Chapter 98: Exiting the Secret Realm (1/2)
Chapter 98: Exiting the Secret Realm
With Zhang Chunfeng and Monk Huiyuan joining the team, the group now consisted of five members.
Although the team's strength had increased, the frequency of encounters with interceptors had not diminished. They faced several attacks every day, often having to escape in different directions, slowing down their progress.
They discovered that near the exit, bandit cultivators organized themselves into small groups, scattering and regrouping unpredictably, causing headaches for major forces.
Loose cultivators struggled in harsh living conditions, constantly fighting for cultivation resources as they were hard to come by.
Despite being inferior in terms of magical weapons and equipment, loose cultivators were fierce in battle. Their ruthlessness extended even to betraying their own teammates, as witnessed by Wang Hong when a loose cultivator pushed a comrade forward to block an attack.
As long as loose cultivators were willing to risk their lives in the secret realm, they could amass considerable gains upon leaving. They could exchange these gains for Foundation Establishment Pills, obtaining resources for years of cultivation beyond Foundation Building.
Therefore, the loose cultivators staged a final frenzy in the secret realm, planning to live incognito for a few years after leaving, only to reappear as experts with Foundation Building cultivation.
At this moment, Wang Hong and his five companions gathered in a mountain valley, roasting a deer-shaped demonic beast over a fire. Wang Hong sprinkled various seasonings onto it.
The group sat around the bonfire; Elder Brother, Wang Yi, Zhang Chunfeng, and Wang Hong enjoyed Spirit Wine, while Monk Huiyuan, tempted by the aroma of alcohol and the scent of roasting meat, recited scriptures on the side.
"How about you have some Spirit Wine too? I can see you're enduring quite a bit. I won't tell anyone, I promise," Wang Hong suggested to Monk Huiyuan.
The Great Monk had been watching them pitifully whenever they drank since they started, but he refused to join.
"Ah, Amitabha! Forgive me! The Pu Tuo Sect does not forbid disciples from drinking and eating meat," Huiyuan explained, and only then did they understand it was part of his cultivation method.
Their Buddhist cultivation emphasized detachment and enlightenment. To achieve this, they needed to sever worldly attachments, primarily arising from desires.
Cultivating a calm mind involved overcoming desires related to the six senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought. All these stimulated personal desires, which were insatiable, leading to perpetual troubles.
Now, Huiyuan sat before a feast, resisting the temptation of delicious food. When he couldn't endure any longer, he would take a sip of water and have a cold steamed bun.
"If you can't resist, just move away and don't look. Amitabha! Without experiencing worldly pleasures, how can one resist their allure? Without worldly engagement, how can one transcend it?" Huiyuan philosophically responded.