Zhulan Temple

As they walked, Abbot Sengyan learned that Qin Sang had traveled from afar seemingly wishing to discuss Buddhist philosophy with him. The ultimate truths of the world were shared between Buddhism and Daoism. However, Buddhist scriptural debate possessed its own strict set of rules. After entering the Western Desert, Qin Sang had studied the core tenets of Buddhism and could manage to hold his own to some degree. That was precisely why he had disguised himself as a devout lay Buddhist rather than an itinerant monk and fabricated such an explanation. After listening, Abbot Sengyan realized that Qin Sang was not a true devotee who had formally taken refuge in the Three Jewels, so he would not hold him to an overly high standard. "Recently, I heard that a lay Buddhist has been paying homage to the Buddha throughout the Vast Sea with utmost reverence. That must be Layman Mingyue," Sengyan inquired in return. "Since Layman Mingyue has experienced an awakening and seeks to cleanse his karmic hindrances, why not choose a temple and formally take refuge in our Buddha?" "This humble one fears my attachments to the mortal world have not yet run their course, and I might disturb the tranquility of a sacred sanctuary," Qin Sang replied respectfully. Hearing this, Sengyan gave an imperceptible shake of his head, convinced he had seen through Qin Sang's true motives. In all likelihood, this man's pilgrimage to cleanse his karma was merely a facade. The truth was probably that he had hit a bottleneck in his cultivation and, finding no success through bitter training, hoped to seek an opportunity for a breakthrough within the Buddhist gate. In this desert realm of Buddhist nations, there were countless followers. Such situations were commonplace. Some even went so far as to shave their heads, take monastic vows, switch lineages entirely, and practice Buddhist cultivation techniques—all while harboring not an ounce of genuine reverence for the Buddha in their hearts. Yet even among the true masters of the Buddhist sects, how many possessed authentic, devout faith in the Buddha? If they did, why would they be unable to debate down even an arrogant scoundrel who proclaimed himself a 'Bodhisattva'? If not for the fact that many Buddhist arts and divine abilities could find corroboration in the sutras—or perhaps offer a chance at advancement—many would likely never bother opening a single Buddhist text. Sengyan wished to rectify the atmosphere within the Buddhist community, but knowing his own meager strength and influence, he simply sighed inwardly and did not expose Qin Sang. "Layman Mingyue has traveled through the Three Thousand Buddhist Kingdoms. What are your thoughts on that Moonlight Bodhisattva?" As he spoke, Sengyan subconsciously glanced at Qin Sang. One called Mingyue—the Bright Moon—and the other Moonlight. What a coincidence. "This humble one dares not speak presumptuously and understands only a single truth. No matter the origin of Moonlight Bodhisattva, so long as he comprehends Buddhist principles and understands the Buddha-nature, he is a sagely teacher, and my heart yearns toward him," Qin Sang replied tactfully. Sengyan was struck dumb. He stood solemnly for a long moment before snapping back to reality, bowing deeply to Qin Sang. "I am fortunate to have been enlightened by Layman Mingyue. This poor monk was trapped by superficial appearances!" Qin Sang was rendered speechless. He had no interest in Sengyan's thoughts; he only wished to steer the topic toward Yinchan Temple as soon as possible. Yet following this exchange, Sengyan grew increasingly enthusiastic toward Qin Sang, even declaring that Qin Sang was born with innate Buddha-nature. "If Layman Mingyue is unwilling to shave his head, why not take up temporary lodging in our temple to cultivate for a few days? This poor monk hopes to sit and have a long talk with you." Hearing this, Qin Sang's mind stirred. After feigning hesitation, he nodded in agreement. For a period following that, Qin Sang maintained his routine. Leaving early each morning, he visited the various temples, meticulously burning incense and paying homage to the Buddha, before returning to Beishan Temple in the evening. Whenever the lamps were lit at dusk, Abbot Sengyan would seek him out to discuss the scriptures and preach the Dharma. Sengyan was a genuine believer, a rarity among the Buddhist cultivators Qin Sang had encountered during this time. At first, Qin Sang merely intended to humor Sengyan, biding his time until the moment was ripe to inquire about Yinchan Temple. After a few days, however, Qin Sang grew increasingly intrigued and even began diligently studying the Buddhist sutras. Having achieved his present level of cultivation, his resolve was rock-solid; it was impossible for him to truly convert to Buddhism. The real reason was that he discovered studying the Buddhist sutras seemed beneficial for the Seven Masters Buddha Seal. He