Volume 1, Chapter 485 – Buddha-Heart

As for these four eighth-tier powerhouses, Shi Lan could not clearly judge just how strong they were in combat, nor what level of the Human Emperor Realm they truly corresponded to.

However, the gap in strength among the four of them was extremely obvious. The white tiger was far stronger than Chi Junyu. By his own account, he was already close to touching the threshold of Supreme. As for the other two rune masters, their strength was roughly on par with Chi Junyu.

Shi Lan had personally tested them before. Even the weakest among the four was far stronger than she was. In other words, they were far beyond the Heavenly Tribulation Realm, at the very least above the Sun-Moon Realm.

…

…

The Vast Land of Shenzhou, Haotian Domain.

The Haotian Domain bordered the Chengtian Domain and was slightly larger than it. The influence of Chan Buddhism ran deep there, and nearly half of the region was Buddhist land.

The moment she arrived above the Haotian Domain, Shi Lan caught the rich scent of incense. Buddhist light shone across the earth, and faint Sanskrit chanting seemed to echo between heaven and earth.

After being bathed in Buddhist light for countless years, this stretch of heaven and earth had already begun to undergo subtle changes.

Tianbai followed at Shi Lan’s side, inexplicably uneasy. She did not particularly like the aura of the Buddhist light.

The reason the Chan Buddhist lineage was so flourishing here was inseparable from the state of affairs in the Middle Ancient era.

Back then, the Imperial Court had not yet been established, and the territory where the Chengtian Domain now lay had not yet been recovered. The area around the Xuantian Domain was the frontier of the human race, long ravaged by demon scourges and devilish chaos. Without Martial Dao cultivation, mortals could only become food for demons and devils.

In such circumstances, it was inevitable that many mortals would place their hopes in vague and intangible gods and Buddhas. Sometimes people needed some kind of faith to cling to in order to soothe the despair in their hearts.

Rеαԁ oո KаtRеadiոɡСαfe

Shi Lan’s purpose in coming here was to eliminate the blood fiend aura within that stone statue, deliver the dead souls inside from suffering and send them on to rebirth, and incidentally remove the world source crystal embedded above it.

Chan Buddhism had always placed great importance on karma. To them, laying dead souls to rest was also an act of merit. It was undoubtedly a perfect arrangement for both sides.

Her divine sense swept across heaven and earth. Shi Lan looked toward the direction where the Buddhist light was strongest and directly tore open a void passage.

In an instant, Shi Lan appeared above a cluster of Buddhist pagodas. With one glance, she saw no fewer than several thousand of them, rising and falling at different heights. On the spires and pavilions atop the pagodas, without exception, were enshrined secret treasures of Chan Buddhism or the relics of eminent monks, all radiating a gentle Buddhist light.

Shi Lan did not conceal her aura. She landed directly before the tallest pagoda.

“This poor monk is Jingyou. May I ask, benefactor, have you come to worship the Buddha or to fulfill a vow?”

She had only just stopped when a tall figure appeared before her. A plain cassock hung over his shoulders, leaving the upper half of his body partly bare. His skin was bronze, his muscles and bones powerfully built. He looked just over thirty, with an ordinary face and a mild expression. Behind his head floated seven faint golden divine rings.

Within Chan Buddhism, only eminent monks who had stepped into the Vajra Realm possessed such halos. Condensing divine rings was equivalent to a martial artist opening a minor world within themselves, and likewise required tempering by tribulation fire. Eminent monks of Chan Buddhism who had entered this realm were fully comparable to Heaven-Man Realm great powers.

“I wish to ask an eminent monk of Chan Buddhism to take action and lay some dead souls to rest.”

Shi Lan did not beat around the bush. She went straight to the point and directly took out the stone statue.

As though stimulated by the Buddhist light, the sinister aura on the stone statue grew even denser, and the entire carving became shrouded in a layer of blood-red light.

The thick fiend aura instantly changed the middle-aged monk’s expression. He strode forward, bent down, and formed a demon-subduing seal of Chan Buddhism with his hand. The Buddhist light of the divine rings behind his head surged, covering the surroundings.

Rеαd οո КatReαdіոɡСаfe

Only after quite some time, when the bloody divine radiance on the statue had faded, did the middle-aged monk rise again and disperse the Buddhist light around them. His forehead was already covered in cold sweat.

