Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 723 Destined Person

Lu Zheng walked through the portal and then stepped into another place.

The golden light vanished, revealing a desolate land in the distance.

The dry air contains an extremely thin amount of spiritual energy.

In the sky, a pale golden star emitted a soft light, illuminating this world.

Lu Zheng only needed to observe the surroundings to realize that this place was indeed a blessed land, but also a place that was almost isolated from the outside world and was slowly decaying.

If a secluded paradise is not closely connected with the outside world, it will gradually deplete its spiritual energy in order to maintain the stability of the space.

For example, the scroll-like secret realm that Lu Zheng encountered in Ghost State was gradually thinning due to insufficient replenishment of spiritual energy. Only a few important areas remained normal, and those who entered could not cultivate within the secret realm.

If Lu Zheng hadn't refined and integrated a portion of that secret realm into his own small world, it's estimated that in a few decades or even a hundred years, that scroll-like secret realm would have completely disappeared and vanished into nothingness.

As for Lu Zheng's own small world, it also needs to continuously replenish spiritual energy and even absorb the power of heaven and earth to make up for the consumption and gradually grow stronger.

Moreover, it possesses a stable inner world filled with spiritual energy and Daoist charm, serving as a place to store the power of heaven and earth.

When facing a strong enemy and engaging in a war of attrition, they will have a greater advantage.

Lu Zheng looked up at the sky and for a moment did not feel any oppression from this world.

The next instant, Hu Feng's figure appeared out of thin air.

As soon as Hu Feng steadied himself, he looked around and spotted Lu Zheng, but found that the portal was no longer there.

"It's a bit desolate. Could this be an abandoned paradise?"

Hu Feng muttered to himself, feeling that the spiritual energy here was too thin and there was little sign of life around.

Hu Feng said, "Why don't we go take a look over there? It seems like there are mountains and rivers there..."

Hu Feng looked in one direction, and behind the desolate hill that blocked his view, there was a hint of green life, which he sensed with his divine sense.

Lu Zheng looked straight ahead and said, "Someone is coming."

Upon hearing this, Hu Feng shifted his eyes and divine sense in one direction, but neither his vision nor his perception detected anyone approaching.

He couldn't help but become wary, and subconsciously took out a precious artifact for self-defense.

The fact that Hu Feng couldn't detect the person meant that his own cultivation was inferior to Lu Zheng's, or that the person was very powerful and could go unnoticed by him.

It's also possible that both reasons are involved.

Hu Feng was worried that something might happen later, and that Lu Zheng wouldn't be able to focus on protecting him, so he had to secretly take precautions in advance to avoid being caught off guard.

Just as Hu Feng quietly took the item into his hand, he saw a ripple in the space not far in front of him, and a golden light appeared and then disappeared in a flash.

A young monk dressed in simple robes suddenly appeared.

The newcomer was handsome and kind, holding a string of wooden prayer beads in his right hand.

Hu Feng's expression shifted slightly. Apart from a slight fluctuation of Buddhist power just now, he now felt that the young monk in front of him had no Buddhist aura at all, and was so unfathomable that he could not see through him.

The young monk looked at Lu Zheng and Hu Feng, his clear and bright eyes lingering on Hu Feng for only a moment before turning his gaze to Lu Zheng.

The young monk raised his hand in a gesture of respect and said politely, "Amitabha, this humble monk is Miaokong, greetings to the two benefactors."

Amitabha? Hu Feng was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Which Buddha was this? He had never heard of him before.

I wonder which school or sect of Buddhism this monk practices...

Hu Feng thought he knew Buddhism quite well, but he couldn't figure anything out from this young monk.

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and returned the greeting, saying, "I am Lu Zheng, and this is Hu Feng, the demon who led me to the Buddhist temple. Out of curiosity, I wandered into this place and did not expect that there were people living in seclusion here."

When I observed the Buddhist temple from the outside, it was covered with traces of time, and I estimated that no one had set foot there for hundreds of years.

The fact that there were still people in this blessed land surprised Lu Zheng.

Buddhist temple?

Miao Kong's heart stirred, and she smiled slightly, saying, "The fact that you two benefactors were able to enter this place means you have a connection with it. Is this Benefactor Lu also well-versed in the methods of Buddhism?"

"Understood."

Lu Zheng replied with a smile.

Miao Kong's eyes brightened, and he said, "I wonder if Benefactor Lu would be willing to let this humble monk witness something?"

Hu Feng, who was standing nearby, was also very curious upon hearing this.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment, his lips moved slightly, but he remained silent.

