I'm a Buddhist Cultivator Too

The Southern Yin Dynasty, located on the northwestern frontier.

There used to be a town here called "Bluestone Town".

The town is small, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, and most people there make a living by mining and selling a type of fine-textured bluestone.

The townspeople mostly worship the local mountain god and water deity.

Daoist priests also traveled here and built several small Daoist temples.

Although the incense offerings are not abundant, they still maintain a simple local tradition.

However, thirty years ago, the Southern Yin Emperor abruptly announced in the court that he would renounce his throne and become a monk.

Overseas Buddhist practitioners then made a strong inroad, rapidly transforming this ancient dynasty with their supreme Buddhist teachings and iron-fisted methods.

Everything has changed.

Today, Bluestone Town is no longer what it used to be.

The old, weathered archway at the town entrance, inscribed with the words "Bluestone Ancient Town," has been replaced by a towering pagoda, three zhang tall, covered in gold powder, and dazzlingly bright in the sunlight.

The tower is covered with densely packed Sanskrit inscriptions and depictions of the Buddha preaching.

A copper bell hangs from the top of the tower, ringing in the wind with a deep and solemn sound.

The town's streets are still paved with bluestone slabs, but almost every building on both sides, whether it is a residence or a shop, has yellow prayer flags hanging above its door.

The banners are inscribed with phrases such as "Namo Amitabha Buddha" and "I take refuge in the Three Jewels" in cinnabar or gold lacquer.

The place where the Bagua mirror was originally hung and the door god pictures were pasted has been replaced with a small Buddhist shrine, which houses gilded or clay Buddha statues and is filled with incense smoke all day long.

The biggest change lies in people.

Most of the townspeople have shed their usual short-sleeved shirts and put on simple monk's robes or layperson's clothes in plain or ochre colors.

Although not all of them shaved their heads, many had prayer beads wrapped around their wrists, and their expressions had lost some of their former lively, everyday charm, gaining instead a more wooden devotion and cautiousness.

The streets are no longer filled with the noise of children chasing and playing. Instead, there is a deep and orderly chanting of scriptures, which emanates from the "Great Buddha Hall" in the center of the town, which was originally a mountain god temple and has been converted into a main hall, and envelops the entire town.

When passersby occasionally meet, they mostly put their palms together in greeting, chant Buddhist mantras, and rarely make eye contact.

The air is no longer filled with the fresh scent of mountains and fields and the warmth of human life.

Instead, it smelled of rich sandalwood and the aroma of burning ghee lamps.

And a strange, inexplicable flavor that involuntarily calms and numbs the mind.

Even the once clear and cheerful stream outside the town seemed to have slowed down.

Occasionally, a few pieces of yellow paper covered with scriptures floated on the water.

Just above this border town shrouded in Buddhist light and chanting, a clear, piercing cry from a bird suddenly rang out!

High in the vast sky, a massive shadow tore through the clouds and descended rapidly!

It was a magnificent, dark blue giant bird!

With its wings spread wide, it was a thousand feet long, and the shadow it cast instantly covered most of Bluestone Town and even the surrounding mountains and fields for miles around!

The giant bird's eyes were sharp as lightning, and its body was shrouded in a faint demonic Yao Qi and pure Daoist wind-riding light.

This bird is none other than the true form of True Person Ling!

After years of nourishment with the essence of the Soul-Cleansing Elixir and conditioning with Divine Ability supernatural power of the Wield Myriad Laws, Qi Yun's bloodline has returned to its ancestral form, its Demon Power has greatly increased, and its size and prestige are far superior to the past. It has become an excellent means of transportation and a deterrent in Qi Yun's hands.

On the back of that bird, which was as wide as a small square, sat a young Daoist priest with a calm face, dressed in a dark blue Daoist robe. His robes fluttered in the gale brought by the high-speed flight, but his figure was as steady as a mountain.

It was Qi Yun had quietly left the Green Mountain Daoist Temple and headed south.

He lowered his eyes slightly, letting the sunlight sweep across the Bluestone Town below, shrouded in Buddhist light and faintly sermons. His gaze was calm and undisturbed, with only a faint hint of scrutiny passing through his eyes.

