Limits and Horizons

Whether for his own benefit or to protect Hongdou's safety, Si Ming is bound to confront the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King. Therefore, he shares a common enemy with Glazed Temple. He did not agree to cooperate before because of a lack of trust. Who knows if Glazed Temple has already been infiltrated by the Monster Race and deliberately set a trap to lure him and Hongdou into it.

But after witnessing the existence of the "Buddha-Slaying Monk" firsthand, his doubts were completely dispelled. Both the enlightenment shown by Xilai and the determination of the Dragon Gate Temple monks to face death were enough to prove Glazed Temple's stance of not stopping until death, and the two sides had a natural basis for cooperation.

"That's wonderful! With the Alliance Leader's agreement, my trip to the Southern Martial World wasn't in vain."

"Oh, with the resources of your Glazed Temple, you must have no shortage of experts."

"The more forces we have to deal with the Monster Race, the better. There will never be a situation where we 'have enough.' Of course, the Alliance Leader's situation is different from that of ordinary experts. In our plan, we lack someone to cover for the Buddha-Slaying Monk. The Purple-Pupiled Spirit King is inherently suspicious and will not easily believe the Buddha-Slaying Monk's words. He will definitely send someone to investigate his identity. Although we have prepared comprehensive 'clues,' if the Buddha-Slaying Monk reveals a certain martial arts characteristic, it may lead to his identity being exposed. For example, my 'Dustless and Stainless Glazed Pure Body' is unique and has no other branches. Once it is exposed, even the most foolish person will suspect me."

Si Ming understood and said, "That's why you need me to occasionally help you impersonate the Buddha-Slaying Monk, to dispel his suspicions. Since my martial arts come from the Sea Continent, even if I expose myself, he won't have anyone to suspect."

"That's right. Although we also have a few candidates, to be honest, those who reach the pinnacle of martial arts are not unknown figures. They are either famous in the martial arts world or were once famous. If the other side is determined, they can still find clues. But it's different for the alliance leader. Apart from the battle at the Yin River Butterfly Valley, no one has ever seen you make a move. As long as you don't use that sword aura technique that travels through the air, no one can suspect you."

Xilai recalled that battle, in which his opponent used the same move, the Blade Qi Net, repeatedly, leaving him helpless. Now, he realized that it was a blessing in disguise, as he hadn't revealed too much of his martial arts skills.

In fact, apart from this battle, Si Ming had taken action in eliminating the Anomalies, but he always deliberately kept the news secret so that outsiders wouldn't see it. Therefore, apart from the battle against the Flying Zombie where his true strength was exposed, he maintained the "Sick Young Master" form at other times. Even now, Si Jingyu would disguise himself as him to continue fooling the people of the Heavenly Martial Alliance.

"Let's make one thing clear beforehand: I don't want to kill innocent people indiscriminately. Don't make me do anything like massacring a temple," Si Ming hurriedly reminded him.

"Of course not, please rest assured, Alliance Leader. In fact, the Buddha-Slaying Monk has already done his due diligence, and he shouldn't have any more opportunities to kill," Xilai quickly assured him, dispelling any doubts. He then suggested, "However, the background we prepared for the Buddha-Slaying Monk is that of a renegade from Buddhist School, so he must know some Buddhist School martial arts. I wonder if the Alliance Leader..."

"If you're not afraid I'll learn the martial arts of Glazed Temple, then teach me now. Don't worry, I'm a quick learner."

Buddhism is not prevalent in the Sea Continent, so it's impossible to learn any decent Buddhist School martial arts. Now that he's finally made it to the Barbarian Continent, he absolutely cannot return empty-handed. Si Ming thinks it would be best to have all seventy-two unique skills of Glazed Temple, and he wants to learn them all without missing a single one.

"Ha, although my Glazed Temple may not have the same grand ambition as the Heavenly Martial Alliance world, we will not be stingy with a few martial arts manuals. As long as they can help with the great cause of eliminating monsters, what harm is there in passing on the sect's secret scriptures?" Xilai was not stingy at all.

"That's good. Does your Glazed Temple have any Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills or anything like that? Anyway, don't try to fool me with ordinary martial arts. If a Buddha-Slaying Monk only knows one set of Arhat Fist, I won't be the one who loses face in the end."

"Since it's a unique skill, there certainly won't be as many as seventy-two types. My Glazed Temple has no fewer than a thousand martial arts techniques, but only about ten can be called unique skills." Xilai then recited the names of the ten or so unique skills and briefly introduced their characteristics.

Si Ming pondered that he wasn't lacking in skill-based martial arts, but rather in straightforward and powerful techniques. To his shame, despite possessing immense strength, he lacked a matching martial art to fully unleash it. In combat, he mostly resorted to wild, unorthodox punches. The only truly powerful techniques he could claim were the "Radiant King Fist" and the "Sea-Upholding Demon Dragon Art." However, the former was a Luo Continent martial art, suitable for use with Dou Qi, and its application with True Qi was somewhat inadequate. The latter was a Demon Race martial art, so it was even less relevant, as they were from different races.

