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墨書 Inktalez
Upon returning to Xuanfo Temple, everything was as it had always been. Everyone was busy with their own affairs, either cultivating or reciting scriptures and reading.
Years later, Zhao Yang still reminisced about the moonlight of that night, serene as water, pure as the sky.
"Back already?" An aging voice sounded in his ear.
Zhao Yang recognized it as the voice of the temple's abbot. He nodded and replied, "Abbot, it seems I am even more confused now."
The abbot nodded, silently praising him in his heart, and said, "The more you know, the more confusion you will encounter, unless you break free from the shackles of the cultivation realm. Did you learn anything about the Buddhist Sect during your journey?"
Zhao Yang harbored doubts and spoke, "I have learned many things, but there are still only fragments regarding that existence in Xuanfo Temple. As for the Buddhist Ancestor, it seems there are records, but no one dares to mention them. Is this a taboo? Moreover, all four secret texts contain the same phrase: 'There is no Tathagata in the world; Buddhism has no Zen.' What does this mean?"
The abbot replied, "It means exactly what you think it means. Perhaps one day you will meet someone who can clarify these matters for you. Forgive me for not being able to speak plainly."
Hearing this, Zhao Yang fell silent. He understood that there were some taboos in the world that could not be discussed without reaching a certain level of understanding.
Countless characters swirled in Zhao Yang's mind, crowding together and overwhelming him. Thus, he returned to his room and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Unbeknownst to him, Zhao Yang sank into slumber for a long time. When he finally awoke, winter had quietly passed; the snow had just begun to melt under the bright morning sun.
Zhao Yang was unaware that even a simple gesture from him now unconsciously manifested a kind of Dao Yun.
When he had visited his family in the village years ago, he had seen the imprint of blooming lotus flowers beneath his sister Zhao Yu's feet, but it lacked Dao Yun. Now, however, his Dao Yun had begun to take shape for the first time.
Zhao Yang did not introspect on the state of his Qi Sea; if he had observed closely and truthfully, he would have discovered that the Perfect Foundation Cauldron had become even more translucent. The ancient characters on its surface were clearer than ever, and the text that had been distorted by the Imperial Scripture was slowly returning to its original form.
Moreover, the Chaos True Qi above the Foundation Cauldron had grown thicker.
Even more astonishing was that at the mouth of the cauldron, the previously silent Haotian Pill had fully matured into a part of Zhao Yang himself. It bore various projections and was covered in intricate runes, appearing both mysterious and grand.
Zhao Yang got up and approached Song Baliang's Meditation Room. Upon hearing a long-awaited voice, Song Baliang hurriedly called him inside.
"The abbot said you were breaking through and experiencing The True Meaning of the Dao, which is why he didn't let me wake you. Do you know how long you've been asleep, Junior Brother?" Song Baliang asked curiously.
Zhao Yang looked at the changes in the moss on the trees in the courtyard and felt the direction of the wind in the air. He noted the thickness of the accumulated snow, the intensity of sunlight, and the humidity of the air without calculating precisely before saying, "It has been three months and eight days."
"You checked the calendar or asked someone, didn't you? You remember even while sleeping."
The accuracy of this information surprised even Zhao Yang himself. Although his state was not as clear as when he entered the Enlightenment Realm, it felt more natural, as it was his own ability to see through the surroundings at a glance.
Song Baliang pulled Zhao Yang to the mountainside not far from the temple, where two disciples were still herding cattle.
Zhao Yang's eyes flickered as he exchanged a glance with Song Baliang. Soon, a mischievous glint returned to his gaze, and they silently knocked out the two disciples. Each of them carried a cow and sprinted away towards Cold Mountain, raising two clouds of dust behind them.
On their way back, the two were burping continuously, their hands still clutching snow as they wiped the grease from their lips.
"Master, these two cows are truly delicious. With all that spiritual grass they’ve been fed, the meat is simply outstanding. The beef infused with so much Spirit Energy will surely enhance our cultivation—wait, my cultivation?" Song Baliang suddenly realized that his cultivation had already surpassed what it was before.
"To think I've already reached the seventh layer of Core Formation Stage," Song Baliang exclaimed in shock.
After waking up, Zhao Yang hadn't paid attention to his internal state. Now, as he calmed himself to feel within, he discovered that his cultivation had also advanced to the sixth layer of Core Formation Stage during his dream, and there were faint signs of breaking through to the later stage of Core Formation.
The Chaotic Root had now taken root deep within his soul, merging with him completely without any side effects, leaving no cracks in his path.
All of this was a result of the tranquil cultivation at Xuanfo Temple—no fighting, no hunting. Zhao Yang had perused One Hundred Thousand Volumes of books, allowing him to reflect on his journey in cultivation and make up for the shortcomings he had encountered along the way.
That night, the screams of Datong Zen Master echoed throughout Xuanfo Temple like a pig being slaughtered.
"I will kill you! I will kill both of you! My Azure Spirit Ox! Zhao Yang, Song Baliang, come here!"
Following that were the comforting words from several Divine Monks and the gentle chanting from the abbot.
The next day, before Zhao Yang even got out of bed, he sensed a tremendous vitality emanating from a table not far away.
It was a box—the Life Box.
The door was slightly ajar; clearly someone had secretly placed the Life Box on his Meditation Room table while he was still asleep.
When Zhao Yang first arrived, he had been robbed by several Divine Monks. He remembered clearly that the Life Box had been taken by Great Suffering Zen Master. Now it had quietly been returned; it must have been after witnessing Datong and Great Compassion's fate.
Underneath the Life Box was a note that read: "There is an extraordinary beast inside this treasure box; I cannot study it thoroughly yet. Do not harm me."
Zhao Yang smiled, putting the Life Box into his embrace. He calmly washed up, got dressed, and stepped out to greet the morning sun. He met up with Song Baliang, and together they headed to the square for their morning exercises. After finishing their workout, they went to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Now, Zhao Yang and Song Baliang had become the most notable figures in Xuanfo Temple, aside from the Four Divine Monks.
However, they soon saw four Zen Masters walking towards the cafeteria, taking them away directly toward the Forbidden Technique Room. Then, cries echoed from within the Forbidden Technique Room, sounding exceptionally tragic. Some disciples peered in from outside and noticed that six people emerged together, all silent and battered, their faces marked with injuries. The four Zen Masters also bore significant wounds, their faces smeared with blood.
Zhao Yang and Song Baliang's faces were swollen from a beating, and their hands looked as if they had been twisted painfully.
Despite their injuries, they were not given any rest; instead, they were forced to attend a sermon in the main hall of Xuanfo Temple. Zhao Yang felt speechless; this was a deliberate act of revenge by the four Zen Masters to humiliate them.
At the same time, he felt a warmth in his heart because, in the cultivation world, masters held the power of life and death over their disciples. Yet Xuanfo Temple not only lacked such injustices but also promoted equal education. If news spread about a master being beaten—especially if it involved the Four Divine Monks—everyone from other sects would find it hard to believe.
Even if it was merely an act of venting frustration, it placed them on equal footing with their masters.
The reason was simple: it wasn't because of some powerful entity backing Zhao Yang and Song Baliang or because of an educational policy promoting equality. It was simply due to foresight; they recognized that in just a few years, Zhao Yang and Song Baliang would shine brightly in the cultivation world. They understood that when these two joined forces, they would be full of cunning ideas. If they gained power later on, who knew how they might retaliate?
Zhao Yang and Song Baliang were growing stronger in such an environment of harsh treatment.
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