Three Karmas Purified, Buddhahood in This Very Body
Meanwhile, outside the village, the Marshfolk surrounded the village in layers. In the center of the crowd, there was a carriage with a curtain around it, and one person could be vaguely seen sitting inside.
Outside the vehicle, a man dressed Marshfolk but sporting Central Plains hairstyle was bowing low and whispering, "Master, you can rest assured. As long as we surround them like this, they will definitely submit. I understand their thoughts very well. Even if they themselves are not afraid of death, they will convert for the sake of the women and children in this village. This is a calculated strategy, subduing the enemy without fighting."
A slow, leisurely voice came from behind the curtain. "Good, you've done a good job. After it's done, I will personally perform the initiation ceremony for you and bestow upon you a Dharma name."
The person outside the carriage was overjoyed upon hearing this and thanked him repeatedly.
Just then...
Whoosh!
A strong gust of wind swept by, and a slender black shadow flew in front of the person!
"Not good!!!"
He cried out in surprise, his pupils contracted, his heartstrings tightened instantly, and he instinctively took a step back, but it was too late. A cold glint flashed straight at his face, and a chilling aura assaulted his skin!
My face hurts!
No sooner said than done, a deep, resonant voice came from within the carriage's canopy.
"Ha!"
The sound was loud and clear, like the sound of a great bell striking one's ear. The man who was retreating was stunned. His panic subsided and his senses became instantly sharp. The arrow that was already in front of him seemed to stop at this moment. The sharpness of the arrowhead was clear in his eyes, but he was not afraid. Driven by some inexplicable thought, he raised his hand and grabbed it.
Snap!
The arrow that was hurtling towards them was caught in the man's hand!
"This..."
The people around had also noticed the sound of the arrow piercing the air, but they didn't react until now. They were surprised to see the man holding the arrow in his hand.
"Zhang Hongyue, when did you acquire such skills?"
The man called Zhang Hongyue was startled, his usually calm eyes instantly filled with terror. As if waking from a dream, he hurriedly threw away the arrow in his hand, took several steps back, then quickly returned to the carriage, knelt down, and called out to the master, claiming that he had saved his life.
Then a voice came from inside the carriage. "You are grateful and kind-hearted. If everyone in the Central Plains were like you, it would be pitiful. May Buddha save all beings and unite the world in heart."
With tears in his eyes, Zhang Hongyue said, "Master, you are wise. Although my ancestors, father, and mother were all from the Central Plains, now that I have converted to Buddhism, I am no longer a person from the Central Plains, nor a citizen of Great Rui, but a follower of the Buddha!"
The voice inside the carriage remained unchanged. "Good! It seems that once the people of the Central Plains convert, they will be as devout as you. Then let's not delay any longer. Let me personally take action and cause Fenglin Stockade to crumble, so as to avoid further delay. Then, based on the people of this village, let's promote Buddhism!"
"Master is wise!" Zhang Hongyue immediately seized the opportunity to offer a compliment.
As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind surged from the carriage, blowing open the curtains. A figure flew out from within, a bald monk dressed in a robe, revealing one arm. The muscles and bones on his arm were bulging, and the flesh gleamed, shining brightly even in the night.
The monk, sitting cross-legged, soared through the air, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, like a guiding light. Those Marshfolk saw his eyes showed expressions of reverence and worship.
As they moved, the torches in their hands also changed, appearing from a distance like undulating fire dragons.
Such a commotion did not escape the notice of Yuan Shoufang, who was watching from the stockade. He was startled and thought to himself that something was wrong. He had been observing for a long time and noticed the carriage among the Marshfolk. Judging from the actions of the people around him, he knew that the person sitting inside was no ordinary person. He originally wanted to shoot an arrow through it, but when he drew his bow and was about to shoot, he had a change of heart and instead aimed at the person next to the carriage.
The carriage was shrouded in a canopy, making it difficult to see clearly. If an arrow missed, it would only alert the enemy. It would be better to shoot and kill the people next to them, creating chaos and then winning in the confusion.
However, to Yuan Shoufang's surprise, the seemingly frail man could actually catch arrows with his bare hands!
He knew the power of that arrow; the force it contained was so great that even a wild beast in the mountains, with its thick skin, would take half a day to recover after being pierced by it!
Then, the monk who flew out of the carriage surprised him once again.
"This bald man's attire is strange, but his aura is astonishing. He can still be clearly seen from this distance. Hmm? He's levitating in mid-air. I've never heard of such a thing before. Could he be a top-tier expert?"
Given Yuan Shoufang's limited perspective and skill, the "top expert" he spoke of was actually only at the martial arts level, specifically Foundation Establishment Realm martial artist. However, he soon realized that things had developed in a way that exceeded his expectations.
Then the monk raised his hands to form a mudra, opened his mouth and uttered a sound, "Hum". A booming sound resounded all around, and his body swelled up, with his Essence Blood flowing through his body, almost appearing on the surface of his skin!
Then, the voice changed, the hand seal moved again, turning into a "ha" sound, and the swollen body immediately contracted back, squeezing the essence out from the pores, evaporating it into gas, rolling around like clouds, hot and masculine!
Immediately afterwards, the monk changed his Yin San and uttered a "hey" sound!
Boom!
