Three requests

The Calamity Tathāgata laughed and said, "This humble monk knows a way to send you back to the Sea Continent."

At the Heavenly Martial Alliance headquarters, Si Ming felt that he couldn't handle the handsome monk alone, as he might be outmaneuvered. So he quickly went home and asked Si Jingyu to help him oversee the situation.

On the way back, Si Ming tried to avoid talking to Calamity Tathāgata and sent someone to investigate his information. Huo Rulai was also aware of his own limitations and did not speak to him along the way, patiently accompanying Si Ming back to Pingyuan Commandery.

Calamity Tathāgata is a well-known figure in the martial arts world, so gathering information about him is not difficult. It is rumored that he is the reincarnation of a spiritual Buddha, born with innate knowledge and wisdom. He can learn any skill instantly, and is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs. After awakening his past life's karma, he gained even more unparalleled cultivation. He was exceptionally accepted as a direct disciple by the abbot of Glazed Temple. At a young age, he had already achieved great success in Buddhist arts and mastered the "Shi Moon Dharma Scripture," one of the two major scriptures of Glazed Temple.

Another key scripture of the sect is the "Chan Sun Martial Scripture". The two scriptures represent the two bodhisattvas who inherited the mantle of the Glazed Medicine Buddha, namely the Moonlight Bodhisattva and the Sunlight Bodhisattva. The three are collectively known as the Three Sages of the East.

Talented, insightful, intelligent, good-looking, and senior, Xilai should logically be the kind of idol-like character revered by all, like the mysterious monk Wuhua in Gu Long's novels, who, despite being a villain, is never suspected. However, he is always surrounded by rumors and gossip, and wherever he goes, there are people who hate him. His titles include "Calamity Tathāgata," "Strange Monk," and "Apostate Monk," none of which are entirely positive.

There are three reasons. First, his background. Xilai was the son of a prostitute, of humble origin, not from a respectable family, and he didn't even know who his biological father was. He grew up in the mud and was raised by the brothel to be a future male prostitute before being noticed by Glazed Temple.

Secondly, there's his reputation for bringing disaster. Although he claims to be able to foresee calamities, others only see that wherever he goes, misfortune follows, and they believe he is the source of all evil.

Thirdly, there were his slanderous remarks against Buddhism. After awakening to his karmic past, Xilai often made shocking statements. He once pointed to a Buddha statue and said, "This thing is perfect for burning as firewood." He also told believers who came to burn incense and pray for peace, "Seeking a doctor is better than seeking help from Buddha, and relying on yourself is better than relying on others," thus promoting the idea that worshipping Buddha was useless.

Xilai's remarks were unbearable even to his fellow disciples at Glazed Temple, and to outsiders they were even more heretical and unpopular. Fortunately, his master always stood firmly by his side, shielding him from the storm and resolving many misunderstandings and difficulties. Otherwise, he would probably have been expelled from the temple long ago.

In Si Ming's view, Xilai's words and deeds are closer to the "fighting monks" of Buddhism. Chan Buddhism Chan Buddhism emphasizes not being bound by established rules and believes that even the teachings of the Buddha in the Western Paradise are outdated and not worth following. Only by surpassing the Buddha and the patriarchs can one be considered truly capable. This concept is a huge shock to traditional Buddhism, whether Mahayana or Hinayana, and going further might even be considered heretical.

Chan Buddhism, also known as the Buddha Mind School, is called a special transmission outside the scriptures. It means that it is a special transmission outside the Buddha's teachings, so it does not use written words or phrases, but directly transmits the Buddha's mind seal.

Chan Buddhism is not Chinese Buddhism, yet it is not separate from Han Chinese Buddhism. It is a further step than Chinese Buddhism, absorbing Chinese Buddhism and becoming thoroughly Sinicized. In its philosophy, one can see the Lao-Zhuang concepts of "self-sufficiency" and "unrestrained freedom," as well as the fighting spirit of "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

Like Daoism, it is the least religious of religions. Can you imagine a Christianity saying that he strives to practice so that one day he can surpass God? Can you imagine a Muslim saying that one day he can surpass...? He would probably be killed before he even uttered those words.

Unfortunately, according to the intelligence gathered by the Heavenly Martial Alliance, there are no signs of the emergence of Chan Buddhism culture in the Barbarian Continent.

This is not hard to understand. Chan Buddhism was able to emerge and develop on Earth because everyone's strength was roughly equal. In a one-on-one fight, no one dared to say they could definitely win. They could only reason with each other. And when it came to reasoning, other Buddhist School sects could not out-argue Chan Buddhism, because Chan Buddhism spoke the truth, especially the truths that no one else dared to speak. Lies may deceive people when spoken alone, but when they are put together with the truth for public discussion, unless one throws a tantrum, they will definitely be exposed.

For example, Chan Buddhism says that if you get sick, you should see a doctor and praying to Buddha is useless, while Pure Land School says that if you get sick, you only need to pray to Buddha and Buddha will bless you with peace and safety. When the two argue, Chan Buddhism says that if you cut yourself, you go to Buddha to bless you and I go to see a doctor. Whoever survives is right. As a result, Pure Land School can only run away.

For example, when the Second Patriarch Huike transmitting the Dharma, a monk Daoheng accused Huike of speaking "demonic language" and secretly sent his disciples to question Huike. However, after listening to Huike's teachings, all his disciples were convinced and none of them returned.

However, in the Barbarian Continent, if the other side cannot win an argument with you, they will directly use force to deal with you, physically eliminating you so that you cannot speak the truth. As a result, it is very difficult for dissenting thoughts to emerge.

