Chapter 550: Great Zen

Wumu Lianmin calculated with his fingers, using Xumu's fate as a basis. His vision blurred, and soon a vast lake appeared, its clear water rippling and forming a crescent-moon shape.

Peaks towered around the lake. Within it, small islets appeared, some scarred by lightning, others lush with fragrant grass, creating a serene and beautiful vista. He observed carefully, thinking to himself:

"This must be Moon-Gazing Marsh, one of the Seven Lakes and Four Marshes of ancient times. Now it’s Moon-Gazing Lake. The Water Official responsible for lakes and marshes among the Five Water Virtues is no longer prominent, which explains its decline to this state."

As he continued his calculations, he suddenly glimpsed a young man in white robes. The youth had sharp, sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, imbued with an aura of frost and snow. A sharp, green-white sword light gleamed in his hand, and he heard a voice call out:

"Li Xijun!"

Wumu Lianmin studied the youth's face, feeling a mixture of shock and intense eagerness, which soon turned into delight:

"This... this is good... His sharp, decisive features show he's adept at severing worldly ties. His keen brows, icy heart, and bones of snow make him as cold as bitter snow, utterly merciless. This person is even more suitable for my Emptiness Formless cultivation than Xumu! I lost a bronze sword, but gained a cold blade!"

Joy surged in his heart; he was extremely pleased:

"It so happens that this person killed my arhat! Creating karma through killing is a supreme karmic affinity! I don't even need to go to great lengths to sever his ties and convert him; he's already destined to fall into my hands!"

Wumu Lianmin dismissed his calculations, formed hand seals, and recited incantations. A colorful light emanated from behind his head as he observed carefully in the void. He then reached his gold-lacquered arm into his clothes and pulled out a small bronze sword.

The bronze sword was broken in two. He placed it in his palm and began to chant:

"Herein, the first great emptiness, great unbound liberation of sentient beings. Wumu seeks the cause of the broken sword, to fulfill the consequence of my spiritual lineage... to liberate all sentient beings..."

A golden aura rose on Wumu Lianmin's face, his eyes gradually blurring. Soon, Li Xijun's face appeared, and he couldn't help but nod slowly.

"To calculate this so easily, he truly has no background or connections... Good..."

Wumu Lianmin was an experienced *Lianmin* of many years, having even attempted reincarnation twice. His divination techniques originated from the *Chenwei* practices of the late Zhou Dynasty. Although extremely effective, a miscalculation concerning a True Monarch-level figure could cost him his life.

Being highly experienced, he was well aware of the taboos here. He first used Xumu to calculate for the Yu clan, then performed a random calculation within Moon-Gazing Lake. Apart from Li Tongya, who had killed a *Maha*, and whose parents remained unclear to him, all other members of the Li family were ordinary individuals whose faces could be discerned simply by drawing their names.

"Then I can rest assured!"

The young man's face was pale, his eyes tightly closed. Presumably, Xumu had caused him considerable suffering, which Wumu Lianmin found entirely reasonable. His finger, which had been resting on his middle finger, gently lifted.

"Boom."

Wumu Lianmin felt as if the sky and earth were collapsing around his ears. A burst of golden-white sparks erupted before his eyes, exploding with a searing pain in his chest. As he held his breath, the back of his head felt icy cold, as if a pair of large hands had plunged into his soul and violently yanked it upwards.

"Whoosh!"

He then felt his spirit and flesh shattering as blurred substances scattered from his face, leaving his limbs powerless. His soul seemed to fly out of his body, yet also felt confined within it. Hallucinations flashed before his eyes, alternating between bright and dark, until he lost consciousness.

Within the Mirror World.

"Finally!"

Lu Jiangxian materialized in the air, the green sword in his hand humming softly. He felt considerably relieved.

