The Fist Is a Martial Artist's Reason

Lairu, Tathagata...

The two characters are reversed, just like the reversal of precepts in the Turbid Kingdom.

The Dharma name of the person before me can be reversed to become the name of that Buddha.

The Tathagata comes from nowhere and goes nowhere, hence the name Tathagata —this is what the Buddha said to Subhuti in the past, and it is an interpretation of the two words Tathagata.

Mind Aspect Temple...

"Mr. Fish, please come in."

The old monk inside the gate extended another invitation.

The Yu Tunzhou outside the gate glanced into the temple again and chuckled, "Master, would it be alright if we didn't go in?"

"How can you worship Buddha without entering a temple?" the old monk asked with a smile.

Yu Tunzhou looked at the old monk; was he about to launch into a cryptic exchange?

Seeing that the Yu Tunzhou without answering, the old monk smiled and asked again, speaking calmly and slowly:

"A temple is a Buddhist dwelling place; the Buddha resides in the hall."

"If you don't enter the temple gate, where should you bow to?"

"The Buddha is in the hall, but if he is only in the hall, he is no longer the Buddha." Yu Tunzhou looked at the Buddha statue in front of him and said, "If you have Buddha in your heart, you can still worship even if you stand outside the door; if you don't have Buddha in your heart, it's all in vain to break down the temple gate."

The old monk said gently, "What you say is very true, benefactor. However, people's hearts are filled with dust and distracting thoughts. How can you know whether what you see is the Buddha or the demons in your own heart when you stand outside the door looking at the Buddha?"

Yu Tunzhou laughed and said, "Is it that when Buddha shines upon people's hearts, they see Buddha, or when people shine upon Buddha's hearts, they see demons—that's a question for Buddha, not for me."

In his previous life, he had dabbled in some Buddhist stories and classics, and during his three years in the grotto-heaven, he had also read through many scriptures in temples, so he could barely manage to spout a few words to get by.

The old monk's cloudy eyes reflected the image of Yu Tunzhou, and he spoke calmly:

"This temple is named Xinxiang (Heart Image), and image arises from the heart. What is in your heart will be reflected in your mind; if your heart is Buddha, what you see will be Buddha; if your heart is demon, what you see will be demon. You dare not enter, perhaps because you are afraid of seeing the reflection of your own heart?"

"I'm not afraid of seeing my own inner demons," Yu Tunzhou shook his head. "What I fear is that someone will enshrine the Buddha in a temple, but release the demons outwards, making everyone think they've seen the Buddha, when in reality they've seen the demons."

This question was both a test to see if the person was aware of the distorted precepts in the Turbid Kingdom, which resembled falling into demonic ways, and a rhetorical question: since Mind Aspect Temple was guarding a Buddha statue, why did it stand idly by while the precepts were inverted outside?

Is it that Buddha cannot see it, or that Buddha is unwilling to intervene?

The old monk clasped his hands together and smiled, "In your opinion, where should the Buddha be located?"

Yu Tunzhou clasped his hands together and bowed slightly, but he was not worshipping the clay statue in the Buddhist temple, nor was he worshipping the old monk in front of him; rather, he was paying homage to the heavens and the earth.

I see heaven and earth as a sacred space.

"If the Buddha sees the universe, then everyone should be a Buddha."

The old monk sighed, "What you say is very true, but I wonder when that day will come."

Yu Tunzhou couldn't help but laugh, "Even Buddha would have doubts?"

"Before becoming a Buddha, even a Buddha would naturally have self-doubt, feel lost, and hesitate," the old monk sighed. "Just like you, benefactor, on your journey, witnessing killing, stealing, lying, and all kinds of evil, have you not wavered in the slightest? Do you feel that this world is one where good people suffer and bad people enjoy blessings? Those who keep the precepts can only tolerate everything, while those who break the precepts can get closer step by step, as if good people can only suffer losses."

How unfair is this?

Yu Tunzhou frowned.

Can this Mind Aspect Temple really reveal his inner thoughts?

The old monk clasped his hands together, lowered his head, and said, "Benefactor Yu, do you think good people live a more peaceful life, or evil people live a more carefree life?"

Yu Tunzhou said calmly, "In this world, only when there are more good people can the wicked live comfortably."

