ragginovel Chapter 2427 What does Mahayana Buddhism seek?
Chapter 2427 What does Mahayana Buddhism seek?
Chapter 2427 What does Mahayana Buddhism seek?
It sounds like the origin of this realm is somewhat similar to that of the talisman realm.
Qin Sang asked, "Isn't this world naturally formed by heaven and earth? Then what is its origin?"
The Talisman Realm was once one of the four domains of the Daoist Court. The Divine Court cut off the Great Thousand Worlds and formed its own realm. Could this realm also have been created because of some kind of treasure?
“As you can see, the Xuanwu Sacred Palace is certainly one of the cornerstones of this world, but the true foundation of this world is an acquired spiritual treasure named the Jiangshan Map!” Qingyuan said in a deep voice.
"A post-natal spiritual treasure! The Landscape Map!"
This was the first time Qin Sang had heard of this acquired spiritual treasure. He wondered which powerful being possessed it. He noticed Qingyuan's expression and a thought struck him: "Could the promise you made, fellow Daoist, be related to this treasure?"
"We have come here precisely to receive the Jiangshan Map!"
Qingyuan spoke frankly, slowly revealing the ancient secrets to Qin Sang.
"The owner of this treasure was a great sage of the human race who once assisted the Jade Emperor. He entered the Dao through painting and his painting skills reached the pinnacle. People revered him as the Saint of Painting!"
"The Landscape Painting is an acquired spiritual treasure personally crafted by the Sage of Painting!"
"Back then, the Jade Emperor led the human race to overthrow the Demon Court. The demon race was weakened and driven out of the wilderness. The human race should have prospered. If we had pressed on, we could have crushed the demon race and completely subdued all races, taking over the Spirit Realm."
"Unexpectedly, before the overall situation was settled, the Demon Realm suddenly arrived and collided with the Spirit Realm, causing the earth membrane to rupture and triggering a demonic calamity!"
"At that time, the Spirit Realm had experienced many great battles, and all races were exhausted. Although the human race had produced many heroes, it had also suffered heavy losses. The only way was to abandon its domineering ways, unite with other races, and jointly resist the demonic calamity."
"The Jade Emperor wanted to build a boundary wall and repair the earthen membrane."
"The Sage of Painting was ordered to come and assist the Xuanwu Sacred Clan. In the end, he joined forces with the Xuanwu Sacred Clan to defeat the Demon Realm army. With treasures such as the Landscape Painting and the Xuanwu Sacred Palace, as well as the flesh and blood of countless living beings, he assisted the Jade Emperor in forging a boundary wall to suppress the cracks in the earth membrane here!"
"After this battle, the Xuanwu Sacred Clan suffered heavy losses and was almost wiped out. The Painting Saint sank to the Arctic with the Xuanwu Sacred Clan and disappeared without a trace, his fate unknown!"
Qingyuan's words cleared up many of Qin Sang's doubts.
It turns out that the first demonic calamity occurred at the end of the great war between the human and demon races. Qin Sang then recalled what she had seen and heard in the holy land of the alien races. The key time points of some major events that occurred before and after the demonic calamity finally became clear.
and many more!
Qingyuan actually wanted to receive the Jiangshan Map, and it was to fulfill a promise.
Whose promise was it? Was it to the painting master?
What era did Qingyuan belong to?
Qingyuan continued, “Nothing in this world is eternal. No matter how strong the boundary wall is, it will eventually collapse! Once the seal loosens, this world will return to the Great Thousand World, and the Landscape Painting will reappear in the world. The fate of the Painting Saint is unknown. If he has already perished, the Landscape Painting will be an ownerless treasure. Moreover, the Landscape Painting has supported the seal for countless years. I don’t know if it has been damaged. I must help him to prevent someone from stealing it…”
Qin Sang sensed that Qingyuan's tone implied something was amiss.
What if the painting master hadn't died?
The Sage of Painting must be a Mahayana cultivator, and Mahayana transcends all tribulations!
The powerful being possesses extraordinary abilities. The Landscape Painting is the natal treasure of the Painting Sage, and perhaps it contains a contingency plan left by the Painting Sage, allowing him to be reborn through the treasure.
