Chapter 1922: Chapter 1920: So This Is How It Was
Secret!
Perhaps Ye Tianchen is about to uncover a true secret, one that through the ages, only two have known before him. This revelation could bring a new perspective to the entire Martial Arts World and the Buddhist Sect!
"Could it be that in the past, the Young Buddha vowed, creating a temple in this barren desert, but his disciple Ming King, full of grievances, attacked him here..." Ye Tianchen pondered this possibility, startled.
Murdering one’s master, killing the Young Buddha; it’s an unimaginable act. Throughout history, while not the strongest, the Buddhist Emperor was the most mysterious. His immense power and unfathomable depth are well-known, and no one dared disrespect him. Who would dare confront the Young Buddha?
After the Young Buddha entered meditation, a day and night passed. During this time, his disciple Ming King slowly stood up, quietly approached the Young Buddha, and stared for a long time, with murderous intent in his eyes. Yet, Ming King did not act immediately; instead, he sat on the cushion next to the Young Buddha, spacing out for a long while.
"If you’re fine, join me in meditation, let your mental realm return to peace," the Young Buddha said without opening his eyes.
Ming King paused, frowned, glanced at the Young Buddha, and sat on the nearby cushion, slowly clasped his hands together, and began meditating. The time passed unknowingly; neither Ming King nor the Young Buddha opened their eyes.
The sky darkened, already midnight, and outside a sandstorm raged. Ming King opened his eyes, glanced at the Young Buddha, a slight smile on his lips, muttering, "You are truly in deep meditation, perhaps even your soul has left your body; it’s time to act!"
Ming King stood up, coldly glanced at the Young Buddha, frowned, walked behind him, and slowly gathered True Power in his right hand, transforming it into an immense eagle’s claw, reaching for the Young Buddha’s head!
"Hmph, I never should have followed you. You’ve tormented me long enough; now let me end your life!" Ming King coldly said while attacking.
Boom!
Shattered. Ye Tianchen was shocked upon seeing this scene, rooted in disbelief. The Young Buddha did not resist at all, and Ming King’s eagle claw crushed his head, leaving Ye Tianchen stunned and incredulous!
"This... was the Young Buddha really so weak? This..." Ye Tianchen was bewildered, unable to grasp this unexpected scene.
It was too shocking, unexpected. The Young Buddha was immensely powerful, his mere vow created a real temple in the desert, a power beyond imagination. Even if he hadn’t truly become an Emperor Realm figure or Buddha yet, how could he be killed so easily? Was his soul truly separate from his body, out wandering?
"Hahahaha, you are finally dead! How disgusting, a mere monk wanting to subdue me; I’ve long wanted to kill you. Me, the Peacock Great Bright King, so powerful, a demon clan leader, sweeping across the Martial Arts World—can you, a small monk, subdue me? When I ruled the world, you weren’t even born. This long-standing resentment has finally been vented today!" Ming King laughed angrily, face twisted.
"Peacock Great Bright King? Could it be..." Ye Tianchen was shocked, recalling a rumor within the Buddhist Sect, but the worldly accounts of the Peacock Great Bright King differ from this one!
Peacock Great Bright King, also known as Peacock Ming King, translated as Mahamuyuraja, Buddha Mother Great Peacock Ming King, and others.
This figure is traditionally considered the Equal Flow Body of Vairocana Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha, secret titled Buddha Mother Vajra, World-protecting Vajra. In secret teachings, those who practice with Peacock Ming King as their primary deity follow Peacock Great Bright King Scripture, also known as Peacock Scripture, one of the four major secret techniques.
One of the principal deities of Esoteric Buddhism, translated into Chinese as Maha Mayuri Raja and Buddha Mother Peacock Great Bright King, among other names, commonly referred to as Peacock Great Bright King. Generally, most Great Bright Kings appear wrathful, making it difficult for ordinary people to approach them. In contrast, this Great Bright King has an elegant, gentle, and approachable image, and rides a poetic peacock.
When the Buddha was alive, there was a monk bitten by a venomous snake, enduring terrible pain. After Ah Nan reported the matter to the Shizun, the Shizun recited a Dharani for eradicating ghostly apparitions, poisons, and diseases, known as the Peacock Great Bright King Mantra. Long ago, on the Snow Mountain, there was a golden Peacock King who frequently recited this mantra with great diligence, which allowed it to remain peaceful and stable.
Once, due to indulging in pleasures, it wandered with many peahens to a distant mountain and did not recite the mantra, resulting in capture by hunters. At the moment of being bound, it regained its right mindfulness, recited the mantra, and finally broke free from its bonds, gaining liberation. The Shizun’s teachings mark the beginning of widespread knowledge of the Peacock Great Bright King and its Dharani among the people.
The image of the Peacock Great Bright King is generally white, dressed in white silk garments. It is adorned with ornaments like a headdress, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, and rides on a golden peacock, manifesting a compassionate appearance, with four arms holding various items like the auspicious fruit and peacock feathers:
’On the lotus womb is painted the image of the Buddha Mother Peacock Great Bright King Bodhisattva, facing the East, with white color, clothed in white silk. With a headdress, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, majestically adorned, riding on the golden Peacock King, sitting cross-legged on the white lotus or green flower, in a compassionate form, with four arms. The right first hand holds a blooming lotus, the second hand holds a Juyuan Fruit, the left first hand holds an auspicious fruit at the heart, the second hand holds three or five stalks of peacock feathers.’
