Yue Leng was still intently watching the compass, chatting intermittently with Li Youjiu.
The wind on the Star and Moon Plain had become somewhat weak by the time it reached here.
“Something seems off…” Yue Leng mused.
Although according to the “Heavenly Net” in his hand, the Star and Moon Plain was calm, and Jiang Qingyang, whom he was focusing on, was bathed in starlight without any abnormality, his spiritual sense still felt a disharmony.
Without a word, Li Youjiu directly “opened his eyes.”
Looking through, he saw Jiang Wang drawing his sword and slashing horizontally in the air. This sword drew a horizontal line, dividing heaven and earth, and severing life and death.
It was precisely: “Even a down-and-out scholar is still refined, after ten years of hardship, he settles grudges with death!”
However, there were no enemies before him; he seemed to be treating heaven and earth as his opponent.
This sword was truly extraordinary, but it was struck without rhyme or reason.
“Something’s happened!”
Li Youjiu directly shot up from the ground and headed straight towards Jiang Wang.
Yue Leng, on the other hand, directly flipped the compass in his hand and placed it on his other palm.
Suddenly, on the Star and Moon Plain, no less than twelve brilliant starlight pillars descended from the sky, covering an area of roughly fifteen zhang centered around Jiang Wang.
The brilliant starlight pillars were like heavenly pillars, instantly shaking this night on the Star and Moon Plain.
Radiant and dazzling, illuminating all directions.
Each starlight pillar seemed to connect heaven and earth, supporting the night sky above and the thick earth below.
The distance between each pair of starlight pillars was exactly equal, dividing this area of heaven and earth equally.
And within the starlight pillars, countless starlight threads shot out, connecting and intertwining with each other.
Almost instantly, they constructed an airtight cage, enveloping and protecting Jiang Wang within.
This was… the Heavenly Net!
It was the treasure of the Prefecture Patrol Division of the capital city. Of equal fame with this treasure was a Ground Net.
Yue Leng had specifically brought this magical artifact from the Patrol Division on this trip to ensure Jiang Wang’s safety and also to prevent members of the Egalitarian Nation from escaping.
At this moment, he activated the Heavenly Net formation with a flick of his hand, remotely protecting Jiang Qingyang, while simultaneously sealing the scene. Only then did he hold the Heavenly Net盘 and follow closely behind Li Youjiu, chasing into the Star and Moon Plain.
He was cautious, but he had clearly wasted the opportunity to use the Heavenly Net…
When Li Youjiu and Yue Leng flew into the Star and Moon Plain one after another.
Jiang Wang, who had retracted his sword in mid-air, called out from a distance, “Someone attacked me just now, they should be in the northwest direction!”
The two God-Transforming realm Green Badge holders, without a word, sped towards the northwest.
And Jiang Wang, looking at the cage of star pillars that tightly held him, although he didn’t know its origin, he could feel the inviolable majesty of the Legalist school. He couldn’t help but feel a little speechless…
“Lord Yue, please retract your divine ability!” He called out from where he was.
Fortunately, he had good control over the Voice Department of the Five Immortals’ Dream Order, and Yue Leng’s ears were also keen. While moving at high speed, he raised the Heavenly Net盘 with a backhand flick and retracted the Heavenly Net formation.
The starlight pillars dissipated, and Jiang Wang stood alone under the night sky, once again engulfed in silence.
The immense commotion that had occurred here naturally startled many people. However, none of the scattered forces on the Star and Moon Plain dared to come and investigate.
So after the Heavenly Net formation disappeared, the Star and Moon Plain became even quieter.
“Master Guanyan… I am truly sorry,” Jiang Wang said in his heart.
Although Master Guanyan said there was nothing shameful about him, his absence last night clearly indicated that he had sensed someone observing Jiang Wang, and thus remained silent.
He was forced to take action only when the mysterious strongman from the Egalitarian Nation attempted to influence Jiang Wang.
Jiang Wang owed him a great debt of gratitude for this.
When he helped Guanyan return his monastic robe back then, he didn’t ask for any thank-you gifts.
But Guanyan’s repeated guidance since then had actually surpassed all thank-you gifts. And then there was tonight’s incident…
Guanyan’s voice descended through the power of the Jade Pivot Star, still with a gentle smile: “Although I have left the Suspended Monastery, renounced monastic life, and am no longer a Buddhist disciple, I cannot stand by and watch others lead you, this pure-hearted child, astray.”
Buddhist precepts are stricter rules than laws, binding the evil thoughts in people’s hearts. They keep the practitioner’s words and actions within the framework of “good” as defined by Buddhism.
