This meditation cushion is made from the branches and leaves of an ancient Bodhi tree, and it has a slight effect of enlightening the mind and seeing one's true nature.
The tea is nothing special; it's just a tea tree that grows in the small world within the body. It can absorb chaos and enlighten the mind, aiding in cultivation.
"Is this the aura of the Bodhi tree? Has Buddhism already made its move?"
Sensing the atmosphere within the futon, Wen Zhong's heart sank slightly.
What I see before me is indeed the inheritance of the Three Sovereigns' lineage. The great formation is based on Fuxi's Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, and even the construction of the entire Qianlong Temple is in harmony with this profound mystery.
Those medicinal fields, which can cultivate spiritual herbs in such a concentrated way, must also be the method Shennong used to cultivate spiritual herbs. Wen Zhong even smelled Shennong's unique aura.
As for the lineage of Emperor Xuanyuan, one can glean some insight from those who practice swordsmanship.
The lineage of the Three Sovereigns didn't surprise Wen Zhong much. During his years as the tutor of the Shang Dynasty's King Zhou, he knew that the Three Sovereigns had a lineage of Taoist traditions. Although the Three Sovereigns never left the Fire Cloud Cave, they had always protected the human race.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, a hundred schools of thought contended, and according to Wen Zhong's understanding, the influence of the Three Sovereigns was evident. The Agricultural School, without a doubt, was the work of Shennong; the Military School originated from Xuanyuan; and the Yin-Yang School echoed the voice of Fuxi. As for the Confucian, the School of Diplomacy, and the Legalist School, although not openly acknowledged, they were certainly connected to the Three Sovereigns.
"Could it be that the Three Sovereigns not only nurtured the two brothers Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng in this world, but the true inheritance is here? No wonder he was able to break through and comprehend the Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit in such a short time, but..." Wen Zhong sensed the aura of the Bodhi tree under his buttocks and became somewhat restless.
The Bodhi Tree was transformed from the chaotic body of Zhunti Daoren, one of the twelve Chaos Demon Gods. It was imbued with the first innate metal essence, making it one of the five innate spiritual roots of metal. Zhunti Daoren transformed it into the treasure for achieving enlightenment—the Seven Treasures Tree!
The appearance of the Bodhi aura indicates that Daoist Zhunti has reached some kind of consensus with the Three Sovereigns, which is something that the Jie Sect, the Chan Sect, and even the Taiqing Sage would never want to see.
After the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, the Taoist sect did not want the Western religion to continue to expand. That's why Laozi led Duobao Daoren westward out of Hangu Pass, converted the barbarians into Buddhas, and Duobao Daoren transformed into Shakyamuni Buddha and was born in the central Saha world. He revered Amitabha Buddha of the Western Paradise as his teacher, expounded Hinayana Buddhism, and spread its teachings in the human world.
Furthermore, Julusun, Puxian Zhenren, Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun, and Cihang Daoren, all members of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, joined the Western Sect and became Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, stealing the fruits of victory of the founding of the sect by the Sage Zhunti and the Sage Jieyin.
But now that the aura of the Bodhi tree has reappeared in the human world, Wen Zhong can't help but overthink and imagine things.
Wenwen took a sip of tea. Wenzhong needed some time to digest what he had learned that day, but as soon as the tea entered his mouth, he was surprised again.
This world doesn't have anything like clear tea, let alone spiritual tea that can be compared to a spiritual object.
However, compared to the scene he had imagined, the surprise at the tea was forgotten.
"I've actually uncovered such a secret, but... Jiang Liu shouldn't be underestimated. What's the purpose of bringing all this out? The Three Sovereigns, Sage Zhunti... why are you exposing all this to me?"
Wen Zhong had a hundred or a thousand questions, but he couldn't voice them.
Jiang Liu smiled slightly and said, "Grand Tutor Wen, the fragment of the Nine Provinces Cauldron was bestowed by a senior with great supernatural powers. This favor is a true blessing for our human race, and I have no choice but to repay it."
"Great master, which senior possesses such a treasure!"
"I can't say, I can't say!" Jiang Liu shook his head, looking mysterious, and said, "Since Grand Tutor Wen wants to see the Nine Provinces Cauldrons, please take a look!"
