In the morning, Pufa Temple bathed in the brilliant dawn, its majestic grandeur evoking deep respect. Under the slowly rising sun, the entire temple seemed to flow with golden light, enveloped in a soft glow that felt sacred and solemn, inspiring reverence.
Wang Xuan became serious as well; regardless of his beliefs, he didn't want to act too casually in such a place, especially since he was here today to seek the extraordinary treasure, the transformation stone. Although it was still early, there were already some people coming to offer incense, as the temple was a significant site for Buddhism, known for its enduring incense offerings.
DONG! The temple's great bell rang, its deep and lingering sound echoing for miles, even faintly heard in Ancheng. Accompanied by the rising sun, the bell's sound was distant yet profound, seemingly able to purify all worldly troubles, calming the heart and allowing one to escape the mundane.
Wang Xuan stood at a distance, gazing at the temple bathed in dawn light, and he couldn't help but nod solemnly. The Buddhist faith, having withstood the test of time through various dynasties, undoubtedly held its own wisdom. The sound of the bell, the swirling incense, and the tiles glimmering in the morning light—just this atmosphere of solemnity and sanctity was enough to bring peace to one's spirit.
"A thousand-year-old temple, truly deserving of its reputation!" he thought earnestly. He had come to seek the legacy of the wise and was sincerely hopeful of encountering extraordinary artifacts left by great virtuous beings.
It was still a bit early, so Wang Xuan did not rush inside but instead circled the entire temple. It was indeed expansive, exhibiting grandeur. Outside the temple, there were many ancient trees, from thousand-year-old pines to hundreds-of-years-old ginkgos, all shrouded in a light morning mist that, when touched by sunlight, revealed a faint iridescence, making the place even more extraordinary.
"There are mysterious elements here!" As Wang Xuan walked outside, weaving through these ancient trees, he immediately sensed a different aura. His heart stirred with excitement; many legends surrounded this historical temple, particularly those involving eminent monks.
Over the past thousand years, it was said that two corporeal Bodhisattvas had appeared here, both preserved against the test of time, which was quite rare. These corporeal Bodhisattvas were the remains of high monks who had rigorously cultivated their practice, achieving inner purity and manifesting their potential, leaving behind incorruptible bodies—some facing a wall at their end, others seated in urns, allowing later generations to witness their unblemished forms.
Having entered the inner realms, Wang Xuan had contemplated these high monks' remains before and wanted to witness them firsthand or feel their presence up close to validate his thoughts. Moreover, there were even more high monks in Pufa Temple who had left behind relics, whether true relics or scientifically explainable stones, all worth approaching.
In Wang Xuan's view, if there were true relics, they would be akin to the transformation stone, containing the mysterious substance gathered by the great virtuous beings from the inner realms. After circling the temple, he felt his journey was not in vain, as even the ancient trees outside had imparted a peculiar sensation. What awaited him inside was full of anticipation.
As the sun rose, more people gradually entered the temple, but it was not crowded. Wang Xuan walked slowly inside, glancing at the large bronze incense burner in the courtyard, which seemed perpetually lit, with incense ash so thick it nearly filled the entire burner.
He grinned; the two high monks Old Chen had invited last time probably took incense ash from this very burner, mixed it with water, and sprinkled it on him. He approached and offered a stick of incense, a small token of his respect.
Generally, the architectural layout of temples was similar, starting from the mountain gate hall, then the Heavenly King Hall, followed by the Mahaviro Hall, the Bodhisattva Hall, and further back were the Dharma Hall and Scripture Hall. "Not simple; is this low-key and reserved?" Wang Xuan frowned, as he found it surprisingly difficult to sense any mysterious elements since entering.
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Looking up, the Mahaviro Hall was impressively tall, with intricately carved beams and golden decorations, truly magnificent, housing the glimmering three Buddhas. However, it was quite strange that in such a sacred Buddhist place, he still could not sense any mysterious elements, leaving him puzzled.