"Does the fish benefactor consider himself a good person or a bad person?"

"Good people see me as a mirror, and bad people see me as a mirror too," Yu Tunzhou said with a slight smile. "Monk, what are you trying to say? Are you perhaps trying to disturb my resolve?"

The old monk laughed heartily and said, "That person from the Turbid Kingdom is only one step away from unifying this world, turning black into white, Buddhism into law, and heaven and earth into chaos. May I ask, Benefactor Yu, what logic do you intend to use to respond Turbid Kingdom that person's Buddhist teachings?"

"Buddhism is the doctrine of monks; Daoism is the doctrine of Daoist priests." Yu Tunzhou slightly twisted his body, and in the instant his posture relaxed, his Fist Intent and spiritual energy flowed out like a flood.

He took a step forward, his toes landing inside the temple gate.

Boom--

The entire Mind Aspect Temple trembled, and dust fell from the roof tiles.

But he ignored it all and just clenched his fist.

There was no one before him, nor any gods or Buddhas.

"We martial artists believe that martial arts are the way, and the fist is the principle."

The immense Fist Intent poured down like a waterfall, causing his entire body to crack and pop. Supported by his own Fist Intent, he forcefully created the prototype of a small world, forcefully resisting the invisible laws of heaven and earth that constantly suppressed him.

With the second step, I truly entered the temple.

Bang!

The blue bricks beneath their feet instantly turned to dust, and a muffled thunderous sound spread along the earth's veins.

The feet move, the fists move, and the mind moves.

The moment he opened his fist stance, his momentum was overwhelming, and he threw a punch!

"This is my reasoning!"

In an instant, the Fist Intent traversed the eight directions of heaven and earth, reaching far and wide, becoming a kind of bridge connecting heaven and earth, spanning the entire Mind Aspect Temple!

In an instant, the door was smashed open, the floor tiles were torn off layer by layer, and the brightly burning lamp struggled and twisted under the force of the punch, unwillingly being extinguished.

The faceless Buddha statue behind it trembled, revealing a look of fear. It tried to get up and resist, but was pressed down and unable to move. Finally, it was smashed to pieces by this punch!

The Fist Intent remained, smashing through the wall behind the Buddha statue, connecting the front and back. The entire Mind Aspect Temple seemed to lose its support and collapsed at that moment!

The vast Mind Aspect Temple was destroyed by a single punch.

But Yu Tunzhou's gaze sharpened, showing no sign of pleasure; instead, his Fist Intent intensified!

Because the old monk he challenged with his fist was like a phantom, and even the Fist Intent could not lock onto him, passing straight through the spot where he stood without causing any real damage.

He's definitely a troublesome guy.

The old monk glanced back at the collapsed and shattered Buddha statue, but showed no anger. Instead, he pointed at him and sighed with a smile:

"What an arrogant and ignorant martial artist!"

They chatted and laughed.

The figure gradually faded away, like a stroke of ink spreading in water.

But then, suddenly...

The old monk extended a finger and touched Yu Tunzhou's forehead directly.

Before Yu Tunzhou could react, a sense of clarity and enlightenment washed over him.

At that moment, the barrier between him and this world instantly dissipated, the medium being his Fist Intent.

His Fist Intent poured out, freely spreading between heaven and earth, becoming a bridge for him to communicate with this world.

Not only did the suppression he felt upon entering this world vanish completely, but his connection with the world also became extremely close, just like it had been in Luofu Grotto-Heaven not long ago, where he could control his own arm and fingers with ease.

"Fish benefactor, let's see if your reasoning is stronger, or if that man from the Turbid Kingdom's Buddhist teachings are superior."

Before the words were even finished, the old monk's figure had already vanished into the world without a trace.

Even though Yu Tunzhou could sense the surrounding world with a mere thought, he still couldn't figure out how this person had left.

"... Friend! Fellow Daoist! Fellow Daoist!"

Before Yu Tunzhou could ponder this further, Huntian's voice seemed to come from afar, growing louder as it approached.

It felt like being so close yet so far, and only at this moment did the words reach his ears.

"Something's not right with this old monk!"

Don't get entangled with Him!

Huntian's urgent yet solemn voice reached his ears.