As he spoke, Jiang Liu took out the small bronze cauldron.
On the cliff face, a small bronze cauldron, only the size of a fist, emitted a green glow in Jiang Liu's left palm, the soft light enveloping him and Wen Zhong.
Although it is covered in green rust, it seems to have a life of its own, breathing along with the heavens and earth.
Chapter 438 News of the Nine Provinces Cauldrons
In ancient times, Yu the Ancestor controlled the floods, opened up the nine provinces, opened up the nine waterways, drained the nine marshes, crossed the nine mountains, and collected bronze from the nine provinces to cast nine tripods to pacify the world, gather the power of merit, and protect the people of the nine provinces.
The Treasure of Merit can kill without incurring karmic consequences, and its uses are endless. Moreover, the Treasure of Merit has an important function that is different from ordinary treasures: it can suppress fate.
Lao Tzu transformed the barbarians, creating the Vajra Bracelet, establishing the Human Emperor, and forging the Xuanyuan Sword. Nuwa mended the sky and created humans, transforming it into the Map of Mountains and Rivers. Pangu separated heaven and earth, giving rise to the primordial energy of heaven and earth, which transformed into the Exquisite Pagoda. Yuanshi established the Chan Sect, holding the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi. Tongtian founded the Jie Sect, wearing the Qingping Sword. Zhunti Daoist attained enlightenment, manifesting the Seven Treasures Tree. Amitabha Buddha attained enlightenment, establishing the Twelve-Petaled Lotus Platform, opening the Western Paradise, and creating the Reception Banner.
The Nine Provinces Cauldron, used by Yu the Great to suppress the nine provinces, while not comparable to the aforementioned treasures of merit, is still far superior to ordinary acquired or innate treasures.
Although Jiang Liu's bronze tripod has been reforged, it is based on the Yangzhou tripod and remains a vital artifact of the Nine Provinces, capable of suppressing the fortune of the Nine Provinces.
With a flash of light, an illusion of an ancient map appeared on the bronze tripod—a map of Yangzhou, one of the nine ancient provinces!
The ancient map, once unfolded, exudes an aura of vastness, weight, and immensity.
It seemed as if they were facing not a cauldron, but an endless expanse of land.
The bronze tripod, though suppressing the void, was connected to the earth's veins and mountains, even attracting dragon energy from within a thousand miles. This was not surprising at all, because in ancient times, these nine tripods, like the imperial seal, carried the fortune of the world and the hopes of all people; they were important national treasures and symbols of the country.
When the Zhou Dynasty was in decline, a vassal with ill intentions came to inquire about the weight of the Nine Tripods, which indicated that he had the idea of usurping the throne! After this story, the change of dynasties was simply referred to as "asking about the tripods to rule the world".
Although the original Yangzhou Cauldron was broken into a small fragment, after being reforged by "the one who escaped", it was no weaker than the original Jiuzhou Cauldron, and even surpassed it.
The Yangzhou Cauldron could only suppress the fortune of Yangzhou. Now that it is in Jiang Liu's hands, after being reforged by "the one who escaped", it no longer has this limitation. As long as it stands above the Nine Provinces, it can continuously draw on the power of the earth's veins and mountains, and even the dragon energy of the Nine Provinces for its own use.
Of course, it's still far from being able to protect the Nine Provinces and create a barrier around them.
Looking at the small bronze cauldron in front of him that was releasing boundless pressure, Wen Zhong sighed inwardly. He was very knowledgeable and could tell at a glance that this cauldron was no ordinary object, even more mysterious than the original Nine Provinces Cauldron.
He had seen the Nine Cauldrons before; during the reign of King Zhou of Shang, he had worshipped them as the national advisor. Moreover, he knew that the Nine Cauldrons were not forged by Yu the Great, or rather, Yu the Great only contributed by collecting materials; the real forging of the Nine Cauldrons was done by the Three Sovereigns of Fire Cloud Cave.
The Three Sovereigns were flawed sages.
The bronze cauldron before us is even more mysterious than the Nine Provinces Cauldron forged by the Three Sovereigns. Needless to say, it must have been the work of the Three Sovereigns of Fire Cloud Cave once again.