But the true “Buddha,” the true “Bodhi mind,” can completely abandon these precepts, without needing any constraints, and still reveal their original heart in their words and actions.
This is also what the Confucian sage said, “At seventy, one can follow one’s heart’s desires without exceeding the bounds.”
This means that according to Confucian classics, cultivating “propriety” with focused effort for seventy years can lead to a state where one can follow one’s heart’s desires while everything still conforms to the rules.
In Jiang Wang’s eyes, Guanyan was such an existence.
His five hundred years of enlightening work in the Senhai Source Realm in the past, and his Chan-mind discussion with that mysterious strongman from the Egalitarian Nation tonight… all filled Jiang Wang with deep respect.
Although he had returned to secular life, he was like an indestructible golden body, a true Buddha.
Jiang Wang sighed, “Master’s virtue, Jiang Wang truly does not know how to repay.”
Guanyan smiled and said, “If you consider this virtue, then help me repay heaven and earth. Do more good deeds for me in the mundane world, which can also be considered my cultivation.”
Jiang Wang said seriously, “Doing good and punishing evil is my original intention. Even if Master doesn’t say so, I would still do it this way. This junior cannot be so presumptuous as to say I am repaying you.”
Guanyan smiled again: “Thus, I have already been repaid.”
He changed the subject: “Speaking of which, of the three summoned envoys who came to the Senhai Source Realm back then, I only have communication with you now. I wonder how the other two are doing?”
Master Guanyan clearly still cared about the few “acquaintances” he had in the mundane world.
Jiang Wang did not hide anything to cater to Guanyan, shaking his head and saying, “To be honest, since returning to the mundane world, I have been entangled in secular affairs. I haven’t been in contact with them again. I only know that something happened in Wu Quji’s sect, but it was also because of official matters…”
Although they had fought alongside each other in the Senhai Source Realm back then and forged a friendship, they had also made promises to keep in touch after returning to the mundane world.
However, as time passed, everyone was busy with their own affairs.
Su Qiyun was scouring the world for materials to mold a body for Xiaoyu, and the Heaven-Stealing Mansion was skilled in concealing traces. Not to mention her presence, even news of her was unheard of.
Something happened in the Golden Needle Sect where Wu Quji was located a while ago, when his martial uncle Wu Yiyu severely injured the Sect Master and stole the secret scripture of the Golden Needle of Dooming, which also caused quite a stir…
Jiang Wang himself had experienced constant ups and downs on his journey.
Without any special circumstances, it was indeed difficult to contact them again.
After hearing Jiang Wang’s story about the Golden Needle Sect, Guanyan only let out a soft sigh and said nothing else.
He had just thought of it and casually asked. Whether or not Jiang Wang contacted Su Qiyun and Wu Quji, or how he got along with them, was Jiang Wang’s own business.
He would not interfere.
The power of the Jade Pivot Star surrounding him became more intense…
Jiang Wang’s Blazing Flame Bone Lotus was almost instantly filled.
And Guanyan’s voice said, “I have left a Buddhist chant in your heart. If that person comes again, it can protect you. However, this is ultimately a temporary solution…”
The methods of that mysterious strongman from the Egalitarian Nation were indeed impossible to guard against and unavoidable.
If not for Master Guanyan tonight, he wouldn’t even know how he had been hit.
He also wondered if that person could still use such methods outside the Star and Moon Plain…
“I have repeatedly received Master’s virtue and blessings, this junior is deeply grateful,” Jiang Wang said sincerely, “May I ask how to achieve a permanent solution?”
Guanyan said, “Build the Sage Building early.”
“Of course, becoming God-Transforming early is also possible,” he added, rarely making a joke.
Then he said, “This good meeting ends here. Little friend Jiang, take care.”
Jiang Wang felt it clearly through the Blazing Flame Bone Lotus.
The dense power of the Jade Pivot Star gradually dissipated…
Confucius obviously did not mean that one had to study propriety for seventy years to follow one’s heart’s desires. The author merely integrated it into the cultivation system, and therefore deliberately gave another explanation, which is what is meant by “interpreting the Six Classics for my own use”!
It’s the same nature as the “ignorance,” “If one cannot sweep a room, how can one sweep the world,” and “the mind is like a bright mirror stand,” etc., used before.
To prevent someone from criticizing my weak knowledge of traditional Chinese studies (which is indeed quite ordinary), I will explain it here.
I will not provide further explanations in the future.
There is no intention to allude to anyone, so please do not take it personally. I am indeed afraid of being criticized, so I am overly cautious.
Thank you for your understanding.
Source of “Crimson Heart Patrol”: