning muttered to himself, "Jinshan Temple... breakthrough... Buddhist disciple... could it be Fahai?"
Do you know the Dharma name of that Buddhist disciple?
Qingxu shook his head and said, "It's not written on the talisman!"
Then, he hesitated and said, "However, there are rumors circulating that he is a young disciple of Jinshan Temple, with unparalleled talent and comprehension. He has only been a monk for ten years, yet he has already reached the level of a Bhikkhu. His Dharma name is Fahai!"
Xiao Ning thought to himself, "Just as I thought!" He exclaimed, "Jinshan Temple, Fahai! The Buddhist community is truly at its peak!"
Qingxu asked, "May I ask, Elder, who will our temple send to offer our congratulations?"
Xiao Ning thought for a moment, then shook his head: "This person has broken through to the Golden Core Realm and is already an invincible powerhouse in the mortal realm. Apart from me, who in our sect is his match? Sending a disciple there would only be inviting humiliation!"
Qingxu asked for instructions, "Then what should we do?"
Xiao Ning's eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice, "How about this, I'll go there myself and teach the Buddhist sect a lesson!"
Qingxu thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "That's fine, but it will be a trouble for the Supreme Elder to make the trip!"
Xiao Ning waved his hand and said, "It's alright. I'm feeling restless and want to go out for a while. I might travel for a period of time and come back in three to five years!"
Qingxu's gaze shifted, and he said, "Very well!"
In his opinion, Xiao Ning probably wanted to go back to the old cave where he lived before his reincarnation, so he naturally couldn't stop him.
As his gaze shifted, Xiao Ning looked at Qingxu before him and asked, "Master, you should be close to achieving perfect magic power and breaking through to the Golden Core Realm, right?"
"I'm still a little short, but I'll be there soon. I must thank the Supreme Elder for his sermons and teachings; otherwise, I would never have had any hope of breaking through in this lifetime!"
With excitement in his eyes, Qingxu said tremblingly, "Our sect's fundamental techniques have been perfected by the Supreme Elder, which is enough to break through to the Golden Core realm. Only then has our Qingxu Sect been able to join the ranks of the world's top forces!"
The fundamental method left by the founder of Qingxu Temple is called "Qinghui Neijing Jue". It is an orthodox Taoist method with three levels: Qi cultivation, foundation building, and profound understanding.
After Xiao Ning awakened his innate wisdom, he spent more than a month trying to push it to the level of the Golden Core realm.
The level of this technique has also been upgraded from the Yellow Rank Top Grade to the Profound Rank Low Grade, representing a qualitative leap in quality.
With the optimized "Qinghui Inner Landscape Technique", Qingxu saw the possibility of breaking through to the Golden Core Realm. Therefore, he was extremely grateful to Elder Xiao Ning.
"It's a trivial matter, not worth mentioning!"
Hearing Qingxu's words of gratitude, Xiao Ning waved his hand.
Having optimized the sect's fundamental teachings and given several sermons to the disciples, Qingxu was on the verge of a breakthrough, and the debt of gratitude owed to Qingxu Temple for taking in his predecessor was almost repaid.
Therefore, after leaving this time, Xiao Ning planned to gradually sever his ties with Qingxu Temple.
Having settled all karmic ties, he returned to his solitary existence, free to roam the world at will.
…………
Early that morning, Xiao Ning left his secluded retreat, descended Tongtian Peak, and walked along the mountain path.
Tongtian Peak is thousands of feet high, with only one rugged path leading to the summit. However, the entire mountain is shrouded in an array, making it impossible for ordinary people to climb up.
Walking along the mountain path, Xiao Ning felt refreshed and relaxed. The green mountains and ancient trees stood side by side, and the occasional birdsong filled the air, creating a serene and expansive atmosphere.
Xiao Ning pondered to himself.
"Fahai was from Jinling, while the original story takes place in Xu Hanwen's hometown, Qiantang County, Haining Prefecture, Qinghai County, on the shore of West Lake!"
"Qinghai County is close to the coast, with Jiangning County to the north and Jinling County to the south, and they are nearly a thousand miles apart!"
How did the monk Fahai end up traveling from Nanjing to Qinghai?
"In the end of the original story, Fahai became an Arhat, Bai Suzhen and Xu Hanwen entered Buddhism, and the reputation of Buddhism soared!"
"Then what about the Old Mother of Lishan? Bai Suzhen, as her disciple, was converted by Buddhism, and she didn't do anything about it?"
"Could it be that, under the changing forces of the universe, Buddhism is flourishing while Taoism is declining?"
"It seems that behind these so-called classic love legends, there is a hidden clash of higher forces, and they are merely the result of mutual compromise?"
"Or perhaps, is Buddhism so powerful that even the combined might of Taoism, the Heavenly Court, and the Old Mother of Lishan cannot compare?"
The world is vast, divided into east, west, south, and north, and further divided into upper and lower realms. It is boundless and filled with a complex mix of various forces.
Generally speaking, it is divided into four major forces: Taoism, Buddhism, Heavenly Court, and Demon Race.
The other forces are merely its subordinate forces.
Qingxu Temple, located in the eastern part of the human continent, is a typical Taoist power.
Since embarking on the path of cultivation, Xiao Ning has always practiced Taoist techniques, so he naturally feels closer to Taoism and rejects the hypocritical Buddhism from the bottom of his heart.
Therefore, after reviewing the original plot of this world, he decided to intervene and ensure that Buddhism would not get its way.
A thousand-year-old snake demon transforms into a beautiful woman and falls in love with a devoted scholar. From then on, their love, hate, and entanglement lead to endless suffering.
Tragic love legends are always so captivating.