"Having the experience of forging the Nine Provinces Cauldrons and spending thousands of years refining them, achieving this level is not difficult. Or... there might be the figures of the two Western sages behind it! However, finding the 'one who has escaped' is the most important thing now. Our Jie Sect can only rely on the 'one who has escaped' to break free from the control of the Investiture of the Gods... The Chan Sect and the Demon Clan must also be searching with all their might. Perhaps I can use this to stir up trouble. After all, most of my Jie Sect disciples are on the Investiture of the Gods and have become gods. Unlike immortals who have freedom, they face many inconveniences in the mortal realm..."
Wen Zhong stroked his beard, looking at Jiang Liu with a thoughtful expression, but his face showed no sign of anything amiss. He smiled and said, "In my opinion, the cauldron that the Abbot forged is still a step below the Nine Cauldrons of the Nine Provinces. It cannot create the Nine Provinces Barrier to protect the entire Nine Provinces. I have some clues about the Nine Provinces Cauldrons here, and I will tell you about them one by one... Firstly, it will settle my grudge over the damage to the Nine Cauldrons during the Shang-Zhou War, and secondly, it will be my contribution to the human race of the Nine Provinces!"
In fact, Wen Zhong had three other purposes in coming here. One was to have Jiang Liu attract the attention of the demon and Asura races, thus diverting some of the firepower from the "one who has escaped" for the disciples of the Jie Sect. Of course, contributing to the human race of the Nine Provinces was also his wish.
After seeing Wen Zhong off, Jiang Liu did not relax at all, and kept calculating the information about the Nine Cauldrons that Wen Zhong had given him.
The Yangzhou Cauldron was an important treasure for Jiang Liu's growth. He won many life-or-death battles by relying on the "power of the entire province" of the Yangzhou Cauldron. Although the assistance of the "power of the entire province" is not very useful to him now, it was the number one treasure when he was still in the "refining essence into qi" and "refining qi into spirit" stages.
Moreover, after incorporating the green copper block and other materials exclusive to the Great Emperor from the "Covering the Sky" world, and being refined by "The Vanished One," it possesses unparalleled power and can be considered his strongest magic weapon.
"Gathering all the fragments of the Nine Cauldrons will be quite difficult... but it's worth the risk..."
Just as Jiang Liu was pondering, Princess Honglian of Asura, swaying her slender waist, bare feet like jade, and her black hair dancing wildly, slowly approached. She had hidden herself when Wen Zhong entered the Hidden Dragon Temple, and only appeared after he left, saying sweetly, "Young Master, I didn't know the Heavenly Venerable of the Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder and Universal Transformation had arrived here..."
“You’ve come at the right time. I have some questions to ask you!” Jiang Liu interrupted her.
“Please speak, young master. Honglian will answer all your questions.”
"You came to my Hidden Dragon Temple for the Nine Cauldrons, but do you know where the rest of the Nine Cauldrons are?"
Honglian frowned slightly, her dark eyes darting around, before saying, "Young Master, the Nine Provinces Cauldron was damaged since the Investiture of the Gods. In that battle, the Tongtian Sect fought against the Sages, and the entire primordial land was destroyed. Although the Nine Provinces were not greatly damaged under the protection of the Nine Provinces Barrier, the Nine Provinces Cauldron was severely damaged. During the civil war among humans in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the demon race, the Asura race, the witch race, and even the human race outside the Nine Provinces, exhausted their efforts and suffered countless casualties, finally completely destroying the Nine Provinces Cauldron..."
"There's no need to talk about that. I know that history better than you do. Tell me, which forces took away the remains of the Nine Cauldrons?"
Honglian gently brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and said, "From what I understand, there are four fragments with clear information. One of them is in the hands of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the Mighty Bull Demon King. I remember my sister, Princess Iron Fan, once wrote in a letter to our father that the iron cudgel in the Bull Demon King's hand was forged from the remains of the Liangzhou Cauldron. Although it has lost the power of the Nine Cauldrons, it still possesses a trace of the power of a meritorious magic weapon, allowing one to kill without incurring karmic consequences..."
“The Mighty Bull Demon King…” Jiang Liu nodded. This was one of the pieces of information Wen Zhong had given him about the Nine Provinces Cauldron. As for the Bull Demon King’s origins, Jiang Liu racked his brains but couldn’t deduce anything. He could only guess that it was probably related to the Jie Sect. As for whether it was the mount of the Tongtian Sect Master, that remained to be seen.
