Chapter 662: Buddhist Kingdom

Chen Shi could no longer sense the innocence and happiness he had once seen in Zhong Wuwang’s eyes. Now, all he felt was the envy and jealousy of a fellow townsman, which struck him as truly pathetic.

Back in Western Ox New Continent, they had all laughed and talked together. How had they ended up so estranged?

“The way he looks at me is just like the way he looks at Master,” Chen Shi thought.

“Have you been doing all right these past few years, Er Niu?” he asked.

At those words, tears slipped uncontrollably down Zhong Wuwang’s face.

Men do not shed tears lightly, unless they are deeply heartbroken. And when they are, they are willing to let those tears fall.

Chen Shi had touched a sore spot, and Zhong Wuwang could not help wanting to pour out his grievances.

Back when he fought the Celestial Venerable, he had gotten the better of him at every turn. He had snatched the Yin Yang Qi Bottle, used it to refine the Celestial Venerable’s headless body, and ascended to the Earth Immortal Realm before Chen Shi could arrive and kill him.

Whenever he thought about how he had played that battle, he could grin himself awake even in his sleep.

Who could have guessed that his luck would take a turn for the worse after he ascended to the Celestial Court?

First, at the Yu Heng Sect, divine officials escorted him to Yaoguang Pool, where he bathed and drank its immortal qi liquid. He had no choice but to sign a ten-year contract of indenture. Then he was ordered to campaign in the Northern Continent, where he nearly died at the hands of its demons.

Everyone in his heavenly soldier camp had died. He alone had escaped with his life. He had planned to seize the opportunity to fake his death and free himself from the Celestial Court’s control, but just after he escaped the Northern Continent, an old monk set his sights on him and insisted that, because he had taken the Yin Yang Qi Bottle, he was the old monk’s disciple.

Zhong Wuwang did not want to become a monk, so he explained that someone else had completed the Yin Yang Qi Bottle and that he had merely stolen it from that person. But the old monk had made a small show of testing him with Yin-Yang Dao techniques. Zhong Wuwang discovered that he could not break them with any other Dao techniques. He would have been doomed, and the only way to break them was to use Chen Shi’s Yin-Yang Dao Field.

He did not want to die, so he used the Yin-Yang Dao Field to break the old monk’s Dao technique.

The old monk burst out laughing, then, without a word, plucked every last hair from Zhong Wuwang’s head and burned ordination scars into his scalp.

There was no way to argue his case. Zhong Wuwang had no choice but to become the old monk’s disciple.

Over the years, he had followed the old monk on Spirit Mountain, eating vegetarian food and reciting Buddhist scriptures. The old monk even asked him about yin and yang, pressuring him to pass on more of its principles.

Zhong Wuwang could no longer tell which of them was the master and which the disciple. Fortunately, although he had suffered plenty, the old monk had also taught him everything he knew. He had learned many supreme arts of the Buddhist Sect on Spirit Mountain, and his cultivation had advanced considerably.

The old monk was not especially learned, but he had treated Zhong Wuwang genuinely well. Seeing that his cultivation had borne fruit, he helped him find another Dao Realm on Spirit Mountain.

Of course, the owner of that Dao Realm had refused to give it up. The old monk beat him up, and then he gave it up.

Zhong Wuwang had originally followed the path of cultivating a Dao Realm within his body. This differed from Chen Shi’s path of making Heaven and Earth one with himself, and was another path he had pioneered in response to the anomalies of Western Ox New Continent.

With Dao Unification within his body, no external technique could harm him. He had been born with an indestructible diamond body.

However, the space within his body’s Dao Realm was limited, placing a ceiling on his cultivation at the same realm. At first, he was not far behind immortals of the same realm, but as time went on, he lagged a little farther behind. The higher his realm, the greater the gap became.

The old monk had indeed treated him well. When Zhong Wuwang unified his Dao on Spirit Mountain this time, the old monk made up for his shortfall, giving him a deep and abundant reserve of magic power that surpassed his peers by far.

At this point in the story, the envy and jealousy vanished from Zhong Wuwang’s eyes when he looked at Chen Shi. In their place was pity. He thought, “My Dao Realm is on Spirit Mountain, so I can be considered a native of the Earth Immortal Realm. His Dao Realm, on the other hand, is still in Western Ox New Continent. He’s nothing but a country bumpkin.”

