bookrebus Chapter 1831 The Mark Shattered
Chapter 1831 The Mark Shattered
"Star Gate?" Master Lingxu interjected.
“Not bad.” Master Huineng nodded.
"In some of the oldest and most incomplete texts of the Jimie Zen Temple, the Star Gate is not a simple passage to ascension. It is described as a boundary bridge, a link connecting different levels of worlds, or even different universes."
"If they could obtain a specific key and offer enough sacrifices to stabilize the passage, they might be able to pass through the Star Gate and directly reach the legendary true origin of Buddhism—the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, or... other upper realms with more complete laws and greater resources."
Mingchuan's heart sank little by little.
To open the stargate by sacrificing all living beings?
How similar this is to Yueyao's act of plundering the foundations of the talents of the Spirit Realm at the Cloud Ascension Platform!
However, the scale and purpose are probably even more shocking.
"What key are they looking for? And what does the sacrifice... refer to?" Mingchuan's voice was somewhat cold.
“A key could be an object, a form of energy, or even a specific destiny or region,” Master Huineng said slowly. “As for the offerings… in their view, the more powerful the cultivator, the more limitless the potential of the being, the purer and stronger the karma and spirituality contained in their soul, essence, and fortune, making them the best offerings.”
The atmosphere inside the cave instantly plummeted to freezing point.
Yueyao's plundering of talents from the Spirit Realm may not only be to enhance her own or Longyin Temple's strength, but may also be in preparation for some kind of sacrifice!
The spirit realm might even be seen by them as a potential source of sacrifices or the location of the key!
"Master, could that ancient geomantic opening in the Fallen Star Wasteland be an unstable star gate node? Or is it related to the key?" Master Lingxu asked.
Master Huineng pondered and said, "The Fallen Star Wasteland is formed by the collision of ancient star fragments. It is indeed possible that it disturbs the local spatial structure and forms a rare earth aperture that connects the earth veins with the void. Such a place is not only an excellent place for concealment and experimentation, but it is also possible that the special earth veins and star power converge to trigger or amplify the energy of the star gate."
"As for whether it is a node or contains a key... I dare not say for sure, but the possibility is not low."
He looked at Mingchuan, his tone warning: "Young friend Mingchuan, the subordinates you sent to investigate are probably in grave danger. If there really is activity from the Jijie Zen Temple there, given their modus operandi..."
Before he could finish speaking, Mingchuan's expression suddenly changed!
He suddenly stood up, his right hand instinctively covering his chest.
Just now, the special spatial coordinate imprint he left on Zhao Hu as a last resort to save his life emitted an extremely faint yet incredibly clear sense of shattering!
It wasn't activated, but rather... forcibly erased, or perhaps, annihilated along with the life that carried it!
“Mingchuan?” Master Lingxu noticed his unusual behavior.
“Zhao Hu…their mark…is shattered!” Mingchuan’s voice trembled, a result of extreme anger and worry being forcibly suppressed.
The shattering of the mark can only mean two things: either Zhao Hu and his group deliberately and completely destroyed the mark, or they encountered an irresistible attack and met with certain death before they even had a chance to trigger the mark!
"What?!" Ye Yan, the Green-Faced Fox, and the Crimson Flame Fox all changed color at the same time.
Master Huineng was also slightly moved. He calculated with his fingers and frowned: "The evil aura is soaring to the sky, and blood light is faintly visible... There is indeed a very ominous sign in the direction of the Fallen Star Wasteland."
"I must go to the Fallen Star Wasteland immediately!" Mingchuan said decisively, his eyes flashing like lightning as he looked at Master Huineng. "Master, please advise me on how to deal with this Vajra Subduing Demon Fiend? Does the Silent Extinction Zen Temple have any other strongholds or weaknesses in the Holy Domain?"
The situation is urgent, and there is no time for leisurely discussions.
Master Huineng knew the situation was serious, so he stopped talking and quickly said, "The Vajra Subduing Demon is essentially a forced combination of distorted Buddhist power and malevolent energy. It is extremely yang and strong, yet it also contains yin and evil influences."
