bookpub Chapter 91 Ambush
Chapter 91 Ambush
In front of the mountain gate of Daruo Temple
The six abbots stepped forward one after another, and they all bowed to Zongdu as disciples.
Upon seeing this, the monks sweeping along the edge of the street no longer hesitated, put down their brooms, and bowed to the six abbots.
"Uncle-Master, we've been waiting for you to come back."
Huidu walked over to Zongdu in a few steps, tears welling up in his eyes, his face filled with undisguised excitement and piety.
"May we ask where Venerable Wenyuan is currently residing? We, his fellow disciples, would like to respectfully welcome him back to his place."
Zongdu seemed to want to see through Huidu, his sharp gaze never leaving Huidu's aged face.
This reminded him of Zongneng, who had given Huidu the Dharma name in the past.
...
"Although this disciple is simple and honest, he has no potential. Even if he embarks on the path of cultivation, he will likely find it difficult to achieve anything in the future..."
The Venerable Master once taught: Character is more important than physical constitution; what is lacking at birth can be made up for later; but if one's character is flawed, it is difficult to entrust one with important responsibilities...
He belongs to the Hui generation, and this humble monk wishes to impart some of his junior brother's talent to him. How about I give him the Dharma name Huidu?
...
"Perhaps I should wait until I meet with Senior Brother Zongneng before deciding on the matter of the Venerable One's return to his position..."
The five people, who had not yet finished bowing, all kept their eyes downcast and their minds at ease upon hearing this. Although their faces remained calm as still water, the ripples in their hearts were becoming increasingly turbulent.
"Your Excellency...has something truly happened..."
"Uncle-Master, Master Zongneng has passed away. However, before he passed away, he left two letters, instructing me to write them to Uncle-Master and to the Venerable One respectively."
Hui Du, neither humble nor arrogant, guided Zong Du in the right direction.
Even though Zongdu had a thorough understanding of the basic structure of the Great Temple, he was still unaware of some of the changes in the structure due to his absence for decades.
Furthermore, since the current abbot is Huidu, he had no choice but to follow the direction indicated by Huidu.
The other five followed behind Zong Du, forming a protective circle.
The Da Ruo Temple occupies almost the entire Golden Summit Mountain, so the different areas are used for different purposes. Among them, the pagoda used to place the seated monks is located on the ridge.
After passing through a narrow corridor, the group arrived at a high platform. There, they saw a dense cluster of small towers intertwined like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
"To prevent the monks from opening the letter, Master Zongneng had already put it into the vat."
He once said that the seal would never be opened until the Venerable One returned. Although the Venerable One has not yet been seen, his Uncle Zongdu has returned.
Opening the vat now wouldn't be considered disobeying Master's teachings. Uncle-Master, what do you think?
"What exactly is Hui Du's intention? Could it be that there's a trap hidden in the jar, waiting for me to open the altar before launching an ambush?"
Despite being on high alert, Zong Du remained calm, clasping his hands together and bowing to Zong Nenggang.
"Senior brother, how have you been..."
Hui Du and the other monks of the Hui generation all nodded slightly. Then Hui Yin walked to the vat, bowed to Hui Du, and murmured softly.
"Master, please don't blame your disciple..."
Huiyin lightly struck down with his palm, and the perfectly formed jar shattered into pieces in an instant.
Seated cross-legged on the lotus platform was a middle-aged monk with a weathered face but a ruddy complexion, and there was no sign of decay on his body.
Even the two letters between his knees looked as if they had just been written, and the scent of ink on their pages could still be clearly smelled.
Just as Zong Du was about to pick up the letter, Zong Neng suddenly opened his eyes. His kind and gentle face was gone, replaced by a fierce and violent expression.
"Junior brother, how have you been?"
The sudden change left Zongdu bewildered.
Meanwhile, the six people who were forming a protective circle looked at each other in bewilderment, and then attacked together.
"The Hell Crossing Tara Lock Seal Mantra!"