A smile appeared on his face. “As for the True King, he’s just a local emperor in the countryside. What’s there to care about?”

Chen Shi had no idea what he was thinking. Hearing about the miserable experiences Zhong Wuwang had endured over the past few years put him at ease, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.

Chen Shi had also been quite concerned about Zhong Wuwang’s ascension. For one thing, the man had taken his Yin Yang Qi Bottle. For another, he had genuinely worried about the safety of his fellow townsman in the immortal realm.

Seeing that Zhong Wuwang was safe, and that life had not treated him well, put Chen Shi’s mind at ease.

After venting, most of Zhong Wuwang’s grievances had dissipated. He asked, “Why has King Chen come here?”

Chen Shi hesitated for a moment. “I was working in a heavenly soldier camp. Some time ago, I offended King Li, and he wanted my life. So he sent me to investigate Wu Fang World.”

Zhong Wuwang looked even happier. With the air of someone who had been through it all, he laughed and said, “King Li sent you to die. If he wants you dead, he won’t kill you himself. He’ll give you a dangerous mission and send you to your death. The heavenly soldier camp I was in was sent to die in the Northern Continent because we offended King Li.”

Chen Shi was slightly taken aback. King Li had sent him to worlds like Sanyuan and Tailai to investigate the destruction caused by the Scripture of Eternal Freedom Through a Thousand Calamities. Could that really have been King Li’s plan to use someone else to kill him?

If Chen Shi died in one of those dangerous places, King Li could still turn him into a Celestial Way Divine Being.

“King Li, that bastard…”

Chen Shi shook his head and asked, “Is Wu Fang World dangerous?”

“It’s extremely dangerous for you,” Zhong Wuwang said. “But with the two of us, master and disciple, here, it won’t be so dangerous.”

After a pause, he added, “Wu Fang World is a place the Buddhist Sect uses to temper its teachings and build up merit. Monks from the Buddhist Sect often come here from all over.”

As they spoke, the star raft had already crossed the boundless starry sky. It gradually slowed and approached an ancient dock.

Only one deity guarded the dock. He was white-haired and seemed very old, leaning on a hooked halberd as he sat on the pier. Several monks were waiting nearby.

When the old deity saw the star raft coming, he raised his hooked halberd and caught it, drawing it in toward the pier.

The boatman jumped ashore and offered the old deity several sticks of incense. “Thank you for your help, fellow daoist.” He also slipped him a few coins.

The old deity accepted the incense, then crushed the coins in his hand. The extraordinary power inside them burst forth, leaving him looking much more alert.

Deities like him would have long since been forgotten by the world, their divine power dissipating until they grew old and died, if they did not guard a transportation hub like a dock. The boatman was no weakling, and offering him incense was a way of prolonging his life.

The currency circulating in the Earth Immortal Realm was called Heavenly Origin Notes. The deities of the Wealth Ministry forged them with extraordinary power, and they were widely used. Even immortals used this currency to buy and sell goods. An immortal trying to counterfeit Heavenly Origin Notes would have to go to great lengths, and it would not be worth the effort.

Everyone jumped off the star raft. The boatman told them, “My ship comes by once a month. The next trip will be a month from now. If you want to return, remember to come to the dock in advance. I won’t wait for anyone.”

The star raft set off again.

Chen Shi looked around. The dock stood beside a tributary of the Heavenly River. The tributary flowed above a world, forming the brilliant river of stars in its sky.

From within that world, anyone looking beyond the heavens would see a river of stars hanging across the night sky.

Everyone followed the tributary toward the world. Their flying lights looked like stars drifting slowly through the night.

Two or three days passed before they reached the skies above Wu Fang World.

The monks did not hurry into Wu Fang World. Instead, they stopped one by one. Some sat cross-legged and recited Buddhist teachings several times. Others burned incense, brought out images of Bodhisattvas or Buddhas, and silently chanted.

Only when Buddha Light blazed around them did they rise one after another and fly into Wu Fang World.

