Hard Labor

This is bad.

When the demon stared at him, Li Qi shuddered, his hair stood on end, and his entire body sprang into action!

He knew that life or death hung in the balance at this very moment!

Li Qi never expected that the Chanzhi Chanzhi's condition had deteriorated to this extent. He had even lost control of his demonic thoughts after taking a nap!

If I can't think of a solution in the next second, I'm done for!

His Primordial Spirit and brain began to spin wildly, countless pieces of information flashing through Li Qi's mind!

Then, the next second, just before the demon god set off, Li Qi immediately sat cross-legged and shouted loudly, "The mysteries of the four seasons are exhausted, and the flourishing and withering of the five elements are self-evident. With pure body, speech and mind, I exhaust all the Dharma without remainder."

"Please, Master Chanzhi, observe my Dharma demonstration!"

After sitting cross-legged, Li Qi stopped thinking about anything else and focused on performing the ritual.

Performing the Dharma means demonstrating one's own Dharma to others for them to see.

This is like a martial artist demonstrating their skills, allowing others to understand their techniques, perhaps inspiring or even intimidating them.

There is an even higher level called "Expounding the Dao," but Li Qi doesn't have that level. His Dao can be summed up in a single sentence; he's not qualified to demonstrate it.

This is not Li Qi's Shaman Path, but the Buddhist teachings he just learned from the analysis of the True Knowledge Dao Charm on the body of the Desire Fiend.

"All phenomena are without inherent existence, without birth or death, originally tranquil, and inherently Nirvana."

After Li Qi finished reciting, the ritual officially began, but then strange phenomena suddenly appeared all around.

First, a Bodhi Tree sprouted from beside Li Qi. It was initially just a tender seedling, but it quickly grew into a tree with branches spreading out and dense leaves covering the sky.

Xia Li Qi, chanting the Dharma, and Xianghe with Bodhi.

But the Bodhi Tree, once fully grown, shone with golden light, appeared like a full moon, and gleamed with pearls.

Beneath the Bodhi Tree, all things grow and flourish: butterflies flutter among the blossoms, bees swim among the flowers, doe graze on the grass, and wild rabbits frolic.

Sunlight dappled the ground, creating a dreamlike scene. Li Qi was sitting on a tree root, surrounded by the sweet scent of flowers and plants and the fragrance of earth.

This is a pure land.

What is Pure Land?

It is free from the six senses and external defilements, and is devoid of self and others. It is not attached to annihilation, hence the name Pure Land.

This place seems like a paradise, undisturbed by the dust of the outside world, pure and flawless, incredibly beautiful, like a scene from springtime.

However, the next moment, the tree grew larger and larger, almost reaching the top of the five-story pagoda.

However, the trees soon reached their limit in growth.

The demon that the Chanzhi had transformed into seemed to be hypnotized, staring blankly at the Pure Land.

Suddenly, the earth trembled in eighteen ways, and the sound of heavenly drums could be heard in the air, which filled people with fear and dread.

A strong wind arose in the sky, blowing the windmill. As the windmill moved, the water also moved, and as the water moved, the earth shook.

A demonic figure emerged spontaneously from the swaying motion; its appearance was familiar, and it was none other than the Desire Fiend that Li Qi had seen.

At this moment, the inner demons are wreaking havoc under this Bodhi Tree.

It first burrowed into the belly of a doe, causing the doe to become pregnant, and soon gave birth to a fawn.

The fawn was born with sharp teeth, and its skin was spotted in black, giving it an Evil Qi appearance.

The fawn first suckled at the doe's milk, but then bit it with its teeth, causing blood and milk to mix together.

The doe was in pain, but out of maternal love, she trembled but did not leave.

The fawn became even more aggressive, not only sucking blood but also eating flesh, and the doe never left its side.

Break open the skin, then gnaw on the meat; break open the internal organs, then eat the heart.

The doe was in great pain, weeping and wailing, her body covered in blood, yet she still refused to leave, and was bitten to death.

The fawn continued to gnaw until its belly was round and its stomach burst, then it collapsed and died.

Two inner demon heads emerged from the body of the fawn.

The demon grinned and burrowed back into the bees, only to see the bees suddenly raise their stingers and pierce the body of a butterfly beside them before pulling them out.

The bee's stinger is connected to the internal organs, and this blow directly pulled the internal organs out.

The bees died and the butterflies perished.

The demon transformed into four.

The demon roamed freely, and all living beings drank its filth. The common people became its henchmen; filth permeated the land, and plagues ravaged it. The once pure land was disturbed by the demon, and transformed...

The beings in the Pure Land wept bitterly, feeling utterly dejected and remorseful, beating their chests and crying out, "Alas, how bitter it is!"

The demon god outside the arena laughed heartily upon seeing this, his eyes gradually losing their clarity and his tyranny expanding until it was about to take over his entire body.

But at this moment, the seasons turned, spring was gone, and summer had arrived.

