Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World-Chapter 1199 - 529: Equality of All Beings, Calamity Descends Upon Me (Part 2)

Chapter 1199: Chapter 529: Equality of All Beings, Calamity Descends Upon Me (Part 2)

Then, Lu Yao seemed to have synthesized these cultivation techniques to create the Dharma Body Technique.

Lu Yao’s expression changed repeatedly, as if he wanted to deny it, but when he created the Dharma Body Technique, the four sects had already appeared. This was not a secret, and in the end, he had nothing to say.

"The same goes for Tianhe Venerable. Artifact refining and artifact spirit actually predate the Lifebound Magical Treasure method," Zheng Fa continued when he saw him speechless, "He also seems to have consulted the Divine Dao Treasure."

Zheng Fa discovered this early on. He shook his head and said, "The development of the Immortal Dao is the result of numerous emergences."

Lu Yao could only remain silent.

There were many talents in Leiyin Temple who could argue and debate doctrines, but Zheng Fa presented the principles of world operation and the history of the Immortal Dao’s development in a way that they had never seen before.

When scriptures are thrown in your face, how can one argue?

Zheng Fa glanced at the silent Xuan Chengzi and others and chuckled lightly: "I ask, if the Daoist Venerable ruled Xuanwei and cut off the path of secular cultivation, would there still be the Dharma Body Technique and the Tianhe Technique in the future?"

"..."

Seeing the Golden Immortals in the hall rendered speechless and unable to refute, Zheng Fa turned his thoughts to the believers.

"The most important point of emergence is...quantity."

"Only with enough atoms can all things in the world be produced, only with enough molecules can the environment for life to emerge exist, only with enough cells can consciousness be born."

"Therefore, the first principle of our Mahayana Buddhism is equality for all sentient beings; everyone can cultivate! Any Daoist knowledge should belong to everyone."

"...If so, what will you do when spiritual energy wanes?"

Lu Yao’s cold voice retorted in everyone’s ears.

"If the Daoist tradition is chaotic and people’s hearts are divided, as you said, spiritual energy will wane again and again, until finally, Xuanwei has no spiritual energy left!"

Lu Yao’s voice echoed over the West Continent.

"Equality for all does not mean no order." Zheng Fa was confident, seemingly having prepared for this, "But this order lies not in restriction, but in reward."

"Reward..."

"Reward those with innovation, those who can promote the development of the human clan, the progress of Daoist skills, and cultivation techniques." Zheng Fa said, "Aren’t we a result of the Heavenly Dao’s reward?"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Chengzi and others could not help but nod—even tribulations, which are extremely threatening to cultivators, are actually a kind of gift from the Heavenly Dao.

Speaking of this, Zheng Fa inadvertently thought of Tongtian and Yuanshi.

Tongtian is an absolute equality.

Yuanshi is probably an absolute order, not even allowing any accidents.

In Zheng Fa’s view, he embraces accidents; accidents are the nourishment for the evolution of the Immortal Dao.

But he did not wholly agree with Tongtian; he believed that those good accidents must be rewarded, thereby determining good and evil, distinguishing between good and bad.

"This is the second principle of Mahayana Buddhism, to achieve natural selection and continuous evolution with certain reward rules."

Seeing everyone remain silent, Zheng Fa further elaborated on the third principle of Mahayana Buddhism:

"Open source of Daoist skills, free choice."

"Free choice..." Xuan Chengzi muttered Zheng Fa’s thought, "How can there be free choice with different cultivation techniques?"

Zheng Fa smiled gently, and the "Yellow Court Scripture" within him shifted and changed.

First was the "Immortal Trapping Sword Manual"; as he operated this cultivation technique, sword qi filled the air, chilling to the bone.

Then came the "Red Cloud Jade Book," making Xuan Chengzi and the others turn to look at Lu Yao.

Lu Yao’s facial muscles twitched.

It was then followed by the "Great Freedom True Skill."

This pure aura of a Demon Sect technique left Xuan Chengzi and others dumbfounded.

"I have the ’Yellow Court Scripture,’ which can encompass myriad methods."

"Yellow Court Scripture... Yellow Court Scripture..."

Daoist Li whispered, "I told you this ’Yellow Court Scripture’ is extraordinary!"

Xuan Chengzi glared at Daoist Li, sighed, unable to voice any retort.

Everyone was no fool, and even many believers clearly understood Zheng Fa’s philosophy:

Not restricting mundane cultivation but granting them as much freedom as possible, in such circumstances, good cultivation techniques would naturally be pursued and learned.

According to Zheng Fa’s idea, the more people practice a cultivation technique, the more perfect and advanced it becomes, naturally attracting even more people.

