Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

”Degradation? What does this mean?” Luo Chen asked.

”The literal meaning.”

”Hmm?”

Luo Chen frowned slightly, looking at the monk in white with confusion.

Master Xuan Du sighed and said quietly, ”This matter dates back five hundred years...”

As he recounted the story, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang finally gained some understanding of the Buddhist sect’s hidden secrets.

Mahakala, a prodigy!

He was hailed as the most intrinsically Buddhist and talented genius in the Hanging Temple for a millennium.

His deep understanding of Buddhist scriptures and rapid cultivation pace were unimaginable to ordinary people.

Before reaching 300 years of age, he had already stepped into the Vajra Realm.

He was early on made the head of the Prajna Hall by the previous abbot.

Not only did his realm progress rapidly, but he also subdued the then Fourth Order Wild Beast Golden Wing Roc alone, adding a Guardian Spirit Venerable to the Hanging Temple.

Because of these achievements, Mahakala’s prestige within the temple grew ever higher.

Ultimately, he truly lived up to the expectations of the many high monks in the temple, successfully entering the Arhat Realm five hundred years ago.

”That’s what you call the Divine Transformation Stage,” Master Xuan Du added a note to help Luo Chen and Qing Shuang understand.

Luo Chen nodded, ”I have some knowledge of this information. But what exactly happened after he achieved the Arhat Realm five hundred years ago, resulting in the so-called degradation?”

”Degradation didn’t suddenly appear but was a gradual process until today.”

Master Xuan Du softly recited a Buddhist chant and then explained, ”Brother Jia Luo progressed too swiftly. Even though his intrinsic Buddhist nature was exceptional, and his comprehension of Buddhist scriptures surpassed ours, the time was too short. He could master Buddhist law but found it difficult to understand the Buddhist principles. Thus, it sowed the seeds of hidden danger.”

”Five hundred years ago, after achieving the Arhat stage, he realized that those in the Hanging Temple who attained the Arhat Fruit Position were few, far less than in the Daoist Sect, Mingyuan, and other holy lands. And seeing his remaining brothers had shortcomings, he had a sudden idea to enlighten the Guardian Spirit Venerable Golden Wing Roc.”

”However, he didn’t expect that with his shallow understanding of Buddhist principles, his divine powers were no match for karma, causing the Golden Wing Roc to seize thirty-six high monks’ relics and defect from the Hanging Temple.”

”If it were just that, it would be bearable, but precisely after this first failure in his life, seeds of a heart demon arose from karma, gradually making him more extreme.”

”At that time, Brother Hui Ping once said, Jia Luo was influenced by heaven and earth!”

Influence of heaven and earth?

Luo Chen understood this term deeply, which could be replaced with ”assimilation.”

No matter what cultivation system, when approaching the Fifth Order, interactions with heaven and earth become more frequent.

During this process, cultivators extensively draw from the natural world, comprehending the true intent of laws. But the more one grasps, the more easily they are assimilated by heaven and earth.

One careless move, and one’s Dao Heart becomes unstable, descending into a sea of suffering.

Perhaps this seems somewhat abstract.

But just look at the fate of True Master Shenyuan, and you’ll get a glimpse.

Amidst a demonic deviation, forcibly seizing power unmatched for oneself can only end in death!

Luo Chen sharply caught a familiar name in the other’s speech.

”Monk Hui Ping?”

He suddenly recalled, Monk Hui Ping also hailed from the Hanging Temple and only detached from it a few hundred years ago to establish a sect in the Eastern Wasteland, spreading the Buddhist Dao.

”Could it be, he left the Hanging Temple because of this matter?”

Master Xuan Du nodded slightly, ”That’s right!”

Luo Chen was speechless, ”I hadn’t noticed before that you two were brothers, especially as your ordained names had no apparent connection.”

”In Buddhism, equality is emphasized. What’s called seniority is merely for convenient address. Moreover, Brother Hui Ping came from the Zen Sect lineage, and Brother Jia Luo from the Pure Sect lineage. Naturally, our ordained names vary, but in cultivation there is no taboo on seniority, so we adopted the commonly used practice in the Immortal Cultivation World of the capable being prioritized for convenience in addressing.” Xuan Du explained, then continued the previous topic, ”Brother Hui Ping was above us all in realm and was one of the eight principal seats among the 108 high monks of that time. He was the first to notice the oddity in Brother Jia Luo. Unable to dissuade him, he left the Hanging Temple alone under the pretense of spreading the Buddhist teachings.”

Qing Shuang, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

”Monk Hui Ping was indeed formidable. When the three great cultivators of the Eastern Wasteland joined forces against me, only he could face my attacks directly. Had I not revealed the True Body of Cyan Simurgh, I might have been suppressed by him.”

Luo Chen, having experienced the power of the True Body of Cyan Simurgh, understood its strength the most.

The Great Five Elements Sword Formation, combined with the Five Elements Suppressing Law Cones and Soul Weaving Needle, couldn’t defeat him, forcing Luo Chen to release his Lifebound Magic Treasure Mix Yuan Cauldron to barely suppress it.

Even so, trying to refine it was exceedingly difficult.

Monk Hui Ping of the past could withstand the True Body of Cyan Simurgh head-on; as far as Body Refinement Stage was concerned, he was likely no weaker than Luo Chen’s current Later stage of Wilderness Ancient Period self.

Master Xuan Du glanced at Qing Shuang, not showing any signs of surprise.

Evidently, he had gathered intelligence on this topic, knowing about Qing Shuang’s general situation.

He continued, ”After Brother Hui Ping left, I also gradually noticed the change in Brother Jia Luo’s temperament. Just in case, I too left the Hanging Temple. Not only that, but I also secretly took away the Buddhist treasure Glazed Pure Land during Brother Jia Luo’s cultivation, preventing him from using this powerful tool to cause harm to the world.”

Listening to these words, Luo Chen was thoughtful.

The space he was currently in was exactly what the Glazed Pure Land transformed into, indistinguishable from the outer world in almost every way.

This wonder surpassed even the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven and the Yin Yang Residual Realm.