Yu Tunzhou then noticed that many of the creature's feathers were still ruffled, even after the old monk had disappeared.

Clearly, this Great Sage was extremely frightened, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Yu Tunzhou looked ahead and saw that Mind Aspect Temple had collapsed. In the once empty hall, there were now charred corpses.

He frowned; sure enough, something was amiss.

A sudden thought crossed his mind: was the old monk not part of the temple itself?

"He's already gone," Yu Tunzhou said. "What did the Great Sage discover? Could this person be an incarnation of the Heavenly Dao of this Buddhist Kingdom? Or perhaps... that Venerable Rahula?"

His tone became serious at the end, and although he was asking a question, he had already implicitly confirmed it.

This person came and went freely, and even he couldn't detect his whereabouts. Most importantly, this person actually lifted the suppression of the surrounding world on him!

Possessing such abilities could not possibly be just a powerful figure from this Buddhist kingdom; it is highly likely Dao Manifestation, or perhaps related to that Venerable One.

"Most likely it's the latter, or even more so!" Huntian's voice still carried a hint of solemnity as he folded his wings. "Before this person, I feel as if I were facing the Human Emperor or the Demon Emperor in the past... It's simply unbelievable!"

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Tunzhou shared his feelings at that moment.

Now that he has completely broken free from the suppression of heaven and earth, not only has his strength been fully restored to its peak, but he has also temporarily reached a new level of strength by resonating with the heaven and earth through his Fist Intent.

With a single thought, the power of the surrounding world moves in response, exerting a blessing effect.

This blessing from heaven and earth gives him the confidence to fight head-on even against Quasi-Grandmaster at the External Scenery Fourth Layer who has opened up Dharma Domain.

Upon hearing Yu Tunzhou's description, Huntian pondered for a moment, then murmured, "Could this person really Rahula? Otherwise, how could he possess the authority over this Buddhist kingdom... In this Age of Dharma Decline, among the many great Divine Ability of Buddhist School, the one who ultimately reached the Buddha's realm was actually him?"

Yu Tunzhou understood that Huntian suspected that Rahula had once broken through to the level of Buddha, which gave it the feeling of facing the Human Emperor and the Demon Emperor directly.

But if that's the case, then there's still an unsolved mystery—how did Rahula, who had already reached the level of Buddhahood, perish?

Or perhaps...

Did this person never actually perish?

His heart fluttered, but he suppressed his emotions and looked away.

Mind Aspect Temple is now in ruins; finding Dingguang should be our priority.

After the suppression of heaven and earth was lifted, his Primordial Spirit power was restored. At this moment, his Primordial Spirit spread out, searching the surroundings, and quickly locked onto the approximate location.

With a swift movement, Yu Tunzhou transformed into a streak of green and sped away, covering several miles in a single step, causing the trees along the way to rush past.

During his journey, he assessed his current combat strength.

On the External Scenery Fourth Layer, the Spirit Aspect and the Inner Heaven and Earth further merged to form an exclusive domain of legal principles, also known as the Dharma Domain. He had already experienced this in Xuanyangzi's hands and had no ability to resist.

Because the Dharma Domain can be regarded as the prototype of the Dharma Aspect realm.

Within the Dharma Domain, the owner is the master of heaven and earth, while the opponent is restrained at every turn. It is already remarkable if one can unleash 60% or 70% of their full strength.

This is a fundamental transformation.

Even if he breaks through to the Middle Divine Ability Stage on Floating Hill Mountain and creates two more wondrous landscapes, he will still find it difficult to cross this chasm unless he uses the Vajra Bracelet.

To truly face Quasi-Grandmaster of this level, he would probably have to wait until Eight Sceneries are activated, master the power of Xuandu Heaven to communicate with the Nether Passage, and borrow the power of Xuandu Heaven to break through the enemy's Dharma Domain.

Now, he has almost received the blessing of this Buddhist kingdom. His Fist Intent is heaven and earth, and heaven and earth are his Fist Intent. He is able to break through all laws with his own strength. With his powerful Fist Intent, he can draw on the power of heaven and earth and forcefully break through the opponent's Dharma Domain suppression.

Not long after.

Yu Tunzhou has found the [Little Formless Temple] that the nun mentioned.

