In the inner courtyard, as the chanting ended, the crowd quickly dispersed.
Li Su breathed a sigh of relief. Although this was somewhat different from the temple life he had imagined, at least it only happened once a week, four times a month, and forty-eight times a year. It wasn't bad. What a joke.
Although there are no major problems at this stage, Li Su has already felt it clearly: the roots of his Dao fruit have been fully established, and there is no room left in his body. His comprehension of the Amitabha Sutra has also reached its limit, and he cannot continue at this stage.
Therefore, the buds on the Dao Fruit have begun to sprout and grow on their own.
His Dao Fruit will blossom as early as today, or at the latest in two days.
Once the fruit of enlightenment blossoms, magical power arises spontaneously. Combined with his understanding of the Amitabha Sutra, what kind of concept would that be when he recites the sutra?
We have to find a way. Li Su doesn't want to become Fazhao, be surrounded by people, and lose her freedom.
"Oh, right, senior brother!" Fazhao, who had already left, suddenly turned around and said.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"My master said that after you finish chanting the sutras here, he wants me to take you to the main hall."
"The main hall? What's the abbot's business?" Li Su raised an eyebrow. Fazhao's master was different from him. What was he doing there? Could it be that he was going to be expelled from the sect because he hadn't blossomed in ten years? No way! Did the Buddhist Sect also have this situation? You know, the Daoist sect doesn't expel people simply because they have too little talent. It's because they believe that continuing would be a waste of life. After all, the Daoist sect pursues Longevity Art, which is fundamentally different from the Buddhist Sect.
Buddhist Sect seeks to refine the mind; even an iron tree that cannot open is a kind of spiritual attainment, and therefore, the more this is the case, the more one needs to cultivate oneself.
Fazhao also looked puzzled and shook his head, saying, "Hmm, I don't know, that's how Master informed me." However, given his senior brother's Buddhist nature, it wouldn't be surprising if he were asked to do anything. Even if he were asked to preside over the Pure Land Sect's morning chanting starting tomorrow, probably no one in the entire Pure Land Sect would refuse; on the contrary, they would welcome it immensely.
Once a week was actually an order personally given by Master, forbidding anyone from disturbing Senior Brother Fahai. Otherwise, Senior Brother would probably have been summoned to the main hall to preside over the ceremony half a year ago.
Li Su put down the broom, deciding to ignore it and go see what was going on.
"Alright, let's go then."
The two walked side by side towards the main hall.
Along the way, seeing this scene, many of the disciples of the Fa generation who hadn't yet dispersed couldn't help but light up. Heading to the main hall? Could it be that the abbot is finally planning to have Fahai preside over the morning prayers?
Although I listen to it once a week, I've listened to it 24 times in six months, but it's clearly not enough.
Brother Fahai's path to enlightenment, his understanding, his Buddhist heart, Buddhist principles, and Buddhist intentions have a tremendous impact on everyone. His tranquility is unforgettable once experienced. Even the path to enlightenment is shaken. It is the highest understanding of the Amitabha Sutra.
Feeling the strange looks from the disciples around him, Li Su became increasingly uneasy as he walked.
What's going on? Did I accidentally expose myself?
With a hint of unease, Li Su and Fazhao arrived at the main hall. The once magnificent and grand main hall now inexplicably felt like the Demon-Subduing Hall in Li Su's eyes. Inside, there was no longer Shakyamuni, but a creature with a gaping maw.
Is it just my imagination? Is this my imagination?
Li Su's eyelids twitched, and she had an urge to run away, but it was clear that she was already here, and it was too late to retreat.
After all, although he had attained the Dao Fruit and his physical strength was astonishing—no, it should be said that it was inhuman—there was no doubt that he was still just a mortal.
So be it!
Li Su took a breath, resignedly lowered her head. Why? She had hidden herself so well, why did her sect notice her? Yes, it was Fazhao, no mistake, it was Fazhao, it was all Fazhao's fault.
Soon, they entered the main hall.
A fragrant aroma wafted over, and not only Li Su, but also Fazhao couldn't help but look up at the source of the scent.
woman?
Putting aside her appearance, why is there a woman here? And judging from her identity, she is clearly not a nun, but an ordinary woman. How did she get here?
"Have they arrived?" Abbot Master Chengyuan smiled.
"Yes, Master!" Fazhao his hands together and bowed.
"Disciple Fahai greets the Abbot," Li Su said, clasping his hands together and bowing.
"Hmm!" Master Chengyuan nodded and said, " Fahai!"
"Yes!" Li Su raised her head, a question in her eyes. What did the abbot want with her?
"This is Qian Hui Huitanyue. Due to some unfortunate events at her home, based on her description, we suspect that a demon has entered her house, and that the lurking demon is exceptionally powerful. With the older generation of our sect unable to leave, we can only entrust the Pure Land Sect to you for now."
