Chapter 472: True dragon coming

Suddenly, this fifth-grade Treasure Ship emitted a powerful burst of energy, as if its defensive Formation had been activated!?

Li Qi and Great Master Jingmo stopped speaking and looked at each other.

The Dao of Reason personnel nearby had already rushed out; they were the crew of the ship, and if something happened to the ship, they were certainly the first to face it.

Li Qi cleared his throat: “The Treasure Ship is fifth-grade, and high-grade powerhouses in the world won't casually break the rules, so for now, it's safe, but… for someone to dare attack a Treasure Ship, that in itself is very strange. Shall we go out and see?”

“This humble monk has an ominous premonition. Let me cast a divination first,” Great Master Jingmo said, beginning his divination.

“How do you plan to divine? Turtle shell divination?” Li Qi asked curiously.

“Not so,” Great Master Jingmo shook his head. “Turtles breathe Origin Qi, are intelligent and long-lived. But to kill a turtle, strip its flesh, drill its True Remains, its Essence Qi is already scattered, yet one seeks omens from charred, decayed turtle bones. This is clearly absurd and unreasonable. According to Shaman Dao, a diviner should align their virtue with Heaven and Earth, their clarity with the Sun and Moon, their order with the four seasons, and their fortune with ghosts and spirits. To kill a spiritual turtle and use its withered shell to resolve doubts neither aligns with virtue nor with clarity.”

Li Qi was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.

This monk actually understood Shaman Dao so well?

Facing Li Qi’s surprised expression, Great Master Jingmo continued: “Sacrifices do not require corpses; if corpses can be discarded, then turtle divination can also be discarded. In ancient times, when making bells and drums, instruments, dog and pig blood and other items were used to ward off evil spirits. Now, these rituals are not used, yet have the instruments been found to be ineffective? Divining Yin and Yang is all a baseless act. Cleansing altars to seek blessings, and peasant women worshipping plants and animals, are also absurd acts.”

After he finished speaking, Li Qi was somewhat displeased.

“If they are absurd acts, then how can they be useful? Great Master, your words are scolding both the Divine Dao and Shaman Dao,” Li Qi reminded him.

“To fathom the virtue of the gods, and categorize the emotions of all beings, this is difficult even for the supremely wise. To take this as a teaching is the absolute ultimate knowledge in the world. How can it be scolding? It is merely that sentient beings need to awaken. The meaning of awakening is to break free from blind faith, and in what one learns, to go from shallow to deep, reaching everywhere. To recognize fire but not know how to use it, or not use it, cannot be called True Knowledge. Knowledge and action progress simultaneously, and alternately, this is ‘awakening’. Only those who awaken can achieve Buddhahood,” Great Master Jingmo said earnestly to Li Qi, with his palms pressed together.

Li Qi did not retort, because he knew this was the Buddhist view, and the other party seemed to want to preach to him.

The central idea of Mahayana Buddhist scriptures is to enable people to form their own understanding of this world. The so-called “awakening to see the True” is actually to make you discard the superficial appearance of things and ponder their underlying essence. The phrase “the Tathagata is in one’s heart” also comes from this.

The core concept is to urge people to think. When all sentient beings think, all sentient beings see their original mind, see the Tathagata in their hearts. Thus, all sentient beings are liberated, all sentient beings are free, and ultimately, all sentient beings can become Buddhas.

Awakening is when a person, through continuous contemplation, achieves great wisdom and is able to be liberated from all causes of suffering.

Sentient beings confuse right and wrong, mistaking the false for the true, sinking into the sea of suffering, unable to extricate themselves.

At its root, this is because almost every life, every person, is like a slave, bound by countless worldly relationships. These layers of shackles enslave and restrict them; no sentient being can be their own master, truly their own master.

Just like employees are bound by bosses, children by parents, lovers by each other, and Families by each other.

Endless restraints bear down, so they are not free. They live involuntarily, die involuntarily, love and hate involuntarily, and toil involuntarily throughout their lives, neither knowing why they must do so, nor how to break free from it all. They merely live by inertia, experiencing birth, aging, sickness, and death, driven by various things under the shackles of restraint, never to be free.

Li Qi, of course, could understand the Buddhist perspective.

However, he just didn't agree with it.

To Li Qi, lovers, Family, and master’s sect were neither restraints nor burdens, so he didn’t admit to being submerged in the sea of suffering. Although he was constantly drifting because of them, like now rushing to the East Sea because of Mount Luofu, Li Qi didn’t feel any suffering.

Buddhism considered it suffering, a ‘cause of suffering,’ but Li Qi did not.

So, he shook his head and said, “Let’s not talk about these things. How does Great Master plan to divine? I’ll wait for you to finish your divination, see the result, and then make a decision.”

But Great Master Jingmo shook his head and said, “I have already completed the divination.”

