Chapter 944: Ascending the Spirit Mountain Path
News came from India. Several old monks took it very seriously. The one hundred and ninety-plus-year-old monk, Ximoti, set out, and also invited two old friends to accompany him.
Two days later, accompanied by four masters and that authority on ancient Sanskrit, Ximoti and the other two old monks arrived in B City to meet Ye Fan.
Even with the great strides in medicine, an old monk who could live to be over one hundred and ninety was still a miracle to ordinary people.
Ximoti was hale and hearty. Although he was incredibly aged, he still walked with vigorous strides, his body quite sturdy. His words rang out like a bronze bell, carrying a metallic resonance.
The two old men walking alongside him were the same. They were clearly of a similar age. They were tall and gaunt, with sallow skin, bony frames, and deeply sunken eyes, but their spirits were very high.
They pressed their palms together and saluted Ye Fan, their expressions serene and peaceful. These three men had spanned three centuries, experiencing the myriad facets of the mortal world. They could be called eminent monks.
Ye Fan returned the greeting and nodded to himself. Ximoti and the other two were all extraordinary; they had already entered the Dao Palace Secret Realm. Their extended lifespans were naturally a matter of course.
On the other side of the starry sky, reaching the Dao Palace Secret Realm at this age would be utterly unremarkable, barely qualifying one as a cultivator.
However, Earth was in an age of Dharma Decline. Having such cultivation was truly not easy. It could be said that these three were already prodigies.
Ye Fan invited them to sit down. With a casual wave of his right hand, several cups of tea infused with spiritual medicine appeared out of thin air, immediately astonishing the three old monks.
Since meeting this young man, they knew they had encountered a being with great divine powers, one whose cultivation could likely rival the Sect Masters of ancient times.
Whether it was the three old monks, the four masters, or that authority on ancient Sanskrit, when they received the cups of spiritual medicine tea, their faces were filled with shock and awe.
"The world has changed. In this current era, to still have such heavenly materials and earthly treasures is truly an anomaly. This kind of hospitality is too much; we are unworthy of it."
They all pressed their palms together and piously expressed their thanks. This kind of spiritual medicine was something they had only seen in their lives.
Ye Fan had many things he wanted to ask. He got straight to the point and immediately inquired whether there were still ancient sects on Earth today and where they were located. He wanted to understand the cultivation world.
"In ancient times, there were many great sects, with ancient schools standing side by side. There were many experts, and no lack of beings with great divine powers. But now, everything has changed," Ximoti said.
In ancient India, Buddhism was once at its peak, replacing Brahmanism. It had many followers and countless ancient temples, but in the end, it declined.
Today's Hinduism, originating from Vedic religion and Brahmanism, seemed like a cycle, replacing Buddhism again. Of course, the various religions merged with each other, and many doctrines coexisted, as if they were symbiotically united.
Ximoti said that in ancient times, if one set aside faith and only discussed divine powers and techniques, there were many schools. Among them, the Vedic religion had a very profound influence and was the predecessor of Brahmanism. Before Shakyamuni left home, he also cultivated Brahmanic methods.
One scripture, the Vedas, ran through the rise and fall of several religions. From the Vedic religion to Brahmanism, and then to Buddhism, it completed a cycle. Now, the Vedas are revered once again.
Ximoti spoke a lot, mentioning many ancient traditions. He said that there were truly many inheritances back then, like a hundred flowers blooming, vying for beauty and splendor, with many experts standing side by side.
Later, everything declined. The monastery he belonged to happened to suffer a great calamity, losing most of its techniques and becoming completely marginalized, losing contact with the various schools of the past.
In the current era, even he didn't know if those schools still existed. He only knew a few people who understood cultivation. But he felt that the schools should still be there, though because they were in an age of Dharma Decline, they had all gone into seclusion, unknown to the world.
Ye Fan was somewhat interested in the Vedas and wanted to borrow it to read. He knew that this was definitely not the doctrinal scripture seen by ordinary people today; there must be a secret cultivation chapter.
