Multiple Layers of Karmic Obstructions

"In this city."

"Covered by two layers of karmic obstacles."

"The first layer is the Ghost King Jiamiao, which should be the karmic obstacle of the previous benefactor, Black Calamity."

"For some reason, it materialized."

The young monk smiled, "And this second layer of karmic obstacle, which is this red-skinned ghost king before us, should be your karmic obstacle, Qin. Similarly, for some reason, it has also materialized."

What is 'karmic obstacle'?

The young monk sighed and said, "It actually arises from the mind; the more you fear it, the stronger it becomes."

"The Jiamou you killed earlier, Benefactor Qin, was already quite weak."

"That's because the Black Calamity Benefactor is no longer as afraid of it as before."

"The reason it is not afraid is that the Black Calamity invited you. It believes you are its savior. You stood in front of Jiamou, Black Calamity saw hope."

"Black Calamity is fearless, therefore Jiamou weakens."

Only then can you kill it.

now.

Black Calamity remained perched on the windowsill of the mansion. Although it couldn't hear what Shitian was saying, the fear in its heart had greatly diminished because Qin Yiguan was still standing in front of it, and with the huge Buddha shadow above Shitian's head, it even felt somewhat at ease.

Then Shitian said, "As for the golden cage that just appeared, and the three golden figures, I haven't understood much about them, only a little bit."

"They should be the most important people in Benefactor Qin's life."

"They once redeemed you, warmed you, or were your solid support."

"In this karmic entanglement, they transformed into golden deities, resurrecting from the depths of your heart, granting you strength and protection, but for some reason, they vanished at the crucial moment."

now.

Qin Yiguan frowned slightly, paused for a moment, and then said, "Because they are all dead."

"Oh..."

"I see."

The Shitian monk Shitian nodded. "In other words, the hope in your heart died along with those who could have saved you."

"Benefactor Qin."

The little monk looked up and said, "Look at the Whole Buddha above my head. It just saved me from the brink of death and has now bestowed upon me immense power."

As he spoke.

The Whole Buddha's true form uttered an unknown Buddhist incantation, and then thrust its palm out. Immediately, a great burst of Buddhist light shone forth, and the red-skinned demon king was blasted back thousands of meters by this palm strike, howling in agony!

"And I."

Shitian then looked at Qin Yiguan, "I've never seen this Whole Buddha before."

"But for the past eighteen years, I have chanted scriptures every day, and in my mind, I have imagined countless times that I am kneeling on a prayer mat in front of Whole Buddha, and it reaches out its palm to touch my forehead, accepting me."

"It is my only support during my secluded cultivation in the deep mountains."

"Of course, I've wavered countless times."

Just 10 minutes ago, I wasn't even sure if Whole Buddha existed in this world.

"Now I understand."

"It has always been in my heart; the more devout I am, the more real it becomes."

"Benefactor Qin."

"I know that there is no such thing as Whole Buddhism in the world; that's all just Master's nonsense."

"But this ethereal, indistinct Whole Buddha has now revealed its true form!"

"And those saviors in your heart, you once lived with them, interacted with them, talked with them, they smiled at you, they reached out a helping hand, they were so real."

"Why."

"Them in your heart."

"They just broke up like that?"

Under the black cloth.

Qin Yiguan's Pupil dilated slightly.

yes.

My adoptive parents, Boss Meng —they were once so close to me, so why did they just drift apart like that?

Why should I forget them? Why should I ignore them?

Even though it's all in the past, I still vividly remember their shelter, their care, and the warmth they left behind.

To deny them is to disrespect them.

The young monk Shitian's Whole Buddha was so unrealistic, yet he still held it firmly in his heart.

I, Qin Yiguan, have made myself so dejected?

Even for the sake of our adoptive parents and Boss Meng, we can't be so dejected!

"Benefactor Qin."

Shitian continued, "Saving people doesn't mean helping them kill some red-skinned demon king or anything like that, but rather helping them resolve their inner conflicts. Only when they awaken to their own enlightenment can they truly break through their obstacles."

"Yes..."

Qin Yiguan raised his head slightly; he already knew the truth about the ghost Ghost City beneath his feet.

All of this arises from the heart!

"Dad, Mom, Boss Meng."

"The help you all gave me was actually for one purpose."

That is, one day, when I am all alone, I will no longer be afraid of the darkness.

At this moment, Qin Yiguan slowly closed his eyes, and the warm smiles of the three people appeared in his mind.

And in that very moment...

Three golden cages appeared in the sky above the Ghost City, and the cages shattered the moment they appeared.

Three dazzling figures of varying heights coalesced into a single shape.

They looked at Qin Yiguan and revealed that warm and familiar smile.