“Huh? When!?” Li Qi was astonished. When had the divination been completed?

He hadn't seen anything, not even a fluctuation of a spell in his Information Stream Vision, and his True Knowledge Dao Resonance had only detected normal fluctuations around the monk, with no abnormal or extra energy fluctuations.

Could there be a divination technique that didn't cause any fluctuations?

Great Master Jingmo, however, said naturally: “Since it is self-awakening, learning must be for useless knowledge. Chanting scriptures behind closed doors, without removing its stubborn ailments, one cannot awaken. Then the Bodhisattva’s lectures and the Buddha’s enlightenment are all empty talk. Accumulating much experience on paper means little experience in the world. If one places hope in the longevity of spiritual omens, and then slaughters them, consuming their flesh and drilling their bones, their Essence Qi returns to nothing, and fortune and misfortune are revealed in charred decay—is this not a baseless act? Therefore, as I said before, the art of divination lies within oneself, just as the heart of awakening lies solely within oneself. Thus, it naturally leaves no trace and requires no other rituals for assistance. One only needs to think, and one can still divine.”

Li Qi remained noncommittal.

This monk was still preaching.

Is it the Buddhist instinct? I heard that Buddhists are famously fond of spreading their Dao everywhere, persuading others to join them. It seems to be true now.

It was just that Li Qi didn't feel anything about Buddhism, so he didn't pick up the conversation. Instead, he asked, “I see. So what is the result of Great Master’s divination? Could you tell me a bit?”

Great Master Jingmo did not keep him in suspense but told Li Qi directly: “This humble monk only divined danger, seemingly a life-and-death tribulation, but… it is not mine, but yours, benefactor. However, I cannot see more.”

“You can divine about me?” Li Qi frowned.

He should have his Heavenly Secrets obscured by Yun Fang, and coupled with the peculiarity of his own identity, he should be impossible to divine. When he asked Great Master Jingmo about the divination result, he actually wanted to know what would happen to this ship, but he never expected to hear a divination result about himself.

“Not so. Divination is never about anyone in particular. Events unfold naturally, like a net of Karma, intertwining with each other. How can anything belong to anyone? This humble monk divined the events here and only sensed extreme danger within it, and within that danger, there is a mass of fog. Among everyone on this entire ship, only one person presents such a fog, and that is you, benefactor,” Great Master Jingmo said.

“Therefore, this humble monk concludes that this danger is directed at you, benefactor.”

As Great Master Jingmo spoke, suddenly, outside, another violent sound and tremor erupted.

At this point, Li Qi and Great Master Jingmo both felt that something was amiss.

One must know that the first tremor was understandable, it could be called an accident.

But the second explosion and tremor indicated that even after the Dao of Reason personnel went to deal with it, something was still trying to shake the ship.

This was a fifth-grade Treasure Ship! Who had such guts?

Thinking this, Li Qi decisively sealed the altar where Old Ma was sleeping, then walked out, preparing to see what was happening outside.

However, just as he stepped outside, Li Qi saw… a True Dragon.

Its scales, mane, claws, and horns were all complete, radiating a brilliant glow and a delightful fragrance. Two whiskers hung from its Dragon beard, reflecting gold and emerald.

It moved gracefully, its scales like draped cliffs, its Dragon bones shifting like moving peaks. It changed from left to right, wind arose and clouds gathered, appearing from ghosts and entering spirits.

The Dragon's head was held high with Killing Intent, and the ominous clouds permeated the clear sky. It was magnificent and awe-inspiring, with profound scales and jade-like purity. White Qi surrounded its body, and its eyes shone like brilliant stars, dense like clouds and mist. At first glance, it was truly a rare auspicious omen, a sign of great peace and prosperity!

This was a genuine True Dragon! Not a joke, and it looked to be of extremely high grade, at least fourth-grade.

A fourth-grade True Dragon, even in the world, could be considered a high-ranking existence, capable of commanding a region.

Now, this True Dragon was circling the fifth-grade Treasure Ship, seemingly somewhat angry.

But merely this, the immense pressure unconsciously released by the True Dragon's body was the reason for the continuous tremors around them.

The True Dragon's massive body was tens of miles long, circling and winding over the sea. Golden lightning and electric snakes vibrated, and boundless pressure descended from the sky. At the same time, the True Dragon spoke in human tongue: “Are you still unwilling to hand over those seven people?”

Hearing this, Li Qi was surprised, then realized. Seven people? Was it the Shen Yijun’s Dragon-slaying squad?

No, wasn't the Dragon-slaying squad supposed to have eight people?

Did one person fall?

Before Li Qi could figure it out, he heard a Dao of Reason Great Power at the bow of the ship, seemingly confronting the True Dragon: “You want to find someone, why would you come to a research vessel? Our Dao of Reason has always remained neutral and does not interfere with the affairs of various Dao Orthodoxy. Ao Guangxiao, you have overstepped.”

