Suspicion flashed through Xu Tong's heart for a moment, but he was not sure. After all, it was just a guess.
Besides, the most important thing at the moment is to prevent the evil god of the Moda Cult from coming to the world.
And if you want to prevent the Moda Cult from appearing in this world, you can only enter the palace!
Xu Tong looked towards Ziwei City in the distance, put away the Pure Yang Sword, and touched his forehead with his palm.
Suddenly a head full of black hair fell to the ground, and not long after, a handsome young monk appeared in the mirror.
Xu Tong took a mirror and looked at it. Not to mention, Li Zheng was worthy of being a royal family. He had a face with a high nose, small mouth, thick eyebrows and big eyes. Unfortunately, he was too thin. If he could be stronger, he would be a bit more handsome.
Xu Tong emphasized in front of the mirror, pretended to practice, and put on the bright red cassock. Suddenly he felt that something was missing. He slapped his forehead and summoned Fa Cai, only to see Fa Cai lying softly.
With a shake of his body, he transformed into a golden tin staff.
"Hey, here comes the poor monk!!"
As Xu Tong said this, he strode straight to Yingtianmen.
People often say that the day's plan starts in the morning, and it's already around seven o'clock in the morning.
Ordinarily, today is a day of national celebration, so the streets should be very lively.
But there was too much noise last night.
As a result, ordinary people were afraid to come out, but this did not affect the holding of the Xuantan Dharma Assembly.
Not only the common people did not dare to come out, but even the families of many officials received the news and were prohibited from going out.
It is said that last night hundreds of civil and military officials came to the palace overnight to ask the saint to postpone the Xuantan Dharma ceremony. Some even bluntly said that Buddhism deceives people's hearts, makes them not want to work, and prohibits people's desires, which is an evil law.
This statement was refuted by Wu Pang in court, who believed that Buddhism is a good way to educate people and persuade people to be good. It can naturally resist evil spirits and heretics. Moreover, there are nine departments of Shenwu Mansion in the Forbidden Palace. Who dares to disrupt the Dharma Assembly?
He must have been beheaded on the spot.
The court officials argued vigorously, but no one mentioned Lu Zhi's matter. After all, there are some things that everyone knows in their hearts. On the surface, it is just strange power and chaos, and it is the court's face that is damaged.
What's more, it can't be said that just because you are worried about one person, you have to postpone the entire Xuantan Dharma Assembly?
Furthermore, there is not only one enlightened person in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Mu Tiantong of Chongxuan Hall and the commander of Shenwuwei are both the best in the world. With two people sitting in charge, do they care about Lu Zhi!
There was a lot of high-spirited talk and endless quarrels, but in the final analysis, what they were arguing about was whether the country would be passed on to the Wu family or returned to the Li family in the future.
As a result, the Xuantan Dharma Assembly was still held, but those who advised the saint to postpone the Xuantan Dharma Assembly were all refuted and dismissed from office. The one who accused the saint of credulously believing in Buddhism was even thrown into heavenly prison.
At this point, few people dared to speak out.
By the time Xu Tong arrived outside Yingtian Gate, the place was already crowded with people.
The palace doors on all sides are open, and even ordinary people can enter the Ziwei Palace today and come to the Mingtang at the back to observe the Xuantan Dharma Assembly.
Looking around, I saw a large number of monks holding magical instruments and chanting sutras as they walked.
This loud chanting of sutras caused a strange phenomenon in the heaven and earth, causing colorful auspicious clouds to appear in the sky. As the breeze blew, the clouds turned into a giant Buddha. The light of the Buddha shone everywhere, nourishing all things on the earth, creating a peaceful scene.
Xu Tong opened his Life Eye and looked at Qimen, and saw a large amount of power of faith gathered in the sky. The number was not large and could not be compared with the Holy See in the previous script world, but Buddhism in this era was far from reaching that level.
So prosperous in reality.
These powers of faith have been accumulated over many years of development of Buddhism. This large area of power of faith is like a golden lake, gathering on Ziwei Palace and turning into the outline of a Buddha.
That is the result of Buddhist luck, but compared with future Buddhism, it is really not worth mentioning. However, Xu Tong also has celestial vision. Looking at this ball of Buddhist luck, he found that there is not only Buddhist luck in it, but also something.
Withered fruit.
The fruit was no bigger than a fingernail, withered into a ball, soaked in the power of faith, and emitted a dark purple light.
Xu Tong does not know the origin of this object, but if he is a Buddhist disciple, he must know that this object is the seed of a cypress tree that Chen Xuanzang brought back when he returned from his trip to the west.
