Nanzong Temple, on the peak of the Buddha, in a meditation room in the abbot's courtyard.

This is where Yifeng followed his brothers and sisters to Nanzong Temple for the first time to meet Master Abbot and Master Zhiran, and it happened to be sunset.

The abbot's courtyard is the same as the Tibetan Scripture Pavilion, and it is also close to the cliff of the back mountain, and the blood-red sunset light is projected from the window lattice, projected in the pupils of a wind black and gray like lotus flowers, and suddenly there is a sense of being separated from the world.

Things are not people!

The abbot master and the master of Zhiran who met at the beginning have all passed away one after another, and the death is tragic, one was pierced by a spear in the heart, and the other turned into a fire lotus.

They have practiced Buddhism for decades, but they are still disappearing in this heaven and earth.

In their place were three badly injured elders lying on a meditation bed.

Elder Liwei had one of his hands and feet cut off, one of his eyes was poked blind, and with the secret magic power that consumed huge spiritual power to summon gods and Buddhas, he could no longer support it and fell asleep forever.

Elder Lihong and Elder Lifa, after returning from the back mountain, have also run out of oil because of the power of summoning the secret technique of gods and Buddhas.

If it was in their heyday, they would still be able to barely support the secret magic power of summoning the clones of the gods and Buddhas, but before that, they had been fighting for a day and a night, and they were fighting to the death from beginning to end, and their bodies were already exhausted.

Especially in the face of Xiao Ji and Yu Luo, the two mysterious Shura, they were able to use some unexpected magical powers on the divine soul, which made people unguardable, which was impressive.

Therefore, at that time, their divine souls and spiritual power had been seriously depleted, and they were all gritting their teeth and desperately using their summoning powers.

Now, because of the backlash of this supernatural secret art, their divine souls are crumbling and are on the verge of shattering.

They have only cultivated to the realm of the Buddha's heart, and have not reached the realm of the immortal Buddha, and the soul can't afford to toss like this.

Elder Lihong also knew that his limit was approaching, and looked at the wind waiting by the side of the meditation bed, and said with difficulty:

"Yifeng, we are all people who are about to see the Buddha, so there is no need to be sad. Since the Buddha said that there is a fixed number, this is our end. ”

Yifeng's expression was gloomy, he nodded, and said, "Uncle Hong, Uncle Master, you have suffered for your disciples, and your kindness is remembered by your disciples." In the future, the disciples will recite Buddhist scriptures every day to transcend your soul for you. ”

Elder Lihong struggled and said, "Don't work too hard, life and death are determined, and cause and effect are reincarnated." Buddhism, what a benevolent morality, but now it is facing the cruel situation of being wiped out. Compared with the survival and extinction of the Buddha's path, what is our death and life?"

He coughed twice and said, "Yifeng, your most important thought now is to do your best to find a way to keep the flame of the Buddha Dao, and don't let him go out." Once extinguished, how many souls in the world will fall into darkness!"

Yifeng nodded solemnly and said: "The disciple must abide by the decree of the law, as long as the disciple still breathes, the Buddha's heart will not be extinguished." ”

Elder Lihong said: "This is good, but what about other people, you also have to ensure the safety of other people in the Buddha Dao, don't let the people who take refuge in the Buddha Dao chill their hearts!"

"I talked to you before that Buddhist scriptures are certainly the foundation of a religion, but the people who read Buddhist scriptures are also the embodiment of our Buddhist teachings, and protecting them cannot be more rash than protecting Buddhist scriptures. ”

Yifeng said: "The disciple understands. Although our Buddhism pays attention to seeing through life and death, the kind of seeing through life and death is an individual's own understanding, and it does not mean that people are forced to kill them. I understand the difference. ”

"If a person's life and death can be trampled on, then what is the meaning of our Buddhist philosophy?"

Elder Lihong's eyes softened, nodded slightly, and said, "I am very relieved that you can think so, knowing that the gods of Senior Brother Wu will rest in peace." It's just that I don't know if you have any useful plans for the survival and extinction of the Buddha path?"

When I heard the words, I was silent for a long time, and I was full of thoughts and disturbances in my heart. For a while, it seemed that there were many paths in front of him, but he didn't know if he could reach the destination of preserving the Buddha's path.

He had never been in such a crisis, and he couldn't see that far at this time.

"Kill, kill, kill!" Elder Lifa next to him opened his eyes, his throat rolling, and he screamed in struggle.

At this time, his soul was about to collapse, and his mind was no longer very clear.

Silent in the wind, Elder Lihong turned his head and glanced at Elder Fa, sighed, and said:

"Yifeng, the old monk, I have been kind all my life, I strictly follow the principles of Buddhism, Taoism, and practice, just to seek a good result. But when I was old, I cultivated a rebellious disciple under my knees, and I thought that it was because I was not sincere enough in my cultivation that I had this retribution. ”

"But these days I often reflect on it, and with the realization that they are dead, I am also a lot broken. Maybe sometimes, I'm too persistent, and today I simply broke this stubbornness and said everything that should be said!"