However, a voice rang out in Miaokong's mind, as loud as thunder, and its words were astonishing.

It is the six-syllable mantra of Buddhism, containing profound Buddhist teachings.

Miao Kong looked at Lu Zheng with surprise. The six-syllable mantra of Buddhism is not something that just anyone can casually claim to have miraculous effects.

He couldn't sense Lu Zheng's true level of cultivation, but he felt that the other party's cultivation was stronger than his own.

Miao Kong bowed again, her eyes revealing an undisguised joy and respect.

"So we're kindred spirits. I've been very rude, Miaokong..."

Lu Zheng waved his hand and smiled, "I'm not a Buddhist. I just study and explore various schools of thought and know a little about Buddhism."

"Understand a little?" Miao Kong thought that this made it even more impressive. To be able to recite the true Dharma and mantras of Buddhism without majoring in Buddhism was something that even monks with lower levels of spiritual attainment could not do.

Miao Kong felt that the young man in front of him was the one he had been waiting for.

Miao Kong then asked, "This humble monk has lived here since birth. May I ask about the current state of affairs in the outside world?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng asked, "I wonder what you know about the outside world?"

Miao Kong hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "After the fall of the Divine Dynasty, our sect's patriarch led people to this place to avoid disaster. Since then, we have been completely unaware of what has happened in the outside world for hundreds of years."

Hu Feng was astonished upon hearing this. It was unbelievable that someone would run away to this place to avoid trouble for hundreds of years and not go out to learn about the outside world.

Hu Feng clicked his tongue and said, "You've managed to hide for so long, are you planning to wait until the world is unified before you go out?"

Miao Kong glanced sideways upon hearing this, "No... but the world is not yet unified?"

He thought that after hundreds of years, the world would eventually unite after a long period of division.

Hu Feng shook his head and said, "This is nothing! There are still nine great dynasties in the world, and the Northern Region is in complete chaos..."

"This Young Master Lu is a Confucian disciple from the Southern Kingdom of An, and he is incredibly capable! He is now practicing the principles of the sages in the Northern Region, carving out a territory to protect the people. This demon will now follow him, reform myself, and do good deeds..."

"Why don't you just leave this place? Nobody's going to do anything to you now. Why don't you come with us and build a peaceful world? That would be good karma!"

Hu Feng's rambling explanations gave Miao Kong some understanding of the outside world.

Miaokong could tell the truth from falsehood in Hu Feng's words.

Miao Kong thought for a moment, then raised his hand and invited, "You two are the first guests to arrive here in recent years. Why don't you rest at my humble abode and have a cup of tea..."

Hu Feng's eyes widened slightly as he asked curiously, "Has no outsider ever been here before?"

Miao Kong smiled and said, "Master once said that only those who are destined to be with the Buddha can find this place and cannot enter it." As Miao Kong spoke, she looked at Lu Zheng, and the meaning in her words was very clear.

Hu Feng also looked at Lu Zheng. He was certain that he was not the one destined for this place. It turned out that Lu Zheng's previous words were not lying to him.

Lu Zheng neither confirmed nor denied this statement, but instead said, "Please lead the way."

Upon hearing this, Miaokong turned around and took a step, causing a cloud to rise beneath her feet, and she flew away into the distance at a leisurely pace.

Lu Zheng and Hu Feng each used their skills to follow Miao Kong.

Looking into the distance, there are green mountains and clear waters.

After Lu Zheng's senses traversed several mountains and rivers, he discovered a magnificent city.

Judging from the city's appearance, it has been around for quite some time.

The architectural style in the city also appears somewhat ancient, a style that is not commonly seen.

This reminded Lu Zheng that the architectural style of the previous dynasty was similar, something he had learned about when he consulted historical records.

Inside and outside the city walls, you can still see quite a few people coming and going.

Those people dressed differently from outsiders, but the difference wasn't too obvious.

Lu Zheng composed himself and observed for a moment. It was clear that those who had gone into seclusion were not only Buddhist monks, but also other people.

The fact that so many people would rather remain hidden in this place for hundreds of years without ever showing their faces to the world made Lu Zhengsheng make some guesses.

Miaokong led the way, but instead of taking Lu Zheng and his companion to the city, they arrived at a temple in the mountains and led them to a quiet courtyard.

Miao Kong poured fragrant tea for the two of them and said, "Please sit down, both of you. I will go and inform the senior members of the sect."

Lu Zheng nodded. "Okay."

Seeing this, Miaokong left with light steps.

