Chapter 465: Chapter 242:
But Abbot Dingguang feared that one day the truth would be exposed, and if so, he would face ruin!
To prevent this from happening, Abbot Dingguang secretly collected evidence in advance of Baiyun Daoist’s crimes—killing and harming lives, refining immortal medicine for longevity, and practicing evil cultivation techniques.
Once the day came when the truth was out, he planned to personally subdue the demon. This way, he could not only shift all the blame to the Daoist of Ruyi Temple but also eliminate Baiyun Daoist as a future threat, while simultaneously promoting his Buddhist Teachings, attracting more followers...
He just didn’t expect that Baiyun Daoist would fall at the hands of Xu Qing, nor did he expect that despite all his scheming, he eventually couldn’t escape Xu Qing’s punishment.
Buddha said, people have debts from past lives that they cannot avoid in this life and the next. There’s no place to hide.
Even in his dying moments, Abbot Dingguang believed Xu Qing was the debt from his past life, rather than someone seeking justice for those children or promoting good and punishing evil.
The old monk, although chanting Buddha’s name, didn’t believe in Buddha. Although he claimed to be a disciple of the orthodox Buddhist sect, he didn’t believe there were good people in the world.
After examining Abbot Dingguang’s life, Xu Qing found little of value. He had already verified many things about Yunmeng Mountain through Baiyun Daoist.
The only thing that caught Xu Qing’s attention was a small event experienced by two brothers together.
Soon after Baiyun Daoist established Ruyi Temple, a County Magistrate from Ning County in Qianzhou visited to pay homage to Lord Yuan and presented a map.
The map was said to be a gift from Elder Ciyun of Yinghui Temple to the magistrate’s ancestors, and the magistrate relayed the celestial scripture legend of Baiyun Cave, speaking with great certainty.
However, when Baiyun Daoist asked why the County Magistrate didn’t seek the immortal fate himself, the County Magistrate of Ning County said, "The terrain of Yunmeng Mountain is treacherous, full of poisonous mists and serpents. Even my ancestors feared the dangers and didn’t dare seek it, let alone me? Besides, I am entangled in mundane affairs and know I lack the destined connection, so this map should be more valuable to a true person."
This matter was not particularly unusual, but what was strange was that before the County Magistrate of Ning County went to Ruyi Temple to present the map, he had already given an identical map of Baiyun Cave to Abbot Dingguang of Cizhao Temple, using the same reasoning.
"Yang Mingchun of Ning County..."
Xu Qing noted down this name, thinking that after dealing with matters in Yunmeng Mountain, he might take a detour to Ning County to see what kind of person this Magistrate Yang really was.
In the end, for the first time performing the salvation of relics, the Sutra of Salvation also provided a reward: a forbidden character talisman, accompanied by a forbidden word curse.
In Buddhism, there is a practice called Silent Meditation, also known as Silent Speech. This method aims to reduce verbal misdeeds, namely the four offenses of false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and idle chatter, truly purifying the body, speech, and mind.
In simple terms, it means avoiding creating negative karma through silence. Over time, one’s merits and virtues naturally increase.
Calamities arise from the mouth, and illness enters through the mouth.
This is the principle behind it.
However, the effects of Silent Meditation go far beyond its literal meaning. Anyone who engraves the forbidden character talisman and practices Silent Meditation can accumulate a breath of resentment in their mouth. This breath is the one you hold back when angry, when heartbroken without a word, and when wronged without argument.
To encounter all injustices in the world without uttering a word is the day Silent Meditation reaches its peak!
"..."
Xu Qing looked at this celestial forbidden word curse, feeling a wave of speechlessness in his heart.
This isn’t a forbidden word curse; it’s clearly a curse of suffocation, a curse of frustration!
With this practice, if someone insults you, you can’t respond; if someone frames you, you can’t refute. Similarly, if you find yourself in trouble one day, you mustn’t call for help, rendering you a mute gourd cultivation technique!
This technique might suit the taciturn, but for the region of Jin Sect, renowned for its ’sharp tongues,’ asking the locals to keep silent is worse than taking their lives!
Faced with the temptation of celestial divine techniques, some may hold their tongues in silence, but Xu Qing cannot.
He is a Funeral Master, dealing with people daily. He has to talk business with the living and perform rituals and salvation for the dead. As a Funeral Master, he must lead in chanting the appropriate slogans when raising, moving, and interring coffins. If he kept silent, he couldn’t carry on his business!
Xu Qing looked longingly from across the river. He knew that cultivating this forbidden word curse would undoubtedly be incredibly powerful, but he couldn’t give up his main occupation to become that mute gourd.
"With each day of silence, one thread of true energy condenses in the throat. A hundred days of silence can condense the might of Tiger Fury, and a thousand days can bring forth the majesty of Dragon Rising. If one can endure for a cycle, it will condense a thread of extinction energy. A hundred years of silence can break all barriers."
