Chapter 282: Jinlian Mohe

Lianhua Temple, located in the State of Zhao, belongs to the Dharma Form lineage. As the State of Zhao deeply reveres Buddhism and boasts numerous temples, Lianhua Temple stands among the top ten largest of its 461 temples. It has acquired vast tracts of land and supports tens of thousands of monks.

Riding the wind, he flew over the expansive paddy fields at the foot of the mountain. Below, the emaciated tenant farmers dropped their tools and hastily kowtowed.

"Master, may you be auspicious! Master, may you be auspicious!"

As if deaf to their greetings, he descended towards the resplendent golden hall on the mountain. Inside, countless candles and golden incense sticks glowed, and dense smoke diffused, flowing out from the cracks in the stairs and windows like a soft, beautiful white waterfall. This golden hall consumed an astonishing amount of oil and wood annually, a luxury only a grand temple of this stature could afford.

At the uppermost position, several young, beautiful women sat, knelt, or even lay naked, their luxurious brocade clothes scattered around. Among them, a clever and adorable child, appearing five or six years old and delicate as if carved from jade, was nestled in a woman's arms, drinking milk. All around, candlelight flickered as young girls, each carrying an oil lamp, bustled about, hastily refilling oil.

The air was thick with the scent of oil and incense. He quickly adjusted his robes and respectfully announced:

"Greetings, Master. May you be auspicious for a hundred lifetimes, eternally embodying great compassion and joy, your Dharma Body golden, imperishable and indestructible!"

The child, still nursing, cast a subtle, sidelong glance at him. Then, a soft, melodious Sanskrit voice, surprisingly coming from the child, resonated through the hall. The young girls on both sides immediately knelt as the child spoke:

"Boy, I sent you to escort Sir Murong. Why have you returned?"

"This humble one has been wronged!"

He hastily kowtowed, his head thudding loudly on the ground. After he finished explaining the entire sequence of events, the child opened his eyes, released his mouth from the breast—which was covered in milk stains—and cursed:

"Useless trash, you run back whenever you cause trouble! Now, present that Golden Hall!"

He quickly summoned the Golden Hall. It floated precariously from his sleeve, initially palm-sized, but swiftly transformed to human height, resembling a small, tottering table covered in cracks.

The child examined it for a moment, a peculiar expression on his face, and then, in a childish voice, remarked:

"How curious. Its rank is very high, yet there's no ominous aura... It must be a fellow Daoist from the immortal path, quite unfamiliar."

This child was, in fact, the Master's venerable teacher, Jinlian Mohe, the patriarch of the Lotus Sect. He had achieved the Mohe state three hundred years ago, having reincarnated seven times and attained great mastery in Buddhist teachings. He was only one step away from achieving the Dharma Form, making him one of the foremost figures in the State of Zhao.

Buddhist cultivation fundamentally differs from the immortal path. In the immortal path, beginning with the Xuanjing Wheel, practitioners gain access to immortal magic upon cultivation. In contrast, a Buddhist monk's initial stage, encompassing "fetal breath" and "Qi training," merely results in robust, steel-like physiques. Upon breaking through to become a Master, they are slightly more powerful than a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the immortal path. However, after achieving "Compassion," they are somewhat weaker than a Purple Mansion cultivator, and a Mohe is still not comparable to a Golden Core, being only slightly stronger than Purple Mansion. There is a peculiar, asymmetrical progression at every turn.

As he gazed at the colorful light in the hall, Jinlian Mohe's heart stirred. He vaguely sensed a cool, profound spiritual essence, and was overjoyed, secretly musing:

"This mere Master actually peered into a Golden Core and survived? Could it be that this Golden Core immortal cultivator is gravely ill, perhaps on the verge of death? I have been a Mohe for seven lifetimes, just a whisker away from achieving Dharma Form. It seems my destined moment has arrived! Hahaha!"

Having cultivated as a Mohe for seven lifetimes, Jinlian Mohe was already on par with a peak Purple Mansion cultivator. His desires greatly stirred, he made up his mind and spoke without reservation, stating directly:

"Even if it is a Golden Core, what of it? Though I cannot defeat him, dissolving a thread of his fate poses no problem. Present that magical artifact!"