Buddha Sakyamuni attained nirvana under the alpinia tree, and this tree is also revered as a holy tree by Buddhism.
But when Chen Xuanzang rushed to the Buddhist country, it was said that it had been destroyed and Buddhism had fallen. This seed was not only the most precious treasure of Buddhism, but also the seed of hope for the future of Buddhism.
This is why Buddhism must hold the Xuantan Dharma Assembly. If we cannot take this opportunity to irrigate this seed and germinate, then the fate of Buddhism will be in darkness for at least a hundred years.
And what Lu Zhi wants is this seed. At this moment, it can be used as a Buddha seed, but it can also be used as a demon seed. The prosperous age of Buddhism has not really come yet. If you take away this seed, you can replace Buddhism. In the future, Modhaism is destined to
prospered throughout the world.
Xu Tong looked around, but he didn't see anyone from the Modao sect. He simply blended into the group and walked into Yingtianmen along with the chanting monks.
This is the second time Xu Tong has entered Ziwei Palace.
The difference from last time was that as soon as he entered the palace gate, Xu Tong felt an invisible force suppressing him, causing his heartbeat to speed up.
Even my own luck began to feel shaky. I had a similar feeling when I entered the palace last time, but it was very slight, far from such a strong level.
Fortunately, these artifacts did not really hurt him. They seemed to have sensed the reason why he was a royal relative, and they quickly disappeared.
As for the others, their luck was invisibly suppressed by a force. This Ziwei Palace was like an invisible net, knocking everyone's luck down a notch.
After passing through the royal road of the palace gate, the monks came to the Mingtang hall. Looking from a distance, they could see the exquisite Buddha statue in the Mingtang hall.
Xu Tong glanced at it and only saw Ashina. After all, this guy's luck was like a light in the dark sitting in the crowd. But if you look carefully, it is not difficult to find that Ashina's luck is very strong.
, but the golden lion looked listless and increasingly tired.
Even Ashina himself looked a little tired. He was sitting on the messenger's seat, holding his chin with one hand, looking bored, which was annoying to watch.
As for Gao Zhuo, he didn't see it himself.
Not only was Gao Zhuo nowhere to be seen, even the great monk Yuan Xiang was not there. You must know that on such an important occasion, as the great protector of the Buddhist sect, if Yuan Xiang was not around, the Buddhist sect would be missing its backbone.
"What are these guys doing? Why don't I see any of them!!"
After experiencing the convenience of William's team, Xu Tong felt more and more how convenient it was to have a team channel.
Suddenly Xu Tong saw a familiar figure in the crowd, his brows moved slightly, and he immediately quickened his pace and walked forward.
"Brother Wu!!"
Wu Fan heard someone calling him, turned around and saw a monk walking towards him.
When I was wondering that I didn't know anyone from the Buddhist sect, I took a closer look and only recognized Xu Tong's face when he got closer.
"Your Majesty!!"
Wu Fan was shocked when he saw Xu Tong. After blinking to make sure he saw it correctly, his face changed slightly, and he grabbed Xu Tong's arm and pulled him to a corner.
After walking to the corner and making sure that no one was around, Wu Fan said coldly: "You dare to come here at this time, you are really risking your life."
"What can I do if I don't come? The saint has appointed me as Taichang Shaoqing, in charge of sacrifices, and perform rituals on behalf of heaven. If I don't come, wouldn't I be disobeying the decree? You see, I have even shaved my hair, not to mention it is quite cool. Brother Wu wants to
Don’t try it.”
Xu Tong patted his bare forehead and said.
Seeing this, he actually still wanted to tease, Wu Fan sneered:
"Oh, I'm afraid you really don't know. Something happened to Yuan Xi. He was in the western suburbs and was trapped in a demonic barrier by Lu Zhi. He may not be able to struggle out of his inner demons for a while. Lu Zhi doesn't know when.
I'm about to break into the palace gate, and when the time comes, I'm afraid you will die without a burial place."
"Ah! Did the source side lose?"
Xu Tong was also a little surprised when he heard the news.
Yuan Bian was Chen Xuanzang's third disciple. In Xu Tong's mind, this great monk was just like Sha Wujing. He couldn't say he was very capable, but he was by no means a novice.
At least the best in the world, even if he loses to Lu Zhi, he can still escape with his whole body.
"I heard from my leader that Yuan Bian has not lost yet. It's just that you were assassinated last night and caused such a big stir. After Yuan Bian noticed it, he got angry and was plotted by Lu Zhi. It's about you.
It was taken advantage of by Lu Zhi."
