In the half sky, dark clouds dissipated, revealing a bright moon that cast a gentle glow, enveloping Lanruo Temple and its surroundings in a hazy silver veil.
Yan Chixia, following the commotion, flew out from the temple and happened to see an old monk dressed in gray robes walking step by step upon lotus flowers from the foot of the mountain to this place, his expression serene and kind, his eyes closed.
“Master Yuseng!” he exclaimed in surprise.
As soon as the name reached his ears, the crystal-like heart lake of Master Yusheng stirred, sending ripples across its surface. Instinctively, he opened his eyes, revealing a clear golden hue that seemed to reflect all things in the world, gazing toward the center of the original forest.
There stood a man in a green robe, his profile handsome and refined, exuding a sense of vicissitude, hands clasped behind his back, calmly gazing at the starry sky, his eyes deep yet indifferent, as if contemplating the mysteries of the universe.
Where lies the great Dao? What lies beyond the stars?
With his presence, the nearby area naturally became tranquil, everything seemed transcendent, sparkling with the light of wisdom. Even someone like Yan Chixia instinctively descended from midair, landing on the ground, holding his breath and stilling his thoughts.
Then, Yusheng saw the man in green slowly turn around, his deep and shadowy eyes meeting his own.
In an instant, the sky and earth darkened; everything seemed to sink into those eyes, serene and quiet, returning to the very beginning—before time, without thought, without soul, without sensation.
Swish! Golden lotus flowers sprouted around Master Yusheng, slowly blooming from the ground, accompanied by waves of Buddhist chants. Between the two, dark clouds gathered, and a silver-white lightning bolt split the sky, striking the earth and turning the soil black, illuminating the area like daylight.
This was merely the collision of their qi energies, yet such extraordinary phenomena occurred!
“He actually matches Master Yusheng in power!” Yan Chixia had always believed this mysterious man in green was strong, but never imagined he could be this powerful!
When did the world gain another Grand Master?
Sun Junlin, the Left Deputy, was even more shocked. The Sect Leader had predicted Yusheng’s arrival!
From the moment the conversation began, it had taken quite some time for Yusheng to arrive. Based on his pace, the distance between them had definitely exceeded the sensing range of even a Grand Master. How did the Sect Leader know?
Could it be that the Sect Leader had truly touched the realm of gods and demons, gaining near omniscience even over Grand Masters?
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, he found his Sect Leader increasingly unfathomable, beyond the grasp of ordinary reasoning, deepening his awe and reverence.
“Amitabha, Lay Devotee, you’ve been absent for many years. I never expected you to appear here at Lanruo Temple,” Yusheng recognized Meng Qi’s “identity,” meeting his gaze with a surge of qi energy, showing no hint of disdain.
Meng Qi took a stroll with his hands clasped behind his back, as if strolling leisurely in his courtyard, smiling, “In the past, I narrowly lost to the old demon Heishan. Now that I’ve broken through and emerged, naturally I came looking for his trail.”
He exuded full confidence in facing Heishan the old demon! Yan Chixia sensed the hidden confidence beneath Meng Qi’s calm demeanor.
“I have temporarily sealed the fissure to Jiuyou, eliminated the old tree spirit and harmful ghosts at Lanruo Temple. Master, you only need to set up the Ksitigarbha Sealing Formation and chant the sutra for forty-nine days to completely eliminate the danger,” Meng Qi took another step forward.
With just two steps, Yusheng felt an uncomfortable sensation. The opponent’s qi energy and the connection between them were vague and intangible, making it impossible for him to grasp the timing to strike, only slightly better than punching into empty air.
He turned his prayer beads with his left hand and softly chanted a Buddhist name, “Lay Devotee, your actions truly reflect the compassion of a Bodhisattva. One who sows good causes will surely reap good results.”
“Observing your demeanor, you have reversed old age, your gray hair turned black, your inner world self-generating its own realm. You move with ease, unbound by external things and uncontrolled by others. Have you pushed the Great Heaven Technique to an unprecedented level?”
Hearing the familiar words, Meng Qi’s lips curled upward, “Heaven is dead, Yellow Heaven shall rise.”
As Yusheng and Yan Chixia were pondering the profound meaning of these eight words, Meng Qi spoke again, “I remain here especially to await Master.”
