134: Chapter 134 The Real World and the False World

Li Xiuyuan walked into the courtyard and sat on the bamboo chair. The old woman had finished cooking the meal and carried it all into the main room.

Although the old woman looked exactly as she did in his memories, she had long since passed away. Now, some unknown entity was able to delve into Li Xiuyuan's memories, disguise itself as her, and weave a dream for him.

"What's wrong?" the old woman asked.

Li Xiuyuan walked over and sat beside her. After a moment of silence, he spat out two words: "Exactly the same."

The old woman paused for a brief moment, then smiled: "What exactly the same? I don't understand at all."

"You demons and monsters have no sense of respect whatsoever. Then again, expecting things like you to understand that word is harder than ascending to heaven."

Li Xiuyuan knew clearly that everything before him was an illusion, but even so, his anger was ignited.

If there was anything in this world that could shake the emotions of the Dragon Lord of the Yangtze, it was this old woman before him.

Back then, when he was just a young white snake, curled up in the mud and on the verge of death, it was she who had bent down, picked him up, and brought him back to the world of the living.

From then on, the grandmother and grandchild relied on each other, and the days were peaceful and quiet.

That was one of the few moments in his long life so tender that he dared not touch it.

The old woman seemed not to have heard him; she continued to pick up food with her chopsticks, her smile serene.

...

...

After Abbot Huiyun passed away, he had ordered a painter to capture his final visage.

Now, that portrait hung in the meditation room where he had practiced during his lifetime.

That meditation room was rarely occupied anymore.

Only Dharma Master Yan Jue would occasionally push the door open to sweep, burn incense, and sit alone facing the painting.

"Have they all entered your True World False Realm?"

Dharma Master Yan Jue sat inside the room, facing the portrait of Abbot Huiyun before him. The Huiyun in the painting spoke and asked.

Dharma Master Yan Jue nodded: "They have all come in, even that white dragon who attained the dragon throne."

"You have courted a massive disaster; no one can save you," Abbot Huiyun said.

Dharma Master Yan Jue, however, was unconcerned, a faint smile even appearing on his lips: "Master, what you should be considering is not your disciple's life or death, but whether your disciple can help you attain Buddhahood."

"When did I ever say I wanted to attain Buddhahood!" The Huiyun in the painting widened his eyes in anger, his voice like thunder.

Dharma Master Yan Jue raised his head, his gaze burning, each word enunciated clearly: "Although you didn't say it, this disciple believes you should attain Buddhahood. Currently, the world is in chaos; demons and monsters are causing great harm, and in the Underworld, ten thousand ghosts have crossed the Ghost Gate. The world needs a Buddha to suppress these many evils."

"You may not understand your disciple now, but after you attain Buddhahood and cultivate the supreme karmic fruit, you will surely understand."

Abbot Huiyun in the painting had bloodshot eyes, his rage surging like waves crashing against the shore. But in the end, all his anger turned into a sigh, sinking into endless helplessness.

Many years ago, when he was just a young monk in Guoqing Temple, he had once saved a meatball-like creature outside. At the time, he had no idea what that thing was called, so he brought it back to Guoqing Temple and raised it like a small animal.

That meatball had a very strange appearance; it had a nose and eyes, a mouth and four legs, but it also had wings. It didn't look like a bird, nor did it look like a pig, and it ate everything.

It was raised for many years. During this time, Guoqing Temple went through many events, such as that most tragic decade of bloody battles resisting the invasion, as well as many subsequent chaotic events. Abbot Huiyun also participated in the war to defend the country.

After the war ended, he began chanting scriptures day and night to deliver the souls of those comrades-in-arms.

It was during this period that the meatball began to slowly change, until later, when Abbot Huiyun accepted Dharma Master Yiyun, and countless vengeful spirits followed Yiyun to Guoqing Temple, which led to the mistake.

All of this was caused by karma, but it was also a sin Abbot Huiyun had created himself.