I actually had the chance to meet a powerful being from the Jade Emperor's era!
This shows that Qingyuan had a close relationship with that painting master.
“However,” Qingyuan paused, frowning as he looked into the depths of the void, somewhat puzzled, “the Jiangshan Map should be located within this Guixu, which is why it hasn’t been discovered for so many years. I just cast a spell, but I didn’t receive a response from the artifact spirit.”
The spirit of the weapon!
Qin Sang's gaze sharpened.
Painting Sage, Landscape Painting, The Way of Painting, Ink Landscape, Inkstone...
It seems he knows Mo Yan's background!
Thinking about Mo Yan's strange realm and various unusual behaviors, Qin Sang made a bold guess.
Could it be that the inkstone is a spirit?
What Mo Yan has been searching for is actually his true form—the landscape painting!
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind, and she thought of the Vermilion Bird and the Climbing Vine again.
According to Qingyuan, the Jiangshan Map must have transformed into the spiritual veins of this world, supporting this small world and hidden within the Ruins of Return.
Until the inkstone entered the void and the spirit of the artifact returned to its place, the secret of heaven was revealed in that instant. The climbing vine and Qingyuan sensed it and came looking for it. Then they lost their target here.
Something happened back then that caused the spirit of the artifact to separate from its original form. Mo Yan transformed into a demon and wandered outside, searching for its original body. Recalling some of Mo Yan's behaviors, they didn't seem fake. Perhaps even he himself didn't know his origins. Only after seeing Gui Xu did he understand everything.
Qingyuan said the landscape painting might be damaged, and judging from the condition of the inkstone, it is very likely.
Mo Yan's current cultivation level is only equivalent to the Void Refinement stage. If he suddenly returns to his original form, he will inevitably be impacted. Perhaps it is not that he does not want to respond, but that he cannot be distracted. Some may even fall into a deep sleep.
"Oh? Daoist, have you ever seen the spirit of the Jiangshan Map?" Seeing Qin Sang's expression, Qingyuan revealed a hint of joy.
Qin Sang then recounted Mo Yan's behavior and her own speculations.
Qingyuan nodded repeatedly, "Even if this demon is not the spirit of the Jiangshan Map, it must be related to it! I hope you can lend me a hand!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Sang hesitated, unsure of how he could help Qingyuan.
"Taoist Master, you should be able to sense something through this pearl, right?" Qingyuan looked at the pearl in Qin Sang's hand.
Qin Sang nodded, "But I can only determine which direction is the deepest part of this void; I can't perceive the Jiangshan Map."
"That's enough! You just need to show me the way!"
Qingyuan did not take the pearl directly because he still needed Qin Sang.
It's unclear what the spirit's current state is, and it might not immediately understand his good intentions. If the spirit mistakes him for an enemy, it could backfire, since he's only an avatar here, while his true self is still wandering outside.
Qin Sang and the artifact spirit have a relationship, and with Qin Sang around, the artifact spirit will at least not take immediate action.
Qin Sang hesitated for a moment, then decided to do as instructed. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do someone a favor, and even knowing there might be danger, she had to seize it.
Next, the two quickly exchanged ideas. Qin Sang expressed her questions, and Qingyuan gave her a few pointers, which made Qin Sang exclaim that she understood. She cleared up her thoughts and gained a deeper understanding of pearls.
"There!"
Qin Sang raised her hand and pointed into the depths of darkness.
Without Qingyuan making any move, and with everything pitch black and no reference points, Qin Sang felt as if the surrounding void was twisting and stretching, and they were moving at an unbelievable speed.
A moment later, Qin Sang sensed the divine consciousness of the Great Sage Ghostly Hidden again.
Previously, this divine sense had swept forward from his body, but this time it retreated.
No, it wasn't that the Great Sage Ghostly Retreat withdrew his divine sense, but rather that their speed was too fast, even exceeding the speed of divine sense!
At this moment, no matter what strange things happen to Qingyuan, Qin Sang will not be shocked.