In this pure land, the four seasons cycle.

However, the demon was not concerned and continued to follow his demonic nature, committing acts of destruction.

The weather changes, and autumn has arrived again.

The demons are rampant, and all living beings have nowhere to turn. All living beings are suffocating and collapsing to the ground in despair.

But then Li Qi, under the Bodhi Tree, was reciting the proverb. "Though Mount Sumeru is high and vast, it will eventually be worn away; though the ocean is deep and boundless, it will eventually dry up; though the sun and moon are bright, they will soon set in the west. Even if you wear necklaces and adorn yourself with incense and flowers, if impurity is hidden inside, it is like ashes covering a fire, and fools will tread on it."

The proverbs are recited, yet no living being hears them.

Only the evil voice of the demon spread, and all beings feared death, weeping tears like rain, all experiencing great terror.

But the demon ignored him and even surged toward Li Qi.

However, at this time, the weather turned into winter.

In the bleak winter, all living beings and demons perished.

The demon god watching the performance was stunned.

After the desolation, spring returns.

After the beauty of spring, the demon is reborn.

Then comes summer, autumn, and winter.

And so it goes.

After repeating the cycle ten times, Li Qi recited again. "To purify the land, first purify the mind. The suffering of impermanence in the world is all caused by the demons of the mind."

"Because the mind is pure, that is the Pure Land. To say that the Buddha Land is adorned and pure is not a true statement. It is beautiful but not truly beautiful. The beautiful Pure Land is not truly beautiful. It is called beautiful because in the true nature there is no such beauty. Therefore, this adornment is just an empty name and is not real. Only the true nature is real!"

Upon hearing this, the demon god trembled violently.

What Li Qi said was the method to overcome the Desire Fiend. The Desire Fiend does not only exist in darkness, but also in beauty.

The essence of the Desire Fiend is not simply a demon, but a 'trend' that drives people's hearts downward and causes beauty to degenerate.

This is what makes the 'demon' so terrifying.

It exists in all that is beautiful; the more beautiful it is, the stronger the Desire Fiend becomes.

Because beauty inevitably declines, just as a person in their prime will inevitably become an old person. The most glorious moment of a work of art is the moment it is newly presented to the world; after that moment, every second is one of decline.

The Desire Fiend is the 'trend' of depravity.

If this trend is not stopped, then the evil force will not be eliminated.

Thus, this is the key point of Li Qi's method: the trend of decline cannot be erased. If it could be erased, then all the Desire Fiend in the world could be eliminated.

The only way is to resist, and the method of resistance is the method of the rotation of time in Shaman Path.

The principle is simple: adapt to the times and change accordingly to curb the birth of Desire Fiend. Once decay occurs, the cycle begins anew, restoring the body to a brand new state.

This is the way of rotation.

This cannot eradicate the Desire Fiend, but it can temporarily resist it. If the cycle is turned properly, then it can be as if the Desire Fiend does not exist at all.

The principle is quite simple.

Once the Tao is discovered, it is usually very simple to explain.

But what's truly important is the method.

It's like... everyone knows about pulleys and how they work.

However, when it comes to specific methods, it is necessary to create a complex multi-stage pulley system to utilize this principle.

This is something not everyone can do.

The same principle, the same Dao, can evolve into countless methods, and then extend into countless techniques for applying those methods.

This is also the purpose of Li Qi's method.

He was demonstrating to the Chanzhi god that the Zen monk had transformed into how to resist the Desire Fiend; all the strange phenomena were merely demonstrations of the method he had just created.

To be honest, Li Qi himself was skeptical of this method.

But there's nothing we can do.

If we don't use it now, then we won't have any use for it anymore; it'll become a bowl.

However, unexpectedly, the clarity in the demon god's eyes suddenly increased.

Immediately afterwards, the demon god clasped his hands together, and the four seasons suddenly appeared around him, blooming a hundred flowers in an instant, gathering the four seasons in one moment, unleashing the power of killing in the warm weather, and issuing the order of the whistling flute when he was angry.

The four seasons coexist at the same time, causing chaos in the seasons!

Li Qi was terrified. This demonic monk was not Shaman; even at the seventh rank, he couldn't control the workings of the heavens! He was about to become a demon!

Startled, he quickly went upstairs, set up an altar, and hurriedly reminded them, "Those born in spring, with Jia and Yi in the Yin and Mao positions, are not afraid of Geng and Xin!"

"Since the summer months are long and the days are long, Bing and Ding are in the Si and Wu seasons, so it is not necessary to avoid Ren and Gui!"

"The earth grows in all four seasons and is harmless; do not use your Law Power, use the earth's energy!"

"For the timing of the heavens to be transformed into a proper pattern, it is necessary to distinguish between the waxing and waning phases, and the coordination must be meticulous; one must not let things run wild!"

He offered key tips while using rituals to intervene in the seasonal divisions and improve the cycle of life.

