HPDBC Chapter 111 Provocation
Chapter 111 Provocation
Chapter 111 Provocation
As Kong Shizhang continued to offer praise, a faint glow emanated from his body, further highlighting the extraordinary nature of this grand Taoist ritual.
"My goodness!" exclaimed one of the Buddhist observers, nearly snapping his prayer beads in mid-air. "Does that mean the story of Zhenwu spreading the Dao is true?"
After all, Buddhism and Taoism have been locked in a love-hate relationship for thousands of years, with one side gaining and the other losing ground!
When you were domineering, you changed your Buddhist crown and Taoist headscarf. When I was domineering, I changed into monk's robes and a crane-feather cloak.
In this new era, everyone is struggling, so why are you suddenly going to take off? This is absolutely unacceptable to the Buddhist community!
After all, the two companies occupy essentially the same ecological niche. If you take off, wouldn't that be usurping my resources?
I was thinking of whether the Buddhist sect should also hold a big event, just like the Taoist sect's Zhenwu spreading the word, to promote their own reputation.
After all, when it comes to the realities of religion, Buddhism is a formidable force on a global scale, let alone Taoism, which only operates within its own country.
After all, it's not like there aren't Buddhist believers, laypeople, and lay practitioners who have entered the realm of mountains and seas.
Judging from the way Kong Shizhang is behaving and the various commotions he's caused, he doesn't seem to be so easily fooled!
After the light shone on everyone in the hall, many people were surprised to find that their bodies immediately felt warm and comfortable, as if they were soaking in a warm hot spring, making them reluctant to leave.
What surprised them even more was that, while being bathed in this radiant light, they had a faint illusion that their many old injuries had been completely healed; their backs no longer ached, their legs no longer ached, and they could walk without difficulty.
Through the shared voices of Taoist priests from various lineages residing on Mount Lao, the chant resounded ever more loudly.
As time passed, a faint, soft, bright yellow halo seemed to rise from the Taiqing Palace, like a source of gentle light, almost replacing the color of the sun, making it visible to everyone at a glance!
All of this was naturally created by Su Fan according to the blessing. These radiant lights were essentially a super-large-scale holy healing spell created by utilizing the power of faith from this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony.
Originally, Su Fan also felt that too many manifestations of divine power would make the gods seem less prestigious! However, there was new progress in the research on the Heavenly Dao, so Su Fan could accept it.
As for Kong Shizhang's praise, all I can say is that most of the people present were unaware of it; otherwise, they would know that this praise was definitely not something Kong Shizhang came up with.
This is probably a fancy trick put together by a group of Taoist elders. They were afraid of failing to demonstrate the power of the True Martial Emperor, so they crammed all sorts of powers—thunder god, water god, fire god, star god, beast god, god of enlightenment, god of the nation, exorcising evil, demon slaying—onto the True Martial Emperor!
They even went so far as to directly upgrade Zhenwu's status. Su Fan wanted to ask, "Aren't you afraid of being blamed by other gods for doing this? Zhenwu is practically becoming the supreme god of Taoism. Is the main idea just to use whoever is useful?"
As Kong Shizhang recited the "Supreme True Martial Mysterious Heavenly Emperor's Precious Proclamation for Governing All Spirits," a text into which Taoist elders had poured countless efforts and which contained almost all the positive authority in the world, the radiance emanating from him became increasingly rich and sacred, faintly resonating with the Taiqing Palace and even the entire Laoshan mountain region.
Above the sky, a soft, bright yellow halo, replacing the sunlight, gradually spread, enveloping most of Laoshan Mountain.
Wherever the halo reached, plants flourished, the sick recovered from their ailments, the healthy were rejuvenated, and even the air was filled with an indescribable freshness and tranquility. Countless people, whether at the scene or watching on screen, personally experienced this "divine grace," their amazement, excitement, and reverence overflowing.
Inside and outside the Taiqing Palace, everyone—from venerable elders of various Taoist sects and invited guests to the ceremony to officials maintaining order—was immersed in this "miracle" that far exceeded expectations. Many elderly Taoist priests were so moved that tears streamed down their faces, murmuring, "The Taoist tradition must flourish! The Taoist tradition must flourish!"
However, not everyone was immersed in joy and awe. Among the spectators, several representatives from Buddhism and other indigenous religions wore complex expressions. The Buddhist monk who had nearly broken his prayer beads now frowned deeply and muttered, "Such a display of power, such divine grace—is the Taoism trying to use Zhenwu's name to seize power in one fell swoop? Aren't they afraid—"
The unspoken words were understood by everyone around him. Such a high-profile and comprehensive elevation of a deity, almost shaping him into an omniscient, omnipotent, and supreme sovereign, went beyond the traditional Taoist system of "Three Pure Ones and Four Emperors" and even touched upon the core areas of other beliefs.
Everything was developing according to the Taoist elders' plan, but then a sudden change occurred!
The eastern sky, which had been purified by the radiance of Zhenwu, darkened without warning! It wasn't the gathering of dark clouds, but a deeper, more murky darkness, like ink dripping into clear water, quickly spreading out.
In the darkness, the faint sounds of wailing ghosts, the clanging of metal, and a terrifying, violent will could be heard!
"What is that?!" A gasp rang out from the crowd.
The darkness rapidly coalesced, forming a blurry yet enormous face between the sea and sky to the east of Laoshan!
That face was filled with ancient barbarity and violence, and it seemed as if he was wearing a crown with tassels on his head. His eyes were disdainful, filled with extreme contempt and a desire to conquer all things in the world!
"I, King Xia, Jie!" A domineering voice, seemingly from the deepest hell, yet also like the clanging of metal, thundered across the heavens and earth, drowning out the lingering echoes from Mount Lao. "What insignificant god dares to presume to rule over all spirits and enjoy the offerings of incense? The destiny of this world belongs to me! The faith of all people belongs to me! I shall be the sun!"
Before the words were finished, the dark face suddenly opened its mouth, and a dark red torrent of blood evil, composed of endless resentment of ghosts, battlefield aura, and plundered mixed life essence, surged down like a reversed celestial river towards the Taiqing Palace of Laoshan, towards the Zhenwu radiance that had not yet completely dissipated, and towards the hundreds of thousands of believers and spectators below!
Wherever it passed, the space seemed to groan. People who had just been healed and comforted by the radiance of Zhenwu suddenly felt dizzy, nauseous, and their hearts were filled with inexplicable negative emotions such as fear, despair, and rage. Even the bright yellow halo in the sky fluctuated violently, as if it might shatter at any moment!
"presumptuous!"
"You heretics! How dare you disturb the sacred carriage of the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven!"
The Daoist sect was both shocked and furious, but many other factions were increasingly delighted. "Tell them to be arrogant! We've come to subdue you! This Xia Jie is a being who can single-handedly crush an entire nation! You Daoist sect are arrogant, aren't you? If we can't deal with you, someone else will come to disrupt our plans."
You want to rule over all spirits, huh? This guy calls himself the sun! You want to rule over him, don't you?