Chapter 1555 - 572: Golden Zen Enlightenment (3)
The Golden Body Slave chewed on the words in his heart, recalling the scenes of serving the Ancient Buddha.
At that time, the Six Slaves, along with the Ancient Buddha, ascended an island in the Southern Sea. The island was extremely peculiar, with chaotic time and space.
Past, present, future—threefold time—constantly weaving together.
The Six Slaves were continually lost in this temporal tapestry, their eyes cloudy, and their ears perpetually hearing phantom sounds,
yet only the Ancient Buddha, holding a Golden Cicada in his hand, remained silent.
Before long, in the hands of the Ancient Buddha, the Golden Cicada transformed into three forms,
a Cicada Shell, a cluster of Cicada Eggs, and a Cicada Corpse.
After gazing at it for a long time, he finally couldn’t help but smile and said: "So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is."
Upon finishing his words, he buried the cicada eggs in the ground, crushed the cicada corpse into dust, scattering it over the island, and divided the cicada shell into seven segments, one held by him and each of the Six Buddhist Slaves.
From then on, the temporal chaos of the island ceased, turning disorderly time into order.
The Golden Body Slave, puzzled, asked the Ancient Buddha: "World Honored One, how do you adjust the island’s time and space?"
The Ancient Buddha replied with a recital: "This island is the transformation of this Golden Cicada; the Golden Cicada is an anomaly. After death, it molts again, becoming cicada eggs,
thus, the cicada corpse represents the past, the cicada eggs the future, the cicada shell the present,
with cicada shell, cicada corpse, cicada eggs resting in one place, past, present, and future are intertwined,
by placing the cicada shell in our pouches, concealing the past, by burying the cicada eggs underground, the future placed upon the earth,
the cicada corpse as dust, scattered within the island, thus separating the future, present, and past,
chaos becomes order."
After concluding the teaching, the Ancient Buddha cryptically remarked: "The island is the Golden Cicada, the Buddha can also be the Golden Cicada."
At the time, these words were not understood by the Golden Body Slave; he only knew the Ancient Buddha had the idea of "Golden Zen Enlightenment,"
but now,
the Golden Body Slave, sitting cross-legged within the Sea of Buddha, had a new realization.
"The Ancient Buddha’s wisdom and Buddhist teachings spread across the human world; perhaps this represents the ’past’ cicada corpse,
The Ancient Buddha divided into Twenty-one Zen, which represents the ’present’ cicada shell,
and Zhou Xuan—could he be representing the ’future’ cicada eggs?"
"The Ancient Buddha’s method of ’Golden Cicada Enlightenment’ has indeed become reality?"
Golden Body Slave’s thoughts flowed continuously,
he and the other Five Great Buddhist Slaves, jointly maintaining the Sea of Buddha, seemed to have lost the intense sense of invasion, merely preserving the status quo.
"Oh, this Golden Body Slave is so easy to deceive? My colorful play hasn’t even started yet."
Zhou Xuan only felt the situation was progressing too smoothly,
but if he knew Golden Body Slave’s "brilliant thoughts" at this moment, Zhou Xuan might have to mockingly say—of the world’s greatest deceits, none surpasses self-deception.
Golden Body Slave, looking at Zhou Xuan again, felt a hint of reverence in his gaze.
He seemed to see a massive Golden Cicada behind Zhou Xuan, with its bright wings vibrating, full of mystical feeling.
"Could Zhou Xuan really be the cicada eggs, the Ancient Buddha’s future? No... How could the Ancient Buddha’s future be such... It’s not right...not right... The Buddha has no fixed form, no fixed body... The Ancient Buddha can be any person, any appearance,
the Ancient Buddha’s future, growing into Zhou Xuan’s visage, condensing into this ruthless nature, is not impossible..."
Among those present, only the Golden Body Slave was the most mentally exhausted,
his thoughts were overwhelming,
his view of Zhou Xuan had acquired a sense akin to "Heart Demon," pondering was unappealing, ponderous like madness.
"Is he truly the Ancient Buddha’s future?"
Golden Body Slave was very vexed, torn,
he was annoyed at not having the discerning eye to immediately identify whether Zhou Xuan was the Ancient Buddha’s future,
yet, though he felt much frustration and conflict, he gradually leaned towards believing Zhou Xuan was the Ancient Buddha’s future.
And the words of the Tiancan Monk became the final straw breaking the camel’s back.
Seeing Golden Body Slave silent for so long, Tiancan Monk, with hands on his hips, said: "Golden Body Slave, you’re truly dull and foolish; if Master Zhou is not the Ancient Buddha’s future, why would ’Wu Cang’ at the Heavenly Spirit Tower submit to him?"
"Wu Cang submitted to Zhou Xuan?"
Golden Body Slave jerked his head up, looking at Zhou Xuan,
who smiled coldly, as faint "Buddha’s Spell" runes appeared on his skin.
These Buddha’s Spells, even if all the monks worldwide don’t recognize them, Golden Body Slave certainly does—they are the "Great Snow Mountain No Hidden Scripture" left by Ancient Buddha in the world.
Upon seeing these scriptures,
Golden Body Slave believed that Zhou Xuan was indeed the Ancient Buddha’s future.
Trembling, he stood up, asked Zhou Xuan: "Dare I ask Mr., what is the future insight?"
Zhou Xuan made the gesture of picking a flower with his right hand and said: "I am the future, the Ancient Buddha is the past, Twenty-one Zen is the present."
He merely wanted to pose with profound Zen intent—after all, there are two forms of Ancient Buddha, adding him, making three forms,
placing these three forms into the format of "future, past, present," it fills perfectly.
But Zhou Xuan’s feigned deep Zen, thoroughly conformed to Golden Body Slave’s thoughts,
he wobbled, nearly kneeling, then exclaimed—Six Slaves greet the future World Honored One.
However, before he could kneel, atop the peak of Lotus Mountain, a vague figure coldly laughed: "No wonder you are only a slave, mindless, even with great skill, still a slave."
With those words, this figure took out a Daoist Talisman, throwing it toward Lotus Temple.
"Six Slaves, this Daoist assists you in one endeavor."
The vague figure said coldly...