novelapdf Chapter 227 Punishment in Disguise, Reward in Subtlety? The Dao Ancestor Bestows a Treasure!
Chapter 227 Punishment in Disguise, Reward in Subtlety? The Dao Ancestor Bestows a Treasure!
"Do you two know your crime?"
Hongjun remained calm and composed, showing no sign of sorrow or joy. However, to Zhunti and Jieyin, his voice was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, leaving their heads buzzing.
It seems the teacher already knows about their keeping of demons.
This is quite normal. Hongjun is connected to the Heavenly Dao. What in the primordial world doesn't he know?
So when Hongjun asked them to admit their guilt, the two saints did not dare to defend themselves and bowed repeatedly to admit their mistakes. Where was their previous high and mighty demeanor?
However, while admitting their mistake, the two also had some doubts in their hearts.
It is said that the Grand Ancestor Hongjun does not change his major power, nor does he make any minor moves. Let alone secretly raising mountain spirits and wild monsters, even if he really puts them on the table, it is just a minor move. Why would he need to invite the Grand Ancestor to question him?
Fine, even if you want to punish me, this great calamity is an opportunity for the great prosperity of my Buddhist sect. In the end, it was your battle with Rahu that caused Rahu to self-destruct in the Western region, thus incurring the karmic debt to my Western sect.
Whether it's a minor matter or cause and effect, you, Hongjun, should turn a blind eye, right? Besides, we two Buddhas are nominally your disciples, so how can you be siding with outsiders?
"Considering that you two know your mistakes and have not caused too much karmic burden, go back and reflect for 3,960 years. During this period, you must not set foot in the Earthly Immortal Realm again."
Before Zhunti and Jieyin could figure out the reason, Hongjun spoke again indifferently, completely baffling the two saints.
Just as the two sages were about to defend themselves, Hongjun said without any emotion, "You two are also partly to blame for the suffering and destruction of the human world. During this time, send your disciples to the places destroyed by demons to chant sutras and pray for the souls of the dead."
The prime minister is overjoyed!
Isn't this just a case of punishing someone in name only while rewarding them in reality?
Three thousand nine hundred and sixty years, if you count the days, that is the day the stone embryo was conceived. Most importantly, the merit of Buddhist disciples performing rituals to deliver the souls of the dead is still attributed to Buddhism. Isn't that the same as their original purpose?
Ginger, indeed, the older the better!
Thinking of this, the two holy Buddhas quickly cupped their hands and said, "Disciple accepts punishment, disciple accepts punishment."
After saying that, he glanced smugly at Zhao Gongming, whose brows were furrowed, and strode away.
Zhao Gongming was indeed unhappy.
It's clear from Hongjun's question that this Dao Ancestor knew about the despicable things Zhunti had done.
However, Zhao Mingming was completely baffled by this method of "punishment" and felt somewhat uncomfortable. But with his current cultivation level and trump cards, he was not yet ready to confront Hongjun head-on. In addition, given Hongjun's shrewdness, it was unlikely that he would intervene for such a minor matter without a reason. Therefore, Zhao Mingming did not make a move but quietly watched Hongjun, waiting for his explanation.
"Zhao Gongming, please come and have a chat."
Sure enough, after Zhunti and Jieyin left, Hongjun made a gesture to Zhao Gongming, and then with a wave of his hand, Zhao Gongming felt a darkness before his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he was already in the Zixiao Palace.
This is the very place where Hongjun and Yangmei used to enjoy tea, but now there is only a tea table, and Yangmei is nowhere to be seen.
Upon seeing this, Hongjun's usually expressionless face twitched slightly at the corner of his eye.
You took the Enlightenment Tea, fine, but why did you take the teacup too? Can't you afford to live?
However, as a Dao Ancestor, his state of mind was naturally transcendent. He immediately regained his expression, devoid of joy or sorrow. Welcome to the fantastical continent of Xianxia novels! The entrance is here:
Zhao Gongming nodded, then shook his head.