In an instant Ghost City was bathed in golden light, obscuring everything. The red-skinned ghost king seemed to be exposed to the sunlight. It screamed and thick white smoke rose from its body. Then, its huge body turned into thick liquid, which evaporated as if it had never existed!

"Hahaha."

Shitian laughed heartily, "Congratulations, Benefactor Qin, the second obstacle, the karmic barrier in your heart, has been broken!"

at the same time.

The Whole Buddha above his head also loudly chanted "Amitabha."

Shitian continued, "In my opinion, that Black Calamity Benefactor who looks just like you is merely a thought in your mind. He, like this Ghost City, is a manifestation of your karma. Now, the Ghost City should also dissipate."

The young monk was unfathomable at this moment, his Buddha-like eyes seemingly seeing through everything.

He waited quietly with a smile, 5 minutes, 10 minutes... and the Ghost City remained.

The young monk stared at the enormous Ghost City, his lips twitching. "What's going on here?"

"Because there is a third layer of 'karmic obstacle' here."

As Qin Yiguan spoke, he looked at the vertical coffin-shaped building in the distance, pondered for a moment, and then walked towards the black building.

Through the narrow crack in the door, the little boy's eyes reflected a dim light as he quietly watched Qin Yiguan outside.

now.

Qin Yiguan, though blindfolded, could still see the child's true face.

No wonder he seemed so familiar, yet I couldn't quite place him.

He is exactly like himself at age 5.

And this black structure wasn't some kind of 'vertical coffin,' but rather a black wardrobe from my childhood home.

"I remember everything now."

Qin Yiguan spoke quietly, "The three 'karmic obstacles' that Shitian spoke of are actually three [Gestalt Collapse]. The first one, Jiamou, represents smoke, death, and human sacrifice; therefore, it is the karmic obstacle of Black Calamity."

"The second level, the red-skinned demon king, was what I saw last night. It was a demon I imagined, a [Gestalt Collapse] that erupted from within myself in the darkness of last night."

"And this entire Ghost City, and its inhabitants."

Qin Yiguan looked through the crack in the door and said, "It's all your [Gestalt Collapse]. When I was a child, I was afraid of the dark, so I would always hide in the closet. But I was also afraid of being alone, so I imagined a city with all sorts of inhabitants who lived with me. That way, I felt that the closet was a world, very lively, and my fear would lessen a bit."

"But at the time, what I was building up step by step was simple information about these residents, such as their age, gender, hobbies, etc. So when I saw those tombstones, I felt both familiar and strange."

"During the time I hid in the closet, sometimes the Ghost King from the outside world would 'break through' the closet, destroy my city, and kill my residents."

"That's what happened last night: the building was destroyed, everyone was dead, and they were just tombstones with only their identification information remaining."

"And sometimes."

"When I was terrified and screamed in terror, my adoptive parents would come into my room, comfort me, and hug me."

"After that, my adoptive parents died, and I went to an orphanage, where the kind-hearted Boss Meng took on that role."

"Therefore, in this [Gestalt Collapse], they became gods within Divine Cage."

"The Ghost City has no color, which means it's not reality."

"The fact that Shitian has color on his head means that he really is an 'outsider' who has entered this place."

As he spoke.

Qin Yiguan gazed at the distant city lord's mansion, where Black Calamity's smoking head was peeking out from the windowsill.

"That ' Black Calamity '..."

"Its body can turn into smoke the moment it appears, which is very strange."

Qin Yiguan frowned. "It... is not my personality. It seems to be a product of [Gestalt Collapse], like the Mechanical Crow, the Silver-Winged Yaksha, and so on."

"It's a clone you created."

"Therefore, when it comes to me, each time it uses its power, its body dissipates a little, because its 'energy' is fixed; each use reduces its reserves."

"Because it is inherently cruel and murderous, you despise it, but only through it can you 'go out,' find me, and have me help you."

Because you're afraid to leave the closet.

In other words, you can't leave this Ghost City.

"This is exactly what the ' Smoke Black Calamity ' said before: it will perish together with the ' Ghost City '!"

"Because once you are 'eaten' by the Ghost King, it will disappear."

At this moment, Qin Yiguan stared at the little boy through the crack in the door. "[Gestalt Collapse] This psychological disorder developed when I was five years old. At that time, I experienced a terrifying night, which caused a huge shock to my heart, leading to my fear of the dark."

"That was also when I developed my first 'split personality'."

"He's a 5-year-old child who is extremely afraid of the dark. He hides in the closet all day and refuses to show his face."

"So many years have passed, and although I've grown..."

"But his inner world is forever frozen in that year."

Qin Yiguan suddenly gripped the wooden door and said in a low voice, "So, you are the real Black Calamity."