Chapter 989

Chapter 989: Idol

Mahayana Star

Hui Ming saw many idols of scientists from the Buddhist school on Mahayana Star.

The Buddhist technology of Tianyuan Star Domain comes from the Buddhist technology of Tianbei Star Domain, and Tianbei Star Domain’s Buddhist technology comes from Tiannan Star Domain, which ultimately traces back to Blue Star.

Therefore, the Buddhist technology of Tianyuan Star Domain, including the current textbooks, although it has been trimmed down by the Buddhist school (mainly in the cultural direction), still mainly comes from Blue Star, which inevitably involves extensive descriptions of Liang Long.

Liang Long has more than a dozen groundbreaking inventions that sparked a new industrial revolution, such as nuclear fusion technology and energy compression and purification technology.

The invention of these two technologies changed the ecology of Blue Star, freeing billions of ordinary people from worrying about energy and reducing competition for resources with cultivators, while the cross-border teleportation array dramatically changed the situation in the Heavenly Court’s Star Domain; these are truly great inventions.

Blue Star once listed the ten most influential scientists of the past ten thousand years, and Liang Long was one of them, ranking in the top three, falling just below a couple of scientists from the classical era.

This means that Liang Long is an idol for many scientists, including Buddhist scientists.

"Bang, bang, bang"

The moment Hui Ming saw Liang Long, he suddenly knelt down with a thud and bowed three times, leaving Liang Long completely stunned; this guy doesn’t follow normal rules!

"Are the Bodhisattvas of the Buddhist path always so warm and welcoming, greeting others with bows?"

"Not at all, it’s just that this humble monk is feeling very excited."

"Oh?"

"Senior, you might not know, but in Buddhism, we follow the principle of helping all living beings. Your invention has saved countless lives and is the foundation of all technology, so we Buddhists hold you in great esteem. With such a great person before us, how can I not be excited?"

Hui Ming said, and he truly was not lying; the scientists in Buddhism, including some Buddhist cultivators, greatly respect Liang Long.

Liang Long’s research was groundbreaking; it solved many problems. Modern technology and energy are essential; without energy, everything is meaningless. So, in a way, it’s true that Liang Long’s research has supported countless lives.

Currently, the scientists of Qiyuan Star often say that the heavens do not favor Buddhism by bringing forth a scientist like Liang Long; otherwise, there would be no worry about the flourishing of Buddhism.

"Haha, I see! But it seems that the scientists of Buddhism are making weapons and harming living beings."

"Senior, technology knows no boundaries; the right and wrong between Buddhism and the Heavenly Court cannot be explained in just a few words. Let go of all biases, and your brilliance will shine throughout eternity."

"Ha ha"

Liang Long laughed. Hui Ming is impressive! Right from the start, he raised him up high, leaving him unsure how to react.

"Senior, I deeply admire you as a scientist. May I ask you to say a few words? I will pass them on to inspire others."

"Of course, I would be glad to. I am very curious about the world of Buddhism. If we were not enemies, I would love to visit it. Bodhisattva Hui Ming, could you arrange that?"

Liang Long also shot back, asking if he had the courage to let him, Liang Long, visit the world of Buddhism.

"Senior, according to my humble wishes, that would be greatly welcomed. However, I am just a Bodhisattva, a small cultivator, and I cannot make decisions. Once I return to Buddhism, I will inform the masters there. If they agree, I will personally come to Mahayana Star to welcome you."

Hui Ming answered beautifully. He could easily handle such formalities and could make as many flattering remarks as needed.

Liang Long smiled contentedly and said a few pleasant things, like how technology changes lives and scientists should serve the public. No one could criticize that.

After that, Liang Long and Hui Ming talked for a long time about many different topics, even discussing Buddhist philosophy. Liang Long was surprised to find that Hui Ming had a deep understanding of it. The arguments Liang Long had used before could shatter the Buddhist heart of a Bodhisattva Realm Buddhist cultivator, but Hui Ming remained steady and could even engage in a back-and-forth with Liang Long.

One hundred Blue Star moments later, Liang Long and Hui Ming’s first meeting came to an end.

"Oh dear, a talented person has emerged from Buddhism. This Hui Ming is quite difficult to deal with."

Back at Lin Jiang’s estate, Liang Long spoke about Hui Ming.

"If he can make you feel challenged, it seems Hui Ming is indeed very impressive."

"Well, I have dealt with many Buddhist cultivators. Even among those in the Bodhisattva Realm, none can compare to Hui Ming. He is well-versed in Buddhist teachings, even more so than true Buddhas. Moreover, his thinking is not at all old-fashioned. He is very open-minded and very active. Also, I can be sure that Hui Ming does not have a Buddhist Heart."