In addition, his "Supreme Plain Decay True Scripture" has been stagnant due to the lack of nuclear radiation, making it impossible to cultivate. His Jade-Clad Dharma Body is invincible against those below the Nascent Spirit Transformation, but it is somewhat unable to cope with Spirit Transformation experts. Last time when he fought the Flying Zombie, he could not stop the opponent's sharp claws at all. One slash left five claw marks, and one stab left five holes.

Although the "Blazing Yang Battle Art" can be improved by devouring the origins of Anomalies, it is an incomplete Cultivation Method and ultimately has its limits. Body refinement is the foundation of Si Ming's existence. Learning from others can help improve one's own skills, and cultivating a Body Refining Cultivation Method might even promote the development of the Jade-Clad Dharma Body.

After hearing Si Ming's request, Xilai was slightly surprised. He had thought that given Si Ming's slender build, he should learn martial arts such as "Prajna Zen Palm" or "Great Wheel Heavenly Finger". He never expected that he would choose such a "tough guy" style, which was really unexpected.

But he immediately thought that perhaps the other party lacked this type of martial arts and wanted to learn from it. After all, Buddhist School martial arts are indeed known for their fierceness. Moreover, if he wanted to conceal his true identity, using a completely different martial arts style would make it easier to confuse others' judgment.

"Among the unique martial arts of this temple, there are two known for their fierce power: the Vajra Demon-Subduing Divine Ability and the Brahma Sea Asura Art. The former includes martial arts such as the Mighty Vajra Palm, Mighty Vajra Finger, and Mighty Vajra Leg, while the latter is a method of forging Buddhahood through demons. It emphasizes stimulating the demonic nature within one's heart and then suppressing it with Buddhist teachings, achieving the effect of 'the Buddha is ten feet taller than the demon.' However, this method is unorthodox and can easily affect one's mind, leading to loss of control and demonic possession. Therefore, very few people in this temple practice it."

Si Ming pondered, "From the perspective of playing the role of Buddha-Slaying Monk, the 'Brahma Sea Asura Art' is clearly more suitable, and it's more effective."

Xilai quickly advised, "But we must also consider its hidden dangers. This ultimate technique is considered useless in our temple, because to successfully cultivate it, the practitioner must possess a very high level of Buddhist cultivation in order to suppress the demonic nature and avoid Qi Deviation. However, a high-ranking monk who has been immersed in Buddhism for many years has already mastered supernatural Divine Ability and does not need to cultivate the 'Brahma Sea Asura Art'. In fact, in the past hundred years, only this humble monk and two senior monks have successfully cultivated this ultimate technique, and even those two senior monks only forced themselves to cultivate the 'Brahma Sea Asura Art' in order to play the role of Buddha-Slaying Monk."

This person is a "reincarnation of a spiritual Buddha," so it's not surprising that he could achieve this at such a young age. Si Ming doesn't believe he has the same wisdom as Xilai; he just has something else to rely on.

Will mastering the "Brahma Sea Asura Art" lead to Qi Deviation?

"Having achieved mastery, one can naturally suppress demonic nature, reaching a state of demonic appearance with a Buddha's heart, and a state where Asuras cease killing."

"Then there's no problem."

Si Ming was full of confidence. It would only take a few more readings. Seeing that Xilai was still trying to persuade him, he said, "Why don't we learn both skills at the same time? I'll learn whichever one I can learn faster. What if I have a talent for the 'Brahma Sea Asura Art'?"

Xilai thought about it and realized it made sense. Judging from the rumored martial arts level of this alliance leader, it wouldn't be long before he mastered the two ultimate techniques to the entry level, and the answer would come out then. Besides, to say that the other party couldn't cultivate the "Brahma Sea Asura Art" was simply looking down on him.

"Very well, anyway, I only remember the introductory part of 'The Vajra Demon-Subduing Divine Ability,' and I can only see the rest at the Glazed Temple. In addition, our temple also has two unique techniques for body tempering: 'The Vajra Indestructible Divine Art' and 'The Tathagata Dharma Body.'"

"No 'Golden Bell Cover'?"

"The Golden Bell Cover is a protective Gang Qi technique, belonging to the internal martial arts. Its principle is to release True Qi outwards, forming an inverted golden bell to resist the enemy's attack. This is different from external martial arts that rely on the body to withstand attacks. This is the technique I practice. Does the leader want to learn it?"

"Never mind."