had previously mastered the first four seals of the Seven Masters Buddha Seal. Looking at them now, he realized that the first four seals clearly contained many profound subtleties he had overlooked. The Seven Masters Buddha Seal was far more than a simple divine ability meant for slaughter; it conformed implicitly to Buddhist principles. The first four seals he had 'completed' resonated with one another, and their sequential order harbored hidden mysteries. Because of this, Qin Sang borrowed the precious Buddhist sutras preserved in Beishan Temple from Abbot Sengyan and perused nearly all of them. Naturally, he did not forget the true purpose of his journey. After patient groundwork, he smoothly guided the conversation toward Yinchan Temple. "While paying homage today, I inadvertently heard a master mention a secret history," Qin Sang said with a curious expression. "Many years ago, the Vast Sea was not yet illuminated by the Buddha's light. An eminent monk of great virtue journeyed here alone and founded the first Buddhist temple to propagate the Dharma and deliver the masses. I wonder which sacred temple that might be?" Sengyan smiled upon hearing this. "The sacred temple you speak of, Layman Mingyue, is Yinchan Temple. That eminent monk of great virtue was Venerable Hongyi. Yinchan Temple is none other than today's Zhulan Temple." Qin Sang froze in surprise. "Why was its name changed?" Venerable Hongyi was precisely the eminent monk who had left behind the buddha bone relic. Here, 'Venerable' was not the title used by the Canglang Ocean Merchant Alliance, but a Buddhist honorific for Nascent Soul cultivators. Zhulan Temple was currently the foremost of the Seven Stars of the Vast Sea; it turned out it had inherited the lineage of Yinchan Temple. It was so straightforward, yet he had previously failed to uncover it. "It was not a name change," Sengyan said, shaking his head. "Venerable Hongyi's original Dharma name was Daoyu. In his youth, he cultivated at Zhulan Temple. Once his cultivation reached fruition, he traveled far and wide. Seeing evil spirits and demons running rampant across the Vast Sea, he made a grand vow to deliver the people of the Vast Sea from their sea of suffering. Because the demons were powerful, Venerable Hongyi feared bringing calamity upon his sect, so he concealed his identity and constructed Yinchan Temple. Later, after Venerable Hongyi established a foothold, Zhulan Temple happened to be hard-pressed by formidable enemies, so its monks migrated to the Vast Sea." Speaking of Venerable Hongyi, Sengyan did not hide his reverence. "Venerable Hongyi once said that merit resides in the heart and in one's deeds, not in empty renown. In his twilight years, he reclaimed his original Dharma name, living beside blue lamps and the ancient Buddha until he passed away. Later, when the enemy forces of Zhulan Temple declined, the name 'Zhulan Temple' was restored, and a pagoda was subsequently erected within the temple in honor of Venerable Hongyi. Every ten years, Zhulan Temple hosts a Dharma assembly. Originally, it was held to commemorate Venerable Hongyi, though now it has devolved into an arena where disciples from various temples flaunt their prowess and fight." Qin Sang was struck with sudden comprehension, thinking to himself that this was the truth behind it all. When Xiaoxiangzi had discovered the buddha bone relic back then, Zhulan Temple was still called Yinchan Temple. However, Sengyan was mistaken on one point: Venerable Hongyi had not passed away naturally. According to Xiaoxiangzi's deductions, Venerable Hongyi had most likely met with an unexpected mishap while attempting to break through the bottleneck to the late Nascent Soul stage, perishing with his Dao destroyed and leaving behind the buddha bone relic. Under ordinary circumstances, if Venerable Hongyi had failed his breakthrough, even if he left behind an exceptional relic, it would be impossible for it to aid later generations in breaking through the same realm. Yet Xiaoxiangzi had discovered something unusual within that buddha bone relic. He suspected that Venerable Hongyi had relied on some Buddhist treasure during his breakthrough attempt, and upon his death, the relic and the treasure had fused unexpectedly, forming a unique buddha bone relic. Such a relic could never be replicated. Zhulan Temple had erected a pagoda for Venerable Hongyi. Could the buddha bone relic be enshrined within that very pagoda? Qin Sang was inwardly overjoyed, thinking that he had finally found a lead. Inquiring further, he learned that the next Dharma assembly was scheduled in two years. On the day of the assembly, disciples from every temple could enter Zhulan Temple, presenting a chance to approach the pagoda and the best opportunity to observe it. He and Liuli had traveled tens of thousands of miles; waiting another two years mattered little to them. After obtaining this information, Qin Sang did not