After reading the potential achievements that the True Energy Invocation hymn of Silent Meditation could bring, Xu Qing felt momentarily shaken.
Silent Meditation is truly a benchmark for breaking through illusionary techniques. If he truly achieved a hundred years of Silent Meditation, perhaps only if he unleashed the first stroke of the 36 Celestial Axes could he compare.
A hundred-year divine technique, who could stand against it?
What great vendetta, what great hatred could be worthy of enduring a hundred years of silent extinction energy?
Xu Qing felt a bit hesitant in his heart, but at that moment, a little girl’s cheerful voice suddenly echoed beside him.
"Look, Xu Immortal!"
Xu Qing turned his head and saw Xuan Yu had, at some point, spit out the newly refined demon core. At this moment, the little cat was presenting the inner core like a treasure for him to see.
The inner core is the most important possession for demons and is not easily shown to others. If the demon core is damaged, the demon’s body would suffer irreparable harm.
But at this moment, Xuan Yu was showing the newly refined demon core with complete trust.
This cat...
Seeing this scene, Xu Qing thought again of the elderly woman who had deceived Xuan Yu of her life.
Watching the girl’s joyful expression, Xu Qing didn’t know what to say.
"Is it beautiful?"
Xuan Yu asked with some anticipation.
Xu Qing lowered his head to look. The lustrous white demon core was emitting a warm glow, as if moonlight was flowing over it. Even a treasure carved from thousand-year-old cold jade would merely resemble this.
"Beautiful."
"Can I touch it?"
"Hmm..." Xuan Yu hesitated for a moment and said, "You can only touch it once."
So this is the demon core, Xu Qing appeared suddenly enlightened.
However, before he could fully appreciate it, the demon core was retrieved by Xuan Yu.
Looking at Xuan Yu’s flushed cheeks, Xu Qing found it quite fun.
"The Profound Jade Immortal Family must remember that the inner core is the source of a demon’s cultivation. It must not be shown to others except in crucial moments."
"Hmm." Xuan Yu nodded seriously: "Xuan Yu only shows it to the Xu Immortal Family."
With these words, Xu Qing was delighted. He is immune to both force and persuasion but appreciates sincerity.
To hell with the curse of silence, and silent meditation, let them gather dust!
Zombies are destined to be lone stars, and now he finally has a demon to converse with and amuse him. If he were to practice silent meditation, how would he differ from an unfeeling elder monk?
...
In the ruinous temple struck by axes and lightning, Xu Qing was rearranging the altar and rituals at the ruins.
After worshiping heaven and earth, Xu Qing began to use the immortal-seeking technique that could only be performed once every twelve years.
"All methods return to the way of heaven, all immortals return to the camp. Tonight, I temporarily send off a guest from Penglai, someday we will again discuss immortal reasons..."
At three periods of time past midnight, the moonlight was like frost.
Xu Qing stood before the altar, chanting words, and when the divine technique was deployed, he felt as if his divine soul was rising, with a mysterious force guiding his direction.
Moments later, Xu Qing suddenly opened his eyes.
In the last instant of his returning thoughts, Xu Qing saw a stream illuminated by the bright moon, and the immortal fate indicated by the immortal-seeking technique was in the moonlit stream.
The yellow sprout is originally the marrow of a child, mercury and lead were born from the sea of blood.
Today opens the three-foot sword in the box, for heaven to show the unjust people.
Xu Qing initially thought that after overcoming the thunder disaster, Xuan Yu would awaken her wild instincts like a grown leopard or tiger, but unexpectedly, this cat seemed to rely even more on him than before.
...
In the ruinous temple struck by axes and lightning, Xu Qing was rearranging the altar and rituals at the ruins.
After worshiping heaven and earth, Xu Qing began to use the immortal-seeking technique that could only be performed once every twelve years.
"All methods return to the way of heaven, all immortals return to the camp. Tonight, I temporarily send off a guest from Penglai, someday we will again discuss immortal reasons..."
At three periods of time past midnight, the moonlight was like frost.
Xu Qing stood before the altar, chanting words, and when the divine technique was deployed, he felt as if his divine soul was rising, with a mysterious force guiding his direction.
Moments later, Xu Qing suddenly opened his eyes.
In the last instant of his returning thoughts, Xu Qing saw a stream illuminated by the bright moon, and the immortal fate indicated by the immortal-seeking technique was in the moonlit stream.
The yellow sprout is originally the marrow of a child, mercury and lead were born from the sea of blood.
Today opens the three-foot sword in the box, for heaven to show the unjust people.
Xu Qing initially thought that after overcoming the thunder disaster, Xuan Yu would awaken her wild instincts like a grown leopard or tiger, but unexpectedly, this cat seemed to rely even more on him than before.