Chapter 663: Life and Death, Reincarnation, All Mere Illusions

Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang were both skeptical. From high above, they had clearly seen that the Wu Fang World was dim and gloomy. They had also sensed that it was filled with decay and resentment, with calamity's fate tangled throughout, impossible to unravel.

There had to be something fishy here. It was absolutely impossible that the outside rumors were all there was to it, as Monk Zheng Nian and Arhat Tianyan claimed.

Zhong Wuwang thought, “Besides, this is a place where Buddhist disciples come to train. Every year, many Buddhist experts come here. If it were nothing but a rumor, so many people wouldn't come.”

Chen Shi smiled. “Arhat, Monk, would you let us come along and witness the ceremony?”

Arhat Tianyan and Monk Zheng Nian hesitated.

Chen Shi smiled. “Don't worry. You deserve the credit for establishing a Buddhist Kingdom. We won't take it from you. We only want to witness the ceremony.”

Monk Zheng Nian smiled. “It's not that we're afraid you'll take the credit. It's that my master and I have been preparing for a long time to turn Wotu Kingdom into a Buddhist Kingdom. We've spent our days traveling here and there, persuading people to do good and believe in Buddhism. Only after years of planning have we earned this merit for the Buddhist Kingdom. It's not an enormous amount of merit, but if we share it with you, we'll have even less.”

The old monk looked ready to kill them, so Zhong Wuwang hurriedly held him back and smiled. “Don't worry, you two. We'll just watch, that's all.”

Monk Zheng Nian and Arhat Tianyan exchanged glances, then conferred in low voices. “What should we do?”

“They're from Spirit Mountain, and the Tathagata of Spirit Mountain is the Buddha Lord of this age. We shouldn't offend him. Besides, that old monk looks rather ill-tempered. Could he be the Tathagata's uncle? I've heard the Tathagata's origins are questionable, and that he was born to a monster. His uncle probably isn't a good person either. Maybe we should just let them watch?”

“Medicine Buddha doesn't hold as high a position in Western Heaven as the Tathagata Buddha. We should yield to them.”

Having reached a decision, Monk Zheng Nian smiled. “Very well. Please follow us.”

The two monks left the town and rose into the air, using the power to cross the distance between inches and horizons. Countless mountains and rivers rushed past beneath their feet at great speed.

They had intended to make things difficult for Chen Shi and the others, but when they looked back, the three were right behind them. Only then did they realize the trio's abilities were extraordinary.

Chen Shi quietly asked, “Er Niu, aren't these two monks from the same Spirit Mountain as you?”

Zhong Wuwang shook his head. “Western Heaven has different Buddhas, each ruling over a different territory. They're from Medicine Buddha, while I come from the Tathagata Buddha. We belong to different territories. There are tens of thousands of territories like ours, and together they make up Western Heaven.”

Chen Shi was startled. Was Western Heaven really that vast?

It was the greatest power outside the Celestial Court!

“How did Western Heaven convince the Great Celestial Venerable that they absolutely wouldn't rebel?” Chen Shi wondered.

“That's right. The Great Celestial Venerable has never trusted them,” he then thought.

“Do you think there's something strange about these two monks?” Chen Shi asked.

Zhong Wuwang shook his head. “I can't tell either. Even if something is strange, it doesn't matter. With my master here, we're sure to be safe.”

The old monk said, “Those two monks look perfectly normal. They claim that the Four Elements are Empty, yet they're still worried about others taking advantage of them. They're definitely monks from Western Heaven.”

Chen Shi said, “Earlier, when we were above this place, we saw Buddha Light extinguish. The monks who came here must have been unable to withstand the resentment and were devoured by it. That shows how dangerous this place is. Yet ever since we arrived, everything has seemed as ordinary as the mortal world. Isn't that strange?”

At his words, Zhong Wuwang rose into the air once more and surveyed the land from high above. The Wu Fang World was full of green mountains and clear rivers. There was no sign of overwhelming resentment.

“Strange. This really is strange!”

Zhong Wuwang had profound attainments in Buddhist teachings. He brought forth Buddha Light to shine over the land, but still found nothing unusual. He couldn't help feeling perplexed.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the Imperial City of Wotu Kingdom and descended directly before the court assembly.

The ruler of Wotu Kingdom had already led the Civil and Military Officials there to wait for them. He bowed and said, “Greetings, venerable masters.”

