Chapter 101: Provocation

  On the second day, Chu Ping made a phone call to his family and said that he would return home after some time. He packed up some things and put them in a ring before heading to Wuxiang Temple.

  Chu Ping had only been to Wú Xiāng Temple once, and that was with Dou Sheng. However, he had a good memory, and at the time, he was full of enthusiasm, galloping all the way, and in half a day's time, they arrived outside Wú Xiāng Temple.

  With Chu Ping's current cultivation and perception, the Wuyou Temple in front of him was another scene. The vast and distant Wuyou Temple was shrouded in a thin layer of misty light, faintly towering above the mountains and rivers on land, stretching for hundreds of miles, with undulating mountains, lush vegetation, and a dense green color. Occasionally, there were sounds of apes crying, cranes wailing, birds chirping, and beasts roaring, while tall trees like long spears pierced the blue sky, making people feel broad-minded, as if the world was boundless and creation was endless.

  The Wusou Temple hidden in the clouds and mist, surrounded by sandalwood fragrance, with Buddhist chanting lingering in the ears, makes one's mind calm and peaceful, like a deep lake, quiet and waveless, immersing oneself in a tranquil and joyful Zen state.

  Chu Ping's hands formed a seal, and the Nine Great True Words of the Wusang Temple transformed and changed, finally condensing into a faint Buddha palm image. On top of the Buddha palm, countless mantras floated, and talismans revolved, like an opening key to a treasure trove entrance. A gap opened in the light misty veil, and Chu Ping leapt inside. The human-shaped gap immediately closed without a trace, isolating the mundane world.

  Upon entering the cave, it was a completely different experience. The cool air mixed with a faint scent of sandalwood, refreshing the heart and lungs, invigorating Chu Ping's spirit. As he looked around, he saw countless spiritual energies rising from the lush forest like whales spouting water, but they were actually wild beasts and birds that had been hiding in the mountains, listening to the evening drums and morning bells, chanting Buddhist scriptures, opening their spiritual wisdom, and cultivating a refined aura. However, this energy was pure and solemn, unlike many wild animals that had achieved enlightenment on their own, which carried a violent and ferocious aura of evil spirits.

  "Wusang Temple is not a top-notch sect in the Xianxia world, but it already has such an atmosphere. The common saying goes, 'There are fairylands on earth, and the way to immortality is in Penglai', I just don't know what kind of scenery this giant of Xianxia, Kunlun Penglai, would be like!"

  Chu Ping secretly thought that, regarding the Divine Land of Kunlun and the overseas Penglai, she couldn't help but have a hint of yearning. However, this yearning wasn't the kind of admiration or adoration, but rather a simple curiosity, that kind of "I wish to stand on the highest peak and look down at all the other mountains" desire.

  The Wusong Temple has a continuous stretch of several hundred miles, but the true roots of the sect are in a place within a radius of ten miles in the mountains, where there is a continuous temple and white pagoda. The grotto heaven takes this as its center and extends outwards in all directions with countless mountains and forests, with dense spiritual energy that catalyzes all things.

  As soon as I entered, I saw two young monks wearing gray robes standing on either side of the mountain path, their faces calm and serene, like two stone statues, motionless, with their hands clasped together, as if they had fallen into a boundless wonderful realm.

  As Chu Ping approached, the two Shami seemed to sense his arrival and opened their eyes simultaneously, scanning Chu Ping with a smile on their faces. They called out in unison, "We don't know which senior brother has returned to the mountain, please let us pay our respects."

  Chu Ping stepped forward and reported his name and lineage, the two Shami's faces showed a look of surprise, the one standing on the left with clear and elegant eyebrows and eyes smiled and said, "So you are Chu Ping, a disciple of Dousheng Taishi, please forgive me for not recognizing you earlier."

  Chu Ping smiled slightly and strode up the mountain. The green shade on both sides of the mountain road was like a canopy, which was quite out of tune with the cold winter season outside the cave, as if it were a fairyland in another world.

  Inside the cave, there were few who could soar to great heights. Chu Ping was neither hurried nor slow, gazing casually at the surrounding scenery. Vines entwined trees, and gusts of wind swayed gently, bringing a sense of comfort to his heart. As he felt the dense Buddhist atmosphere around him, the Wu Xiang Temple's Heart Method within Chu Ping stirred like the tides influenced by the bright moon, rising and falling in waves. The Nine Great Mantras converged into nine Sanskrit characters in the sea of consciousness, emitting boundless light that illuminated the endless chaotic sea of consciousness.

  In the vast, chaotic sea of consciousness, a gigantic elliptical egg slowly rotated, with countless air currents swirling above it, and intricate incantations floating about, forming mysterious arrays that seemed to nurture an embryo within. The Nine-Character True Words shone brightly, transforming into threads of light that permeated the egg, and Chu Ping felt that something unknown inside the egg was slowly inhaling and exhaling under the peaceful, serene glow of meditation.

  This surging airflow is like the Dan Tian leading the true Qi of the whole body, instantly triggering a series of contractions and expansions in the primordial sea of consciousness, as if a gigantic life form was breathing, causing the entire heaven and earth to change and vibrate with each inhalation and exhalation.

  Chu Ping stepped up step by step, picking up the stairs, with a calm and peaceful mind, quietly comprehending this change, yet feeling a kind of joy as if life was reborn.

  At this moment, a group of monks walked down from the mountain, with several people dressed in ordinary clothes like Chu Ping in the middle, but also exuding an aura of energy and vitality, like Buddha-like gods, which was indeed the aura of Wuxiang Temple's heart method.

  Among these monks, Chu Ping still recognized one, who was the Fa Xiang he met when he came down the mountain that day, a disciple of Huai Xin Fang Zhang. As for the others, they didn't recognize them. Nevertheless, they knew they were fellow disciples of their sect, so they went forward and paid their respects.