“What matter do you wish to discuss, Lay Devotee?” Yusheng, with profound Buddhist cultivation, instinctively sensed the general direction from the other’s words.
“Master, you must have brought the Ksitigarbha Sutra for Delivering Souls with you. I wish to borrow it for a look. I wonder what you might want in return?” Meng Qi straightforwardly revealed his purpose.
He preferred to act openly first; only if that failed would he consider schemes.
Yusheng’s gaze darkened, his heart lake rippling again. How did he know he had brought the Ksitigarbha Sutra for Delivering Souls?
This Buddhist scripture handwritten by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was the temple’s treasured artifact, known to few outsiders. The secret of Lanruo Temple had only recently become known. Except for his nephew-disciple, the Temple Supervisor, no one else knew that he had come in the dead of night, hoping to use this treasure to deliver the vengeful spirits and ghosts, completely sealing the Jiuyou fissure. Yet this person seemed to have witnessed it all firsthand!
Could it be near-omniscience?
“Amitabha, this sutra is our temple’s treasured artifact, useful only for delivering the souls of the dead and harmful ghosts. It serves no purpose for outsiders. Why do you insist on taking it?” Yusheng slightly parted his feet, as if connecting with the earth, linking to something unfathomable deep below.
Meng Qi stopped walking, clasping his hands in front of him, “Have you heard of the ‘Mahavairocana Subduing Demon Fist’? An elder of mine took monastic vows in an ancient mountain temple, cultivating this very Buddhist martial art. However, without the Ksitigarbha Sutra for Delivering Souls, he cannot cross the threshold of the Dharma Body. I humbly request your assistance, Master.”
“I do not seek the original handwritten by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, only a copy of the scripture.”
He explained the matter straightforwardly, showing sincerity.
When facing a great master of virtue, this approach was naturally the most effective!
Upon hearing “Mahavairocana Subduing Demon Fist,” Yusheng’s expression slightly changed, clearly recognizing this martial art that directly pointed toward the Ksitigarbha Golden Body.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly chanted Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s name, his eyes calmly meeting Meng Qi’s, “Hell shall not be empty, I shall not attain Buddhahood. When all sentient beings are delivered, then I shall achieve Bodhi. This is the great vow made by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. To follow this path, how can one harbor selfishness?”
“Our temple inherits from Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, carrying the same compassionate thoughts. If spreading the Ksitigarbha Sutra for Delivering Souls can help more vengeful spirits and ghosts attain liberation, why not?”
“As a fellow practitioner of the Ksitigarbha lineage who has cultivated to an extremely high level, I believe this master also possesses boundless compassion. If Lay Devotee wishes to see it, by all means, feel free.”
Meng Qi slightly opened his mouth, raising his eyebrows, completely unprepared for Yusheng’s surprisingly quick agreement!
What a virtuous monk!
After a brief pause, he said, “Master, please wait. Receiving the Ksitigarbha Sutra for Delivering Souls without cause creates great karmic consequences. I fear my elder may not withstand its effects, disrupting his cultivation. Do you have anything you desire in return?”
Understanding the Buddhist emphasis on karma, Meng Qi believed Yusheng would grasp the reasoning.
After some thought, Yusheng replied, “Our temple’s Mahavairocana Subduing Demon Fist is incomplete. If Lay Devotee can help complete it, this old monk would be delighted.”
“Excellent.” Meng Qi nodded in agreement, readily accepting the task. He believed Shaolin Temple would agree.
Shaolin’s most fundamental martial art was the “Flower-Gazing Fist” from the Tathagata Palm. Additionally, the “Yi Jin Jing” served as a divine auxiliary technique, while both the “Da Meng Zhen Jing” and the “Mahavairocana Subduing Demon Fist” were incomplete, unable to achieve the Dharma Body or higher levels of Dharma Body cultivation. “Zhanhua Finger” ranked first among the seventy-two supreme skills, capable of attaining the Golden Body of a Bodhisattva, potentially reaching legendary or even higher realms. However, it remained merely a martial art created by Bodhidharma upon his realization of the Divine Palm, stopping at the Bodhisattva fruit without further advancement. Whether this martial art could truly attain the Bodhisattva fruit and advance into legends remained uncertain.