Monk Zheng Nian said, “Greetings, Your Majesty. The little monk and Your Majesty made an agreement before. Once three thousand acts of merit were complete, Wotu Kingdom would become a Buddhist Kingdom in its entirety. Now, after thirteen years, I've completed all three thousand acts. I hope Your Majesty will keep your promise.”

The ruler of Wotu Kingdom said delightedly, “You two venerable masters truly completed three thousand acts of merit. I admire you! Wotu Kingdom keeps its word as well. From today onward, we will abolish every other temple and Daoist shrine. We will no longer believe in the Three Purities, revere the Jade Emperor, or worship the countless gods! From this day forward, we will build Buddhist temples far and wide, spread Buddhist teachings, and accumulate good deeds!”

Monk Zheng Nian and Arhat Tianyan were overjoyed. Arhat Tianyan said, “We must also hold a grand Water and Land Dharma Assembly to deliver all beings, both sacred and mortal, and save the Six Paths, delivering the souls of the dead throughout the Three Realms.”

The ruler of Wotu Kingdom asked, “How should we arrange this Water and Land Dharma Assembly?”

Arhat Tianyan said, “We need forty-eight eminent monks to establish seven altar platforms, including an inner altar, a grand altar, and a Flower Garland altar. We must set up a purified ritual boundary, hang soul-summoning banners for the Three Realms, and summon the spirits of all beings to attend. We must also distribute food and provide vegetarian meals. This food isn't for people, but for ghosts. Once the ghost monsters have eaten and drunk their fill, we'll deliver them and send them into the Six Paths of Reincarnation.”

The ruler of Wotu Kingdom was delighted. “This is a blessing for our country! I'll immediately order people to invite eminent monks and prepare the various altars. Venerable masters, please wait for good news!”

He ordered the Civil and Military Officials to hurry and make preparations, and also sent people throughout the country to seek out eminent monks so that they could join in this grand undertaking.

Before long, everyone in Wotu Kingdom had heard about the Water and Land ritual and that the ruler intended to turn the kingdom into a Buddhist Kingdom, with the entire nation embracing Buddhism. Some rejoiced, while others worried.

The officials of Wotu Kingdom also went around attacking and dismantling temples and shrines, suppressing other faiths. Any place that worshiped other deities had its temples smashed and its Golden Bodies melted down. Everything hung on the walls or enshrined in niches was to be destroyed.

Their worshippers were also captured and made into slaves, forced to build new temples and make new Buddhist statues.

The temples everywhere were magnificent and resplendent. As the saying went, clothes make the man, and gold adorns the Buddha. These statues were decked in gold and silver, and their bodies were to be gilded as well. Wotu Kingdom ran short of gold, so the people were ordered to offer up everything they wore, had embedded in their mouths, or had buried in their tombs, all of it to gild the Buddhas.

For a time, everyone in Wotu Kingdom believed in and worshiped Buddhism, utterly devout.

The seven altar platforms, both inner and outer, were soon built. Monk Zheng Nian and Arhat Tianyan also manifested their sanctity before the people, creating a Buddhist Kingdom's boundary and using magic to bring rain from the heavens, cleansing the land of Wotu Kingdom. Strange phenomena appeared everywhere. Heavenly flowers rained down, and golden springs welled up from the earth.

Everyone praised the Buddha, believing these were divine miracles.

By the seventh day, the Water and Land ritual was ready. The ruler of Wotu Kingdom had invited dozens of eminent monks from all over. Many were clearly from Western Heaven, accompanied by arhats or vajras. A few had Bodhisattvas by their sides, their features solemn and dignified.

Chen Shi even spotted a familiar face: the monk who had traveled with him aboard the ship had also been invited.

Wotu Kingdom was a medium-sized country in the Wu Fang World. Its decision to abolish all other deities and revere Buddhist teachings alone was certainly a major event, which had drawn many Buddhist monks from Western Heaven.

The monks gathered together. The soul-summoning banners for the Three Realms had also been completed, so they began the Water and Land Assembly for Universal Deliverance.

Amid resounding Buddhist chants, Buddha Light descended from the heavens near the capital, revealing one great Buddha after another, as well as the sacred grounds of Western Heaven and the paradise of ultimate bliss. Strange phenomena also appeared in the mountain springs, streams, lakeshores, rivers, and seas throughout the land. Golden lotuses rose from springs, Buddha Light shot from wells into the sky, and withered trees blossomed while the dead came back to life. All kinds of supernatural occurrences spread like wildfire.

Every monk who took part in the Water and Land ritual felt great merit descend upon him, making his cultivation grow stronger and stronger.