Wang Xuan could only sigh; the Buddhist sect was highly skilled, and some secrets were likely beyond his comprehension as an outsider. He had to search step by step and was not in a rush as he continued exploring Pufa Temple. Yet, after walking through all the halls and searching everywhere, he still couldn't sense a single trace of the mysterious elements. What was going on?
He started to doubt whether something was wrong with his perception—had he been suppressed by some secret power in this thousand-year-old temple? However, upon careful sensing, he felt his spirit was exceptionally vibrant, able to hear the distant birds singing in the forest outside the temple.
For this, he even made a special trip outside to return to the ancient tree forest, where he indeed sensed a thin trace of mysterious substance. "A thousand-year-old temple, a revered Buddhist site that commands awe!" Wang Xuan marveled as he reentered the temple.
This time, using his agility and quickness, he ventured into some restricted areas, even delving into the location of the pagoda, where the remains of high monks were stored. Typically, these remained buried in the pagoda's underground chamber. Yet, in this area, he still made no discoveries; there was no sense of anything unusual.
Wang Xuan felt overwhelmed. In this era, could Pufa Temple still be unfathomable? Eventually, he even resorted to prying up two floor tiles, hoping to uncover something extraordinary beneath, but found nothing again.
"There's something strange; there's a problem!" Wang Xuan pondered, his mind wandering aimlessly as he strolled through the temple. He spent the entire day meticulously searching, leaving only when the stars filled the sky, as he truly found nothing within the temple.
Unwilling to give up, he continued to roam outside the temple, hoping to observe the ancient temple from a high vantage point in the night, hoping to find a clue. While walking outside, he noticed something unusual; when he reached a high ground, he found that a distant water pond emitted a faint trace of mysterious substance, which he sensed.
His heart jolted; being able to perceive mysterious material from such a distance indicated that it was special, perhaps hinting at significant discoveries. As he got closer, he confirmed that this place was indeed unique, with the water pond adjacent to a rock wall from which the mysterious substance seeped, presenting far more mysterious signs than the thousand-year-old temple.
Wang Xuan carefully explored this area but felt a bit disappointed—he did not find the transformation stone. The mysterious substances were evenly distributed along the rock wall, but they were not concentrated enough. He quickly understood what was happening; ancient high monks had often meditated here, leaving behind the mysterious substance that had seeped into the rock wall.
Unfortunately, the quantity was insufficient, failing to form extraordinary artifacts like the transformation stone. Wang Xuan jumped up, scaling the rock wall, and found a suitable place to sit cross-legged, believing that ancient high monks had once sat here too. Then, he closed his eyes, silently operating the root technique of the Pre-Qin alchemists, trying to encounter some opportunity here.
His senses became extremely acute, detecting that the mysterious substances in the rock wall began to stir, gathering toward him. However, regrettably, it was just as he had initially judged—the concentration of the mysterious substances was insufficient, and they did not form any extraordinary artifacts.
Yet, he did not stop; he continued sitting, cultivating the root technique to absorb this rare substance, as it greatly nourished both the body and spirit. It was rare to find such materials in the present world.
He didn't know how long it had been when the mysterious substances in the rock wall became too thin to capture. Wang Xuan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, preparing to rise. However, he suddenly felt something unusual beside him. While absorbing the mysterious substance, it seemed he had inadvertently attracted something beyond imagination.
In an instant, he stood up, an uneasy premonition rising in his heart. "Could it be that not long after sending off a celestial being, I'm about to attract a great Buddha?!" Wang Xuan felt a chill; his senses were sharper this time, as his strength had increased and his spiritual energy was even more robust.
If another incident occurred, he felt it necessary to reconsider the truth of ascending to immortality; perhaps there were different interpretations and another possibility. "Could it be that they back then… didn't necessarily fail and might reappear?!" A shocking guess surged in Wang Xuan's mind. The deeper he delved into this thought, the more he was shaken, sensing that this world held unimaginable secrets; if true, it could be earth-shattering.
He felt uneasy and quickly left the area, heading back to Ancheng. He wanted to confirm whether there truly was an old senior by his side again, with immortals and Buddhas nearby!