halt his pilgrimages. He progressed steadily from one oasis to the next, his conduct remaining meticulously reverent. A year later, Qin Sang finally arrived at the largest oasis, where Zhulan Temple was situated. Zhulan Temple was built amidst the mountains along a lakeshore. Temples stretched in continuous rows, tranquil and solemn. Unsurprisingly, Zhulan Temple was not as lenient as Beishan Temple. Outside monks were permitted to pay homage and take temporary lodging, but they were only allowed to move about the front temple; the rear mountain was a restricted ground. The pagoda was situated in the rear mountain. According to the information Qin Sang gathered, Zhulan Temple possessed three Venerables. Among them, Venerable Chengyuan was in the middle Nascent Soul stage. This Venerable practiced seated meditation year-round and had not left Zhulan Temple in years; whether his cultivation had advanced further remained unknown. One middle Nascent Soul and two early Nascent Soul cultivators—Qin Sang felt confident that he and Liuli could handle them. The most troublesome aspect was Zhulan Temple's temple-protecting spirit array. When Qin Sang entered Zhulan Temple to pay homage, the spirit array was operating routinely. Even without its full power unleashed, one could still perceive its extraordinary nature. Buddhist spirit arrays differed considerably from the formations he had learned at the Yuanshen Sect, being especially adept at defense. The pagoda's restricted ground was situated at the very core of the spirit array. Careful planning was needed to infiltrate the forbidden ground, seize the buddha bone relic, and retreat unharmed while simultaneously fending off three Venerables. If they failed to withdraw in time, they would face pincer attacks from inside and outside by the experts of the various temples! After briefly observing the layout of Zhulan Temple, Qin Sang returned to Beishan Temple. While waiting for the right moment, he immersed himself in the Buddhist scriptures, making noticeable progress with the Seven Masters Buddha Seal. He did not subscribe to Sengyan's philosophy, yet he held respect for anyone who held fast to their principles, even if Sengyan's cultivation was far below his own. Without exposing himself, he would occasionally drop a few subtle hints. Abbot Sengyan could not sense much from them for the time being, but as his cultivation deepened, he would gradually uncover their profound worth. The Dharma assembly arrived as scheduled. Zhulan Temple threw open its doors, hosting the assembly in the rear mountain—a prime opportunity to approach the pagoda. Abbot Sengyan disliked such assemblies and dispatched a junior brother to lead the temple's core disciples to attend the gathering at Zhulan Temple. Qin Sang secured the opportunity to travel alongside them. The assembly's proceedings were exceedingly tedious. Reportedly, the assembly had once consisted of two equally important parts: scriptural debate and martial contests. The various temples of the Vast Sea would offer treasures to reward victorious disciples as encouragement. Later, the martial contests became the main focus, while scriptural debate was neglected and proved utterly dry and dull, leading some to even propose abolishing it. Qin Sang could actually understand these Buddhist disciples. In this era, achieving Deity Transformation was as difficult as ascending the heavens; if one did not advance, one perished. How many would dare risk delaying their cultivation by distracting themselves and pouring their full attention into studying ethereal, intangible Buddhist philosophy? Mortal believers placed absolute faith in notions such as karmic retribution, the six realms of reincarnation, and the pure land of the Spirit Mountain found in the scriptures, yet practitioners harbored doubts. Ascending to immortality at least had legends supporting it, whereas these concepts existed only on the flimsy pages of Buddhist texts, with no recorded instances of a Buddha manifesting in the world. Those who could attain sudden enlightenment from Buddhist sutras and make great leaps in cultivation were rare occurrences seen once in a thousand years. To put it bluntly, the cultivation of contemporary cultivators was far too meager; the techniques and divine abilities they could access did not yet touch upon the ultimate truths of the scriptures. A half-baked practitioner like Qin Sang, who had cursorily studied Buddhist texts for merely a few years, already had enough to comprehend the first four seals of the Seven Masters Buddha Seal. Of course, since he could not practice the final three seals for now, that was another matter entirely. Nowadays, the disturbance caused by Moonlight Bodhisattva was intensifying. Possessing peerless eloquence, that figure had refuted countless so-called eminent monks. As long as the title of Bodhisattva could not be stripped from him, the Buddhist sects would remain thoroughly