The Great Wei Music Bureau

Chapter 166: Crisis at Lingyin (Part )

Last time, we talked about Li Yi and his group heading to Lingyin Temple. Why did they go to Lingyin Temple so late at night? Let’s read on.

It is said that Li Yi and his companions came to Lingyin Temple between Beigaofeng and Feilaifeng. This is the largest Buddhist temple in Southern Liang. After Emperor Xiao Yongming of Liang issued an edict to "give up Taoism and return to Buddhism", the first temple to receive the emperor's favor was Lingyin Temple. Not only was the land and mountain sealed, and silver was allocated for expansion, but the emperor also came to the temple to worship Buddha in person.

When we arrived at the mountain gate, we saw a couplet hanging on the door:

First couplet: Life can never be perfect, everything can only be half satisfactory

The second couplet: A cup of muddy wine contains no sadness or joy. Only when one is half drunk and half awake can one feel the true

Li Yi pointed at the couplet and said with a smile: "I never found this couplet when I went to Lingyin Temple before. I didn't expect to see it here."

Cui Zhi asked in confusion: "Has Master Li ever been to Lingyin Temple?"

Li Yi waved his hand and smiled: "Ah, I came here in my dream."

Jiang Hongyu looked at Li Yi as if he was mentally ill. Yu Jiu was used to Li Yi's style and joked, "My son is like this. He said it's called intermittent mental illness. He also said that people who make music are not normal. If they were normal, they wouldn't be able to write good songs."

Jiang Hongyu whispered to Cui Zhi, "I think he has a brain problem. He might be suffering from hysteria! How could you like such a person? I think the guy named Shen is better than him!"

Cui Zhi rolled her eyes at Jiang Hongyu, indicating that if she didn't know how to speak, she should stop talking. Jiang Hongyu gave her a look of contempt in return.

As they entered the mountain gate, they saw pilgrims coming down the mountain one after another. It was already evening, so they didn't pay much attention. But when they were about to reach the Heavenly King Hall, Li Yi smelled something unusual. He could clearly feel the Buddhist teachings in the temple, and his intuition told him that Lingyin Temple had activated the temple protection array.

Li Yi quickened his pace, and the three immediately followed him. When they arrived at the gate of the Heavenly King Hall, two monks guarding the gate stopped them and said, "Donors, our temple is no longer welcoming guests today. If you want to burn incense and worship Buddha, please come back tomorrow."

Li Yi asked, "Did something happen in the temple? Why did you activate the temple protection array?"

The monk guarding the gate asked in surprise: "How do you know about the magic circle protecting the temple?" Before Li Yi could answer, he heard a continuous ringing of bells in the temple.

Li Yi said, "Ring the bell to warn? This is to summon all the monks." When the two monks heard the bell, they ignored Li Yi and the others and left quickly.

Now even a fool could see that something was wrong. Jiang Hongyu asked, "Why are they so panicked?"

Li Yi ignored Jiang Hongyu's question and rushed directly into the temple. Several people followed him immediately. After everyone entered the temple, the gate closed automatically.

The tense atmosphere made them unable to care about many things. They walked straight through the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and saw two pagodas in front of the Main Hall. One hundred and eight monks were surrounding each pagoda. They were all sitting cross-legged and chanting scriptures. Golden Buddha light emanated from the pagodas. This was the Buddhist Dharma that Li Yi felt.

A sutra pillar is a small stone tower, equivalent to a Buddhist stupa, with Buddha statues, scriptures, Buddhist stories, and reliefs of coiled dragons, crouching lions, auspicious clouds, water patterns, lotus petals, etc. The two sutra pillars in front of the main hall of Lingyin Temple are actually the eyes of the temple protection array. The monks sitting in meditation and chanting scriptures around them are infusing the array with Buddhist teachings to strengthen its power.

The two monks who were guarding the gate did not stop here, but ran to the Arhat Hall on the west side. The building of the Arhat Hall was in the shape of a swastika, and the Eighteen Arhats were naturally enshrined in it. Not long after the two monks ran into the Arhat Hall, golden light also emanated from the Arhat Hall.

Li Yi was surprised and said, "Double magic array? Is there a demon attack?" Before he finished speaking, the Medicine Master Hall on the east side emitted Buddha light again, followed by the Huayan Hall on the north side, and finally the Mahavira Hall. Li Yi looked at the Buddha light in five directions and said, "Five Directions Five Wisdom Array, this Lingyin Temple is protected by Manjusri Bodhisattva!"

