Shariputra Brings It to a Close-for Now

In the void, Li Qi and Shariputra stood before the legendary Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Li Qi was the first to step forward. He had many questions he wished to ask Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Now that fate had granted him this meeting, even if it meant incurring another karmic debt, he wanted to voice them.

But before Li Qi could speak, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva spoke first, cutting him off.

He said, "Young Master Li Qi, you possess wisdom that stands shoulder to shoulder with Shariputra's. Even now, you can see through karma, know one part and grasp the whole. Though your knowledge is still insufficient, when it comes to your own cultivation, no one knows more than you. If even you do not understand something, then how could I, who have yet to attain the Buddha Fruit Position and still harbor worries I cannot let go of, possibly know what even you do not know?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva pressed his palms together. Before Li Qi could speak, he had already blocked off his words.

Li Qi regretfully took a step back. He understood what the other man meant.

Wisdom and knowledge were linked to some extent, but not absolutely.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva might possess broader knowledge and deeper experience, but he still could not resolve Li Qi's doubts, because Li Qi's doubts might touch upon certain higher secrets.

Even Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva himself had failed to see through that final layer and attain Buddhahood. How could he tell Li Qi?

Everyone knew that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had made a great vow: until hell was empty, he would never become a Buddha. That vow had helped him firm up his Dao heart, yet in the end, it had become his sole obstacle.

The only attachment in his heart was becoming a Buddha, yet it was precisely that attachment that