In an instant, his spirit burst forth from his body, merging with the clouds of Qi and Blood, expanding outwards in an overwhelming manner, and under the guidance of his will, it pressed down on Fenglin Stockade!
The clouds were vast and imposing, their Qi and Blood radiating light and reddening the night sky. Such a scene needed no further action; a single image was enough to shatter the defenses of mortals!
The sight of the entire night sky pressing down filled the people in the village with utter despair!
"Divine Ability! Divine Ability! There are actually immortals among these Marshfolk!"
Even the resolute Yuan Shoufang was terrified. Although he knew nothing of the Buddhist Sect, he knew that there were divine methods in the world. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but feel that a great calamity was about to befall him!
Fenglin Stockade was already in chaos. Every household had its windows and doors tightly shut, and men, women, and children were all hiding inside. There was hardly anyone to be seen outside. On the contrary, Zhang Lin and his son Zhang Xue came out of their house and looked at the "clouds" pressing down from the sky, their faces ashen.
"Father! There's no time to hesitate!"
Zhang Xue's face was as pale as paper. His gaze swept across the village fence and he saw Yuan Shoufang's figure. Instantly, hatred rose up. He felt that the village's misfortunes were all caused by this person. Once the anger was ignited, it was difficult to quell. Just then, his gaze fell on the clay sculpture of the Kitchen God not far away!
"All these troubles stemmed from this!"
Anger rises from the heart, and evil thoughts spring from the gall!
Zhang Xue strode forward and went straight to the clay sculpture. He mustered all his strength and raised his hand to strike. He was a cultivator with considerable skill, possessing the Hidden Force of the second level of Foundation Establishment. His tendons twitched and his flesh trembled. It looked like his fist was about to smash into the clay sculpture!
Such an impact, if it hits a clay sculpture, can immediately break it and knock it over!
On the stockade, Yuan Shoufang noticed the situation, but he was too far away to help, even if he wanted to. Moreover, the clouds falling from the sky were also making the Kitchen God feel disoriented and as if he were in dire straits. He couldn't care less about anything else.
"Is it truly an inescapable fate?"
Whew! Whew! Whew!
A scorching heat emanated from the clouds, so intense it felt almost tangible, pressing down on Yuan Shoufang. The force penetrated his body, pressing his flesh downwards, bending his spine, and weakening his knees, almost causing him to kneel!
Just then...
Boom!
A ray of light rose from the village!
"Ah!" With a startled cry, Zhang Xue, who was about to smash Kitchen God clay stove statue, was sent flying. He tumbled a few times in the air before using the "Thousand-Kilogram Drop" technique to bring himself down.
However, as soon as he landed, the man turned around in a panic, his gaze falling on the clay sculpture.
Not far away, Zhang Lin stood with a look of horror on his face, his gaze also fixed on the clay sculpture of the Kitchen God.
In the father and son's view, the ordinary clay sculpture was now engulfed in flames, releasing a raging inferno that shot into the sky and illuminated the entire village!
Unlike the stunned Zhang Family father and son, Yuan Shoufang suddenly felt the pressure on his body lighten after seeing this scene. Then, he became dazed. Although his eyes were still on the clay flame, his vision blurred. In the dim light, he felt a figure walking from a distance, entering his heart, sitting down cross-legged, and instantly feeling warm all over his body.
"Huh?" Suddenly, Yuan Shoufang was jolted awake. The blurry figure in front of him disappeared, and what came into view was a Fire Pillar of bright red fire rising from the clay sculpture and piercing the clouds. The rolling clouds of Qi and Blood and qi were driven away by the flames, revealing the night sky!
"Hmm!"
In mid-air, the monk, who was sitting cross-legged, let out a muffled groan. His surging aura suddenly dissipated, and his entire being weakened. He then fell down and crashed onto the carriage.
Snap!
The vehicle was torn to pieces.
"Master! What happened to you? Were you ambushed?" Zhang Hongyue was shocked to see this and rushed forward to help him up, but before he could take a step, the monk slapped his palm down, channeling the chaotic energy inside and outside his body into the ground and guiding it out, radiating outwards.
A powerful gust of wind swept outwards, sending Zhang Hongyue flying. While still in mid-air, his bones were shattered by the surging energy, his body crackling and popping. When he landed on the ground, his head lolled to the side, and he was lifeless.
The monk quickly regained his senses, glanced at Zhang Hongyue, and shook his head. "This person is somewhat useful. It would be a real pity if he died like this." After speaking, he released a wisp of his essence and infused it into Zhang Hongyue's body.
Then, he looked up at the sky, staring at the bright red Fire Pillar, his expression solemn.
"There is an evil god guarding this place! In that case, we should invite the Buddha to come and dispel the evil and reveal the truth!"
With that thought, the monk composed himself, clasped his hands together, chanted a Buddhist mantra, then formed a hand seal and uttered a True Words. As that thought turned in his mind, a glimmer of light shone forth!
Body secrets! Speech secrets! Meaning secrets!
He visualized a golden, shimmering figure in his mind, emanating an aura of solemnity and majesty!
With purity of body, Instant Buddhahood this very life!
Within the distant Fire Pillar, Qiu Yan, who had just focused his consciousness there, suddenly sensed a massive force converging upon him from the Void!
P. S.: Thanks to "Wan Bu Xiala" for the donation!