Nodding means, "I think you did something wrong. Even a fool can see that it's a veiled punishment."
I shook my head out of respect for you, my Dao Ancestor, because I felt that what you did must have a deeper meaning.
After all, when Zhao Gongming broke the restrictions of the Fire Cloud Cave, Taiqing Laozi wanted to attack him, and Hongjun punished Taiqing with the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Linglong Pagoda.
And after the sage shattered heaven and earth, Hongjun's actions showed no sign of favoritism.
Therefore, in Zhao Gongming's view, when Hongjun Daozu asked the disciples of the Zhunti Jieyin Sect to perform rituals for the souls of the dead, it seemed that he was showing favoritism towards these two nominal disciples, but in reality, he must have had other intentions.
Otherwise, why would they have summoned me to Zixiao Palace alone?
"In this great eon, the eastward spread of Buddhism and the flourishing of Buddhism are the natural order of Heaven, and cannot be defied."
As expected, Hongjun began to explain: "During the Dragon-Han Calamity, I fought against Rahu and led the battlefield to the west. Later, Rahu self-destructed, turning the western land into scorched earth, destroying the ancestral veins, and causing all spiritual energy to be lost."
"Otherwise, given the backgrounds of Cundi and Jieyin, things might not be as they are today."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Gongming nodded in understanding.
The Great Tribulation of Journey to the West was prepared for Buddhism. Even if Hongjun truly punished Zhunti and Jieyin, under the general trend of the Heavenly Dao, he could not change the trend of Buddhism's great prosperity. In addition, there was also the karma that Hongjun owed to the West. This result can be regarded as a way of changing that karma.
However, Zhao Gongming was still a little surprised that Hongjun actually gave him an explanation.
According to his understanding of this Dao Ancestor, Hongjun did what he did. As the spokesperson of the Heavenly Dao, why should he explain it to a mere Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal?
Then, something even more incomprehensible to Zhao Gongming happened.
Hongjun stretched out his hand, and a small cauldron appeared before him, its shape ancient and mysterious. At the center of the cauldron's bottom was a Taiji diagram, embraced by two Yin-Yang fish. The outer side of the cauldron had eight equally divided faces, composed of Bagua symbols and characters, symbolizing eight natural phenomena. The cauldron had two handles, symbolizing "Liangyi" (two polarities), namely heaven and earth or Yin and Yang. The cauldron had four legs, symbolizing "Sixiang" (four symbols), namely spring, summer, autumn, and winter, or water, fire, wood, and metal, distributed in the four directions.
Hongjun held the small cauldron in his hand and spoke calmly: "This is the Qiankun Cauldron, a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. It has the power to refine all things and return them to their original state. It can refine the grade of spiritual treasures, transforming the acquired into the innate, and can also be used as a defensive treasure."
"This treasure is given to you. In addition, I will give you a few fragments of the Jade Disc of Creation. The matter of Zhunti's guidance is now settled."
After saying that, the Qiankun Cauldron and the three fragments of the Creation Jade Disc fell into Zhao Gongming's hands.
Zhao Gongming accepted the Qiankun Cauldron and the fragments of the Creation Jade Disc in a daze, but before he could react, his figure flashed and he suddenly appeared on Beiju Luzhou again.
"this……"
Even with the primordial spirit of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal, he could no longer fathom Hongjun's thoughts.
Even if Hongjun truly wanted to resolve the karma in the West, or to follow the general trend of Heaven, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths, would he?
In order to "appease" himself, he compensated Zhunti and Jieyin with spiritual treasures, and the compensation was even a treasure of the level of Qiankun Cauldron and Creation Jade Disc.
After thinking for a long time, Zhao Gongming still couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it. He casually set up a restriction, and with a thought, the Qiankun Cauldron appeared before him, cascading with endless Qiankun Qi. It seemed to have the power to change the world and create all things!