In fact, similar struggles exist even on Earth. For example, Daoheng, unable to win an argument with the Second Patriarch Huike, bribed the county magistrate to falsely accuse him of a crime. The Huineng, when transmitting the Dharma, dared not wear the kasaya (monk's robe) because he was assassinated three times for wearing it. He could only transmit the Dharma, not the robe. This shows how intense the factional struggles were.

However, Si Ming had no interest in these things. He had no intention of becoming the Damo of the Barbarian Continent. He simply shared this analysis with Si Jingyu so that she could understand the Apostate Monk Xilai.

"How did you know I came from the Eastern Sea Continent?" Si Ming asked bluntly.

"It's very simple. The Heavenly Martial Alliance's philosophy is completely incompatible with the martial arts world of the Barbarian Continent. Yet, it is very mature and doesn't seem like a new thing; it can only be an imported concept. Furthermore, the origins of the Alliance Leader and others are shrouded in mystery, as if they appeared out of thin air. They also know many martial arts techniques that have never been heard of before. Combining these two factors, it's not difficult to deduce that the Alliance Leader and others come from outside."

Why the Eastern Sea Continent?

Xilai explained, "The Divine Continent of the Central Land has become a dark realm, with no living beings seen entering or leaving. The Northern Ice Continent and the Western Luo Continent are self-contained systems. Only the Eastern Sea Continent shares the same origin as us, so arriving at the answer is not difficult."

Si Jingyu continued, "The Purple-Pupiled Spirit King is the King of Monsters in the Southern Martial World. How could the Glazed Temple not pay attention to the actions of its mortal enemy? I suppose you all know that he tried to open the entrance to the Sea Continent half a year ago. Combined with the timing of our appearance, this is the real reason that led you to make this judgment."

Xilai paused for a moment, then nodded, admitting, "Madam's insight is indeed keen."

Si Ming asked anxiously, "How can we get back?"

Xilai said, "My Glazed Temple possesses a treasure with the power to create space and time, but this treasure alone is insufficient for success. A special ceremony is also required to pinpoint the location of the Sea Continent."

He paused here, as if waiting for Si Ming to ask a question.

Unexpectedly Si Jingyu replied, "The method for performing this special ritual is likely in the hands of the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King, since he successfully performed it once before. So you want to use this as bait to get us to help you deal with the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King."

Xilai opened his mouth, then finally smiled wryly and said, "That's true."

Si Jingyu said, "It is said that monks do not lie. I have three questions, and I hope you can answer them truthfully."

Xilai said helplessly, "This humble monk suddenly understands why the Alliance Leader insisted on bringing me here... Madam, please ask whatever you wish."

"The first question: Hongdou's mother, the daughter of the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King, also known as the Monster Race named Illusion Ji, was she brought to the Sea Continent by you?"

"... Yes." Xilai rubbed his bald head and sighed, "The first question was so tricky, I dare not even listen to the next two. Could you tell me how Madam came up with this?"

"It's very simple. Since only blood relatives can kill the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King, as long as you're in the Barbarian Continent, the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King will not allow any blood relatives beyond his control to exist. At the same time, if you want to do the opposite, the only way is to send his daughter to the Eastern Sea Continent, which is beyond his control. Fortunately, you have a treasure that can create spacetime."

"So it was my side that leaked the information." Xilai smiled wryly again.

"But relying solely on this method to deal with the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King is far too unpredictable. No one can guarantee that Illusion Ji won't give birth to an heir in the Sea Continent, nor can they guarantee that this heir will be able to return to the Barbarian Continent. Therefore, you must have prepared other methods to deal with the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King. And to deal with an unkillable monster, there are only two methods. One is to shift the blame eastward," Si Jingyu looked at Xilai Lai as if he were a criminal, "So, the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King's invasion of the Sea Continent was also fueled by your Glazed Temple?"

"Well..."

Xilai suddenly felt his mouth go dry. He noticed that the atmosphere around him had suddenly become heavy. Alliance Leader Sima had secretly adjusted his position, blocking his escape route.

"Please allow me to explain. It is undeniable that we had the idea of diverting the disaster eastward, but the calamity that the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King brought to the Sea Continent is not as terrible as that in the Barbarian Continent. This is because Sea Continent is protected by the Eternal Barrier, which shields all laws. Whether it is longevity or immortality, all characteristics will disappear. Once the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King arrives in the Sea Continent, he will lose his immortality, and he can be killed without blood relatives. Moreover, his strength will be greatly weakened."

Si Ming snorted, "Even if you know that doing this will cause the people of the Sea Continent to perish and bring endless bloodshed?"

If the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King successfully opens the passage, he may be eliminated by the powerful beings of the Sea Continent in the future, but the Nation of Beauty will likely perish, and the people of the Nation of Beauty capital will also suffer a catastrophic disaster.

"I do not ask for your forgiveness, but I only hope that you can put yourselves in my shoes. Can you understand the despair and helplessness you feel when facing a great monster who is immortal and whose strength surpasses that of Grandmaster?" Xilai pleaded earnestly.

Si Ming coldly replied, "I don't understand."

Xilai nodded and said solemnly, "Actually, I was also vehemently opposed to this plan at first, but my senior uncles and elder brothers insisted on it. Alas, what a sin! Forgive me, forgive me."

Chapter 364 Three Requirements

Si Ming scanned Xilai with ill intent, as if he were about to make a move at any moment. The latter remained calm and composed, completely unguarded, as if he truly had nothing to fear.