His calculations were shrewd: the Golden Core's state was clearly abnormal, and merely peering into it shouldn't cause major issues. Furthermore, with the Dharma Form Buddhist cultivators backing him, he was confident no serious problems would arise. Thus, he took full charge, exuding immense confidence.

Upon hearing this, he was instantly overjoyed and brought the Golden Hall forward. Jinlian Mohe chanted incantations, slowly closing his eyes, a look of contempt on the child's face. The colorful light within the Golden Hall slowly diminished, transferring into the hand performing the incantation.

After what felt like several dozen breaths, the contemptuous expression on Mohe's face slowly faded. He then seriously formed hand seals, beginning to employ his true abilities. After waiting for a long while, complete silence reigned above. He could only furtively peek, and saw Jinlian Mohe drenched in sweat, muttering ceaselessly, greatly—

—alarmed. He quickly knelt down, praying in his heart:

"This has nothing to do with me... This truly has nothing to do with me... You great cultivators are battling; it's unrelated to me. Please spare my life, please spare my life!"

He bowed his head silently on the ground, while Jinlian Mohe began to tremble. The colorful light in the Golden Hall had completely vanished. The incantations he formed in his hand now glowed with translucent, vibrant light. Before him stretched boundless darkness, and his magic power flowed uncontrollably into his hand. His aura weakened in waves until, finally, his vision brightened.

"This is..."

Beneath swirling grey mist, the earth lay in dimness. Lu Jiangxian sat by a stone table, holding a flickering golden light, subtly feeling a sense of dilemma.

"I've seen those unafraid of death, but never one so determined to court it..."

Lu Jiangxian had been alerted earlier, aware that someone was spying on him. Although he could not exit the Dharma Mirror, the other party had used their own fate to collide with him. While he might have been helpless if this had happened immediately after his awakening, Lu Jiangxian had now cultivated witchcraft and immortal arts for decades, allowing him to use the Dharma Mirror's immense power to completely subdue the intruder.

"I was originally concerned about inviting trouble and chose to spare your life, yet you still persist in such provocation..."

While Lu Jiangxian's current Taiyin Profound Light only possessed the power of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, its spiritual rank was terrifyingly high. As long as he remained within the Dharma Mirror, no one could divine his presence. As for cultivators who relied on talismanic energy for divinations, he could effortlessly cause them to suffer a fatal backlash.

"However, there might be someone behind Jinlian Mohe. If I kill this fellow and draw the attention of a Dharma Form World-Honored One, that would be truly troublesome!"

He frowned slightly, his mind stirring with an idea. He tapped the table, and instantly, an boundless grand hall of white jade materialized, its surfaces intricately carved with complex incantations. This was precisely the hall of the Moon Essence Prime Mansion from Li Jiangqun's memory. He sat high on the main seat, looking down.

"With my current power, I can draw this fellow's spirit into the Mirror for the duration of an incense stick. I might as well seize this chance to gather some information, then sever this wisp of his spirit, ensuring he forgets everything."

After observing for a moment, Lu Jiangxian clenched the golden light. Having made up his mind, he cast it forward. Immediately, streams of moonlight condensed, transforming into a docile and adorable five or six-year-old child, who, clad in a robe, knelt on a white jade slab in the hall.

"Who are you?"

Jinlian Mohe groggily opened his eyes. He looked around and immediately sensed something amiss. He quickly tried to circulate his cultivation, only to find his body empty, devoid of any magic power. He was instantly overcome with alarm.

Looking up again, he saw a man seated high on the main seat, his face radiating a blinding light that stung his eyes. Yet, his attire flowed with an ethereal, immortal aura. Jinlian Mohe timidly lowered his head, his heart filled with terror, thinking:

"This...! To capture me with just a thread of fate, he's definitely not a Golden Core immortal cultivator. This is an immortal... Damn it, how can there still be immortals lingering in this world today? Damn it, I've provoked such an old monster..."

Jinlian Mohe pondered this, yet dared not be negligent. He pleaded lamentably:

"This humble monk is a Mohe serving the Great Compassionate and Joyous Lotus World-Honored One. I did not realize an immortal was present. Please, Immortal, show great mercy and spare my life..."