In just a moment, five-colored Dharma flags were erected on the five palaces. The green Dharma flag was hung in the Medicine Buddha Hall in the east; a yellow Dharma flag was hung between the two sutra pillars in the south; a red Dharma flag was hung in the Arhat Hall in the west; a white Dharma flag was hung in the Huayan Hall in the north; and a black Dharma flag was hung in the Main Hall in the center.

Li Yi asked in confusion: "Five-sided Five-flag formation? Setting up two sets of temple protection formations, what kind of opponent are they facing?"

A figure suddenly appeared in the air. Li Yi took a closer look and exclaimed, "King Shura!"

That's right, the figure in the air was none other than King Shura, an incarnation of the second-grade Transcendent Realm strength! Li Yi clearly remembered the last time he saw King Shura, and subconsciously touched his neck. He was afraid that he was no better than an ant in front of him.

The Asura King in the air laughed and said, "Manjusri! Three hundred years ago, you led your disciples to slaughter my Asura people and sent me to the Avici Hell. Today, I will make you repay this karma!" As soon as the Asura King finished speaking, the Five Wisdom Five Flags Formation above the Lingyin Temple formed a double Buddha light barrier.

King Shura snorted coldly, "It's just a magic circle formed by hundreds of monks. I can break it with just one finger!" After saying that, he really stretched out a finger and tapped it lightly. At the same time, a huge lava pillar fell from the sky and hit the magic circle protecting the temple! Everyone felt the earth tremble and their center of gravity was unstable, and their bodies swayed.

Li Yi and others looked nervously at the temple protection formation above their heads. The pillar of fire was like the finger of the Shura King, and this finger was squeezing the formation that looked like a tortoise shell.

It’s not that the magic formation of Lingyin Temple is very strong. The moment the fire pillar touched the magic formation, cracks appeared in this temple protection magic formation formed by the five wisdoms and five flags.

At this moment, a golden man suddenly flew out from the Huayan Hall in the north. He was the current abbot of Lingyin Temple, Master Kongwen. He stood under the main hall, raised a golden bowl and shouted, "Monks, listen to my order and start reciting the Huayan Sutra!" As all the monks in the temple shouted in unison, Buddha's light appeared again in Lingyin Temple and repaired the cracks in the magic circle.

Jiang Hongyu smiled and said, "I didn't expect that Buddhism has some abilities." Jiang Hongyu could say this only because she didn't know the strength of the Shura King.

In contrast, Li Yi shook his head and sighed: "If Master Bodhidharma doesn't take action, this Lingyin Temple and us will be finished!"

Yu Jiu asked weakly, "Sir, didn't the master say that as long as King Shura didn't kill innocent people, he wouldn't care. But now King Shura has taken action, right? Can the master just ignore it?"

Li Yi shook his head and said, "King Shura has a grudge against Buddhism. Killing Buddhist disciples does not count as indiscriminate killing. Besides, if Master Bodhidharma had not come in person, I'm afraid he would not be stopped."

But seeing King Shura smiled slightly, he continued to press down with his fingers, and the temple protection formation cracked again. Yu Jiu asked: "Master, what should we do now? Are we going to die?"

Li Yi smiled and pushed Yu Jiu to Cui Zhi's side and said, "If you want to die, you have to die behind me! Guangsheng Bodhisattva told me that if there is a day when Buddhism is in trouble, I must help, so today, no matter what, I have to fight for my life!"

After saying that, Li Yi put his hands together, chanted the Vajra Mantra, jumped to the front of the main hall, summoned the ten-zhang-tall image of Acalanatha, and then shouted loudly: "Om Mani Padme Hum!" A six-petal lotus formation appeared under the feet of the Acalanatha, and then slowly grew until it was as tall as the temple protection formation, with six arms supporting the dome.

King Shura said contemptuously: "Boy, I wanted to recruit you, but it seems you are determined to go against me! Since you are looking for death, I will grant your wish!" As he said that, he raised his palm and slapped it hard. The lava column disappeared, and this time a lava volcano fell from the sky!

The volcano smashed down heavily and shattered the magic circle directly. Li Yi mobilized all the righteous energy in his body and shouted: "Purple Sky Divine Thunder!" With one hand behind the image of Acalanatha, a purple lightning was stimulated to strike the volcano, and the volcano exploded immediately!

King Shura raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said with a smile: "Although you have some skills, that's the limit." The lava volcano broke into pieces, and five large pieces of it smashed into five directions of Lingyin Temple, which were exactly where the monks in the temple were chanting scriptures and activating the formation.