He scanned the area with his Primordial Spirit and discovered that there were many armed monks in the temple. Each of them had a calm demeanor and a solemn expression, and it was unclear what they were guarding against.

In addition, he also found several people around the temple dressed similarly to him, who were obviously powerful External Scenery who had entered this place from the cave.

Seeing that he didn't recognize anyone, he ignored the group and walked straight into the temple.

"Please wait, benefactor." The gatekeeper monk immediately stepped forward, his expression wary. "Our temple is currently under martial law and does not receive outsiders."

"Please inform them," Yu Tunzhou said calmly, "That I have come to find Dingguang."

The monk was taken aback, looked him up and down twice, and seeing that his clothes and demeanor were completely different from the locals, he hesitated and said:

"Could you perhaps be a master from the upper realm?"

Just as Yu Tunzhou was about to reply, he suddenly heard a soft, whimpering sound coming from inside the temple.

A snow-white shadow darted out, dragging a fluffy tail. It circled around Yu Tunzhou's feet, its little paws tugging at the hem of his robe, its dark eyes filled with anxiety. It looked up at Yu Tunzhou and made soft, whimpering sounds, as if it were crying out for something.

Yu Tunzhou immediately recognized it as the one he had caught from the back mountain of Dongtian and left to Dingguang to raise.

Dingguang really did come here!

Seeing the fox's friendly interaction with him, the gatekeeper monk's guard lowered considerably, and his tone became much more polite. "Does the benefactor recognize the young monk Dingguang?"

"Yes, is he in the temple?" Yu Tunzhou nodded.

The monk explained that the young monk Dingguang had secretly gone down the mountain and disappeared, seemingly infiltrating the Turbid Kingdom, and his whereabouts were currently unknown.

Yu Tunzhou pondered for a moment and asked, "Is Jingchen here?"

The monk shook his head and said, "The abbot has joined forces with the strongest individuals from other countries and infiltrated the capital of the Turbid Kingdom to sever the merit-based Buddhist treasure of that Mietian Demonic Monk. They will return soon."

"Please wait a moment in the temple, benefactor. Another purpose of the abbot's trip is to find the young monk Dingguang and bring him back."

Yu Tunzhou did not refuse and stepped into the temple gate.

The temple was filled with the fragrance of incense and the sound of Buddhist chants. Although it was not as solemn as the grand temples outside, it exuded an aura of purity and discipline, which was completely different from the madness and chaos of the Turbid Kingdom.

He walked while pondering to himself.

The old monk had previously relieved him of the oppression of heaven and earth, and even temporarily elevated him to a higher level. His real purpose was to let him compete with that person from the Turbid Kingdom and see whether his Buddhist teachings were superior or his own fists were stronger.

Let's see whose reasoning is more compelling.

So if I'm not mistaken, if they want to leave this cave and rescue Dingguang, they will inevitably run into that Demonic Monk Mietian.

Not far away.

Chen Dingxin spotted Yu Tunzhou's figure in the distance. He hesitated for a moment but still didn't dare to go forward. He thought to himself that now that this guy had entered this cave, his situation was probably similar to theirs, like a fish out of water or grass out of its roots.

Recalling the strange occurrences at Mind Aspect Temple not long ago, Chen Dingxin frowned.

Before entering, who could have imagined that the Buddhist realm of a Buddhist School master would be so strange...?

Yu Tunzhou picked up the white fox and said, "Please lead the way. I wish to pay my respects at your temple's main hall."

Little Formless Temple is built against the mountain, with its halls and pavilions layered upon each other. Although it lacks the grandeur of large temples outside, it has its own serene and solemn charm.

Yu Tunzhou's gaze swept over the palaces and pavilions along the way. After passing through two courtyards, the main hall came into view.

The hall is not particularly grand, but its eaves and brackets exude a solemn and dignified air. The hall doors are wide open, and the interior is brightly lit by candlelight, through which several Buddha statues can be vaguely seen sitting majestically.

"Please make yourself at home, benefactor." The monk who had led the way stepped aside.

Yu Tunzhou nodded, expressed his gratitude, and stepped into the hall.