Si Ming knew without asking that this martial art would definitely test one 'Internal Cultivation strength, which was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

"Let me return to the two martial arts techniques we originally discussed. The Vajra Indestructible Divine Art is renowned throughout the martial arts world, and many know that once mastered, one's body becomes as if clad in golden armor, transforming into a Vajra body capable of withstanding all external attacks. It is a purely external defensive Cultivation Body. The Tathagata Dharma Body, on the other hand, originates from the Buddhist tradition of the Divine Continent of the Central Land. It was obtained by a senior member of our temple through a fortuitous encounter. It can not only resist external attacks but also neutralize the penetration of True Qi. Moreover, it is immune to all poisons and has extremely strong resistance to Technique Method of various attributes."

"It sounds Tathagata Dharma Body is much stronger than the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art. With it, who would still want to cultivate the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art?"

"Because it's too difficult to master. Although the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art is also difficult to master, five people in our temple have mastered it to a high degree. However, none of them have mastered the Tathagata Dharma Body. This divine skill is divided into three levels, each progressively higher: the Arhat Tribulation-Delivering Body, the Bodhi Indestructible Golden Body, and the Tathagata Indestructible Dharma Body. To date, our temple's disciples have only mastered the Arhat Tribulation-Delivering Body; no one has even mastered the Bodhi Indestructible Golden Body."

"That's what makes it difficult. I love challenging myself with difficult techniques," Si Ming said without hesitation. "Then let's go with 'The Tathagata Dharma Body'."

Chapter 367 Limits and Vision

The "Brahma Sea Asura Art" requires extremely high Buddhist cultivation. To achieve the effect of "the Buddha is one foot higher than the demon" rather than being devoured by demonic nature, one's own concentration and temperament must also be excellent. However, this does not mean that people with poor Buddhist cultivation cannot practice it.

The saying goes, "All sentient beings have the heart of Buddha, and everyone can become a Buddha." Even ordinary people can cultivate the "Brahma Sea Asura Art," but the possibility of failure and demonic possession is greater. In other words, perhaps only one in a hundred people can succeed.

For Si Ming, none of these matters matter, as long as it's not theoretically impossible. In fact, his will and temperament are quite outstanding, and he also understands a lot of Buddhist principles and knows about the Zen path that has not yet been born in this world. All things considered, he is no less than the high monks of Glazed Temple. Putting aside his talent for sudden enlightenment, he has a 50% to 60% success rate.

Under Xilai's guidance, Si Ming practiced the "Brahma Sea Asura Art" while traveling. This martial art truly lived up to its reputation as the supreme martial art of the Glazed Temple. He practiced for a whole day and only managed to enter the basics, completing the step of "incorporating demonic energy into the heart." This was because, in addition to its own mental cultivation Mnemonic, this supreme martial art also included other sub-techniques, such as the "Asura World-Annihilating Saber," "Brahma Sea Demonic Sound," and "Vajra Wrathful Form." The sword technique that Xilai used when he transformed into the Buddha-Slaying Monk was the Asura World-Annihilating Saber.

Si Ming had just begun practicing the "Brahma Sea Asura Art," was in the midst of a surge of demonic energy. His mind was filled with wild ideas and his desires were running rampant. His gaze towards Hongdou was like fire. He did hundreds of push-ups, almost breaking through the earth. In the end, with the help of the supreme Buddhist power from the Xilai, he managed to stabilize his demonic thoughts and prevent himself from going berserk.

Just as Xilai was carefully considering his words, trying to persuade Si Ming to give up in a tactful way, Si Ming regained his composure on the third day. This was because he had already mastered the "Brahma Sea Asura Art" to a minor degree, which was enough for him to resist demonic nature on his own and reach the state of using demons to forge Buddhahood and nurture Buddhahood.

On the fifth day, the day he arrived at Glazed Temple, Si Ming's "Brahma Sea Asura Art" finally reached its peak, completing the transformation from demons arising from the heart to Buddhas arising from the heart. He was able to control the Asura Blade with a compassionate heart, just as an Asura sailing on the Brahma Sea, nourished by heavenly rain, with Divine Intent Halts Slaughter.

To Si Ming's delight, this unique skill also significantly improved his mental state, transforming inner demons, controlling murderous intent, and mitigating the side effects of Super Martial Dao to some extent.

As a witness, Xilai's feelings changed from shock to numbness. He was rumored to be the "reincarnation of the Buddha Spirit," so he naturally had extraordinary abilities. Not to mention his innate wisdom, his high level of comprehension was praised as the first person in the Glazed Temple in a hundred years. He also received the inheritance of the Nirvana Heart Seal, which added to his superb cultivation and Grandmaster- level martial arts experience. Even so, it took him four years to cultivate the "Brahma Sea Asura Art".

This time was by no means long, because he broke the record. The fastest person to cultivate the "Brahma Sea Asura Art" before him took eight years, twice as long as him. The abbot of Glazed Temple once lamented that no one would be able to break Xilai's record within the next hundred years. As a result, the record was broken right before his eyes, and he witnessed the whole process.