Chapter 368: Filling the Wooden House
Bodhisattva Xiangxiang held a bodhi leaf in her hand and gently waved it forward. Everyone suddenly found themselves transported to individual small spaces.
With tens of thousands of cultivators entering the secret realm, Bodhisattva Xiangxiang had created tens of thousands of these miniature spaces to accommodate them all.
“A single flower contains a world, a single leaf embodies enlightenment.” Jiang Li recognized Bodhisattva Xiangxiang’s technique. The Buddhist sect excelled in spatial manipulation, and within the Beings’ Secret Realm, she demonstrated this mastery perfectly.
Such an extravagant display would be impossible for her outside this realm.
“This secret realm must have been created by a celestial-level Buddha,” Jiang Li murmured to himself. The amplification the Beings’ Secret Realm provided was extraordinary, far beyond what ordinary secret realms could offer.
Everyone found themselves facing a small wooden house, completely empty inside. Outside, the area bustled with activity – woodcutters, merchants, and travelers passed by, their mundane wares circulating without a trace of spiritual energy.
“The first trial begins now,” announced Bodhisattva Xiangxiang. “As you can see, this wooden house contains nothing. Each of you has been given one tael of silver. Your task is to fill this house completely within two hours. Magic is forbidden – I have sealed everyone’s cultivation.”
The cultivators discovered they couldn’t access even a shred of their power, becoming no different from ordinary mortals. Their spiritual energy lay dormant within them, unresponsive.
Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu both sensed something attempting to restrain them. Testing secretly, they found the realm’s restrictions had no effect – Bai Hongtu remained at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, Jiang Li at the Mahayana Stage.
But being law-abiding individuals, they had no intention of cheating anyway. They had risen above other candidates for the Human Sovereign position not just through cultivation, but through wisdom. This trial posed no challenge to them.
Jiang Li entered the wooden house, contemplated briefly, then turned to purchase a string of candied hawthorns with his silver…
Two hours passed quickly. All participants returned to the main secret realm with their filled houses.
“What have you used to fill your house?” Bodhisattva Xiangxiang asked Qin Luan with a smile.
Qin Luan opened his house to reveal stacked firewood.
Some cultivators chuckled quietly. Such an ordinary answer – how could it possibly attract the attention of any legacy?
Many had chosen to remain motionless before their houses, sitting cross-legged with knowing smiles, projecting an air of profound mystery – a tactic they believed would draw the legacies’ interest.
Bodhisattva Xiangxiang maintained her smile. Qin Luan’s answer was indeed unremarkable, but such was the nature of ordinary beings. “Good.”
She moved to the next cultivator. “And what have you filled your house with?”
This cultivator appeared deeply versed in Buddhist teachings. He pressed his palms together respectfully. “Bodhisattva, I placed nothing inside.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
With an enigmatic smile, he explained, “Air exists everywhere yet is often overlooked.” Opening his house triumphantly, he declared, “Behold – the house is filled with air!”
“Perhaps you should enter before concluding,” suggested the Bodhisattva.
Confidently stepping inside, his expression immediately changed to horror. The house was completely empty – not just of air, but of all spiritual energy too. Even with the door open, the house repelled all air from entering.
His face turned ashen. In his eagerness to appear profound, he hadn’t even entered the house beforehand. But he quickly composed himself – the Beings’ Secret Realm didn’t eliminate participants, so he could excel in the next trial.
Suddenly, a copy of the Diamond Sutra appeared in his hands.
“What does this mean?” he asked, confused.
Bodhisattva Xiangxiang smiled. “This is the realm’s reward for you.”
A veteran participant interjected, “Meaning it’s a consolation prize. You’ll just be going through the motions for the remaining two trials.”
Witnessing this, many cultivators panicked, abandoning their pretentious postures. Some even hid candles they’d purchased.
These candle-buyers inwardly lamented. Their plan had been to leisurely enter their houses, light candles, recite Buddhist verses, and declare the houses now “filled with light.” They’d even rehearsed their lines and movements!
Bodhisattva Xiangxiang shook her head slightly at this display. These insincere cultivators, so focused on appearing profound and mocking Qin Luan’s simplicity, never considered how their behavior would repel potential legacies.
So many were pretending to be profound that Qin Luan’s simple firewood answer had become the rare one.
“What have you filled your house with?” she asked Yuan Wuxing.
Yuan Wuxing had placed numerous candles outside his house, lighting them to cast faint light inside. “Good,” acknowledged the Bodhisattva. While not exceptional, his approach showed merit.
Approaching Bai Hongtu, she initially assumed he was another pretentious type, seeing him empty-handed. “What have you filled your house with?”
“The entire Beings’ Secret Realm.”
This unexpected answer gave her pause. “Excuse me?”
“Bodhisattva, where exactly is the ‘inside’ of this house?”
She opened the door and entered. “Here, naturally.”
Bai Hongtu shook his head, following her in. “You’re attached to appearances. No rule defines what’s inside or outside. Therefore…” He stepped back out, gesturing, “…why not consider this the inside?”
The Bodhisattva’s eyes widened in realization. “An unconventional perspective. You possess great wisdom.”
Jiang Li rolled his eyes. That Bai guy could really talk – why couldn’t he be straightforward like himself?
Finally, the Bodhisattva approached Jiang Li, also empty-handed. “What have you filled your house with?”
Jiang Li opened the door, inviting her inside. Finding nothing, she asked, “What’s in here?”
Jiang Li looked surprised. “You don’t see? There’s so much here! If you can’t perceive it, perhaps try using your spiritual sense.”
She did so, but still found nothing. “There’s truly nothing.”
“How can that be? Look more carefully.”
His absolute certainty made her doubt herself. Had she missed something? But exhaustive searching revealed nothing.
“Sir, what exactly is in your house?”
“Lies.”
“…”
Bodhisattva Xiangxiang nearly broke her vows to curse.
Bai Hongtu shrugged. He’d always said half the ridiculous ideas during the Human Sovereign selection came from Jiang Li, but no one believed him.