Having adapted to the current speed, he noticed Qingyuan looking over and asked, "Who will come to seize the Jiangshan Map?"
"Of course it's the demon race!"
Qingyuan resolutely declared, "Demon Court! Dragon Island! Phoenix Pavilion!"
"Demon Court?"
Qin Sang was taken aback, thinking she had misheard, "The Demon Court isn't..."
Qingyuan grunted, "It seems there are some things you, Daoist, are unaware of. We were talking about the ancient Demon Court before, but now a new Demon Court has emerged. As for the origins of this new Demon Court, that's a long story... Does Daoist know about the five insects: eagle, scaled, hairy, feathered, and insect-like creatures?"
"Of course I know!" Qin Sang recalled the records in the ancient books.
The theory of the five insects divides all living things in the world into five categories: snails, scaled creatures, hairy creatures, feathered creatures, and insects.
There are 360 winged insects, called feathered insects, birds, with the phoenix as their leader;
There are 360 hairy insects, called hairy insects, and among the beasts, the Qilin is the leader.
There are 360 armored insects, called armored insects, whose bodies are covered with shells, and the Black Tortoise is their leader.
There are 360 scaled creatures, called Scaled Insects, and the dragon is the chief of the scaled creatures.
There are 360 naked insects. All creatures without feathers, hair, scales, or shells are called naked insects, and the sages have made them superior.
This beauty of heaven and earth encompasses the number of birds, beasts, and all things.
However, now the human race is at its peak, known as the most intelligent of all beings, while all other races are labeled as demons.
Qingyuan nodded and said, "Then, Daoist, have you noticed that among the five races of the Five Insect Leaders, apart from our human race which is not among the demon race, the Black Tortoise and the Dragon are both among the Four Great Sacred Races?"
Qin Sang hadn't really thought about it in detail. "Fellow Daoist means that the saying 'chief of the five insects' originates from the four holy clans of the Demon Court? Then why is it the Phoenix and the Qilin, and not the White Tiger and the Vermilion Bird? Wait, could the Qilin be..."
Suddenly, Qin Sang thought of something and her heart skipped a beat.
"That's right! The last Demon Emperor of the Ancient Demon Court was none other than Qilin!"
Qingyuan said, "I don't know if the Ying insects were implicated by our human race or if they have always been weak and have never been valued since ancient times. The tiger is the king of beasts and the minister of the Qilin, ruling over the beasts on behalf of the Qilin. As for why the Phoenix Clan did not become a holy clan, I do not know either. Presumably, the Demon Court could not make all the demon clans submit. Perhaps the Phoenix Clan was unwilling to be subordinate to the Qilin and refused to be granted a title, so the Demon Court pushed the Vermilion Bird to the top. However, the world changes, and rise and fall are unpredictable. Since the collapse of the Demon Court, many former great clans and powerful clans perished in that incredibly long war along with the last Demon Emperor. Only the Dragon and Phoenix clans have remained prosperous."
"The Qilin clan has also perished?" Qin Sang was shocked. The Qilin clan was a descendant of the Demon Emperor.
Qingyuan nodded. "Nowadays, there are still a few pure-blooded Xuanwu in the world, but we haven't heard any news about the Qilin clan for a long time. Perhaps there are still Qilin blood descendants, but we don't know where they are hiding."
There's a Qilin in my own little paradise!
Qin Sang's thoughts were in turmoil. She had known that the Qilin was an ancient divine beast, but she never expected it to have such a great background.
I wonder if the little Qilin is a purebred Qilin.
Qin Sang recalled the golden light that the little Qilin attracted when it underwent its tribulation; no wonder the other party was so surprised when they discovered it was a Qilin.
And in the mysterious Storm Realm, a Qilin has actually emerged!
Once the Qilin is born, who knows what kind of turmoil it will cause? Qin Sang suppressed her thoughts and asked, "Is the demon race currently led by the dragon and phoenix clans?"