Of the four held items, the lotus represents love and respect, the Juyuan Fruit symbolizes subjugation, the auspicious fruit signifies increase, and the peacock feather indicates calamity elimination. The white lotus seat signifies the vow of compassion, while the green lotus seat implies subjugation. According to the teachings of Esoteric Buddhism, this Great Bright King is an emanation body of Vairocana Tathagata, possessing the virtues of embracing and subjugation. Therefore, it has the above two types of lotus seats, referred to as the ’Peacock Seat.’
In Esoteric Buddhism, there is a practice method centered on this Peacock Great Bright King, known as the Peacock Scripture or Peacock Great Bright King Scripture. The primary purposes of this method include disaster prevention, rain prayer or rain stopping, and safe childbirth. This practice was transmitted early. In the ninth century, the founder of the Shugendo, Yi Xiaojiao, practiced the Peacock Mantra and achieved great effectiveness. Since the emphasis on national protection by Konghai in the Heian era, it was specially valued by the Eastern Esoteric tradition, particularly the Guangze Sect which regarded it as an unparalleled secret technique. By the eleventh century, the Peacock Scripture extended to worldly benefits, becoming popular for praying to eliminate natural disasters, cure diseases, prolong life, and ensure safe childbirth.
In two classical novels of the mortal world, records of the Peacock Great Bright King are found:
Journey to the West
In which the demons surrender their original nature to the True Self, it states:
"Since the time of creation’s separation, the sky opened at Zi, the earth was formed at Chou, humans were born at Yin, and as heaven and earth reunited, all things were born. Among all things, the Qilin is the leader of beasts, and the Phoenix is the leader of birds. After the Phoenix received the energy of union, it gave birth to the peacock and roc. When the peacock was born, it was most vicious, capable of devouring humans, and could suck in humans within forty-five li. I was cultivating on the Snow Mountain, attaining a sixteen-foot golden body, only to be swallowed by it. Wishing to exit through its rear, I feared soiling my true body. Thus, I split open its back and crossed over to Ling Mount. Seeking to harm its life, I was stopped by the Buddhas with persuasion—harming the peacock was like harming my mother. Hence, I left it at the Ling Mount assembly, granting it the title of Buddha Mother Peacock Great Bright King Bodhisattva. The roc, being born of the same mother, naturally shared some relation with it."
Investiture of the Gods
Kong Xuan: The first peacock born between heaven and earth during the ancient great wilderness period. Its mother is the ancient Divine Bird Phoenix, also known as the ’Mysterious Bird.’ The legend goes, ’When heaven sent down the Mysterious Bird, it gave birth to the Shang’ (’The destiny of the Mysterious Bird, descends and gives birth to the Shang’). After the Phoenix’s Nirvana, Kong Xuan took up the responsibility of safeguarding the Shang dynasty’s territories. In the battle at Golden Chicken Ridge, it was subdued by the Zhunti Taoist of the Western Pure Land.
In mythology, every time a Phoenix dies, it is engulfed in flames and then reborn stronger, known as ’Phoenix Nirvana.’ Repeating this cycle, the Phoenix achieves immortality, hence the name ’Undying Bird.’ As the child of the Phoenix, the peacock inherited its mother’s ability for Nirvana, naturally becoming extraordinary.
In ’Investiture of the Gods,’ Kong Xuan’s strength is at the Quasi-Sect Leader Level, and under the saints, all others are disregarded! His weapon is the Five-Colored Divine Light, with colors blue, yellow, red, black, and white, nothing being unable to be brushed away. He defeated Nezha and Yang Jian, leaving Jiang Ziya and his faction powerless, forcing them to hang a ’No Battle’ sign. Ultimately, the Zhunti Taoist subdued him. Legend states Kong Xuan is the first peacock between heaven and earth, and the Five-Colored Divine Light is its tail feather, is a Holy-level figure of the Demon Clan. However, there is no record of him before the Investiture of the Gods nor any position in the Heavenly Court under the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, being a powerful rogue immortal, commanding at Golden Chicken Ridge during the Investiture of the Gods.
Thinking of this, Ye Tianchen couldn’t help but murmur to himself: "It seems that when the Young Buddha had not yet attained Buddhahood, he already possessed boundless mana and subdued the Peacock Great Bright King, a formidable Demon Clan authority dominating the lands. However, this Peacock Great Bright King remained unruly and unyielding, always harboring resentment against the Young Buddha. Just the coincidental encounter in this wilderness momentarily triggered the eruption of pent-up resentment within the Peacock Great Bright King, leading to the act of master-slaying!"
"Hmm, I thought you were so powerful when, back then, it was just me accidentally being beguiled by your Buddhist Law. Now, aren’t you still slapped to death by me in one palm? As a strong figure of the Demon Clan, it’ll only be a matter of time before I ascend to the Emperor Realm. You’re just a little brat, still think you can subdue me? Courting death!" Peacock Great Bright King slapped the Young Buddha to death, feeling greatly relieved and expressing his satisfaction. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)