  On his handsome face, a crystal-like glow was visible, with deep and profound eyes that seemed to see through some kind of ultimate truth. Smiling, he said, "So it's Chu Ping, I haven't seen you in a long time."

  Chu Ping replied, "The last time I saw Brother Shang, he was just about to go down the mountain for training. He must have completed his meritorious deeds and returned to the mountain!"

  The Dharma Master smiled faintly and said, "It's not that I've achieved great merit or anything, it's just that I've gained a little understanding."

  Chu Ping saw that Fa Xiang's body was refined and his vital energy was well-guarded, not revealing even a hint. His movements were clumsy and awkward, yet they subtly conformed to the harmony of heaven and earth. Chu Ping was startled in his heart and exclaimed, "Elder brother has already broken through the Barriers of the Void, achieved perfect wisdom, and transcended the Mystical Pass! Congratulations, congratulations!"

  Fa Xiang hadn't spoken yet, but a man with a stern expression and a tall, majestic build standing beside him suddenly took a step forward, sizing up Chu Ping from head to toe. His gaze carried a hint of scrutiny as he said in a drawling tone, "So you're Chu Ping, the only disciple of Dousheng Shibo!"

  Chu Ping heard a strange tone in the other party's voice, but seeing that he was dressed in brocade and had his hair tied up, and knowing that only Dou Sheng and Dou Tianmen disciples didn't need to shave their heads at Wuyang Temple, he immediately spoke up, "Indeed it is I. This brother must be a disciple of Master Dou Tian, may I ask how to address you?"

  The other party did not respond, with a sharp glint in his eyes, full of deep meaning, "So it is, but also nothing more than that!"

  Fashang stood beside him, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, but he didn't say a word either.

  The other party's tone carried a hint of malice, but Chu Ping could still hear it, his face slightly sinking as he spoke loudly, "Thanks to several senior brothers, I still need to go see the master!"

  In words, there is also a sense of self-importance, asking others to give way.

  Another young man, dressed in ordinary clothes, stepped forward with a hint of mockery on his face. "I've heard that Master Dousheng doesn't like to take disciples, so since Brother Chuping has entered Master's eyes, he must be an extraordinary talent. Why not show off a bit and broaden the horizons of us younger brothers?"

  Chu Ping furrowed her brow slightly, unsure of the other person's intentions, but with a hint of hesitation.

  As a fellow disciple of the same sect, the other party's words were so provocative that Chu Ping had already lost patience, but the few people in front of him were from the Wuxiang Temple, and it was not easy to deal with them.

  "Silent Master, don't spout nonsense!" Fa Xiang shouted loudly.

  The lay Buddhist who spoke earlier laughed and said, "Why bother to calculate, Brother Fa Xiang? In our school, we discuss Buddha's teachings and compete with each other in a friendly manner. Since Wú Shēng wants to learn from Chu Ping, let him see it for himself!"

  In words, it seems polite, but actually is squeezing out Chu Ping.

  Chu Ping naturally didn't know that Dou Sheng and Dou Tian were at odds with each other in the Wuxiang Temple, and seeing each other repeatedly provoking, they also had a few points of anger in their hearts, but still restrained themselves and didn't respond.

  That silent monk saw Chu Ping not speaking, and thought that Chu Ping didn't dare to, so he laughed loudly, "What, Brother Chu Ping doesn't want to give me face?" His words were aggressive and extremely arrogant.

  Chu Ping replied in a calm tone, "I don't know what to call you." He didn't even bother with the usual courtesy of addressing him as "young master", since the other party was being so rude.

  The one who provoked first replied, "This is just a trivial matter, this is Ji Wu Sheng, the junior brother of Silent Sound. Chu Ping, the junior brother, at least left a message behind, don't make excuses!"

  "These two are both under the tutelage of Dou Tian Shifu, yet they repeatedly provoke people. Could it be that Dou Tian Shifu has a grudge against our Master?" Chu Ping's thoughts were clear and she faintly guessed some clues.

  In the temple of Wú Xiāng, Huái Xīn was the abbot, but not because his magical powers were the strongest. Rather, it was because his Chan heart and Buddha nature were superior that he became the abbot. Among the others, Dòu Tiān and Dòu Shèng were actually the ones with the strongest magical powers! When they were young, they had competed many times to see who was stronger, but in the end, no one could ever surpass the other.

  Buddhist practitioners value a calm and peaceful mind, but Dou Tian and Dou Sheng are an exception. They have never shaved their heads or become monks, mainly because both of them have explosive tempers that clash with the Buddhist principle of non-contention. One is called Dou Sheng, the other Dou Tian, which shows that the idea of competition has never been extinguished in their minds.

  As the two were now of the highest generation in Wú Xiāng Temple, they couldn't openly compete with each other again, but secretly still vied for superiority. This was not a secret within Wú Xiāng Temple, it's just that Chǔ Píng had never cultivated here before and didn't understand the intricacies, but everyone in the sect knew about this subtlety.

  They were going to defeat Chu Ping, and gain face for their master, Doushen. The two had also heard that Dou Sheng's disciple was only three or four years old and hadn't been practicing in the temple for a long time, so his skills wouldn't be high! Moreover, although Chu Ping practiced the Wuxiang Temple's techniques, he first cultivated the Qitian Heart Method of the Qitian Sect. His body and energy merged together, without revealing even half a hint of aura. The two probed with their divine senses but only felt a weak ripple in his aura, which made them even more confident. Chu Ping was also hesitant to make a move, which further solidified their notion. They immediately became aggressive, determined to defeat Chu Ping and humiliate him, to gain favor with their master, Doushen!

  Save it! Thank you!