Xuan Ling Qingyu did not linger above the town. Instead, it slightly folded its wings and transformed into a streak of dark blue Flowing Light, descending towards the main peak of a mountain range dozens of miles outside the town, a place with the highest elevation, deep forests, and towering peaks.

A fierce wind swept overhead, causing the ancient trees on the mountaintop to bend low and the rocks to tumble.

The giant bird landed lightly, folded its sky-covering wings, and transformed into a middle-aged man dressed in black robes with a cold and hard face, silently standing behind Qi Yun.

As soon as Qi Yun landed, his gaze was already fixed on one side of the mountain peak.

There, behind two huge rocks, two figures turned out almost simultaneously and quickly approached.

The man on the left was tall and rugged, dressed in a dark red outfit that allowed for easy movement. A sheathless, menacing ghost-head broadsword hung at his waist. He exuded the fierce courage and world-weariness of someone who had been through many battles. This was Situ Huaji.

But now, his brows showed less of his usual wildness and more of a solemnity and the weariness of a long journey.

The person on the right appeared much more strange. He was slightly shorter, shrouded in a large gray cloak, obscuring his face. His aura was faint, and his steps were stiff yet possessed a peculiar rhythm.

It was the Divine Puppet Wu Changsheng,

"Brother Qi." Situ Huaji spoke first, his voice slightly hoarse. He clasped his hands in a salute, a hint of excitement and relief flashing in his eyes.

Wu Changsheng bowed slightly, and a deep, slightly metallic voice came from beneath his cloak. "My lord."

Qi Yun nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, especially noticing the obvious signs of hardship on their bodies and the damage to their puppets, and calmly asked, "You've worked hard."

How is the situation here?

Situ Huaji and Wu Changsheng exchanged a glance, their expressions turning solemn. Situ Huaji forward, lowered his voice, but spoke quickly, "The situation is more troublesome than expected."

The upheaval in the Southern Yin Buddha Kingdom was by no means a simple matter of the emperor's devotion to Buddhism.

He raised his hand and pointed to the faint golden light of the Buddha's head visible in the distance below the mountain. "The entire Southern Yin, from the imperial city to this remote border town, has had its foundation of faith forcibly reversed by a powerful and strange force in a very short period of time."

The original Daoist temples and shrines were either demolished or converted into Buddhist temples.

The people—as if collectively hypnotized or converted—were fanatically and uniformly devoted to the [World-Honored One], almost losing their will to think independently and resist.

Wu Changsheng added, his voice even colder. "We tried to infiltrate the interior and get close to several temples that were suspected to be the core."

However, they were all blocked by an omnipresent, pale golden aura of Buddha's light.

That domain can not only detect concealment, but also slowly erode the Law Power and Divine Soul of non-Buddhist cultivators, like boiling a frog in lukewarm water.

He paused, his eyes seeming to flicker beneath his cloak. "We suspect that there are multiple Shakyamuni Arhat in charge, perhaps even more than one."

They act discreetly and rarely show their faces in public.

But even the slightest hint of something leaking out is chilling.

Situ Huaji, his tone heavy. "What's even stranger is that, according to the information we obtained from searching the souls of several lone low-level Buddhist cultivators we secretly captured, they seem to be—organically collecting something, not simply proselytizing."

It is related to the earth veins, ancient ruins, and even the animal sacrifices at certain times in various parts of Southern Yin.

It's like setting up an unprecedented grand formation, or performing some kind of massive ritual.

Qi Yun listened quietly, his gaze once again falling on the land below the mountain shrouded in strange Buddhist light, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Forcibly changing a nation's beliefs, using bizarre formations or rituals----

This "Buddhist Kingdom on Earth" is indeed extraordinary.

"It seems the waters of Southern Yin are deeper than I imagined," Qi Yun said slowly, his voice calm and undisturbed.

"You did a great job. Go and rest and recuperate. We'll report back with more details later."

At the summit of the mountain, the wind howled, fluttering Qi Yun's deep blue Daoist robe.

He stood alone on the cliff edge, gazing at the Buddhist kingdom shrouded in an eerie tranquility, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well.