Chen Shi did not understand what they were doing, so he stood to one side.

The old monk did not understand either and stood beside Chen Shi with his hands at his sides. Only Zhong Wuwang murmured Buddhist scriptures and mantras, blessing the two of them with Buddha Light.

His understanding of Buddhism was remarkably profound, far surpassing that of the monks they had just seen. As he chanted, visions appeared around Chen Shi and the old monk: Sanskrit Chants rang out, and celestial flowers rained down.

Chen Shi looked at the Buddha Light behind his head. Within it, Buddhas had taken form, each sitting cross-legged and chanting in a clear, melodious voice.

“Why don’t you use Buddhist teachings to bless yourself, fellow daoist?” Chen Shi asked the old monk.

The old monk answered honestly, “I don’t know how.”

Chen Shi stared at him, unable to understand why Zhong Wuwang, his disciple, knew how, while he did not.

The old monk explained, “I was originally a demon cultivator. None of my abilities came from practicing Buddhism. I’m a Great Roc Golden-Winged Peng, not a roc, but a carved eagle. I was born with yin and yang qi in my body. As I grew, the two kinds of qi grew stronger and stronger. I came to understand the wonders of spiritual practice through them, but I had no master. I figured it all out on my own.”

Chen Shi praised him. “You mastered it without a teacher. You’re a natural great demon with divine abilities! Could you be of the Great Roc bloodline?”

He was sincerely impressed. To cultivate to the Tai Yi Golden Immortal realm through sheer talent alone was an astonishing feat of bloodline and natural ability.

The old monk said, “I’m a Great Roc Golden-Winged Peng, not a roc. I’m an eagle. My bloodline power is indeed extraordinary. I could contend with the greatest champions under heaven as soon as I came of age.”

He sighed and shook his head. “But later on, other people had teachers and cultivation techniques, while I could only figure things out for myself. Gradually, I fell behind. Spirit Mountain is a good place, but I can’t cultivate Buddhist teachings. Fortunately, I took in a good disciple who taught me a great many things.”

He was extremely satisfied with Zhong Wuwang.

After Zhong Wuwang blessed the two of them with Buddhist teachings, the three of them rose and flew into Wu Fang World.

As soon as they entered Wu Fang World, Chen Shi sensed an indescribable presence filling Heaven and Earth: decay, rot, and endless resentment.

The resentment was so powerful that even he felt an urge to turn around and leave at once.

“This is the resentment left by the lives that died in this world,” the old monk said. “The resentment has mixed with calamity’s fate, turning this place into a dangerous land. Any monk in Western Heaven who has achieved something in their practice will come here to test the Buddhist teachings they have studied and realized.”

They had come to Wu Fang to help Zhong Wuwang test his Buddhist teachings. Since Wu Fang was too dangerous for the old monk to feel at ease, he had come along.

Zhong Wuwang was already at the True Immortal Realm, with his Dao Realm at the Second Heaven. He had come to Wu Fang this time to break through to the Third Heaven.

Suspended in midair, Chen Shi looked down. Wu Fang World seemed rather dim, but pinpricks of light shone within the gloom. They were probably monks from Western Heaven undergoing trials here.

He counted roughly several hundred points of light.

Suddenly, one of them went out. Chen Shi could not help looking at it more closely.

“It must have been a failure of Buddhist teachings,” the old monk said. “Resentment got the better of him, and he’s dead.”

Chen Shi’s heart tightened.

Zhong Wuwang found a place where resentment and calamity’s fate were especially strong and descended. Just as they were about to reach the ground, all the resentment and calamity’s fate in the world suddenly vanished. The sky cleared, and the mountains and earth turned lush and green.

Chen Shi looked around. They had descended outside a town, where many children were playing. Their yellow hair and hanging locks bounced as they ran, and their cheerful voices reached the three men’s ears.

A stream burbled beside them. Women washed clothes by the river, the sound of fabric beating against the water rising and falling.

Chen Shi followed the two monks along the road. An ox cart came up behind them and passed by. Several women and children from the countryside were seated in the cart, on their way to the city to shop. One little girl studied them curiously, seemingly fascinated by who they were.

