Crafting an Immortal Race with Daily Hexagrams

Chapter 486: Chapter 223: Battle of the Western Wilderness (Part 2)

”Moreover, by the time of the next great harvest, we will have enough time to build up the three city walls.”

Shen Chongming thought for a moment and then nodded heavily.

”Alright, I’ll tell Elder Mu later to keep an eye on the Spirit Fields, Spirit Ores, and the gathering points of the Western Wilderness Barbarian Tribes along the way.”

”Since we are both from the Western Wilderness, we should be able to rally quite a few Barbarian Tribes this time.”

The father and son further discussed the specific tactics, making sure there were no oversights, and then hurriedly left the chamber.

...

Zhili Imperial City, Imperial Palace Hall.

More than a dozen monks from Jianan Temple gathered together.

These monks from Jianan Temple, based on the Immortal Dao realms, could all be considered at the Fetal Breathing Perfection Realm, and the emaciated monk seated at the head had even reached the Half-Step Golden Core Realm.

However, the realm divisions in Buddhist cultivation differ from those in the Immortal Dao.

For Buddhist cultivators, their initial realm is called the ”No Difficulty Aspect,” equivalent to the Immortal Dao’s Body Tempering Realm.

It requires cultivating the ”Four Shared Practices”: rare and precious human rebirth, impermanence of life, suffering of rebirth, and cause and effect are not illusory.

Above the No Difficulty Aspect, corresponding to the Immortal Dao’s Qi Cultivation Realm, is the ”Observing the Body” aspect.

This involves receiving the vase initiation, visualizing the form of the root guru, mantra purification of speech, and the introductory practices of the ”Rising Order.”

The realm of the more than a dozen Buddhist monks present is called the ”Void Observation Aspect,” corresponding to the Immortal Dao’s Fetal Breathing Realm.

”Void Observation” leads to ”Great Brightness,” and therefore, in Buddhist cultivation, the Golden Core Realm is also called the ”Great Brightness Aspect.”

”Senior Brother, news has arrived that the Yunzhong Shen Family is gathering strength, planning to attack those Demon Cultivators in Great Witch Mountain.”

”Should we seize this opportunity to move south and help some of the common people break free from the sea of suffering?”

Opposite the emaciated old monk, a middle-aged Buddhist cultivator with a rosy face and somewhat prosperous appearance spoke softly.

With these words, all the other monks present showed a noticeable interest, looking toward the emaciated old monk.

The old monk sat cross-legged, a faint spiritual charm of wisdom flickering behind him, evidently not far from the true ”Great Brightness” Golden Core Realm.

”The Shen Family’s active attack on Great Witch Mountain must be a retaliation for the repeated incursions by Great Witch Mountain in recent years.”

”Luoxia Mountain and the Shen Family share a common cause, so if the Shen Family acts this time, they will surely ask Luoxia Mountain to help defend.”

The emaciated old monk spoke slowly, his eyes flickering with a sharp light.

”During the last great harvest, the Yin Corpse Sect suffered a heavy blow from Luoxia Mountain, so our Jianan Temple should not act rashly.”

The other monks had varied expressions upon hearing this.

Some clearly felt that the emaciated old monk was being overly cautious.

The Shen Family fully engaging with Great Witch Mountain, while Luoxia Mountain itself has to fend off the harassment from the Huangsheng Sect and Celestial Sandalwood Mountain, how much strength can they spare to help the Shen Family guard the rear?

It’s known that during the last great harvest, those fools in the Demon Cave of Great Witch Mountain didn’t benefit much from the Shen Family.

If Jianan Temple seizes this opportunity to act, they could certainly enlighten a large number of the common people.

”All suffering and karma are the foundation of our cultivation.”

”Brothers, do not be entangled with appearances and take the lower path.”

”Preaching the teachings southward will be easier than forcibly enlightening people.”

Preaching?

The monks’ eyes suddenly brightened at these words, and then they all broke into joyful smiles.

”Senior Brother is wise. Let us take this opportunity to send people to infiltrate the villages and cities under the Shen Family’s rule to spread the teachings gradually.”

”Indeed, even if the Shen Family discovers this, surely they would not dare stop us, as they certainly do not have the strength to simultaneously fight our Jianan Temple and Great Witch Mountain.”

”Hui Wu, Hui Xian, you two will be in charge of this preaching mission.”

”Remember, you must not engage in enlightening activities when you go.”

The emaciated old monk looked at two older monks with kind eyes and wrinkled smiles among those present.

The two older monks nodded slightly: ”We shall heed Senior Brother’s teachings.”

...

Western Wilderness.

In the vast sky above the grasslands, Shen Wen’an concealed his presence, standing on his sword in the air, gazing at the grand mansion standing abruptly on the grasslands in the distance.

He knew well that Lan Jue and those Demon Cultivators from the Great Witch Mountain Demon Cave must be in that mansion.

For safety, however, he did not approach the mansion directly.

”I need to think of a way to lure them out and defeat them individually.”

Murmuring to himself, Shen Wen’an suddenly thought of a good method.

He departed the place and flew toward Hidden Dragon Mountain.

His target this time was the Black Pine Forest where he had once killed the Fetal Breathing Realm Pig Demon.

The Black Pine Forest had a Spirit Crystal Vein, which was hastily abandoned by the Celestial Talisman Sect and the Vajra Sect during the Southern Border invasion.

Of course, the Shen Family and Luoxia Mountain could not hold this Spirit Crystal Vein either, evacuating all the cultivators and common people mining the vein, thereby benefiting the Demon Cave of Great Witch Mountain.

These Demon Cultivators might be too lazy to attend to the Spirit Fields and their ruling common people, but they wouldn’t easily give up any Spirit Ore and Spirit Crystal Veins.

During the last great harvest, He Zhongyi led an assault here, seizing hundreds of pieces of Spirit Crystal.

After that, Great Witch Mountain immediately bolstered its defenses around the Spirit Crystal Vein.

They stationed several mid- to late-stage Fetal Breathing Realm Great Demons there.

Shen Wen’an, controlling his sword, approached the outskirts of the Black Pine Forest, withdrew the sword light and his own presence, and took out a lower grade magical artifact great saber that he had obtained from somewhere else from his storage bag, quietly sneaking into the Black Pine Forest.

Inside the dense Black Pine Forest, many half-transformed little demons with beast heads and human bodies, some with tattered cloth around their waists and others naked, wielding sabers, spears, or clubs, gathered in groups of three or five, acting as sentry posts.

Shen Wen’an quickly approached a sentry post where more than ten little demons were gathered, deliberately made a slight noise, and then fled into the distance.