Master Kongwen shouted, "Run!" The monks looked up and dodged in panic, but it was too late. Five huge rocks had already broken through the remaining formation and fell down.

At this critical moment, a thousand-foot-high Buddha light lit up in the Huayan Hall in the north, and a Buddhist chant was heard: "Namo Amitabha!" The Main Hall was protected by a Dharma image a hundred feet high, and this Dharma image was divided into five and transformed into the Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Five Directions to protect a group of monks, including Li Yi of course.

At this time, Li Yi could no longer hold up the image of Acalanatha. As the image dissipated, he collapsed. Master Kongwen jumped behind Li Yi and supported him. Cui Zhi and others came and asked about the situation.

King Shura said coldly: "The Dharma image of the void? The Buddha of the void? Humph, Manjusri, you are thousands of miles away. I think this is your limit!"

The voice of Manjusri Bodhisattva came from the sky: "King Shura, you dare not come to Lingshan to seek revenge on me, a poor monk, and you only dare to attack my younger generation of Buddhism. What kind of ability do you have?"

The Asura King replied, "Humph, Manjusri, this is just an incarnation. When I get out of the Avici Hell, I will definitely flatten the Lingshan Mountain!"

Manjusri Bodhisattva said: "I am afraid that you will not even be able to escape from the Avici Hell and will be conquered by Brother Ksitigarbha."

King Shura laughed and said, "Do you think that kid Dizang can be my opponent? What a joke!"

Manjusri Bodhisattva replied: "Brother Ksitigarbha's fighting ability is second only to Brother Guangsheng. You are really no match for him. Otherwise, why would you incarnate here instead of fighting him in the Avici Hell?"

King Shura snorted coldly, "Manjusri, you only know how to talk. If you have real skills, save all the monks in your temple from me!"

King Shura waved his hand, and in an instant, meteor showers began to fall from the sky of Lingyin Temple. Particles of molten lava and fire fell, and except for the places protected by the Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Five Directions, all other halls and buildings were destroyed. Fire broke out in all directions, and the earth shook.

But a voice was heard: "Om Vari Luo Tuo Zong!" A golden net of Buddha light suddenly appeared in the sky above Lingyin Temple and intercepted the lava fire meteorite before it fell. Then the golden net was retracted, trying to catch the Shura King in the air. The Shura King waved his hands, and a gap appeared in the golden net. This method did not succeed.

At this moment, a foreign monk with a big beard stood in front of the Main Hall and Li Yi and others, the Five Wisdoms of the Five Directions disappeared, and Manjushri Bodhisattva left the group chat.

Yu Jiu exclaimed, "Master Bodhidharma!"

Master Bodhi looked up at King Shura in mid-air, and King Shura also looked at him and said with a smile: "Why did you come just now? Didn't you see that this Lingyin Temple has been almost destroyed by me?"

Bodhi replied, "Amitabha, there are three treasures in Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Only these three treasures exist, and everything else is external."

The Shura King said in a cold voice: "The Tathagata will die, Buddhism will be destroyed, and you monks, hehe! I will eliminate you all at once! All Shuras, listen to my order, slaughter all the monks in this temple!"

Bodhidharma turned around and said to Kongwen, "Kongwen, there is a copy of the Brahma Wonderful Sound Sutra hidden in the destroyed Brahma Temple. Reciting this sutra to Xiuyuan can help him recover his magical powers to protect the temple and the monks. I will take this Shura King incarnation to the East China Sea for a battle to avoid hurting innocent people."

Then Bodhidharma stepped on the ground with one foot, and Sanskrit mantras lit up all over his body. Then he soared into the sky, punched with both hands, and flew straight towards the Asura King. The latter tightly grasped Bodhidharma's fists, and the two began to wrestle. The Sanskrit mantras around Bodhidharma suddenly turned into the image of the Great Sun Tathagata, wrapped up the Asura King and flew towards the east.

Looking back at Li Yi, Master Kongwen heard what Bodhitara said and said to Jiang Hongyu, "Please help him and follow Lao Na to the Brahma Hall." Jiang Hongyu immediately did as he was told, and they all came to the Brahma Hall on the west side of the Main Hall.

This Brahma Temple was a place used to store Sanskrit scriptures, but now the temple was destroyed and the scriptures were almost burned. Kong Wen used the Vajra Divine Art to search for the scriptures in the ruins.

At this time, the people of Shura Palace appeared. There were about dozens of them, shouting and rushing towards the monks. Kongwen ignored them and continued to search for the "Brahma Wonderful Sound Sutra" mentioned by Master Bodhidharma in the ruins.