Last night, everyone's focus was on the west gate. Even the Shenwu Guards did not expect that Lu Zhi could find so many helpers in addition to the members of the Moduo Sect.
It was calculated mentally but not intentionally. They were careless.
"Then I can't leave. I left the Xuantan Dharma Assembly and played nonsense. Do you expect these old gangsters to mess with Lu Zhi??"
The old monks that Xu Tong refers to are the old monks in front of them. The youngest ones are all in their seventies, and the older ones are no longer toothless. They sit there chanting sutras and can't hear anyone else say anything.
What, I'm really afraid that if I sneeze, this eminent monk will die on the spot.
Although these old monks are old, there are only two great masters among them, and the others are not even grand masters.
I really don’t know how Buddhism got along these years. It is a sect supported by saints after all, so why is it so bad?
"Hmph, I'm afraid these bald donkeys got the news and changed people on the spot. Otherwise, how could they be so crooked?"
Wu Fan was also very angry. Buddhism was too unruly this time. Many famous Buddhist monks did not show up. According to their reports, these monks actually planned to wait and watch outside. If the situation was not right, they would immediately seal the mountain gate.
It is to save seeds for Buddhism.
However, they were still angry, and they still needed to guard the Xuantan Grand Ceremony with all their strength. The nine divine guards were already in place. If Lu Zhi really dared to come, he would never come back.
"So, the commander-in-chief of the Shenwu Guard is also here!"
Xu Tong's mind was slightly moved. The commander of the Shenwu Guard had reached the peak of enlightenment twenty years ago. If this person was in charge and the Forbidden Palace was in charge, it might not be easy for Lu Zhi if he wanted to force his way in.
"No!"
Wu Fan shook his head and said, "The commander-in-chief never leaves the saint's side easily. Moreover, the saint only wants the results and not the process, so he will not participate in the Xuan Altar Dharma Assembly, but Mu Tiantong, the master of the Chongxuan Pavilion, is here."
"Mu Tiantong?"
The name Xu Tong is very unfamiliar, but there is something about Chongxuan Pavilion in Li Zheng's memory.
Chongxuan Hall was established by Emperor Taizong when he founded the country, and established Taoism as the state religion at that time. Chongxuan Hall had the power to take charge of Taoism in the world.
According to Wu Fan, the master of the Chongxuan Pavilion is probably also a top Taoist, but...
If you ask a monk to take care of Buddhist affairs, what's the difference between asking Sun Wukong to be Bi Mawen?
"Boom!!"
Before the two of them finished speaking, a long and deep bell rang. When Wu Fan heard the bell, his expression suddenly changed: "This guy is really here!!"
The sound of the bell was an alarm, indicating that Lu Zhi had entered the palace gate.
Xu Tong also discovered that the moment the bell rang, the entire town in Ziwei City seemed to be activated. The gods revived and formed a huge divine network covering the huge forbidden palace.
Passing through Yingtian Gate, I saw Lu Zhi sitting on a strange sedan chair. There were eight stars from the Moduo Sect carrying the sedan chair in front, back and left and right.
The palanquin used to marry the bride.
But the strange thing is that Lu Zhi was riding on the carriage and the palace palace turned a blind eye.
"Master, this Yingtian Gate is the first gate in the world. There are five phoenix towers on both sides, like a phoenix spreading its wings. There are three gates in total, twelve gates. It is a symbol of supremacy in the world. My master has arranged eighteen gates here.
"Even if you come in, you will be a little shorter, and your luck will be knocked down one level first. This phoenix sedan is the only exception. If you take this sedan to enter the palace, your luck will not decrease but increase!"
Zhao Peng walked beside the sedan and explained to Lu Zhi.
Because the emperor's wedding was all about political needs. He wanted to join forces with powerful forces, and he didn't want his concubines' luck to be affected by the treasures. This was the only way to enter the forbidden palace.
If not, you can only enter through the side door, and the impact will be smaller, but your luck will still be affected.
It's hard for Zhao Peng to think of this way to destroy these counterfeit objects left by his master Gu Pei Yuan.
"Very good! You are indeed a disciple of Gu Pei Yuan. It's a pity that the old guy doesn't know how to teach students according to their aptitude. If I were here, you should have broken through the shackles a few years ago."
Lu Zhi, who was riding in the sedan, was very satisfied with Zhao Peng's performance.
He did not forget to point at Shi Jin who was standing aside: "Look, it has only been a long time since Shi Jin became my disciple, and he has already shown signs of becoming a Taoist. Give him a few more years, and enlightenment will not be a problem."