At this moment, not only Li Su was stunned, but Fazhao was also stunned. Senior Brother exorcising demons? Indeed, Pure Land Sect had this service, but not only had Senior Brother never left the sect, but more importantly, Senior Brother's Dao Fruit hadn't even blossomed yet. Moreover, judging from Master's words, the demon in the other's residence was probably a powerful demon. How could Senior Brother be sent? Shouldn't one of the other senior brothers with equally amazing abilities have gone instead?
Immediately, Fazhao couldn't help but want to say something.
Li Su was also surprised and looked at the abbot with great confusion. This old monk? Is he crazy? Why is he calling me? I haven't even achieved Dao Fruition yet! Kill a demon? A powerful demon at that? This must be serious! Hello, 120? Please come immediately, there's a lunatic here!
However, before the two could speak, Master Chengyuan smiled and said, " Fahai, your Dao Fruit is about to blossom, isn't it? It should be ready by tomorrow at the latest..."
Upon hearing this, Li Su's heart skipped a beat. Damn it, she had been seen through.
Fortunately, it was only his cultivation progress that was visible; after all, he Meizang. But can you really see the Dao Fruit even if it hasn't blossomed? Hmm, I've learned something.
"I know you are devoted to Buddhism and do not wish to be tainted by the mortal world. However, well, I've only come today to inform you. Whether you go or not is up to you after your Dao Fruit blossoms tomorrow. If you are still unwilling by then, I will send someone else."
Master Chengkong smiled and said, "Alright, you may leave now."
Li Su stared at the sect abbot with a bewildered expression for a long time. This wasn't just insane, it was utterly insane! Had his brain rusted? Why would he abandon peaceful cultivation to go out and kill demons? It's not like the Daoist sect next door where you can obtain materials by killing demons; Buddhist Sect doesn't care about that, does it?
Immediately, Li Su bowed respectfully and withdrew.
"Master!" Fazhao couldn't help but speak as he watched his Fahai leave, a look of confusion on his face.
Master Chengkong shook his head, then turned to the woman and said, "Qian Tanyue, you should take your original group back. It would be best to send a message by carrier pigeon. With my disciple's abilities, he should be able to reach Hangzhou in a week at most."
The woman paused, taken aback. A week? Were you kidding? They'd traveled from Hangzhou, on horseback and by carriage, for almost half a month, and that was along the official road. However, remembering the abilities Master Fahai had demonstrated, the woman gasped. She nodded, said nothing more, and simply stated, "I understand. I'll leave now and send someone to inform my husband to receive Master Fahai."
"Hmm!" Master Chengyuan nodded and said nothing more.
The woman quickly took her leave.
Now that everyone was finally alone, Fazhao was about to speak.
Master Chengyuan suddenly spoke up, "Your Fahai is different from you, and different from most disciples of the Pure Land Sect."
Fazhao was taken aback.
"The Buddhahood he sought cannot be attained within the Pure Land Sect."
"Ah?"
Master Chengyuan smiled, closed his eyes, and said, "Yes, it's impossible. As a Buddhist Sect disciple of the Pure Land Sect, a rare figure, no, a once-in-a-millennium individual, how could Fahai's path to Fahai be completed sitting down?"
Are you kidding me? That's Buddha Land!!!
Six months ago, when strange phenomena appeared on Li Su's body, the first people to be alarmed were Chengyuan and his master, the Shandao.
They had already made guesses, but when the other party's supernatural powers manifested themselves, they realized just how terrifying Fahai's comprehension was.
It's actually the fundamental teaching of the Amitabha Sutra, the Pure Land Buddha Kingdom!!
Although the Amitabha Sutra is not the highest scripture of the Pure Land Sect, it contains this sentence.
Those who study Buddhist scriptures may not necessarily become Buddhas, but those who attain Buddha Land will certainly be the World Honored One!
Zhejiang was practically the only route Fahai could take; he had no choice but to go there!
The Pure Land Buddha Kingdom undoubtedly possesses great supernatural powers, with boundless Dharma power. Even a single Pure Land Sect could provide for a thousand years of peace. But frankly, the Pure Land Sect simply cannot afford to support such a person.
******
Back in his room, Li Su couldn't help but kowtow. Although he was absolutely certain the abbot was mentally unstable, the abbot's confident tone made him feel uneasy.
Why? Why must I go there after my own Dao Fruit blossoms? It doesn't make sense, there's no reason why.
This is clearly against his character.
However, Buddhist Sect practice emphasizes cause and effect, and the old monk's seemingly eccentric words undoubtedly made Li Su feel uneasy, as if he really had no choice but to go.
After fidgeting for a while, Li Su took a deep breath and decided to just let the flowers bloom.