"Secondly, in the hands of the demon master Kunpeng, a half-saint of the demon race..."
Jiang Liu frowned slightly. Wen Zhong hadn't mentioned this information. The Demon Master Kunpeng was a primordial demon god born from chaos.
After the great war between the demons, the demon emperors Jun and Taiyi perished, Nuwa became a saint, and Fuxi was reincarnated as a human. The only remaining powerful demon was Kunpeng, the demon master of the ancient heavenly court.
This demon is an old monster on par with the Styx Ancestor and Zhen Yuanzi. It's normal that Wen Zhong didn't say anything; it would be pointless anyway.
Honglian continued, "However, Demon Master Kunpeng probably wouldn't have wanted the fragments of the Nine Provinces Cauldron. He likely bestowed them upon one of his disciples. Five hundred years ago, among the seven great demons who became sworn brothers with the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, were the Great Sage Overturning the Sea, Jiao Demon King, and the Great Sage Hun Tian, Peng Demon King. The fragments of the Nine Provinces Cauldron might have been on them, and like the Bull Demon King, they were probably forged into some kind of weapon."
"The Demon Master Kunpeng, and the six great demons who became sworn brothers with Sun Wukong..." Jiang Liu felt that his current strength might still be slightly insufficient.
"The third fragment of the Nine Provinces Cauldron fell into the hands of the descendants of the Witch Clan, or rather, they should not be called the Witch Clan, as they only have a trace of Witch Clan blood. Has the Nine-Headed Insect Abbot heard of it?" Honglian asked, keeping everyone in suspense.
"Nine-Headed Insect?! The son-in-law of the Ten Thousand Saints Old Dragon King of Bibo Pool in Luanshi Mountain, he has the blood of the Witch Clan..." Jiang Liu naturally knew the name Nine-Headed Insect. This was a fierce man who fought Sun Wukong for thirty rounds without a clear winner... no, he should be called a fierce witch.
Despite his strength, the Nine-Headed Insect was ultimately able to escape with serious injuries after being ganged up on by Pigsy, Monkey King, Erlang Shen, and the six brothers of Meishan, including the Howling Celestial Dog.
When Sun Wukong unleashed his power, Zhu Bajie was able to drive the Bull Demon King back to his cave, and Sun Wukong himself could fight the Bull Demon King to a standstill. This demonstrates just how powerful the Nine-Headed Insect was. More importantly, the Nine-Headed Insect was the only demon in Journey to the West without a powerful backer and who was not eliminated. For example, the Scorpion Demon was killed by the Rabbit Day, and the Centipede Demon was captured by the Pilanpo, but the Nine-Headed Insect remained unscathed, although he lost one head.
"It seems that this seemingly baseless Nine-Headed Worm is not as simple as it appears. The Nine-Headed Worm has the bloodline of the Great Witch Nine Phoenix. The pure Witch Clan has perished, but that does not mean that the Witch Clan's lineage has been severed. The northern grassland barbarians who are currently at war with the Tang Dynasty have a trace of the Witch Clan's bloodline..." Jiang Liu thought to himself.
Honglian continued, "I don't know how he obtained the remains of the Nine Cauldrons. Maybe it was luck! But like the Mighty Bull Demon King, he probably can't refine the remains of the Nine Cauldrons and can only use them as weapons..."
Jiang Liu sneered and said, "Even if it were forged into a weapon, it would have extremely strong power, enough to go head-to-head with that Sea-Stabilizing Needle."
"That's true. The Ruyi Jingu Bang (the magic staff) was merely used by Yu the Great to measure the waters, while the Nine Tripods are true treasures of merit. Even their remains are comparable to the Ruyi Jingu Bang. As for Tang Sanzang's journey to the West, I've heard that the Monkey King, who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, will protect him on his pilgrimage. But if he encounters these great demons and sorcerers, it's uncertain whether he can protect him..."
"Hehe... Tell me, where is the fourth piece of debris?"