Shi Jin raised the coiled dragon in his hand and bowed his hand to Lu Zhi: "Thank you, Master, for your cultivation!"
Hearing this, Zhao Peng couldn't help but feel envious.
Lu Zhi's voice changed: "But you don't have to worry. When I take away the luck of Buddhism, you will be the great protector of my Moduo sect. With the luck of my Moduo sect, I can help you achieve enlightenment!"
"Thank you, Master!"
Zhao Peng looked ecstatic and hurriedly handed over his hands to Lu Zhixing again.
When the monks along the way saw this, they couldn't help but look frightened and moved out of the way.
"Stop, Lu Zhi, look carefully at where this place is. I really thought you were lawless and no one could deal with you!"
The Shenwu Guard raised the blade in his hand and stood in front of him.
On the city tower, eight commanders in black robes were seen staring at Lu Zhi with cold eyes.
Except for the absence of the great commander, all nine commanders of the Shenwu Guard were present.
However, when Lu Zhi saw this, he acted like an official: "I came here by invitation. Does your country have the same attitude towards envoys?"
After saying that, he saw the carriage behind and hung an envoy flag.
And it is the envoy flag of the Turks.
"Hahaha, I forgot to tell everyone, this is my Turkic State Master. I heard about the grand ceremony and came here to watch the excitement."
Ashina stood up, walked down from the seat, and explained to everyone.
After saying that, he looked at the commander of the divine military guards on the city gate: "The saint has an edict, and envoys from all countries can participate. Do you want to resist the edict?"
"Hmph, it's a conspiracy!"
Luo Hu stared at Lu Zhi: "When did you become the national advisor of the Turks!"
"A few days ago, I met our Imperial Preceptor very late, so I specially invited Mr. Lu to be our Imperial Preceptor. This is the golden seal granted to me by my father. With this golden seal, I have granted Mr. Lu a document, and Mr. Lu is
My Turkic national advisor!"
Ashina fumbled for a golden seal and a roll of parchment documents from his arms, and threw the documents towards the city wall, and was caught by Luo Hu in his hand.
When he opened it, he found that it was indeed a document conferring Lu Zhi the Turkic State Master on it, stamped with the gold seal of the Turkic King.
This move is really unexpected.
Even Rahu was speechless now and could only throw the document to Ashina.
Someone on the side said confusedly: "If that's the case, the visitor is a guest, but please respect yourself!!"
"Of course!"
Lu Zhi had a smile on his face. He was surprisingly talkative today. He nodded, got off the sedan chair, walked through the royal road with Ashina, and sat down at the seat of the Turkic envoy.
The arrival of Lu Zhi made all the Buddhist monks feel like they were facing a formidable enemy. Even the chanting of sutras began to stop intermittently. Some of them even began to think about retreating.
If this continues, I'm afraid Lu Zhi won't even have to do anything, just sit there, and the Xuantan Dharma Assembly will be over in no time.
Xu Tong and Wu Fan stood in the corner and couldn't help but look at each other when they saw this scene. It seemed they didn't expect that Lu Zhi would use Ashina to get himself the title of envoy.
If he doesn't attack now, even the Shenwu Guards won't be able to attack him directly.
"I won't tell you anymore. If you really want to swim in this muddy water, I won't stop you. But you'd better think clearly. These bald donkeys in Buddhism are all trying to back down. Are you sure you can stop Lu?
end??"
Wu Fan said this and said no more. Lu Zhi had already entered the palace and he had to return to his post as soon as possible.
As for Li Zheng, in his opinion, it is difficult to persuade the damned ghosts with good words. Some people cannot be persuaded, and they have to say what they say. If this kid does not know good and evil, he deserves to die.
When Wu Fan left, Xu Tong couldn't help but frown. The situation of Buddhism was so bad. Apart from the saints and the Wu family, they were almost helpless.
But as the backbone of Buddhism, Yuan Bian is not there.
Facing the powerful Lu Zhi, it is inevitable that one will feel like a mantis trying to control the chariot.
but……
Xu Tong raised his head, shook the cassock on his body, looked at the highly anticipated seat in front of the Ming Hall, his eyes became hot: "It's difficult, isn't it interesting?"
As he spoke, he rolled his tongue and heard a "click" sound coming from between his teeth, as if something had been bitten into pieces. He stirred it in his mouth a few times at will, and then he had a painful expression on his face and cursed secretly.
: "Fuck, it's so painful!"
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
It was originally two chapters of 6,000 words, but after I finished writing it and read it over, I deleted a large section. There was no time left, so I had to make it into one chapter. A part is missing and I will make it up for you tomorrow.