“This statue should be the incarnation of an unmatched fiend. The fiend aura and wronged souls within it are too much for my shallow Buddhist dharma to suppress. A Bodhisattva who has attained fruition must be invited to act.”

Jingyou shook his head slightly, his voice somewhat dry. This was far more than merely some dead souls. Even with his Vajra Realm cultivation, he had nearly suffered a backlash, and that was with the statue still unawakened.

Shi Lan knew perfectly well that the origin of this stone carving was no trivial matter. If not for being in the Qiongluo Realm, even she would have had to pay an enormous price to suppress it.

“Please follow me, benefactor.”

Jingyou wiped the sweat from his brow and turned toward the interior of the pagoda.

Lifting the stone statue, Shi Lan followed him inside. The first thing she saw was a gigantic Buddha statue, its hands forming the wish-granting mudra, its expression compassionate as it gazed down upon the world. Its entire body was gilded and wreathed in dense Buddhist light.

Though invisible to the eye, Shi Lan could sense that an intangible fire of faith was burning fiercely, blazing with extraordinary intensity.

Seated quietly before the Buddha statue was an old monk with white brows and beard. He looked utterly ordinary, his eyelids lowered. If not for the rough fingers slowly turning his prayer beads, Shi Lan would almost have thought he had fallen asleep.

“Martial Uncle Kongchan.”

Jingyou first kowtowed to the Buddha statue, then bowed respectfully to the old monk.

The prayer beads in the old monk’s hand paused slightly. He slowly opened his eyes, swept a glance over the stone statue in Shi Lan’s hands, and said flatly,

Rеαԁ оո KαtRеаⅾіոgСаfе

“This is not an object of Lingyang. This statue once blood-sacrificed an entire world. The dead souls within it number at least in the hundreds of millions. Such an evil fiend deserves heavenly execution.”

Though his tone was calm, it carried a clear killing intent.

Shi Lan was not particularly surprised by the old monk’s discernment. If she was not mistaken, this old monk should be a living Bodhisattva who had attained fruition, a peak powerhouse fully comparable to a Human Emperor. He had certainly been beyond the outer heavens before.

“Gather the monks of the temple. This old monk will preside over a demon-subduing dharma assembly and deliver the dead souls within.”

To lay to rest the dead of an entire world was a matter of great merit. The old monk clearly intended to share that merit with the other monks.

“This disciple understands.”

Jingyou accepted the order and rose to leave.

Only after staring at the statue for a long while did Kongchan slowly shift his gaze and let it fall upon Shi Lan. The calm look in his eyes gradually changed.

After setting down the statue, Shi Lan could not understand the meaning in Kongchan’s gaze, and asked in puzzlement,

“Is there something inappropriate?”

“You are kind and benevolent at heart, benefactor, and a person of great fortune. You have an affinity with the Buddha.”

Kongchan shook his head slightly, moved his gaze away without saying more, and rose to look toward the Buddha statue not far away.

Rеaⅾ оո KаtRеadіոɡСаfe

“Since it is rare for you to come here, would you like to make a prayer, benefactor?”

Hearing Kongchan’s words, Shi Lan suddenly felt something stir in her heart. She had entered the Martial Dao through cultivating the martial arts of Chan Buddhism, and later she had become somewhat entangled with Wuya as well. In the unseen currents of fate, perhaps she truly did have some connection with Chan Buddhism.

Unfortunately, she did not believe in gods or Buddhas.

Even so, just as Kongchan had said, since she was already here, Shi Lan still lit three sticks of incense before the Buddha statue, though she did not make any prayer.

“There is no Buddha in your heart, benefactor, yet you possess a Buddha-heart.”

“Buddha-heart?”

Shi Lan’s brow lifted slightly, her interest piqued.

“On what grounds do you say that, Master?”

Kongchan brought his palms together, intoned a Buddhist invocation, and an unfathomable wisdom-light was hidden in his eyes.

“Most people in this world worship the Buddha in name, yet in truth they worship what they themselves seek. In the end, they cannot escape the word desire. A Buddha-heart follows fate as it comes. Everything in the world has its karmic causes and affinities. Benefactor, you already possess a heart of equanimity.”

Hearing the words karmic causes and affinities, Shi Lan fell silent for a moment and frowned slightly.

“May I ask, Master, what exactly is meant by karma?”