The four walls inside the hall are painted with Buddhist murals, the colors are simple and the brushstrokes are exquisite, depicting the scene of the Buddha preaching and the sentient beings listening to the sutras.

Several ever-burning lamps hang from the beams and pillars. Under the light of the lamps, the figures in the murals seem to come alive, their eyes and brows revealing piety and joy.

Yu Tunzhou's gaze fell directly on the Buddha statue in front of him.

Huntian recognized him at a glance as the Venerable Rahula.

However, the Buddha statue looked extremely young, completely different from the old monk he had seen before.

One is as old as a withered tree, the other as young as a new bud.

Therefore, it is impossible to determine.

Yu Tunzhou snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at the little fox in his arms. Using his Primordial Spirit as a guide, he communicated with it and finally understood what the little guy meant.

The little fox recounted how they got here, all because of that guy called Miemo...

Suddenly, Yu Tunzhou looked outside the hall, his Primordial Spirit sensing that several powerful auras were approaching Little Formless Temple.

He stepped out of the main hall, and a powerful and vast aura rose from his body, actively meeting the three auras.

It is both a gesture of goodwill and a demonstration of strength.

at the same time.

Several figures were traversing the sky, heading towards Little Formless Temple.

There were four people in total, three of whom were dressed as monks. The one in the lead was an old monk wearing a gray kasaya. He had a kind face, white eyebrows and beard, and held a nine-ringed tin staff. The copper rings on the staff jingled softly in the wind, emitting pleasant Buddhist chants.

The other two, distinguished by their appearance, are a middle-aged monk and a young monk, respectively.

The middle-aged monk was burly, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. Around his neck hung a string of thick prayer beads, each bead the size of a fist.

The young monk had refined features and held a monk's knife in his hand.

Beside the three, accompanied by a woman dressed in white with her hair tied up, a ring-pommel sword at her waist, her movements concealing a sharp edge, she was not a nun.

The leading old monk's gaze swept across the perimeter of Little Formless Temple, catching a glimpse of several presences hidden in the woods.

These people were not weak in cultivation. Although they were not as good as them, they were still rare top experts in the world. However, they still had a sense of alienation from the world.

He couldn't help but laugh, "Just as Miemo said, several more masters have arrived from the Upper Realm. Our chances of dealing with Mietian have increased even further."

"Jingchen is right," the middle-aged monk nodded. "We've been struggling to keep things afloat all these years, and we desperately need external help to break the deadlock."

Before the words were even finished, the expressions of the four people simultaneously froze.

Suddenly, a powerful aura rose from the temple, as solid as a mountain standing in an abyss, heavy and refined, yet exuding a sharp and spirited edge, drawing the sharp gaze of the woman among the four, causing her aura to burst forth.

"Where did this supreme expert come from?"

The leading old monk was immediately surprised. This aura was completely integrated with the world here, without any sense of distance or awkwardness from someone from the upper realm. It was as if this person was a native powerhouse, and their strength was almost equal to theirs.

The young monk said slowly, "I'll go and meet the lamas around the temple. The one inside will be handled by the three of you."

The four immediately parted ways. The young monk turned towards the mountain forest beside the temple, while the other three descended from the clouds and landed directly in front of the stone steps of the Mahavira Hall.

The visitor turned out to be a young man in a blue robe.

He held a white fox in his arms, his brows were unrestrained and wild, and his aura was controlled at will. Although he was as majestic as a mountain, he did not have the slightest aggressive attitude, but only showed the spirit of youth.

The elderly monk at the head of the group stepped forward, about to greet him with his palms together, when he noticed the young man opposite him staring directly at his face. He was first puzzled, then taken aback, and hesitantly began to speak:

"Old Gang Leader Su?"

When did you arrive?

"How come you... shaved your head and became a monk?"

Yu Tunzhou's expression gradually turned to astonishment.

He didn't expect that Old Gang Leader Su would also come here, and even shave his head and become a monk.

While this doesn't seem to make much of a difference—after all, this person originally created the Dream Arhat Dharma Aspect and practiced the Tathagata Divine Palm —joining Buddhism is practically the same as going home...

But when I actually saw this man who had suddenly shaved his head, put on a monk's robe, and looked like a highly enlightened monk, I still felt a strange sense of incongruity!