He sat down cross-legged, and with a slight thought, focused his mind on his Dao Fruit, beginning to encourage it to bloom.
As the thought arose, the Dao Fruit within Li Su's body immediately responded. Its roots trembled, absorbing and releasing nutrients, and its buds shook and began to sprout.
Very quickly, very quickly.
It typically takes about ten days to half a month for a single flower to bloom.
But when it came to Li Su, the buds sprouted and instantly produced nine branches at once, beginning to grow wildly.
A branch nine inches long, bearing nine leaves, its tip trembles slightly, and a flower bud begins to emerge, slowly opening.
The flower has nine petals and nine layers.
It was indeed the Nine-Nine Lotus!
Even though she was somewhat prepared, Li Su was still shocked by her own situation; she hadn't expected it to be so exaggerated.
It has nine branches, nine lotus flowers, plus ninety-nine petals—what does that even mean?
729 floors! That's practically unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated.
Each floor represents immense power; what would happen with 729 floors? It's likely that a single thought could overturn mountains and seas.
For a moment, Li Su couldn't help but feel extremely excited, as if his era had arrived even in this world.
What Thousand-Year Tree Demon, what Black Mountain Demon, it's all bullshit.
Once his nine lotuses bloom and his supernatural powers are fully realized, and his Buddha Land emerges, he will capture all the millions of demons in one fell swoop.
After thinking for a while, Li Su suppressed her excitement, looked at her Dao Fruit Flower, and waited quietly and patiently.
Why is it so slow?
Seeing that the first flower only bloomed for two layers before stopping, and the progress was getting slower and slower, Li Su couldn't help but be stunned.
What's going on?
"Alright, Fahai, you can stop now."
Just as Li Su was puzzled, a voice entered his ears.
Li Su froze, stopped blooming, and opened her eyes.
The next moment, he found that his own room was gone, and he could see a sky full of stars when he looked up. Not only that, but a quick scan of his surroundings Li Su that the area within a ten-meter radius of where he was standing was completely covered in sand.
Holy crap, what's going on?
"Just as I thought."
An old monk approached; it was Shandao, who had once caught a glimpse of Li Su from afar. He stood beside Li Su and sighed.
Looking at the old monk, Li Su paused, then asked, "Grandmaster?"
The Shandao said softly, " Fahai, do you know how the stages of enlightenment in the Buddhist Sect are divided?"
"Uh, the height is determined by the number of Lotus, and the width is determined by the number of Lotus layers."
The more flowers there are, the stronger the power. The more layers each flower has, the deeper the power.
"Well, what else is there besides that?"
"Besides that?" Li Su was taken aback, then shook her head, not knowing anything more.
"In fact, my Pure Land Sect makes distinctions in terms of both depth and breadth."
The Shandao gently said, "In terms of height, three lotuses represent the Arhat realm, six lotuses the Bodhisattva realm, and nine lotuses the Buddha realm. At the same time, in terms of width, three layers represent the power of an Arhat, six layers the power of a Bodhisattva, and nine layers the power of a Buddha."
Li Su nodded subconsciously. So that's how it is. No wonder the Pure Land Sect didn't explicitly define Pure Land Sect; from the very beginning, they calculated realm and power separately. But what's the point of that?
"Realm is easy to cultivate, but true power is hard to attain!"
Li Su was stunned. Shouldn't it usually be the other way around? Shouldn't it be that power is easier to cultivate, but higher realms are harder to reach?
"I haven't really talked to you about this before, because I figured you wouldn't encounter this situation. But now that you've reached that point, I'll just give you a brief overview."
"Reaching higher realms is undoubtedly difficult, but given the current state of the world, attaining greater power is undoubtedly even more challenging!"
The Shandao raised his head and looked at the boundless, rising demonic aura outside the Pure Land Sect. "The world is in chaos, the Heavenly Way is not manifest, people's hearts are like abysses, their desires are insatiable, and with demons rising everywhere, the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth has been disordered. Most of it has been absorbed by demons, and although the remaining amount can still support normal cultivation, it will be very difficult for someone like you who has mastered the power of Buddha to even achieve the Dao Fruit, let alone just blossom."
Because there isn't enough power to support your continued progress in your path to enlightenment.
Li Su couldn't help but widen her eyes, completely stunned. Huh??? So my Dao Fruit, which had been growing at an astonishing rate, suddenly stopped abruptly? She wondered what it was? Turns out it was just stunted growth?
This is absolutely terrible!
Shandao said calmly, "Look, in just a short while, you drained the entire ten-meter-wide microcosm. It's fortunate you stopped; otherwise, continuing would have been tantamount to plundering the life force of this world..."
Li Su's pupils constricted involuntarily, and her expression changed.