Yifeng looked at Master Hong, who was lying on the bunk, unusually very excited, and hurriedly asked him to rest for a while.

Master Lihong shook his head with difficulty, and said, "The survival and destruction of morality is not up to us mortals to decide, but Emperor Wu wants to act against the sky. With the vision of the old monk who has lived for decades, Buddhism and Taoism, retribution is not happy, and his retribution should be on you!"

Yifeng's eyes flashed, and he looked at Elder Hong intently, Elder Hong's face suddenly turned red, his spirit perked up, and he said:

"Buddhism has never been a morality that has been wantonly trampled on and erased. The gods and Buddhas still have King Kong's angry eyes, and they can still subdue demons! Otherwise, they won't send you to the mortal world!

"At this time, Emperor Wu's heart has already been invaded by suspicion, power, interests, domination, etc., you are the representative of the gods and Buddhas, come to the mortal world to subdue this demon, and the Buddha can survive!"

Yifeng pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, what should the disciple do?"

Elder Lihong opened his eyes and said, "Since Emperor Wu's heart is infected with demonic thoughts, then change to someone who has no demonic thoughts to rule the Great Martial Empire!" The old monk heard that the crown prince Wei Huang respected Buddhism, and he was the best candidate!"

Yifeng's eyes suddenly brightened, his eyes flickered, and Elder Hong said:

"The Wei royal family rules the Dawu Empire, which is where the luck of the world lies, and it cannot be shaken, in this case, the crown prince, as a candidate for Emperor Wu, should he be put on the throne in advance, why not?"

Yifeng's heart was shocked, and he continued:

In this way, Buddhism will naturally have the vitality to preserve, and the rule of the Dawu Empire will not be shaken. Whether it is for all the people of the Dawu Empire, or for the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, this is an irreproachable choice! For Buddhism and Taoism, it is an excellent opportunity! Yifeng, do you understand?"

Yifeng's face was solemn, and at this moment, it seemed that the countless roads that were in front of him just now had turned into one at this moment, and that was:

Overthrow the rule of Emperor Wu Wei Yu, force him to abdicate, and let the crown prince Wei Huang ascend the throne and become the new Great Wu Emperor!

Although Ichikaze was taken aback by this idea, when he thought about it, this path seemed to be the only way.

Because no matter how he tries to help other states resist the Great Wu Army's campaign to exterminate Buddhism, it is just to quench his thirst, and the more he resists, the more chaotic he becomes, and only by stopping this war from the center of imperial power can this war of extermination be fundamentally revoked!

The prince respects Buddhism, is far-sighted, knows how to forbear, masters the mighty army, and fights against Cui Ming without messing up, he is the best candidate!

Thinking of this, Yifeng nodded solemnly and said, "Disciple understands! Thank you for your advice!"

Maybe he finally found his way, and Yifeng was faintly excited.

Before today, everyone around me, including myself, only knew that I wanted to save the Buddha and purify all sentient beings.

However, as soon as the Eight Golden Dragon Orders came out, the situation in the Great Martial Kingdom became more and more chaotic, and the road became more and more blurred.

Ichikaze was often bitter, resentful, and angry, but he only had a passion for saving the need, and after the complete failure of the "Three Strategies for Buddhism" and the "Three Strategies for Buddhism" and the Discussion of the Tao Conference in Junzhou, he was pushed by the situation, and now he has finally found a way to realize this grand wish.

From now on, Yifeng has a specific goal and path, and the battle of Buddhism and Taoism will survive and die, and it will die if it does not reach its goal!

Hearing this, Elder Lihong nodded, and suddenly spurted out a mouthful of blood, coughing violently, panting.

He lay weakly, his face turned sallow, and his eyes lost their brightness, as if he had used up all his life's strength and spirit just now.

Yifeng felt a sour feeling in his heart, knowing that Elder Hong was returning to the light, and now he was not far from death.

I could only hear Elder Hong say weakly:

"Yifeng, understand what kind of road to take, this is the first step, if you want to achieve the goal, I am afraid there are countless disasters and difficulties on the way. You have to work hard to grow, you have to have a bright heart, and you have to break through difficulties. Remember, you are a Buddha, and this path is the ······ you are destined to take."

As he spoke, Elder Hong closed his eyes and fell asleep forever.

And the elder of the law next to him opened his eyes angrily, struggled to wave his hands, and squeezed out the last word fiercely:

"Kill—"

Then, his hands hung limply, and his breath broke.

The blood-red sunset shone into the room from the west of the Buddha Peak and spread over them.

Their bodies glowed with a soft golden red light, making them look even more divine and solemn, like a ray of gratifying divine light projected from the far west······