Chapter 961: Skyrim
Everyone nodded. On this night, this story about the old tree spirit was like a warm seed planted in everyone's heart, making them more convinced of the power of kindness and the existence of cause and effect.
Qi Tongwei looked at everyone's thoughtful and expectant expressions, cleared his throat, and prepared to start the next fantasy journey. His eyes slowly swept over the crowd, and under the reflection of the jumping bonfire, his voice was low and powerful, once again leading everyone into a bizarre world.
In the distant Dongsheng Shenzhou, there is a Lingjiu Mountain. At the foot of the mountain is an ancient temple called Lingyin Temple. In the temple lives a young monk named Xuanjue. Xuanjue grew up in the temple and has a high level of understanding and piety towards Buddhism. Every day, he recites scriptures, cleans the courtyard, and practices Buddhism to the sound of morning bells and evening drums.
Although the scenery of Lingjiu Mountain is beautiful, wild beasts often appear there. The roads in the mountains are rugged and difficult to travel, and travelers often encounter danger here. One day, Xuanjue was collecting herbs in the mountains as usual to prepare for the temple's emergency needs. When he reached a valley, he heard a painful groan. Following the sound, he saw a ragged man lying on the side of the road, his legs bleeding, with marks of wild beasts biting on the wounds, his face pale, and his breath weak.
Seeing this, Xuanjue immediately put down the herbal basket in his hand and quickly stepped forward to check the man's injuries. He took out a clean cloth from his arms and carefully wiped the man's wounds. He also picked out some herbs from the herbal basket that could stop bleeding and promote tissue regeneration, chewed them up and applied them to the man's wounds. The man slightly opened his eyes and saw Xuanjue's compassionate face. His eyes were full of gratitude, but he was too seriously injured to speak.
Xuanjue carried the man on his back and walked towards the temple despite the rugged mountain road. After returning to the temple, Xuanjue took good care of the man, changing the medicine for him and boiling soup for him every day. Under Xuanjue's careful care, the man's injuries gradually improved. The man told Xuanjue that his name was Yi Chen, and he was a wandering knight. This time he passed by Lingjiu Mountain and was unfortunately attacked by a wild beast.
After Yi Chen recovered from his injury, he was filled with gratitude for Xuan Jue's life-saving grace. He stayed in the temple for a few more days and talked with Xuan Jue. Yi Chen told Xuan Jue about the prosperity and disputes in the world, and the pleasure of enmity in the rivers and lakes; Xuan Jue explained to Yi Chen the subtlety and compassion of Buddhism. Although the two had different identities, they talked happily and formed a deep friendship.
However, the day of separation finally came. One day, Yi Chen found Xuan Jue and said, "My benefactor, I have recovered and it is time to continue my journey. I will never forget your life-saving grace. If you need me in the future, just say my name in your heart and I will come to help." Xuan Jue smiled and nodded, seeing Yi Chen off. Looking at Yi Chen's back, Xuan Jue was filled with emotion. He knew that everything in the world has its cause and effect, and this meeting was also a Buddhist fate.
As time goes by, Xuanjue practices Buddhism in Lingyin Temple with great concentration. However, the peaceful temple life is broken by a sudden disaster. One day, the sky is suddenly covered with dark clouds, lightning and thunder, and an evil atmosphere permeates the area around Lingjiu Mountain. It turns out that a fox demon who has been practicing for thousands of years, in order to improve his cultivation, wants to devour the creatures in Lingjiu Mountain to gain powerful spiritual power.
Wherever the fox demon went, the people were devastated, the animals in the forests fled, and the people were in extreme panic. After Xuan Jue learned about this, he decided to step forward and stop the fox demon's evil deeds. He held a Zen stick in his hand, wore a monk's robe, and walked alone to where the fox demon was.
When Xuanjue arrived in front of the demon fox, it was ready to attack a group of people. Xuanjue shouted, "Demon, stop being so presumptuous!" The demon fox turned around and looked at Xuanjue with disdain in his eyes: "Little monk, you dare to stop me? Today is the day you die!" After that, the demon fox spewed out a puff of black smoke from its mouth and pounced on Xuanjue.
Xuanjue was not in a hurry. He put his hands together and recited the Buddhist scriptures. In an instant, a golden light emanated from his body, blocking the black smoke. Seeing this, the fox demon was furious. It waved its claws and launched an even more fierce attack on Xuanjue. Xuanjue responded calmly. He used the Dharma as a shield and the Zen stick as a sword to start a fierce battle with the fox demon.
The battle lasted for a long time, and Xuanjue gradually felt exhausted. The demon fox noticed Xuanjue's fatigue and took the opportunity to launch a fatal attack. Just when the demon fox's claws were about to hit Xuanjue, a figure appeared like lightning and blocked the attack for Xuanjue. Xuanjue looked carefully and found that it was Yi Chen.
Yi Chen looked at Xuan Jue and said with a smile: "My benefactor, how are you? Today I am here to repay you." After that, Yi Chen drew the sword from his waist and started fighting with the fox demon again. Yi Chen's martial arts were strong and his swordsmanship was sharp. Together with Xuan Jue's Buddhist teachings, the fox demon was unable to resist for a while.
However, the fox demon had been practicing for thousands of years and was very powerful. As the battle progressed, Yi Chen and Xuan Jue gradually fell into a disadvantage. Just when they felt desperate, a colorful cloud suddenly descended from the sky, and an old man with a celestial appearance appeared in the clouds. The old man held a whisk in his hand, his eyes were like lightning, and he gently waved the whisk, and a powerful force knocked the fox demon away.
The fox demon looked at the old man in horror and asked, "Who are you? Why do you interfere in my affairs?" The old man smiled and said, "I am the immortal Donghua. You, a monster, have brought disaster to the world. Today is your disaster." After that, the immortal Donghua used his magic to seal the fox demon under the Lingjiu Mountain, preventing it from being reborn.
After dealing with the fox demon, Donghua looked at Xuanjue and Yichen and nodded slightly: "You two, one is compassionate and the other is loyal, both have a destiny to become immortals. Xuanjue, you have practiced for many years, have a deep understanding of Buddhism, and have the heart to save all living beings; Yichen, although you are a mortal, you can stand up at the critical moment and sacrifice yourself for others. Today, I will help you two join the immortal class."
After saying that, Donghua Immortal gently waved the whisk in his hand, and two rays of light enveloped Xuanjue and Yichen respectively. Under the cover of the light, Xuanjue and Yichen only felt that their bodies became extremely light, and a powerful force surged into their bodies. After a moment, the light dissipated, and Xuanjue and Yichen had changed into immortal clothes, emitting auspicious light all over their bodies.
Xuanjue and Yichen bowed to the Immortal Donghua with gratitude and said, "Thank you for your support, Immortal. We will definitely remember your grace and benefit all living beings." The Immortal Donghua smiled and nodded, saying, "Go, practice well in the fairyland, and don't let this immortal fate down." After that, the Immortal Donghua turned into a ray of light and disappeared into the sky.