Upon closer inspection, this Dao of Reason Great Power's body was not made of Spiritual Artifact, but of flesh and blood. He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man, but an indistinct 'Doctrine' pressure emanated from around him.

“Dharma Idol…” Li Qi vaguely sensed that an unseen Dharma Idol stood squarely in the center.

Li Qi proactively activated his True Knowledge Dao Resonance, observing the Dharma Idol of that Dao of Reason Great Power.

Through his True Knowledge Dao Resonance, he indeed saw a Dharma Idol.

However, this Dharma Idol was formless and intangible, not grand and enormous like Li Qi's or Shen Shuibi's Dharma Idols, which directly manifested their power. Instead, it was more subtle.

This Dharma Idol did not have a human form; it was more like a special “Qi field.”

Within this ‘Qi field,’ first there was Doctrine, then there was Qi. Outside of Qi, there was no Doctrine, and Doctrine was fundamental, from Doctrine Qi was born.

Things having order is Doctrine, meaning Doctrine is within things. If Doctrine is above things, then Doctrine, Qi, and mind are truly one entity. Heavenly matters are Heavenly Doctrine, human matters are Human Doctrine, and material matters are Physical Doctrine. Doctrine is manifested in things; outside of Doctrine, there are no things; outside of things, there is no Doctrine.

Understanding the ‘Qi field’ around him, Li Qi immediately understood why this True Dragon was merely circling, surrounding the Treasure Ship, instead of directly attacking.

Under the protection of this Qi field, if one were to casually launch an attack, the Qi that composed one's body would likely collapse along with the collapse of the ‘Doctrine’.

This was… an absolute defensive stance? If one were to act rashly, then the Qi and Doctrine that composed the True Dragon's body would betray the True Dragon itself, and no matter how solid the defense, it would probably disintegrate instantly.

This was not harm, but a modification from the bottom-level rules; it was an application of the Dao.

This was… the scene of two fourth-grade existences confronting each other?

However… they probably wouldn't fight, right? The world does not allow existences above fifth-grade to engage in large-scale combat; this is an iron rule. These two fourth-grade entities can at most confront each other, and most likely won't be able to truly engage in battle.

So Li Qi wasn't too worried.

As for divination… he generally didn't believe in divinations targeting himself. Even one of the Heavenly Demon's eyes, the legendary three lives ancient mirror, couldn't trace his past and future lives. Coupled with Grand Shaman Yun Fang's obscuration, all divinations were paper tigers to Li Qi; they could only see a cloud of mist.

Thinking this, Li Qi stood steadily on the deck, carefully observing how the two fourth-grade existences planned to resolve the current situation.

“The people you are carrying killed a True Dragon. Now they have escaped, and even I cannot trace them. Tell me, in this situation, if they are not on your ship, where else could they be? Besides this ship, nothing within a million-mile radius can escape my perception. The Dao of Reason upholds neutrality, and I believe that. So, just lift the obscuration and let me see. If there’s nothing, I will leave immediately.”

“Ao Guangxiao, this ship sailing in the East Sea is the result of discussions between the mentors and the Dragon King. Everything has procedures and credentials. If you intend to arbitrarily search based on your whim, I fear you will die,” the Dao of Reason Great Power said indifferently.

“A Junior has already lost his life because of the people on your ship, killed at the Ghost Gate. I couldn't even stop his Reincarnation in time; he was immediately swept into Reincarnation, practically Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering… I just want to tell you now, whoever stops me will die now.” The True Dragon exhaled some smoke, its voice rumbling.

Li Qi could tell that the smoke was some kind of water Qi condensed to the extreme, seemingly… the water of the Heavenly River?

Li Qi felt his scalp tingle.

This True Dragon had drunk an entire Heavenly River?

In layman's terms, he had refined a Heavenly River by drinking it, so that with every breath and exhalation, he could wield the power of a Heavenly River descending from the sky, easily washing away most existences in the world.

True Dragon… truly the Lord of Water Element.

That Dao of Reason Great Power shook his head: “Stop talking nonsense. Under the suppression of the Heavenly Dao, can you act? Or are you prepared to risk your life for your nephew? Believe me, if you dare to act, the enforcers of Chang'an within the Heavenly Dao would probably be very happy to pull out Dragon tendons and peel off Dragon skins.”

“Of course, I certainly won’t act in this world,” the True Dragon shook its head.

“So… Demonic Lord, I leave it to you. This place is the Ghost Gate, where the world barrier is weak, and with the Ghost Emperor’s permission, there’s no problem, right?”

At this moment, a sinister voice sounded: “Don’t worry, I will handle this place.”

As these words were spoken, the True Dragon spread its Dragon claws and said, “Then, gentlemen, let us all go to the Outer Domain.”

Li Qi was astonished to find that the surrounding space began to twist—

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