After a moment of contemplation, Honglian finally spoke, “This fourth piece is in the hands of my Asura clan. Back then, my father, wielding the Avici Sword of our ancestor, fought against Guiguzi, one of the philosophers, and finally destroyed the Jizhou Cauldron, obtaining a fragment… Adding the Yangzhou Cauldron in your possession, that makes five cauldrons. I do not know anything about the remaining four cauldron fragments.”
Jiang Liu reminisced about the past, recalling how many people sacrificed their lives to protect the land of Kyushu when the barrier collapsed. He was filled with emotion...
After leaving Zhongnan Mountain, Wen Zhong headed west. His trip to Qianlong Temple temporarily dispelled his suspicion that Jiang Liu was "the one who escaped," but he still cautiously told the Holy Mother Wudang, who is now the Old Mother of Lishan, about what he had seen and heard.
Above the Flowing Sand River, Wen Zhong descended from the clouds and glanced around. He saw Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing locked in a fierce battle. Without disturbing them, he continued on his way.
Traveling westward, after crossing the Liusha River, we discovered the Old Mother of Lishan. There, a grand mansion appeared, with emerald cypress trees hanging over the gate and the house nestled near green mountains. Several pine trees stood tall and graceful, and a few bamboo stalks were dappled with green. Wild chrysanthemums bloomed brightly against the fence, and orchids reflected red in the water by the bridge. The walls were made of whitewashed mud, and the house was surrounded by bricks.
Wen Zhong descended from the clouds and saw a gate tower with lotus-shaped pillars and elephant trunks, painted beams and carved pillars.
"So it is the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation and Responding to the Origin of Thunder in the Nine Heavens. What brings you here?"
A woman with arched eyebrows and a rosy complexion appeared before Wen Zhong. She was alluring and captivating, with a graceful figure that moved people's hearts. Her hair was adorned with jewels and countless precious hairpins that trembled. She exuded a delicate fragrance, and her body was adorned with fine gold threads and flowers.
"Wen Zhong greets Guanyin Bodhisattva!"
"Come in!" Guanyin was originally an incarnation of Cihang Daoren. In fact, she was Wen Zhong's uncle. However, after the Investiture of the Gods, the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect had many conflicts and were outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds.
Further inside were three large halls, with high curtains. Above the screen door hung a horizontal scroll painting of longevity and happiness. On the two gilded pillars on either side were a couplet on large red paper, which read: "Silk threads flutter on the willows by the bridge at dusk, snowflakes dot the fragrant plum blossoms in the courtyard in spring." In the center was a matte black lacquered incense table, on which sat an antique bronze beast-shaped incense burner. Above were six armchairs, and hanging screens depicting the four seasons hung on either side.
Just then, footsteps were heard, and a middle-aged woman came out and said, "Wen Zhong, you've come at the right time. I, along with Guanyin Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and Manjushri Bodhisattva, are testing Tang Sanzang. Why don't you also transform into a steward and test the Zen minds of these master and his disciples!"
"Yes, Uncle-Master!"
Wen Zhong knew he had acted rashly today, but little did he know that the Holy Mother Wudang would be entangled by these three. Although the Holy Mother Wudang had transformed into the Old Mother of Lishan, to these powerful beings who knew her well, she was still the Holy Mother Wudang, a disciple of the Jie Sect.
Although Guanyin Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and Manjushri Bodhisattva entered the Buddhist order, they sacrificed their own interests to gain great merit from Buddhism. Although they were in Buddhism, their hearts were in the Chan sect. Yuanshi Tianzun was always their master.
The feud between the Chan and Jie sects is fundamentally unsolvable.
Upon learning that the Old Mother of Lishan had arrived on the journey to the West, the three kept a close watch on her to prevent her from disrupting their plan to obtain the scriptures from the West.
And so, the scene before Wen Zhong's eyes unfolded.
Wen Zhong naturally understood why the three Bodhisattvas had appeared. He transformed himself into a white-bearded steward, secretly delighted: "However, seeing you call Wudang Martial Uncle 'Mother' is truly gratifying!"
Chapter 439 Fusion of the Remnant Cauldron
Having previously promised the Third Holy Mother to transform the journey to the West into a trial for obtaining Buddhist scriptures, Jiang Liu felt that the time was now ripe.
This would kill two birds with one stone; we could now devise a plan for the remains of the Nine Cauldrons.