"What do you know about the Central Land? For example, Daoism, or the demons of the Central Land, or the bloodlines of ancient demon gods, and so on." To be honest, he wasn't very interested in ancient India. He wanted to learn more about the various schools of ancient China.
Ximoti put on a solemn expression and said, "The Central Land is unfathomably deep. We don't understand it much either."
He had a sincere reverence for the Central Land. He didn't understand Daoism and had never met anyone from that school. What he said about the demons of the Central Land was also heard from his predecessors, and he didn't understand it well.
The only thing he had personally experienced was seeing a being like a demon god, which made him tremble. He caught a distant glimpse, didn't dare to approach, and quickly retreated.
"Where did you see it?"
Ximoti mentioned a place name. Ye Fan showed a strange expression. It was actually a battlefield from back then, where no one knew how many people had died.
During World War II, Ximoti had traveled east on a bitter pilgrimage. At a battlefield, he saw a beam of blood light piercing the sky, extremely terrifying, and then surging like an ocean.
"This demon really knows how to pick his timing," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
In those years, who knew how many heroic souls had passed away. The entire land was filled with blood and rain, a scene of utter gloom. In this age of Dharma Decline, it might have been a rare opportunity for a great demon to advance, forged from blood and spirit.
"Did he make a move?" Ye Fan asked.
"No. Cultivators must not interfere in the great affairs of the mortal world. This is a law established in ancient times, honored by all under heaven, passed down through generations. No one dares to violate it," Ximoti said.
Ye Fan nodded and said nothing, but he was pondering how strong that demon god was.
Given Ximoti's insight back then, he couldn't have been mistaken. The blood energy was overwhelming, the demonic might vast. This was very astonishing. At the very least, it was a Sect Leader-rank figure.
"Very unusual. In this age of Dharma Decline, to still have such an ancient demon is truly unexpected. I wonder where it is now," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
"Could this clan be related to the matter of the fake Pang Bo?" he suddenly had this association.
According to Ximoti, the waters in the Central Land were deep. That demon god was just one example. He had also heard from senior monks of the past that they had encountered another terrifying existence, but they weren't very clear about it.
Finally, they set out, taking the small stone Buddha to the Tibetan region, hoping to open a path to Spirit Mountain.
Buddhism had waned in India but flourished in the Central Land. In the past, a Bodhisattva who had entered nirvana left a final testament, saying that Spirit Mountain would move east. According to the speculations of several later Arhats, it should be in the Tibetan region.
Spirit Mountain was the original Dao field of the Buddhist sect. It existed long before Shakyamuni unified the religion. The monks of that time cultivated their bodies through asceticism and possessed great divine powers.
Before Shakyamuni established his religion, the monks on Earth were scattered. Spirit Mountain was the only place that could summon them, a mysterious ancient land.
"It's a pity. After the last Bodhisattva and Ancient Buddha entered nirvana, no one could open the path to Spirit Mountain from the outside."
Ximoti said that this small stone Buddha might be a key sacred object. It might be able to solve the eternal mystery and discover that original Dao field. There might even be living beings inside!
Ye Fan didn't bring Little Pine. He only temporarily took the small stone Buddha. The ancient Dao field of Spirit Mountain was no less than Mount Sumeru. There might be very terrifying dangers. He didn't want the innocent little guy to take risks with him.
The group walked through an uninhabited area. It was very quiet. The sky was azure blue, and the occasional clouds were pure white. Both the air and the scenery were very pristine.
Perhaps this was the only pure land left. Now, everywhere was filled with human footprints. Tall buildings stood, steel and concrete covering the fragrance of flowers and grass, lacking original and natural scenery.
Ye Fan held the small stone Buddha in his hand, using great divine power to empower it, causing it to emit boundless light. Finally, several ancient characters within its body manifested, while his own golden blood energy surged to the heavens.