disgraced. Consequently, this assembly differed from past ones, with scriptural debate receiving unprecedented attention. The assembly proceeded in full swing. Finding an opportune moment, Qin Sang quietly slipped out of the venue and located the pagoda site with effortless ease. In the rear mountain of Zhulan Temple, pagodas stood like a forest, enshrining eminent monks throughout the generations. "Amitabha." Just as Qin Sang drew near the pagoda forest, a monk stepped out from ahead, blocking his path. Judging by the monk's expression, he clearly had no intention of allowing passage. "Greetings, Master," Qin Sang offered a composed bow and explained his purpose. "This humble one learned of Senior Hongyi's meritorious deeds in propagating the Dharma alone and felt profound admiration. Hearing that a pagoda was built for Senior Hongyi within the pagoda forest, I wished to burn incense and pay homage before it. Would it be possible for Master to grant me this convenience?" As Qin Sang spoke, he observed his surroundings. Although the pagoda forest was an important temple ground, the guarding monk was merely at the early Core Formation stage. Unlike a true treasure repository, this place served primarily a commemorative purpose. However, that did not mean it could be breached easily. During the assembly, the temple-protecting spirit array operated at full power, affording special protection to the pagoda forest. Standing outside, one could see the pagoda forest blazing with golden radiance, the tops of the pagodas shimmering with vibrant Buddhist light. Seeing that Qin Sang's words and conduct were respectful and free of deceit, the monk's expression softened, and he returned the bow with a gentle tone. "Layman is very thoughtful. The pagoda forest is a restricted area; without the abbot's decree, unauthorized entry is forbidden. Layman may burn incense and pay respects outside the pagoda forest to show your sincerity. That pagoda over there was built for Master Daoyu..." With that, the monk turned and pointed to a pagoda at the center of the forest. Qin Sang had already awakened the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, sweeping his gaze across the pagodas one by one. The purpose of the pagodas was to enshrine the relics and belongings of the temple's departed eminent monks. Through the Buddhist light atop the pagodas, one could see that some enshrined relics, while others held alms bowls, kasayas, prayer beads, and other personal items worn or used by the monks during their lifetimes. Though mundane objects, they had been endowed with extraordinary significance. Following the monk's finger, Qin Sang spotted a white relic pearl deep within the Buddhist light. The relic pearl was oval-shaped and pure white without blemish, appearing no different from any other relic. Zhulan Temple had enshrined this relic pearl for many years without ever discovering its wondrous nature, and it was even less possible to discern anything miraculous about it with the naked eye. The color matched. However, to verify its authenticity, he had to hold it in his hand and test it using the secret technique Xiaoxiangzi had imparted. Qin Sang pondered silently. Zhulan Temple surely wouldn't go out of its way to intentionally substitute an ordinary relic with a fake, would it? Otherwise, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of enshrining it? Accompanying the monk to the incense altar before the pagoda forest, he completed the ceremonial rites while weighing the feasibility of striking now to forcibly seize the relic. During the assembly, Zhulan Temple was on high alert, and experts from various temples had gathered together for the event. He and Liuli were not sufficiently prepared. He would only have one chance to strike. Once his objective was exposed, the Venerables of Zhulan Temple would realize that the relic was an invaluable treasure. After assessing the situation, Qin Sang concluded that the chances of success this time were slim. When he learned that the Venerables' meditation halls were located right on the cliffside rock face behind the pagoda forest, Qin Sang thoroughly abandoned any thought of acting now. Breaching the array and charging in, he certainly could not move faster than three Venerables. If the three Venerables acted together, they wouldn't even need to defeat him; so long as they coordinated with the spirit array to delay him for a moment and swept away the offerings in the pagoda forest, his efforts would all come to naught. Using the pretext of admiring Venerable Hongyi's deeds, Qin Sang struck up a conversation with the monk while secretly channeling his Heavenly Eye divine ability, committing the operating patterns of the temple-protecting spirit array to memory so he could deduce them once he returned. As the assembly drew to a close, Qin Sang withdrew from Zhulan Temple with the crowd and met up with Liuli that very night to explain the situation.