That meatball was none other than the current Dharma Master Yan Jue. He devoured those vengeful spirits that appeared with Yiyun, his cultivation improved rapidly, and he realized the Innate Supernatural Power, True World False Realm, placing the entire Guoqing Temple within it, and distributed the devoured vengeful spirits to every monk.

The ability of this True World False Realm was that Guoqing Temple was like being shrouded in a formation; outsiders could enter and leave at will without any hindrance, but Guoqing Temple was actually placed inside Dharma Master Yan Jue's stomach. Anyone within Guoqing Temple could have their thoughts and memories tampered with by him.

It appeared to be just something similar to a domain-type supernatural power, but if one could create a True Buddha of the human world within it and manipulate people's memories to make the True Buddha exist, this True Buddha would have the ability to appear in the real human world.

That was exactly what Dharma Master Yan Jue was doing, and that True Buddha was his savior and master, Abbot Huiyun.

He had always been striving to make Abbot Huiyun the True Buddha of the human world. For this, he was even willing to let Abbot Huiyun die, because Dharma Master Yan Jue firmly believed that a so-called True Buddha must experience a cycle of life and death before all living beings could truly be convinced.

How could Abbot Huiyun have the ability to resist? Before he passed away, he was already completely exhausted, struggling even to speak. His final burst of vitality was merely Dharma Master Yan Jue forcibly controlling him.

"Come to think of it, it's quite a coincidence. Originally, I would have needed a Dharma transmission ceremony to drag everyone in the Zen sect into the True World False Realm, disrupt their memories, and make them acknowledge the existence of the True Buddha so that you could reappear in the human world."

"Who would have known that this time, so many unexpected people would arrive, and this young monk even possesses such astonishing Zen intent."

"Master, this disciple has changed his plans. This disciple has decided to borrow his physical body to resurrect you, to make you a true, flesh-and-blood True Buddha of the human world!"

"By then, you will be able to walk the world and deliver all evils!"

As Dharma Master Yan Jue spoke, he drew a circle in the air with his finger, and an image appeared before his eyes, showing the scene of Jingxin waiting alone in that side hall.

"If that day ever truly comes, the first one I will eliminate is you!" Abbot Huiyun said angrily, his eyes bloodshot.

In his view, Dharma Master Yan Jue's words were complete nonsense; how could a True Buddha of the human world appear so easily?

"To be able to die at Master's hands, this disciple has no complaints. This life was given by you in the first place."

After finishing speaking, Dharma Master Yan Jue stood up from the meditation cushion. He faced the portrait, kowtowed respectfully three times, then turned and pushed the door open to walk out.

Moonlight fell on his monk's robe, casting a pale glow. He walked through the corridor, passing by the monks who were still weeping, as well as the pilgrims who could not distinguish reality at all.

Li Xiuyuan was currently trapped in the True World False Realm, deep within his own memories. The True World False Realm would read the softest parts of one's heart and weave them into an inescapable dream.

He had to admit that Li Xiuyuan was the Dragon Lord of the Yangtze and possessed formidable strength. If he were to confront him head-on, he would be no match at all; therefore, he chose this method to temporarily trap Li Xiuyuan.

He had to complete what needed to be done before the white dragon woke up.

The side hall had long since fallen into dead silence. Jingxin had not waited for Ye Xiaoqing to arrive, and sensing unease, he began to chant scriptures incessantly.

Just at this moment, the hall door was gently pushed open. Jingxin's breath hitched. He kept his eyes closed, facing the direction of the door. In just an instant, Jingxin knew that the person who had pushed the door open was not Ye Xiaoqing.

The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer, and the suffocating danger approached along with it.

Just as Dharma Master Yan Jue was about to approach Jingxin, the hall door behind him was suddenly kicked open violently by someone!

Dharma Master Yan Jue frowned, turned around quickly, and saw a figure panting heavily.