In a sense, this ensures that what becomes popular is the best cultivation technique.

Everyone understood that Zheng Fa also wanted unification—but this unification was based on the unification of the ’Yellow Court Scripture,’ the most comprehensive unification possible!

In a sense, everyone cultivating is practicing a single cultivation technique!

...

Daoist Li listened with great excitement, seeing Xuan Chengzi seemingly lost in thought, couldn’t help but speak: "I think what Zheng Fa said..." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Great fallacy."

Xuan Chengzi coldly replied, the previous excitement of agreement completely vanished.

Daoist Li was stunned, looking at the Golden Immortals present, seeing every expression cold, suddenly understanding.

Lu Yao and Zheng Fa have, in fact, already presented their visions for the human clan, and even the pros and cons were evident.

Lu Yao’s plan, simple and direct, benefits the Dao Fruit greatly, but the development of Daoist skills might stagnate—while it claims stability, it is essentially a death.

The plan Zheng Fa proposed, called the Jiushan plan, or so-called Mahayana Buddhism, in his view, aligns with the Daoist Venerable’s beliefs and even the development of the Heavenly Dao but is particularly unfavorable for the Dao Fruit.

The senior masters have already made their choice...

Or rather, most Dao Fruits in this Great Hero Hall have already made their choice, even more firmly than before—not firm, but fearful.

He sighed inwardly, looking at the golden bowl above Zheng Fa’s head, feeling a hint of relief—if not for this golden bowl, Zheng Fa’s situation now would be ten times more difficult than before he started preaching.

"Mr. Lu, is there a way to break this golden bowl?"

Xuan Chengzi seemed to be on the same wavelength and asked aloud.

"The golden bowl is not unbreakable." Lu Yao shook his head and sighed, "But the Pure Land is now protecting Zheng Fa; if action is taken by force, it might harm the Pure Land."

Everyone looked silently at Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa also heard these conversations, but he didn’t pay them any mind; he just continued to preach to the followers, starting from the three principles of Mahayana Buddhism, going on to the cultivation method of Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment, practicing himself while educating the believers on the methods of cultivation.

As he spoke, Zheng Fa suddenly felt a stirring in his heart, looked up.

In the Pure Land, mist and haze had condensed into colorful clouds, spreading across the sky, and those gaseous incense beliefs transformed into spirit rain, drop by drop, falling onto the lotus platform beneath Zheng Fa.

A strong warm feeling emanated from the lotus platform, invading Zheng Fa’s body.

Zheng Fa paused in astonishment, looking toward the followers, seeing many staring at him with grateful eyes.

That power of belief...

Zheng Fa blinked gently, knowing that perhaps not every single believer understood what he was saying today, indeed, most did not quite comprehend, or rather, those who could truly understand even a little numbered just one percent, even one in a thousand.

Maybe only a very small fraction of these followers.

But these people provided him with far more incense than the average believer!

Vast warmth surged into Zheng Fa’s body, rapidly perfecting his Immortal Body. Zheng Fa continued his preaching, that warmth increasing day by day.

In the Great Hero Hall, Lu Yao and others appeared powerless, only able to watch as Zheng Fa rapidly elevated his cultivation.

Until three months later.

Zheng Fa’s voice paused, as he suddenly looked down.

Unnoticed until now, wrinkles had already formed on the back of his hand, pores large and dull.

The wind brushed a few strands of white hair across his eyes.

"The Heavenly Human Five Decline Tribulation!" Xuan Chengzi spoke gravely, "He has only preached for less than a hundred days, yet he has reached a tribulation that takes an ordinary Independent Immortal five thousand years to face?"

Upon hearing this, Daoist Li felt a complex mix of emotions in his heart. He was somewhat happy for Zheng Fa, yet he hadn’t passed the Heavenly Human Five Decline Tribulation himself—not because of a lack of time, but due to always feeling unprepared and hesitant in his heart.

When he first met Zheng Fa, this person seemed to be just a Nascent Soul?

Now he was about to surpass himself...

But overall, he was mostly glad, until he saw Lu Yao and the other four Buddhas suddenly rise from their lotus platform, gently bowing toward the Pure Land, as if worshiping.

His heart skipped a beat, looking up to see the Dharma images of all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats in the Pure Land were all bowing in a particular direction, faces filled with devotion and expectation.

A golden Buddha light covering the sky rose slowly.

In that instant, Daoist Li’s heart trembled with fear.

There was only one capable of making Lu Yao and the Five Directions Buddhas worship, of making everyone at Leiyin Temple believe in such a way, of having such power in the Pure Land—Thunder Sound Buddha!