"Indeed, Dragon Island and Phoenix Pavilion have become the two holy lands of the demon race. However, not all demons are willing to submit to Dragon Island and Phoenix Pavilion. Dragons are the leaders of the unicorns, and phoenixes are the leaders of the feathered creatures. Naturally, they will favor their own kind. This leads to injustice within the demon race, especially among the caterpillars, who are the strongest. However, the Qilin has gone into seclusion, and no one is there to stand up for them. The dragon and phoenix races probably don't want another Qilin demon emperor to emerge. The caterpillars are being suppressed, so it's no wonder they are resentful," Qingyuan explained in detail, clearly having a deep understanding of the demon race.
"So that's how the new Demon Court came to be?" Qin Sang finally understood the internal situation of the demon race.
Just like the human race, the demon race is not a monolithic entity; it is riddled with internal conflicts.
Or rather, the demon race is the least likely to be of one mind, as it is composed of countless races, and there are not only struggles over the Great Dao, but also struggles between races.
Where there are contradictions, there will be disagreements. Unless another demon emperor emerges to subdue the demons, a conflict will eventually erupt. It is only because the human race is at its peak that there has been no split.
Qingyuan hummed and said, "Although the Demon Court was in ruins, it left behind some relics. At the same time, the theory of Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism arose in the Spirit Realm, so some demon cultivators stepped forward, established a new Demon Court, practiced the Mahayana path, and received a hundred responses, standing on equal footing with Dragon Island and Phoenix Pavilion."
This is yet another discussion of Mahayana and Hinayana!
From Yuedu Bay to Da Zhou, from Da Zhou to Wu Hai, from Wu Hai to the Wu Clan, and from the Wu Clan to the Demon Clan, it seems that every race is debating the Mahayana and Hinayana paths.
Even within each race, changes are taking place. The alien race has transformed its sacred land into a dream world, the witch race has revived the five ancient races, and the demon race has established a new demon court. The human race is in turmoil: the return of the Daoist court, numerous Buddhist ceremonies, the benevolent governance of Qianzhou, and debates in the Great Zhou court…
The entire spirit realm is in turmoil, which must be related to the collapse of the boundary wall and the impending demonic calamity, and it is certainly also related to the conflict between Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism.
"The Mahayana path, the Hinayana path..."
Qin Sang murmured, "What is the new Demon Court like? Why is it that the ancient Demon Court followed the Hinayana path, while the new Demon Court follows the Mahayana path, even though they are both Demon Courts? What exactly does the Mahayana path seek?"
Seeing Qin Sang's confused expression, Qingyuan said, "That depends on how you view yourself and the world."
"I hope you can enlighten me, fellow Daoist!" Qin Sang's expression was full of urgency.
Qingyuan pondered for a moment and then made a metaphor.
"If you think of the Spirit Realm as a great tree on the earth, and the Immortal Realm as a higher land in the sky, then cultivators are more like the fruits of the Spirit Realm. Most of these fruits will never ripen, but some will eventually ripen, fall from the tree, leave the Spirit Realm, and ascend to a wider world, taking root in the Immortal Realm! Even if the Spirit Realm is heading towards decay, it has already completed its propagation and leap."
As he spoke, Qingyuan waved his sleeve, and a tree appeared in front of him, laden with fruit, but most of them were still unripe.
Qin Sang stared at the fruit tree, when suddenly Qingyuan waved his sleeve again, and another fruit tree grew next to it. This one was incredibly tall, and the fruit tree looked like a small sapling next to it.
Suddenly, the fruit on the tree disappeared, but countless roots of all sizes spread out from its base.
Qingyuan pointed to the big tree and said, "If you think that the Immortal Realm and the Spirit Realm are just a tree, only taller and more lush, then why can't the Spirit Realm grow into such a big tree? Why must cultivators abandon their own world? In this way, cultivators can also be the roots of the tree, helping the Spirit Realm to take root in more fertile soil, absorb more nutrients, prune its branches, catch pests, help it grow strong, or rather, grow together with it!"
"What is the Mahayana path? There was once a fellow Daoist who uttered a single word that astonished the world; he can surely enlighten you!"
Qingyuan paused for a moment, then said solemnly.
"I will ascend to heaven together with the celestial realm!"