The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

The water in the Heavenly Dragon Pond wasn’t ordinary water. When Fangzheng gently scooped it up, it was cool to the touch, but not biting cold. It was extremely comfortable and felt no different from the Unrooted Clean Aqua in his Buddha Vat.

“Nice, such a huge pond of Unrooted Clean Aqua… I’ve made a killing!” Fangzheng could not help but marvel.

At the same time, the passageway in the middle of the pond led into the distance. It wasn’t covered by water, and the surface was just a tiny bit higher than the pond’s surface. From afar, the path and the pond seemed to be at the same height, and from the sky, the path looked like a line crossing a sky-blue mirror. It wasn’t too wide or narrow, and its location was perfect. Everything looked like it was beautifully made in the most natural way possible.

“As expected of the System’s product…” Fangzheng thought all day, and finally used the most simplest word of praise while sighing. “Awesome!”

But Fangzheng was puzzled. “System, must the Heavenly Dragon Pond be placed here? Couldn’t I choose my own spot?”

“You could, but you didn’t tell me, so I automatically placed it for you. I wouldn’t hold onto such a huge item for you for too long,” said the System with a nefarious chuckle.

Fangzheng rolled his eyes when he heard that. The System sure was petty! All he did was comment on the System taking a commission. And the next thing it did was to place the Heavenly Dragon Pond at his door… However, it had ended up really beautiful!

“How pretty! I’ll go look at our monastery!” Lone Wolf sighed as he scampered forward.

Squirrel and Monkey hurriedly followed.

When Fangzheng saw this, he smiled. Who wouldn’t want to take a look at the massive changes to their own home? However, he was their master after all and had to take note of his image. Therefore, he didn’t run. Instead, he walked over with his hands behind his back. It was at this moment that he noticed Red Boy not running too. However, Fangzheng couldn’t be bothered to ask. Ever since the episode of his ginseng being called nothing but carrots, he couldn’t be bothered to care about the experienced smartass.

Looking to his side, the Heavenly Dragon Pond was like a mirror. It perfectly reflected those who walked past it. As Fangzheng looked at the white-robed monk in the water, he could not help but marvel. “This Penniless Monk is actually that handsome? Tsk. Who said that only women blossom into womanhood? Can’t This Penniless Monk also bloom?”

What Fangzheng said wasn’t wrong either. Having been drinking Unrooted Clean Aqua, eating Crystal Rice, and cleansed by Buddhistic aura, Lone Wolf, Squirrel, and Monkey had experienced tremendous changes, much less Fangzheng who received the most number of advantages as the abbot. Ever since Fangzheng cultivated in the Dragon Elephant Body Tempering Art, his body seemed to have grown a little taller, to slightly more than 1.8 meters. His physical build adhered to the Golden Ratio, and his muscles were in perfect proportion with immense strength, unlike the massive muscles bodybuilders had. As for looks, he had subtly changed. Nothing could be noticed if one looked at him all the time as it was a silent transformation. But if Fangzheng compared himself to a picture of himself from a year ago, he looked like someone completely different. It was astounding!

Just as Fangzheng was feeling pleased with himself, he looked up and saw Squirrel, Lone Wolf, and Monkey standing in a line, looking in the direction of One Finger Monastery with their mouths agape.

Fangzheng was puzzled. What was it that resulted in such a reaction?

When he walked to the Heavenly Dragon Pond’s side and turned his head back, he was instantly captivated by the beautiful scene before him!

He saw a blue sky and white clouds, red brick walls and glazed tiles, emerald-green bamboo, golden Luohan trees, and the lush, green bodhi tree. Coupled with the bell and drum tower that looked like two divine beings guarding the entrance, everything was reflected by the Heavenly Dragon Pond. It was a perfect replica and reflection. Instantly, Fangzheng felt mentally adrift. Which was the monastery? The one on the ground or the one in the Heavenly Dragon Pond?

Thinking back to the dilapidated monastery from a year ago, Fangzheng felt a sense of pride when he saw this. The past year hadn’t been in vain!

With this in mind, Fangzheng strolled back to the monastery with his hands behind his back. He was in a good mood and planned to have an additional dish for dinner.

After entering the backyard, a swath of green caught his sight. On careful look, it was the ginseng which was reaching high into the sky. Only then did Fangzheng remember that he hadn’t fertilized the ginseng that day. He walked over, flicked his finger, and the Buddhistic medicine Spirit Qi on his wrist flew out and landed on the spirit ginseng. For a moment, Fangzheng seemed to see the spirit ginseng shake in happiness.

Fangzheng rubbed his eyes, but when he looked at it again, the spirit ginseng was still.

“Either my eyes are playing tricks on me, or it was the wind,” Fangzheng mumbled, thinking nothing of it.

Being in a good mood, he ate his meal and did what was needed. However, Fangzheng was clearly a little distracted… After eating his meal, he returned to his room and fished out the eighteen lotus seeds. These seeds were eighteen Buddhist Lotuses. Fangzheng believed that if he threw them into the Heavenly Dragon Pond, they would definitely bloom that very day, adding a more perfect touch to the pond.

However, Fangzheng didn’t dare do so. The appearance of the Heavenly Dragon Pond was already baffling enough. Although it could be explained by the earthquake, to quake out something so beautiful with spring sources was quite inconceivable already. Even a fool would know that there was a problem if the earthquake brought out lotus flowers.

Therefore, Fangzheng held back on scattering the seeds. There was no rush, so all he could do was patiently wait. He needed to tide through this period first.

Deep into the night, Fangzheng dreamed of lotus flowers blooming across the Heavenly Dragon Pond. There were carps soaring into the sky and with a flip, they revealed their bellies which had dragon claws growing out of them!

Fangzheng jolted awake and looked out. It wasn’t dawn yet, but taking a look at the time on his cell phone, it was almost time to wake up.

He walked out of the monastery and saw the calm Heavenly Dragon Pond reflect the stars in the sky. Fangzheng seemed to see the endless starry sky, and his inner heart which was in a little turmoil because of the Buddhist Lotuses instantly calmed down.

“System, this Heavenly Dragon Pond is a little weird. What it reflects is different from what other ponds reflect. The Heavenly Dragon Pond is clearer. Seeing its reflections and looking at normal water reflections, the latter feel like they’re censored,” Fangzheng pondered aloud out of curiosity.

“The Heavenly Dragon Pond to you is just a bigger pond, but even if it really is only a pond, it’s still a pond of Mount Numinous. The reason why it’s called the Heavenly Dragon Pond is because it’s used to rear Heavenly Dragons on Mount Numinous! The carp fish in it absorb Buddhistic aura and one day turn into dragons. If an accomplished monk were to encounter such an event due to fate, the dragon would become the accomplished monk’s Guardian Protector. Such a pond comes with a Dragon aura and as it absorbs Buddhistic aura, it also emits Spirit Qi that can nourish all things. Is it weird that such a pond has much clearer reflections?” the System asked.

Fangzheng thought about it and indeed, that could be the case. He rubbed his nose and walked onto the Heavenly Dragon Pond. To others, the Heavenly Dragon Pond was a pond, but to Fangzheng who possessed the Savior shoes, it was just a platform.

Fangzheng stretched out his arms and took a deep breath as he began practicing the Dragon Elephant Body Tempering Art! In the past, he would practice it in the monastery, but the monastery was only that big. It couldn’t be split. The front yard had the temple hall, as well as the bodhi tree which took up a lot of space. The backyard had Lone Wolf’s kennel, the erect spirit ginseng, and some tables and stools. Therefore, every time he wanted to cultivate, he needed to go out or tidy up the area.