These people all trembled, filled with immense reverence. Such a being with great divine powers could almost never appear in the world again, yet now they were witnessing it with their own eyes.
Ximoti and the other two old monks recited some Buddhist secret words, telling Ye Fan that they were left by the ancients. Perhaps they could use them to find Spirit Mountain.
Ye Fan moved forward, reciting the incantations as they instructed. The small stone Buddha became even more radiant. The divine ring behind its head completely materialized, clanging as if struck. Its Buddha eyes seemed about to open.
"The world is somewhat different. Look, some great mountains have suddenly appeared ahead," one of the masters said in surprise.
This was a very strange scene. Many great mountains appeared on the horizon, extremely tall, piercing into the clouds, pressing down on people, making it hard to breathe. Their momentum was vast and mighty.
However, each one was very blurry, indistinct, carrying a sense of ethereality, standing majestically at the end of the world.
"A path has appeared, but it's intermittent..." another master said, his expression changing as he pointed ahead.
This was an ancient road that had never been seen before, yet now it had abruptly appeared, leading into the depths of the distant great mountains.
"This is... the path to Spirit Mountain!" Ximoti's whole body trembled, a stark contrast to his appearance as an accomplished monk. It was only because he was too excited.
As Ye Fan empowered the small stone Buddha with great divine power and recited the incantations, a vast Buddhist power surged from afar. The fluctuation made one want to prostrate themselves, surpassing everything.
"It really is Spirit Mountain!" Ye Fan's eyes shone with sharp light. This was exactly the same as the instantaneous sensation he had felt when he entered Tibet not long ago, but this time it was incredibly persistent.
A winding ancient road stretched out. Their group stepped onto this path, advancing step by step. It was very mysterious. There were many ancient relics along the road, not at all like the real world.
The distant mountains were too majestic. It was unknown which region of the real world they were hidden in. Ye Fan hadn't discovered them during his last crossing of the Tibetan region. Now, they were so oppressive.
"Ah, there's a corpse ahead!" One of the masters quickly walked over.
This path was very ancient, as if no one had walked it since ancient times. The rocks were carved with the weathering of the ages. An old monk, skin and bones, his body yellowed, lay ahead, his life force severed.
What they saw was not an illusion. This was a real corpse. It was cold to the touch. His monk's robe was very old, turning to ash at the slightest touch.
"He died at least several hundred years ago," one of the masters said.
On the rock in front of him was carved a line of ancient characters, like a final testament, hastily written before his end. It was written in ancient Sanskrit.
After carefully reading it, Ximoti explained the gist. This was an accomplished monk, devoted to Buddhism, but he never saw Spirit Mountain. As he was about to enter nirvana, a light of wisdom appeared in his heart. He traveled here on a bitter pilgrimage, saw the ancient road, but his lifespan had also dried up.
They didn't delay and continued on their way. Ye Fan empowered the small stone Buddha and continuously recited the incantations. The ancient road extended, passing through giant mountains that were simply not seen in the mortal world.
"A dilapidated hall!"
Soon after, they saw an ancient temple. It wasn't large, only a single stone hall. An old monk had entered nirvana inside. He also left a final testament. His search for the Spirit Mountain path ended here. Ahead was boundless, and he could no longer see any hope.
"This is a being with great divine powers. His skin has a hint of pale gold. He almost achieved the Arhat fruit," several masters said, pressing their palms together and chanting the name of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Ye Fan stopped. The ancient road ahead became even more distant, as if it had no end. He didn't know where it led. Was this still Earth? He pondered in his heart.
An ocean-like wave of Buddhist nature surged, vast and boundless. Was Spirit Mountain, comparable to Mount Sumeru, truly ahead? He didn't know if he could enter that ancient Dao field.
In the distance, radiant clouds glowed, and auspicious vapors rose. Three ancient characters floated and sank: Requesting Support. It's the middle of the month. A second monthly ticket might be available. I call upon the support of all Great Emperors.
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