Overseas Buddhist practitioners are not well-intentioned.

Every step from here on must be taken with utmost care.

The night was as dark as ink, seeping into the mountains of the northwestern border of Southern Yin.

Qi Yun stood alone on the cliff, his dark blue Daoist robe fluttering slightly in the quiet mountain breeze.

In the distance, faint chanting still drifted on the wind from the direction of Bluestone Town, mingling with the scents of sandalwood and yak butter lamps, pressing heavily between heaven and earth.

Cai Shen, in his golden form, sat on his shoulder, his small face unusually solemn, and his swinging legs stopped.

"Your official rank is too low. If you want to unleash the power of my true form, you must get extremely close." Cai Shen's voice was low, but every word was clear in the silent mountaintop.

"In the current situation, Southern Yin is completely impenetrable, enveloped by Buddhist light like a net from heaven and earth."

That core area—it's probably so difficult that even an unusual moth would have trouble getting in.

Not to mention you, a True Person of the Demonic Sect!

He paused, his tone unusually grave. "The overseas Buddhist monks' actions this time are eerily fast."

Thirty years have passed, and the foundation of the dynasty has changed dramatically; this is something that cannot be accomplished by ordinary means of spreading the Dharma and guiding people to enlightenment.

Their schemes must be extremely ambitious, and the level of vigilance must be extremely high.

You want to approach my true form silently—it's as difficult as a mortal trying to ascend to heaven.

Qi Yun remained silent, gazing quietly at the land below the mountain bathed in the glow of Buddha's light. His deep eyes reflected the scattered golden lights of distant villages and towns, like fragments of stars fallen to earth.

The night wind whistled through the ancient pines on the cliff edge, emitting a low, mournful sound, like the silent lament of this land after its faith had been forcibly twisted.

After a long while, Qi Yun slowly curved a very faint smile onto his lips.

"Unless----"

"Unless what?" Cai Shen turned his head, his small eyes fixed on him.

"Unless, of course, I am also a Buddhist practitioner."

The moment the words left his mouth, Qi Yun's mind stirred slightly.

"Buzz"

A clear and resounding tremor reverberated through the Divine Soul and permeated every inch of the air imbued with Buddhist essence!

Without warning, a clear, perfect, and warm halo, like newly formed glass, suddenly bloomed in the void behind Qi Yun!

The halo was initially only about a foot long, pure and flawless, its color neither gold nor white, but rather a near-transparent clarity, within which countless tiny Sanskrit seed syllables seemed to arise and cease within.

Each birth and death scatters gentle rays of light.

At the edge of the halo, a faint seven-colored hue flowed.

Its subtle presence adds to its sacred solemnity.

It is precisely the Great Light Manifestation form— the Divine Ability that can only be condensed and manifested by those who have attained the Arhat Fruition Status or higher in the lineage of Buddhism!

As soon as the light appeared, Qi Yun's aura changed abruptly.

The profound and aloof demeanor of a Daoist True Person quietly faded away, replaced by a harmonious, compassionate, and all-encompassing tranquility and wisdom.

At this moment, he stood on the edge of the cliff, with a clear light slowly rotating behind him, scattering pure radiance. His deep blue Daoist robe remained the same, but it seemed to be coated with an invisible layer of Buddhist solemnity.

His expression remained calm and composed.

Yet within that tranquility, a profound wisdom seems to flow, illuminating the vast universe and showing compassion for all beings.

A mountain breeze swept by, causing his robes to flutter slightly. Behind him, a radiant light flowed, subtly echoing the Buddha's light that enveloped the town below. There was no sense of incongruity; rather, there was a strange harmony.

It was as if he was meant to be a member of this "Buddhist Kingdom on Earth".

Even—some of them are of quite high status.

Cai Shen stared wide-eyed at Qi Yun's shoulder, his little face tilted back, staring blankly at the clear, luminous image. After a long while, he suddenly came to his senses and exclaimed in amazement, "Good lad! You're really something!"

Even the Great Light Manifestation of the Buddha's teachings can be simulated?

This is no mere illusion created by Law Power; it looks even more like a real Arhat!

"Is this the wondrous use of the [Primordial True Body]?"