"Ordinary spells are difficult to harm him; he needs to be restrained by the purest and most refined Buddhist Dharma, or forcibly broken by the more domineering Yang Flame and the power of purification."
"The flames of the Crimson Flame Benefactor and the life purification of the Green-Faced Benefactor can both have a certain restraining effect. However, if they encounter someone with profound cultivation, they may not be able to overcome them."
After a moment's thought, he reached into his robes and took out a white bone fragment that was neither gold nor jade, but warm and smooth, and handed it to Mingchuan.
"This is a relic fragment of an ancient Buddhist Arhat who fell from grace, containing a trace of pure Buddhist power and a golden light that dispels evil. Wearing it can resist some of the erosion of evil energy and has a certain suppressive effect on low-level Vajra Subduing Demon Evil. But remember, this item has limited energy and should not be relied upon excessively."
Mingchuan solemnly accepted it: "Thank you, Master!"
Master Huineng added, “As for the stronghold of the Jijie Zen Monastery… their whereabouts are elusive, and I know little about them. However, in recent years, there have been rumors of strange fluctuations of Buddhist power and malevolent energy in the Chaotic Sky Sea region in the northwest of the Holy Domain, as well as near the ancient Zen forest ruins in the southwest. This may be related to this. You should pay close attention.”
“Chaotic Sky Sea… Ancient Zen Forest…” Mingchuan memorized these two place names.
The Chaotic Sky Sea is roughly in the direction of the dark red talisman's teleportation coordinates!
"Without further ado, we juniors will take our leave and head to the Fallen Star Wasteland!" Mingchuan clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Wait a moment." Master Huineng called out to them, his expression extremely solemn. "Young friend Mingchuan, fellow Daoist Lingxu, the matter of the Star Gate is of great importance. The Silent Zen Temple is merely the tip of the iceberg."
"Within the Holy Domain, the Dragon Roar Temple's attitude is ambiguous, the Moon Wheel Pavilion has always been xenophobic, and the Holy Domain Dynasty is even more aloof, making the situation complex."
"You must be careful in this operation. If needed, you may bring this Buddha seal to Dafan Temple."
He then took out a wooden Buddhist seal similar to the one he had shown the guest monk before and handed it to Master Lingxu: "This seal can be used to contact this old monk directly."
"Thank you, old friend!" Master Lingxu put away his Buddhist seal and expressed his gratitude solemnly.
"Amitabha." Master Huineng put his hands together in prayer as he saw everyone off. "May the Buddha bless you all, and may you have a safe and successful journey."
The five of them did not linger. After bowing to Master Huineng, they quickly left the Dustless Cave, transformed into streaks of light, and soared into the sky, heading towards the western Falling Star Wasteland at full speed!
Inside the cave, Master Huineng gazed in the direction they had left, his prayer beads moving faster in his hand, a deep worry on his brow.
"A malevolent star has appeared, the star gate is in motion, and calamity is about to begin... Young friend Mingchuan, the fate of this world may truly rest on your shoulders..."
He chanted Buddhist mantras in a low voice, and a faint golden light emanated from his body. He began to silently deduce the secrets of heaven using the secret methods of Dafan Temple, trying to find a glimmer of clarity for the future in this chaotic situation.
Meanwhile, deep within the Fallen Star Wasteland, thousands of miles away.
At the bottom of the enormous crater known as the Earth's Hole, an eerie dark golden light pulsated like a heart, illuminating the surrounding jagged rocks and twisted plants as if they were in a ghostly realm.
A strange sound, a mixture of faint chanting and the roars of wild beasts, was constantly emanating from the depths of the cave.
At the edge of the cave, several broken magical artifacts belonging to the disciples of the Wanchuan Sect, stained with blood, lay scattered on the cold sand and stones, silently telling the story of the fierce battle that had taken place here not long ago.
Deeper still, a massive array composed of dark gold runes was slowly operating.
At the center of the formation, something seemed to be imprisoned, its faint aura fluctuating like a candle flickering in the wind...