Monk Zheng Nian even broke through his Dao Realm again and again, raising his cultivation from the First Dao Realm to the Third. The speed was so astonishing that even Chen Shi was left dumbfounded.

Chen Shi, Zhong Wuwang, and the old monk did not take part in the Water and Land ritual. They watched coldly from the sidelines.

They had seen monks die as Buddha Light was extinguished above the land, so they were deeply suspicious of the scene before them.

However, the Water and Land ritual was proceeding with extraordinary smoothness, and Wotu Kingdom seemed well on its way to becoming a Buddhist Kingdom. Buddha Light was saving all beings, Buddhist teachings were spreading, and the cultivation of Monk Zheng Nian and the others was steadily rising. Even Arhat Tianyan's cultivation had greatly increased, and he looked poised to advance by an entire Dao Realm!

At his level, advancing by a single Dao Realm was incredibly difficult. He had never expected that establishing a Buddhist Kingdom could bring such great gains!

Even the old monk, who had seen much of the world, felt tempted by such benefits.

He had been stuck at his current realm for a long time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come up with the idea of using the Yin Yang Qi Bottle to find a disciple and relying on that disciple to attain the Dao.

Although Zhong Wuwang had taught him yin-yang Dao techniques over the past few years and helped him improve his cultivation, the progress still wasn't fast enough.

He had long heard that the merit gained by establishing a Buddhist Kingdom could directly improve one's cultivation. Seeing it with his own eyes now made him even more eager.

“Good disciple, Fellow Daoist Chen, why don't we join this Water and Land ritual too and get a share of the benefits?”

The old monk proposed, “If it lets us make great progress in cultivation and saves us hundreds or even thousands of years of hard training, that would be wonderful. And even if it doesn't, doing good deeds still earns merit.”

Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang shook their heads together and refused in unison.

“Master, this place is definitely no good place. Don't trust them so easily! There's surely a trap here!” Zhong Wuwang said.

Chen Shi also said, “Fellow Daoist, there's something strange about all this. Let's wait and see, and not let our guard down.”

The old monk was so angry that his beard bristled. He scolded them, “You two are far too cautious! What haven't I seen in my life? What trap haven't I fallen into? Their merit is making their cultivation rise dramatically. That's solid proof! You're being cautious about everything and won't get a single benefit! If you won't take any, I will!”

He joined the Water and Land ritual as well, chanting Buddhist teachings alongside the other monks.

Seeing him, Arhat Tianyan hurriedly said, “Esteemed Elder, you said you wouldn't share our merit...”

“Enough!”

The old monk beat him soundly. Arhat Tianyan's face swelled and bruised, and he didn't dare say another word.

The old monk could feel his cultivation gradually increasing too, and he was delighted. “Fellow Daoist Chen and my disciple are a pair of blockheads, both too timid. With courage like that, how could they kill the Tathagata and become the Buddha Ancestor themselves? I'll take this merit for now. One day, I'll storm Spirit Mountain and make the Tathagata move over, so he can obediently become my nephew.”

Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang continued to observe.

They saw the old monk's cultivation improving, but the two of them remained calm and showed not the slightest envy.

“We've seen plenty of strange things in Western Ox New Continent. This is bizarre, but it's not beyond belief,” Chen Shi said.

“Though things may change in a thousand ways, their essence remains the same. Every strange occurrence will eventually reveal its true form. As long as we're patient, we'll see it through to the end,” Zhong Wuwang said.

Chen Shi smiled. “The Water and Land ritual lasts seven days. It's almost the seventh day, isn't it?”

The seventh day was the day of the communal feast. Banquets were to be held throughout the country, but the food wasn't for the living. It was for the ghosts, so they could eat their fill and enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Soon, the seventh day arrived.

Banquets were laid out across Wotu Kingdom, with incense and candles placed before all kinds of delicacies.

On this day, the monks pushed the Water and Land ritual to its climax. Their faces glowed with golden light, halos of Buddha Light formed behind their heads, and their bodies exuded a strange fragrance. Golden lotuses appeared beneath them. Their forms grew larger and larger, as if true Buddhas were seated before the people.

Today was the day Wotu Kingdom would become a Buddhist Kingdom. The whole country celebrated, lanterns and decorations appeared everywhere, and Buddhist music could be heard on every street.

The people were overjoyed, celebrating this rare grand assembly.

Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang stood in the air, looking all around, but saw nothing unusual.