Hu Feng sat upright next to Lu Zheng and couldn't help but transmit his voice, "I feel something's not right here. They've been living in seclusion here for hundreds of years. Some families have probably gone through several generations of inheritance. This place looks like it has very little spiritual energy left, yet they don't go out. Are they afraid of someone's revenge?"

Lu Zheng smiled upon hearing this and said, "Why don't you go and ask what's going on?"

"Uh……"

Hu Feng's expression froze. He decided to pass. He felt that there were still experts hiding here, and his own skills were probably not enough. There was no need to offend them.

Suddenly, Hu Feng asked curiously in a low voice, "Which Buddha is Amitabha? I didn't know before."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng explained, "He is a Buddha of orthodox Buddhism, also known as Amitabha Buddha or Amitayus Buddha... There are records in scriptures..."

Upon hearing Lu Zheng's explanation, Hu Feng suddenly realized, "Young Master Lu is indeed very knowledgeable. Now I understand! Alas, the orthodox Buddhist sect—no sect claims to be the orthodox Buddhist sect these days, right?"

Lu Zheng said calmly, "That's because you're not well-informed."

"what?"

Hu Feng was taken aback for a moment, then thought for a moment and couldn't help but ask, "Has something happened in Wei?"

When Hu Feng thought about how Lu Zheng had killed those monks and called them Buddhist traitors, he felt there was more to the story.

Before Lu Zheng could say anything, a slight noise came from outside.

Soon, several elderly monks dressed simply entered, with Miaokong following behind.

One of the old monks looked at Lu Zheng, bowed, and recited a passage of scripture.

Its sound is melodious, with a unique rhythm.

However, they speak a different language.

Hu Feng stood there, completely unable to understand what the other person was saying.

Lu Zheng remained calm and smiled, saying, "Senior, please speak frankly. Don't use Buddhist jargon on me. My knowledge is too shallow to answer you."

In fact, Lu Zheng could understand what the old monk was saying, but he didn't know that language.

Upon hearing this, the old monk frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing across his eyes.

"Is this benefactor truly not a member of our Buddhist community? And how is he so proficient in our Buddhist mantras...?"

Lu Zheng couldn't help but say, "I cultivate the righteous energy of heaven and earth."

As he spoke, an aura emanated from Lu Zheng's body.

It was a pure and powerful force, carrying an aura of extreme strength and masculinity.

Everyone felt as if a sun had appeared before them, and under its scorching light, all evil and filth could be cleansed away.

This aura wasn't directed at Hu Feng, but it still made him feel intimidated and afraid to come into contact with such power.

He felt that he would have no ability to stop Lu Zheng's power if he were to face it head-on.

Soon, Lu Zheng suppressed his imposing aura.

The monks were all somewhat moved; such pure righteousness was truly rare to see.

The elderly monk at the head of the group's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Such pure righteousness is rare even in the whole world..."

The ability to integrate the power of heaven and earth into righteous energy represents a qualitative leap beyond the Confucian ideal of righteousness.

The old monk doesn't know what the situation is like for Confucianism outside now, but looking back at previous dynasties and before, such figures are few and far between, even among great Confucian scholars.

Moreover, Lu Zheng is so young, not only in appearance, but also in the vibrant energy he senses in Lu Zheng.

The person before me was indeed a young man, not some kind of ageless cultivator.

The old monk smiled and said, "Although you are not a formal disciple of Buddhism, you have cultivated a righteous spirit and have some knowledge of Buddhist teachings. You were able to decipher the secrets of the Buddhist temple and come here. It seems that you are the destined person that our master asked us to wait for..."

Lu Zheng couldn't help but say, "Please explain in detail, senior."

The old monk said unhurriedly, "Back then, our master brought us here to avoid disaster. Before he passed away, he left a prophecy, saying that someone would one day crack the secret of the Buddhist temple, and at that time, we would be able to leave this place..."

"This wait has lasted for generations and hundreds of years, and now finally someone has come here..."

They were initially disappointed when they heard that the person who came was not a Buddhist, but their impression of Lu Zheng changed a lot after seeing his extraordinary righteous aura.

So much so that they now believe their master's prophecy is true.

Upon hearing the old monk's story, Lu Zheng felt that he was not the destined person predicted.

His disbelief that anyone could predict events hundreds of years in the future was related to him personally.

Even living grandmasters and great masters cannot see his future...

Moreover, it is a monk who has been dead for many years.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "Then you may have come to the wrong person. I have not cracked any secrets of the Buddhist temple."

Everyone was surprised and doubtful upon hearing this, finding it hard to believe. (End of Chapter)