Because Chen Shi had died once, his eyes could see through yin and yang, life and death. Yet these people looked perfectly well to him. They were not dead.

The old monk also gave a quiet exclamation. “Something’s not right. These people are all genuinely alive. Disciple, can you see anything?”

Zhong Wuwang’s expression was solemn. “Life, death, and reincarnation are all appearances. I came here to see through them.”

The old monk looked embarrassed. “I don’t understand. Fellow Daoist Chen, do you?”

Chen Shi said, “He means that whether the people here are alive, dead, or caught in an endless cycle of reincarnation, those are all just appearances. We must not let appearances sway us. Only by seeing through them can we attain enlightenment.”

The old monk grumbled, “The Tathagata is always telling me to listen to sermons. I keep saying I can’t learn this stuff. They could explain everything clearly in a single sentence, but instead they speak in riddles and trade cryptic remarks.”

They entered the town.

It was lively, and the semi-monthly temple fair was underway. People from all around had come to attend. Goods of every kind filled the streets, and the crowds pressed shoulder to shoulder, streaming through like woven cloth.

Buddha Light coiled around Chen Shi, Zhong Wuwang, and the old monk, while Buddhist chants echoed around them. They drew plenty of attention. Many children circled them, and some even touched the Buddha Light. A few bold ones went right through it, giggling as they said, “It’s like walking through mist!”

The old monk’s expression was grave. He turned his head and asked, “Fellow Daoist Chen, can you tell?”

Chen Shi’s expression was equally grave. He nodded slightly. “If these were ordinary demons or vengeful spirits, Zhong, my senior nephew’s, Buddha Light would have exposed their true forms long ago. But these children touched the Buddha Light and weren’t affected at all. They aren’t vengeful spirits.”

Hearing himself called a senior nephew, Zhong Wuwang felt a little displeased. Still, he said, “I’ve spent these years studying and researching on Spirit Mountain. I wouldn’t dare claim my understanding of Buddhism is the best among my peers, but only a handful are better than me. Under my Buddha Light, the ghosts and vengeful spirits within a radius of a thousand li would all be sent on to a new life. The people here are the only ones unaffected by it. They may sometimes feel resentment, but it’s only over family squabbles or romantic entanglements, nothing like what we saw beyond the heavens.”

He was also puzzled. “The more ordinary things seem, the more we must guard our Dao Hearts within ourselves. We must not let our guard down, not even a little.”

The old monk was a Tai Yi Golden Immortal with boundless cultivation. In terms of magic power alone, he was already comparable to a Great Luo Gold Immortal. He was unfazed by the scene before them and laughed. “No matter how many transformations there are, sheer force can break through them. Wuwang, if you can’t handle it, your master will take care of it for you. Don’t worry.”

Zhong Wuwang knew how strong the old monk was, so he was naturally quite reassured.

The old monk was the kind of demon who could swallow a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals in a single gulp. His strength was terrifying. No matter how dangerous Wu Fang World was, he could leave it with a single flap of his wings.

At that moment, Buddha Light blossomed up ahead, and chanting voices rang out. Chen Shi and the others went over and encountered two monks. One was a young monk, and the other was an arhat with a sturdy build and profound cultivation. Incense-offering energy coiled around him too. He was skilled in cultivating both the immortal and divine paths.

“Senior brother.”

The young monk joined his palms in greeting. “This humble monk is Zheng Nian, a disciple of Medicine Buddha of the Pure Lapis Lazuli Realm. This is my teaching master, Arhat Tianyan.”

Zhong Wuwang returned the greeting. “This humble monk is Wuwang, a disciple of the Tathagata Buddha of Spirit Mountain. This is my teaching master, the great monk Yun Cheng. This is the immortal Chen Shi. How long have you two been here?”

The monk Zheng Nian replied, “Thirteen years.”

“Thirteen years?” Chen Shi asked. “You’ve been here that long. Have you discovered anything strange about this place?”

Arhat Tianyan laughed. “What resentment or calamity’s fate is there in this place? It’s nothing but rumors from the outside. Even if there was any, it would have been completely refined away by now. My disciple and I are preparing to go to the capital of the Wotu Kingdom to preach the Dharma and turn it into a Buddhist kingdom.”