With merit empowering his physical body, Monk Zheng Nian had grown immensely large. Seated there, he was as tall as the two men in the sky.

At that moment, Buddha Light gathered around him and gradually took the form of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Six radiant wheels, each with its own profound mystery, spun in different directions and connected the Three Realms!

Across the Three Realms, the six forms of life, heavenly gods, humans, asura, beings in hell, hungry ghosts, and beasts, became six great paths of reincarnation!

Even Zhong Wuwang had never seen such mastery of Dao techniques in a Buddha of Spirit Mountain!

Throughout Wotu Kingdom, the other monks also revealed their own Six Paths of Reincarnation, covering the entire country.

Monk Zheng Nian's voice boomed like thunder. “The grand assembly is now drawing to a close. Wotu Kingdom is about to become a Buddhist Kingdom, and the greatest merit is about to descend. Why don't you two senior brothers join us and share in this merit?”

Chen Shi smiled. “Earlier, you didn't want us to share your merit. Why are you willing to share it now?”

Monk Zheng Nian replied solemnly, “That was then, and this is now. My Dao Heart was not sufficiently cultivated before, and I was trapped by my own greed. But after six days of the assembly's blessings, my state of mind has reached the Buddha Realm. I am now happy to share.”

Zhong Wuwang glanced around and smiled. “Zheng Nian, on the seventh day of your Water and Land ritual, you're supposed to offer food to the ghost monsters. Ghost monsters from all over the country should be coming to eat. But it's been so long, and there isn't a single little ghost in sight. Is it because Wotu Kingdom has no ghosts, or because something went wrong with your ritual?”

Chen Shi looked across Wotu Kingdom. People everywhere were celebrating, singing and dancing, but not a single ghost monster had appeared to eat the food!

“Strange...”

Monk Zheng Nian was also taken aback. He looked down over the land, puzzled, and murmured, “In theory, all the ghost monsters in the country should have been summoned...”

As soon as he finished speaking, the people dancing and singing set down their lanterns and climbed down from their stilts. They stopped performing dragon and lion dances and stopped beating drums and gongs. Grinning from ear to ear, they rushed toward the vegetarian dishes and meals along the streets, grabbed the food with their hands, and shoved it into their mouths like hungry ghosts!

Some elderly people grabbed the candles and ate them with loud crunches, as if they were crispy cucumbers.

The ruler of Wotu Kingdom flung open his robe and sat among the food, gorging himself. “Once you've eaten your fill, you can enter reincarnation!”

Monk Zheng Nian stared in shock, unable to understand what was happening.

Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang were also horrified. Throughout Wotu Kingdom, hundreds of millions of people, whether cultivators or not, men or women, young or old, were all feasting voraciously.

As they ate the food meant for ghosts, their faces and bodies gradually twisted. Their features became hideous, and they grew drenched in blood.

Once they had eaten their fill, they leaped up one after another and lunged toward the monks' Six Paths of Reincarnation, shouting, “At last, we can be reborn! We can escape the suffering of reincarnation!”

The dozens of eminent monks presiding over the assembly were shaken to their cores. They felt countless ghost monsters pouring into the Six Paths of Reincarnation under their control, filling them to the brim in an instant!

The paths could no longer bear the strain and collapsed with a crash.

Countless ghost monsters tumbled out of the paths, like sand rolling down a slope. Countless voices shouted and wailed, “Reincarnation is useless too! You bald monks deceived us! You can't deliver us!”

As they howled, they lunged at the monks.

The monks looked terrified. They tried to rise into the air and flee, but countless hands seized them and dragged them back down.

The Buddha Light around them rapidly dimmed. Their Golden Bodies rotted, and they were dragged into the crowd of ghost monsters, where they were bitten and torn at. Before long, they were bloody and could be seen down to the bone!

Beside Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang, Monk Zheng Nian stared blankly at the scene and murmured, “They were already dead... The resentment in this world is too strong, and calamity's fate is too strong. It interfered with normal Dao techniques, making us unable to tell life from death... Wait a moment. My master and I have been here for thirteen years. How did we survive these thirteen years...”

He came to his senses, burst into wild laughter, and looked like a ghost monster himself. Then he rushed toward the food and stuffed it into his mouth.

Amid the ghost monsters, Arhat Tianyan raised his head. His face was hideously twisted, and he grinned as he stuffed food into his mouth.

The master and disciple looked like two evil ghosts.

Not long after they had entered the Wu Fang World, the two of them had already died and become part of the Wu Fang World.