Chi Buzhi and the Water Mansion immortal official had obtained many Foundation Establishment cultivation methods, along with some supplementary spells. For instance, Li Xizhi's "Morning Glow Dew-Gathering Art" included six internal spell formulas, three secret techniques, movement techniques, escape techniques, and magical arts—everything was complete.

He had been meticulously editing them one by one within the mirror. Qingchi possessed many cultivation methods and spells. The cultivation methods were easier to modify; he could simply trim them, change their appearance, and bestow them.

However, the spells were extremely distinctive. Most were created by Qingchi, bearing a strong personal touch, and some were even renowned, recognizable at a glance.

He had no choice but to select a few spells of appropriate grade, cross-referencing and integrating them before carefully modifying them. Although he had studied many cultivation methods and spells, creating new ones was not an overnight task.

To his surprise, after such a short time, a Buddhist cultivator had actually launched an attack on the Li family.

Xumu, or Yu Mujian, as he was known, didn't possess exceptionally high sword cultivation, yet he had a peculiar mindset. He clung to Li Tongya's words from years ago as an obsession. That sword, hidden for decades, indeed possessed full sharpness and killing intent. The moment it was drawn, its power rivaled Li Xuanfeng's full strike, reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment.

Although several Golden Core cultivators had departed for realms beyond, Lu Jiangxian was accustomed to the tactics of True Ones and True Monarchs. He suspected this might be a ploy to lure him out, as he didn't believe the Yue Kingdom wasn't keeping an eye on him. It was naturally best not to use the Taiyin Profound Light if possible.

So, he fully activated the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed, calming Li Xijun to a state of clear mind and emptiness. He then combined this with the green sword Li Chijing had left behind years ago, achieving a state similar to possession, which allowed Li Xijun to instinctively wield the sword.

"This was already the method with the least risk I could think of..."

Had he not obtained immortal magic, he certainly couldn't have achieved such a seamless and natural effect. After all, it was a minor skirmish involving Foundation Establishment, and for swordsmanship to spontaneously arise from inspiration would leave no trace.

With the talisman seed on Li Xijun, no abnormalities should logically be detectable, and everything would be easy to handle. So, Lu Jiangxian ceased his direct assistance.

Now, the *Lianmin*'s divination had traced back, cautiously probing repeatedly. Lu Jiangxian watched coldly:

"Even Jinlian Maha back then couldn't detect any abnormality. What could a mere *Lianmin* possibly see?"

As expected, within a few breaths, Wumu Lianmin boldly began his calculations. Lu Jiangxian's heart stirred slightly, and he instantly had an idea. He tapped the table, and immediately conjured the boundless grand hall, forged from white jade, as it had been years ago.

The intricate incantations now carved all around were no longer mere decorative scripts as they had been before. They were genuinely derived from the Golden Principle and immortal magic, so captivating they could make one forget to return.

The immortal seat he himself sat upon was also different; it had been modified from an altar. Grand and majestic, it towered high, emitting countless white wisps of energy from below that transformed into myriad forms.

These white wisps were obtained by observing Purple Palace breakthroughs and Golden Core cultivators in action over the years. Combined with immortal arts, they truly embodied the profound mysteries of the Golden Principle; even a True Monarch would likely be momentarily stunned upon seeing them.

Having carefully arranged all this, he sat down quietly and cast Wumu Lianmin before the hall, a bright radiance emanating from his face.

Wumu Lianmin's consciousness gradually cleared. Before his eyes was a dazzling white ground, its surface smooth and translucent. Through its pale white surface, bright white patterns could be seen, and a single glance made him dizzy and disoriented.

He slowly regained his bearings, the horror in his heart reaching its peak. He dared not raise his head, simply watching the white mist shuttle past his legs. His heart turned icy cold, chilling him to dizziness, and his teeth chattered:

"It's over... I've messed with someone powerful..."

Hearing no sound, Wumu Lianmin slowly raised his head, only to be utterly terrified. He saw the boundless grand hall, with pristine white jade pillars reaching directly into the clouds, and at the very top, a person in white robes.