Da Ruo Temple possesses three fundamental Dharma gates. Apart from the "Yamandaka Mantra" which Daoyuan did not transmit, only the "Taramanta Mantra" and the "Immovable Wrathful Deity Mantra" remain.
The "Immovable Wrathful Deity Mantra" is so severely incomplete that even if it is partially completed, it can only be forcibly activated by one's own blood and energy. The effects of the Three Channels and Seven Chakras, and the Great Samadhi of the Dragon and Snake, are rendered useless by this Deity Mantra.
"Buzz"
Surrounded by enemies, Zongdu remained completely calm. He formed hand seals and murmured Buddhist chants.
The celestial phenomena above were suddenly disturbed by an unknown force, and the previously clear sky and bright sunshine instantly turned into continuous rain.
The surrounding area was filled with a suffocating atmosphere, which caused even the pebbles along the edge to vibrate, not to mention the treetops that were already swaying wildly.
Although the Great Temple was said to have passed down two great methods of spiritual practice, it was considered the lowest level within the esoteric Buddhist realm.
The reason for this is simply that Da Ruo Temple was originally a backup plan arranged by Zong Neng for Dao Yuan. If the Secret Realm undergoes a major change, the reincarnated Venerable can also successfully return to his position through Da Ruo Temple.
Therefore, it is sufficient to preserve the most basic traditions and confirm the efficacy of Ōyōji Temple.
Furthermore, it was also to prevent the Great Temple from revealing the secret mantra lineage of the Vajrayana domain...
It should be known that there are five sacred sites in the Vajrayana region. Among them, the supreme temple is called the Great Wheel Temple, and the remaining four temples are distributed in the four directions.
The 'Jiazha Zunbu' temple, which Daoyuan Hutuktu previously presided over, was one of these temples.
The various mantras and mudras in Jiazha Zunbu Temple are countless, and there are even as many as eighteen deities in the mantra of the principal deity!
...
"Oh no! He has already perfected the gradual cultivation method; taking just half a step more will allow him to glimpse the status of a Hutuktu!"
"Don't hold back any longer!"
Zongdu activated his visualization of his true form to suppress the six people, and in just a moment, all six lost the power to resist.
They roared in defiance, frantically squeezing out the last bit of magical power from their three meridians and seven chakras. As they urged it on, the ink fragrance wafting around Zong Du's nose grew even stronger.
The stronger the ink fragrance became, the more drowsy Zongdu became. Even the magical power that filled his body felt like it was filled with iron and lead, making it difficult for him to move his arms and fingers freely.
"boom!"
The fully formed hand of the deity actually held Huiyin tightly, and the two-zhang-tall man was squeezed until his face turned red and his bones creaked.
In just a few more moments, I could crush Huiyin to death.
At that very moment, the form that was about to take shape suddenly vanished, and even the encroaching rain disappeared without a trace.
The other five people who were suppressed by the overturned hand showed wild joy, and their excitement was hard to contain.
"Hmph, this was originally used to deal with the Soul-Sealing Incense of Venerables! Let alone your damaged foundation, even if you were at your peak, you would still be bewitched by it for several breaths!"
Hui Du staggered to his feet, spitting out blood. He took out the Demon-Slaying Nail from his robe and pierced Zong Du's collarbone.
Even Zongdu, who was unconscious, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat when faced with this ordeal.
As for the golden statue of Zong Neng on the lotus platform, where was its lifelike, meticulously detailed appearance? Only a withered head, its face contorted with resentment, lay on the platform...
"This person must not be killed lightly; he must be tortured thoroughly in order to find out the whereabouts of the Venerable One!"
"Indeed..."
The other abbots all nodded in agreement, and Huiming even personally escorted Zongdu to that horrific dungeon.
...
abandoned temple
Dao Yuan, looking utterly exhausted, sighed softly and then turned to walk away into the distance.
"This place is no longer of use to me... so let it perish..."