With Li Qi's help, they saw that on the ground floor, a statue of an Arhat suddenly emitted golden light, turning the tables from being suppressed by the demon and suppressing the demon again!

However, of the 108 Arhat statues corresponding to the 108 demons, only one has regained its radiance.

But when the Arhat statue was restored, all four floors of the five-tiered pagoda shook, and the Buddha's light shone brightly, as pure as crystal, with all kinds of images appearing clearly.

Suddenly, strange phenomena appeared: purple bamboo and sandalwood trees formed a forest, peacocks and jasmine sang Buddhist chants, ten illusory images appeared in the dusty world, and myriad images shone with the light of the Buddha-land.

All the Bodhisattva and Buddha Statue statues concentrated their power on that Arhat statue that had been liberated. Based on this, one Arhat statue after another regained the initiative with such support.

It's like a person trying to lift a smooth iron ball. If the ball is just placed on the ground, it's very difficult to exert force and you simply can't lift it.

But if you give the iron ball a handle, a point of leverage, it becomes much easier.

The Arhat statue that Li Qi helped free was then given a handle by the Chanzhi.

So, Chanzhi Zhi exerted his strength and forcibly lifted the iron ball, suppressing the demonic thoughts once again!

The demon's body gradually shrank, withered, and decayed, and then, from it emerged the appearance of the Chanzhi.

He took a deep breath and chanted a Buddhist mantra. "Om Ah Hum, Maha Karaya, Hum Phat."

Li Qi trembled with fear upon hearing this.

This evil monk wasn't chanting the names of Amitabha Buddha or Great Sun Tathagata, but rather the title of Black Heaven!

Mahakala is also known as Black Heaven.

Chanzhi Zhi clasped his hands together and nodded to Li Qi: "Thank you for your help, young friend. Usually, when my demonic thoughts erupt, it takes me two or three months to recover, but this time, thanks to your help, I recovered in one night. It seems that what you said is true. The orthodox methods of Shaman Path can indeed help me balance my Buddhist and demonic thoughts."

He had changed his address for Li Qi from "benefactor" to "young friend".

However, before Li Qi could finish speaking, he continued, "But young friend, you have only figured out the method to defeat one demon. There are still 107 to go. You still need to work hard."

Li Qi's eye twitched.

Judging from your tone? You're expecting me to do all the hard work for you for free?

It took Li Qi eight Chen, almost a day, to defeat one demon.

One hundred and eight chickens would take one hundred and eight days.

This doesn't even mention the subsequent difficulties, such as the conflicts between different methods, the chain reactions that need to be resolved, and so on.

Seeing Li Qi's expression, the Chanzhi smiled kindly, "Young friend, you previously said that you were willing to offer me the wonderful methods of Shaman Path to resolve the conflict between Buddhism and demons. Are you planning to go back on your word?"

Seeing Chanzhi's smile, Li Qi immediately calmed down and said with a smile, "How could that be? I will do my best to fulfill Master's request. It's only half a year. It would be my great fortune to be able to solve Master's major problem."

Then, Li Qi became excited and raised his arms. "When you're out in the world, isn't the most important thing to help each other? Today I help the master, and tomorrow the master will help me. The friendship between Black Heaven and the Shaman Earthly Deity lineage will begin with the two of us!"

"Hahahaha!" Chanzhi laughed heartily.

"Hahahaha!" Li Qi echoed with a hearty laugh.

After laughing, Li Qi turned around and quickly went downstairs.

Being with this wicked monk made him feel numb all over.

This person's demonic form was definitely not something he acquired after he became a demon.

He was originally a demon god! That form was just a change he couldn't control, just like a snake demon who couldn't control himself and reverted to his original form after eating realgar.

This demonic monk's Cultivation Method and Dao Path were gradually converging towards the Black Heaven. Now that he's still useful, they can laugh at each other.

If you are no longer useful, then you must become a bowl.

But as soon as Li Qi turned around, he heard Chanzhi behind him say, "Young friend, you can tell me what you need. You are also a cultivator, so don't worry about two or three years. Just tell me what you need."

"I don't need anything else for now. Just prepare some food for me, Master. If possible, it would be best to get me a bed," Li Qi said, stopping and turning back.

Chanzhi smiled gently and nodded.

However, Li Qi vaguely sensed a shadow lurking behind him.

It was like a vicious ocean reeking of blood, with towering waves of crimson rising up, and a demon god standing behind it, staring at Li Qi.

Originally, it was invisible; Li Qi was not qualified to sense the other party's aura.

But True Knowledge Dao Charm gave him a sense beyond the five senses, and it was this sense that allowed him to perceive this scene.

Li Qi shivered.

But he didn't say anything and silently went downstairs.

A seventh-rank expert has an unlimited lifespan and would become a Buddha or ancestor in many worlds.

We can't afford to mess with them for now.

However, the other party is now focused on trying out the method that I just taught him.

It's my opportunity.