The white-robed figure's face radiated immense, blinding light that stung his eyes. Their clothes billowed with an ethereal aura as they reclined on a towering white jade immortal seat, from which countless rays of light streamed down, transforming into myriad vivid forms of sentient beings upon touching the ground.

"This... this!"

He felt as if his eyes would turn to blood. Seeing the immortal seat that reached into the clouds, his heart felt empty, and only one thought remained in his mind:

"An immortal?!"

Lu Jiangxian looked at Wumu Lianmin on the ground, gently pressing the jade seat as he sat unhurriedly.

This was the second time someone had divined his true self. But now, he was no longer that same Lu Jiangxian, having ascended to an immeasurable height. The one before him was not Jinlian Maha, who could only be trapped for a moment, but merely a *Lianmin* of Emptiness Formless, like a piece of fish meat that had fallen into his hands.

With a gentle gesture of his hand, a golden light appeared in his palm. Within it, misty changes occurred, and various thoughts emerged. Wumu Lianmin's memories surfaced bit by bit, and all the thoughts from his mind appeared one by one.

"Just wait."

Lu Jiangxian remained silent, as if in secluded cultivation. Wumu Lianmin trembled on the ground for a moment; the horror in his heart had long since broken through its limits. When he looked up, all he saw was the dazzling, immense, boundless radiance of the immortal seat, which made him dizzy, so he could only stare at the ground.

Wumu Lianmin squirmed on the ground for a moment, slowly shuffling backward with his legs together. There was no change in scenery within the grand hall apart from the radiance, and it was so quiet that there was no sound at all. He felt he had shuffled for a long time, then looked again.

Upon closer inspection, there was no change in any direction; he was still kneeling in the same spot.

Wumu Lianmin put on a perfectly terrified and horrified expression and could only plead lamentably:

"This humble cultivator greets the Immortal Master... I have inadvertently defiled the immortal hall... My heart is filled with shock and shame."

Finally, he heard the voice from above, clear, cold, and resonating deeply throughout the hall:

"What era is it now...?"

This single sentence struck Wumu Lianmin like a thunderclap, and he immediately made a deduction:

"He isn't searching my soul, so he must be an orthodox immortal cultivator. And he asks about the current era, so he must be an immortal from before the Heavenly Change. Such power, yet ignorant of the mortal world, surely indicates a flaw. Six or seven times out of ten, he must be sealed in this hall! That's why he asks!"

He only whispered:

"Reporting, Immortal Master, the Wei Dynasty fell over seventeen hundred years ago."

A moment of silence passed from above, then another question was asked:

"Where is Li Qianyuan?"

Wumu Lianmin felt a chill down his spine and answered tremblingly:

"Emperor Taizu of Wei has long since perished as an immortal. The True Monarch in Mount Luoxia is but a step away from the Mingyang fruit position."

Lu Jiangxian glanced at his palm; he had already obtained fifty percent of the memories. Then he casually asked again:

"I see that the former fruit positions are all vacant. I wonder where they all went."

Wumu Lianmin was dumbfounded upon hearing this, but then he understood, secretly thinking:

"I've heard that even a Dharma Body cannot clearly see if someone occupies a fruit position... This is definitely an immortal."

He repeatedly kowtowed, answering aloud:

"This humble cultivator has lived longer due to the reincarnation method, already over seven hundred years old! In my youth, I happened to be alive when the Yan clan ruled, and I heard many rumors."

Wumu Lianmin whispered:

"This humble cultivator's knowledge is shallow. Back then, I heard that the cultivation of the ancient Yue method was obtained by True Monarch Taiyue through the collapse of Liang and the rise of Zhao. The one of Jade True abandoned their fruit position and departed. The one of Complete Core was gravely wounded and died at the hands of Dongfang Weiming and Dongfang Weixi... As for other major events... I truly don't know..."