However, the Mahavairocana Subduing Demon Fist, once complete, was absolutely capable of cultivating to the Bodhisattva fruit and entering the legendary realm. As one of the strongest Bodhisattvas in Buddhism, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was as mighty as a Buddha, surpassing ordinary Buddhas in status. His complete inheritance would surely attract the attention of any temple or monastery in Buddhism.
Currently, Shaolin was severely damaged. Naturally, they would not miss the opportunity to perfect their core martial arts, even if it meant allowing Yusheng’s lineage to also become complete, since it was better than leaving it unused. After all, the two temples were located in different worlds, even different universes!
Afterward, Yusheng did not ask Meng Qi to swear an oath. He directly took out the Ksitigarbha Sutra for Delivering Souls, slowly turning each page for Meng Qi to memorize, even allowing the Left Deputy of the Cangtian Sect, Yan Chixia, and the subsequently arrived Du Qingqing, Ning Caichen, and Nie Xiaoqian to watch.
“Thank you, Master.” Meng Qi reviewed the sutra once, finding he had memorized it completely. He clasped his hands again, bowing deeply.
Yusheng returned the bow. Just as he was about to head toward the Jiuyou fissure, he noticed that the Cangtian Sect Leader opposite had not stepped aside.
“Does Lay Devotee have anything else?” His mind, so refined and rounded, instinctively responded.
Meng Qi glanced at everyone, then clasped his hands behind his back with a slight smile, “On this journey, I encountered a young friend named Nangong Chong and discovered many interesting things.”
Upon hearing Nangong Chong’s name, Du Qingqing’s expression darkened, her heart breaking.
“Interesting?” Yusheng’s clear mind did not immediately resonate with the idea, so he asked. Yan Chixia and Left Deputy Sun Junlin were equally puzzled. They had also met Nangong Chong, who had traveled with them all the way. Where was the “interesting” part?
Meng Qi looked up at the starry sky, his aura withdrawn, profound and unfathomable, “When I first met young Nangong, it was because he attacked my Left Deputy over the matter of Huang’s Village, killing him.”
“Ahh…” Except for Yusheng, including Ning Caichen, everyone else wore expressions of confusion. They had clearly seen Nangong Chong, full of vitality before being killed by evil spirits, with no sign of impersonation!
“As soon as young Nangong died, time instantly reversed, returning to before he attacked my Left Deputy. This time, he made a different choice, refraining from attacking and instead treating me with utmost respect.” Meng Qi’s voice was ethereal.
Sun Junlin, the Left Deputy, slightly opened his mouth, completely bewildered. Was this the experience he had gone through? How come he only had the impression of Nangong Chong being respectful? Behind seemingly normal and ordinary life, there lurked completely different experiences, of which he was completely unaware?
This was simply hair-raising!
But maybe the Sect Leader was lying to deceive Yusheng…
Du Qingqing wore a sorrowful smile, completely disbelieving Meng Qi’s words. She had always been with Chongge, where could those previous events have happened?
As for time reversing? Probably not even true gods and demons could accomplish that!
Yusheng spoke slowly, “Even a Dharma Body cannot reverse time.”
Meng Qi did not care about their doubts, continuing to look at Yusheng, “After arriving at Lanruo Temple, Nangong Chong was unwilling to give up. He patiently waited for Master’s arrival, hoping to rely on Master’s strength to confront me. Unfortunately, his secret transmission of voice was overheard by me. I seized the opportunity and killed him again. Time reversed once more, returning to before Scholar Ning relieved himself. Because of this, I knew Master would come and knew Master carried the Ksitigarbha Sutra for Delivering Souls.”
Yusheng’s pupils immediately constricted slightly, the surrounding area falling silent, as if frozen in time!
“Fortunately, I have reached the realm of ‘Yellow Heaven shall rise,’ thus remaining unaffected by ‘Heaven’s’ influence. Each time time reversed, I retained my memories. Otherwise, I would never have discovered young Nangong’s secret. After several experiences, I finally grasped the source of his time reversal.” Meng Qi’s words were shocking.
This was the realm of ‘Heaven is dead, Yellow Heaven shall rise’? Everyone involuntarily had this thought.
But this matter was too absurd; they still found it hard to believe.
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