Regardless, he was a Buddhist practitioner, so he naturally understood what it meant to plunder the life force of heaven and earth.
There is a great cause and effect!
And it's the kind of thing that you can't even withstand.
"Don't worry, what you're using right now is the Pure Land Sect's Spiritual Qi, and we'll replenish it. But if you want to cultivate again, you'll have to find another way, since the Pure Land Sect can't handle any more."
Hearing this, Li Su understood, completely understood.
Since things have come to this point, and considering that my father-in-law specifically asked me to come over not long ago, what else is there to say?
Thinking of this, Li Su couldn't help but show a bitter expression on her face. It's all over, completely over.
Forget about hiding until you die...
"Master, please tell me, how can I continue my cultivation?"
"Slay demons, protect the common people, and relieve suffering."
Li Su slowly closed her eyes. I knew it, I knew it.
In Buddhism, karma is a fundamental law; once spoken, there's no escaping it!
Tai, I can tell you're not human at first glance! You monster, prepare to die! Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon!
The vivid image kept flashing through her mind, and Li Su felt like her head was about to split open.
Shandao sighed as well. From the moment he first saw the boy, he sensed that this child possessed boundless Buddha-nature and boundless karma. " Fahai, think it over carefully. Giving up might be a good choice!"
Li Su took a deep breath. Consider it? Give up? Nonsense. Fine, it's just killing demons, right? It's similar to fighting monsters in a game. He wasn't against it, after all, he'd done it quite a bit before. The only reason he didn't want to go was because he didn't feel safe.
What else can be said at this point?
but.
Li Su slowly raised her head and looked at the Shandao, then suddenly said, "Master, Fahai doesn't object to going out of the mountain, nor does he object to saving people, but in this world, demons run rampant, and people's hearts are like ghosts. These demons deserve to die, but what about these evil people?"
Shandao paused for a moment, then laughed, "A Buddhist acts with a calm and unwavering mind."
Upon hearing this, Li Su laughed, "Is that so? Grandmaster, I understand. Fahai will descend the mountain now!"
"Yes, go! Go to that bustling world, see it all! Walk it safely!"
"Yes!"
Li Su got up immediately, without tidying up anything, and went straight to the main hall. Since his master was here, the abbot should be waiting for him there as well.
The long, dark night was dotted with starlight, and in the distance, the miasma stretched endlessly.
Li Su was alone when he met the abbot. As expected, a bundle had already been prepared for him. He immediately bowed, picked up the bundle, and went down the mountain.
As Fahai descended the mountain, the Fahai beneath his feet resembled a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses, filled with countless demons and rolling heads.
The two people who were seeing him off not far away were so shocked that they stared wide-eyed.
Watching Fahai's figure gradually disappear below the steps, Chengyuan Fahai to look at Shandao, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Master, are you sure everything is alright?"
"What's the problem?"
"Master, don't joke around. Don't tell me you didn't see the causal phenomena behind that brat Fahai?"
Upon Shandao this, Shandao couldn't help but twitch his lips, feeling a bit of a headache. He took a deep breath and said, "Notify all sects and schools in the world that my Pure Land Sect..."
He paused here.
Chengyuan was taken aback. Pure Land Sect?
With a wave of his hand, Shandao declared with boundless pride, "From this moment forward, I will remain secluded for a hundred years, detached from worldly affairs!!!"
Chengyuan was utterly dumbfounded. Even after a century of cultivation, he was somewhat unsteady at this moment, feeling as if his entire worldview had been shattered.
Shandao rolled his eyes in annoyance. Who could stop the path to becoming the World Honored One?
The path of asceticism is the path of great compassion and mercy, the path of relieving suffering and rescuing those in distress, and isn't slaying all the demons in the world also a path?
There is Shakyamuni, and there is also Immovable Wisdom King!
"Master, isn't this a bit much?" Chengyuan, somewhat embarrassed.
"Otherwise, if something happens, you'll go down the mountain to handle it?"
Chengyuan was stunned, unable to help but recall the moment Fahai left the Pure Land Sect, the endless chains of cause and effect surrounding his feet, and the mountains of corpses and seas of blood that rose up. If it weren't for the countless Buddhas of the Ten Thousand Families behind him, he would have thought that the one who left was not a disciple of the Lotus Sect, but a giant of the Demon Sect.
"Uh, I'll make the arrangements right away. My Pure Land Sect will be closed for a hundred years!!!"
Five thousand words! Then there's the issue of extra chapters. Uh, I understand everyone's enthusiasm. Actually, I feel like I'm adding chapters every day. After all, five thousand words is a normal update. Any more and it really, really becomes difficult to keep up with the plot; it'll just become a vast ocean of water. Chapter two will still be at 7 PM; 5 PM doesn't feel like enough time!