He finished speaking, trembling. Lu Jiangxian listened carefully, then casually asked:

"How fares the Buddhist path now?"

This finally touched upon Wumu Lianmin's area of expertise. He sighed with relief and answered respectfully:

"Immortal Master! Since the last two World Honored Ones, Susikong and Shakali, parted unhappily after their discussion and each left this realm, the Buddhist path has long been divided. It now consists of seven paths... They are Emptiness Formless, Good Joy, Wrath, Great Desire, Precepts, Compassion, and Dharma Realm. Except for the Wrath aspect, which was repeatedly targeted and schemed against, its Dharma Body did not respond, and all its Mahas perished... The rest are all overseen by Dharma Bodies..."

Lu Jiangxian listened quietly, forming a rough estimate of the Northern Buddhist path's strength. He then asked softly:

"How many World Honored Ones are there?"

Wumu Lianmin lay prostrate on the ground, racking his brain, rapidly and cautiously rehearsing what he was about to say. He then answered with a trembling voice:

"It is said... that one still responds."

As soon as he finished speaking, the cloud-like radiance before him surged and swelled, manifesting numerous changes, and a voice drifted down:

"His honored title."

Wumu Lianmin's lips trembled as if he was undergoing an intense internal struggle. He hesitated, then finally answered:

"Great Zen... Heavenly Acharya."

He dared not utter the full name, specifically pausing for a moment in the middle. After saying this, his voice was already trembling, and he could barely control himself. Like a tiny ant, he lay motionless on the white brick as the voice from above slowly drifted down:

"Oh?"

This slightly surprised, yet somewhat rhetorical, sound evoked endless speculation in Wumu Lianmin's mind. Although he clearly dared not think about it, he felt a thrilling excitement, like glimpsing an ancient secret that made his legs tremble.

'Why that answer...? Why that answer...? Could it be... that Great Zen's... World Honored One position is...'

At this thought, he suddenly shivered and, terrified, dared not think further. The immortal above, however, spoke no more.

The golden light in Lu Jiangxian's hand was now complete. Wumu Lianmin's memories were fully in his grasp, so there was no longer any need to make him speak or ask further questions.

"Now, how to deal with this person..."

He pondered for a moment. Below, Wumu Lianmin's heart was a tempest of fear. He tried to beg for mercy but found he could no longer open his mouth, so he could only kowtow frantically, repeatedly hitting his head.

Lu Jiangxian watched quietly, pondering in his mind:

"This *Lianmin*'s body is still in the void. If I kill him easily, and he dies immediately upon being divined in plain sight, who knows how many traces it would leave. Perhaps True Monarchs and Dharma Bodies are observing... Or I could wipe his memory, but that would be too easy on him..."

The empty grand hall was filled with echoing sounds. Lu Jiangxian watched for a moment, feeling that it was bothersome to keep, yet a waste to discard:

"A mere *Lianmin*... yet one who was close to a *Maha*. If anything abnormal happens, it would be easily detected! Any contingencies I leave would be hard to use effectively and would instead leave a lot of traces."

He waited for a moment, and further deductions formed in his mind:

"Moreover, in the eyes of other Buddhist cultivators, since Xumu died at Li Xijun's hands, Wumu Lianmin naturally wouldn't let it go so easily. Li Xijun remaining unharmed would already be strange..."

He pondered for a moment, secretly considering:

"Either I must make this fellow suddenly and quickly die without a trace... or I must make him obedient."

Lu Jiangxian watched quietly for a while, his voice gradually growing colder as he spoke softly:

"Wumu!"

Wumu Lianmin immediately felt his lips and tongue unfreeze, and he could speak. Overjoyed to the point of tears, he pleaded sorrowfully:

"Immortal Master..."

Lu Jiangxian's voice was faint and low:

"I have been in this hall for many years... Although you are a heretical cultist... you have some use."

Wumu Lianmin bowed down in terror, answering:

"I am at the Immortal Master's command!"