"Uh, no Buddhist Heart?"

"Ancestor Lin wouldn’t think that Buddhist principles can fool all Buddhist cultivators, would he?"

"Please explain in detail."

"Buddhist teachings are actually a kind of religious language that can make ninety-nine percent of people believe wholeheartedly. However, some people do not believe, such as someone like me—someone completely rational and completely confident. This holds true everywhere. In Blue Star, when Ancestor Lin says that becoming an official is to serve the public, how much do you think people believe that?"

"Many people still have faith and a sense of hope."

"Hehe."

Liang Long did not deny it; this statement was just something to listen to.

"Liang Long, do you think we can turn Hui Ming to our side?"

"It is possible, but it’s very difficult. We must completely overwhelm Hui Ming for this to happen, and the risks are very high. Such a person can easily disguise themselves; they can play tricks and counter-tricks effortlessly. I suggest you let go of that thought."

"You can give it a try; it’s a bit of a gamble. If it works, the Buddhist sect will nearly be finished."

Lin Jiang said that Heavenly Court and the Buddhist sect together control six major Star Domains. If the Tianyuan Star Domain is taken, the Buddhist sect will lose half of its territory. The organizing power of Heavenly Court would completely crush the Buddhist sect, and it could be considered done for.

"Alright, I’ll try my best."

Liang Long said that if anyone can turn Hui Ming, it can only be him; he has the chance to completely overpower Hui Ming.

·······

The second meeting between Liang Long and Hui Ming started soon, and Ye Chen and the others left.

Liang Long took Hui Ming to see the social ecology of Mahayana Star. He showed Hui Ming the homes of the lowest class, as well as the wealth of the middle class, and naturally, the pleasures of the rich class were not left out.

By showing him this, Liang Long wanted to tell Hui Ming what the situation was like for those at the bottom of Mahayana Star. From a social perspective, the technological era of Mahayana Star is not very different from the era of cultivation; it still has a pyramid structure of low, middle, and high classes. However, the lower limit in Mahayana Star is quite high. Even the very poor can have enough to eat and wear warmly, along with some medical security. With the technology level of Mahayana Star, this medical support is quite remarkable; even diseases like cancer are covered.

And these guarantees represent the meaning of technology, and also the mission and duty of cultivators. On a deeper level, it reflects the life meaning of these people.

Liang Long explained Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to Hui Ming. For people like them, their lifelong pursuit, aside from immortality, is some self-satisfaction. To put it simply, it’s about leaving a name behind. As cultivators, experiencing a lifetime like Liang Long, who is remembered in history, should be a pursuit for many.

After hearing Liang Long’s words, Hui Ming fell into deep thought, and his guard naturally lowered a lot.

Like Liang Long, Hui Ming had also risen above base desires. If beauty or power was used to tempt them, it would be an insult.

But when it came to ideals, it was different. They shared a common trait as idealists; however, Liang Long’s ideals and Hui Ming’s ideals were different.

Hui Ming’s dreams are filled with traces of ancient scholars. He comes from a poor family and has lived among the common people. A great monk from the Buddhist temple brought him to Sanbao Temple and protected him as he grew up. Therefore, Hui Ming feels grateful to Buddhism. His master and ancestors encouraged him to strengthen Buddhism; otherwise, he would have already ascended to a higher realm.

During this process, some thoughts from Buddhism gave him the idea of helping the world. He has the ability and status to do things that make Buddhism prosper, and over time, this became his dream.

Through constant communication, Liang Long slowly discovered Hui Ming’s mindset, finding his psychological weaknesses. Therefore, Liang Long targeted his efforts to address this.

A clever person like Hui Ming cannot be easily persuaded by ordinary reasons. To completely break through his defenses, one must thoroughly shatter the theoretical system of Buddhism.

Previously, he used the question of what goodness is and how to define it to break Fa Kong’s Buddhist heart. Now, he aims for a deeper level, intending to completely deny the concept of Buddha, exploring how to define Buddha to break through Hui Ming’s defenses.

"Talking with the senior, Hui Ming has learned a lot, but today he feels unwell. Please forgive me, senior; I would like to rest for a while."

Hui Ming is also very smart and sensitive. When he noticed Liang Long starting to explore the fundamentals of Buddhism deeply, he became very anxious and immediately grew alert.

He wanted to avoid the conversation; he was afraid to continue talking. He feared he might really lose his way and could not help but renounce Buddhism.