Chapter 194: The Great Calamity of Buddhism, Stars as Gifts
Chapter 194 – The Great Calamity of Buddhism, Stars as Gifts
Meeting Nalan Xingde’s clear gaze, White Marsh’s face instantly fell.
“I am a divine beast, you are a mortal, and a pedantic, sour scholar at that.”
“Do you really think I can comprehend your cryptic philosophical drivel?”
“Most likely not.”
“Then why the hell are you spouting—”
Before White Marsh could spew another string of profanities, a radiant golden ‘Silence’ character slammed down, forcefully sealing its jaws shut.
Nalan Xingde looked at the beast with a tranquil smile.
“Uttering such filth will not do. You must cleanse this vulgar habit of yours.”
“Three days of silence. A minor punishment to serve as a major warning.”
With a flick of his sleeves, Nalan Xingde led White Marsh out of the academy.
White Marsh offered little resistance, fully aware that struggling against the scholar’s Dao arts was an exercise in futility.
Twenty years ago, White Marsh had fled here seeking sanctuary.
Yet, long after the immediate danger had passed, the beast had remained.
This was not out of a desire to stay, but rather because it was utterly incapable of leaving.
……
Northern Desert.
“Chen Shisan, your innate talent is simply atrocious.”
“It took you three entire months to barely pry open a single Fountain. You have truly broadened my horizons.”
Qian Baoer grumbled about his agonizing cultivation speed, while Chen Shisan remained deeply engrossed in sensing the newly birthed divine power coursing through his meridians.
Only after thoroughly acclimating to his internal foundation did he leisurely open his eyes.
“I am already more than satisfied just to have stepped onto the path of cultivation.”
“Because Master warned me that my aptitude was exceptionally poor.”
Qian Baoer rolled her eyes. “I heard Master say that as well, but I never imagined it would be this pathetic.”
“Ever since the Desolate Heavenly Emperor established the Sea of Bitterness pathway, there has been no mortal in this world entirely incapable of cultivating.”
“How far one can walk upon the Great Dao depends entirely on personal perseverance, Fated Chances, innate talent, and myriad other variables.”
“But I have never witnessed anyone as sluggish as you. Even while forcefully sustained by my mountainous pile of resources, it still took you three whole months.”
Hearing her complaints, Chen Shisan scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
“I am truly sorry for making you exhaust so many resources.”
“I promise I will definitely—”
“Stop!”
Before he could finish, Qian Baoer raised her hand to cut him off.
“If we are true friends, do not speak of repayment.”
“By tallying debts, aren’t you looking down on me, Qian Baoer?”
“But paying one’s debts is the natural order of heaven and earth. Even between comrades, one should not freely take advantage of another, right?”
“That may be the rule, but I do not want you to repay me with mundane wealth.”
“I helped you because I view you as a friend; it is a bond of karma. If you reduce it to Spirit Stones and Pills, doesn’t it taint the gesture with the stench of mortal commerce?”
“Are you not aiming to become an unparalleled swordsman?”
“If one day you truly stand at the absolute pinnacle of the sword Dao, I want you to sever a star from the heavens and gift it to me.”
A brilliantly earnest smile broke across Chen Shisan’s face.
“Alright. I will definitely slice down the brightest star in the firmament as your gift.”
The three youths fell into a brief, stunned silence before erupting into joyous laughter.
It had taken them three grueling months to trek from the Middle Heavens to the desolate borders of the Northern Desert.
Three months was more than enough time to forge an unbreakable bond between them.
Fledgling cultivators wandering the world side-by-side—it was one of the purest beauties of the mortal realm.
Because at this age, no one stops to calculate whether their grandiose promises are dangerously absurd.
At this moment, Tian Xuan chimed in from the side.
“You guided Shisan in opening his Fountain, and he promised to pluck a star as repayment.”
“I also consumed a vast quantity of your Pills while nursing my injuries. I wonder, what sort of cosmic treasure must I offer to settle my karma?”
Qian Baoer tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Then you must also pluck a star for me!”
“Two celestial bodies would make a perfect pair of earrings.”
“Consider it done!” Tian Xuan laughed. “Shisan can claim the brightest, and I shall seize the second brightest.”
“Then I shall eagerly await your triumphant returns.”
“By the way, we have officially crossed into the Northern Desert. When exactly will Master rendezvous with us?”
Tian Xuan narrowed his eyes toward the hazy horizon.
“We must push a bit further inland. Master intends to meet us within the Buddhist Kingdom.”
“However, there seems to be a severe disturbance brewing within their borders. I am unsure if we will encounter any chaotic variables.”
“What variables could possibly affect us? The rotting of their sacred Bodhi tree was certainly not our doing.”
“Besides, the divine tribulations of Buddhist monks are far beyond our meager cultivation to worry about.”
Tian Xuan nodded in agreement. “True. We are merely here to meet Master. The karmic strife of the Northern Desert is not our burden.”
“Let us hasten our pace. A considerable distance still lies between us and the Buddhist Kingdom.”
With a shared sense of purpose, the three youths resumed their arduous trek across the dunes.
……
Buddhist Kingdom.
“Amitabha!”
A grand, sonorous Buddhist chant reverberated through the skies of the Buddhist Kingdom. Outside its majestic borders stood a young, bald monk.
Alarmed by the surging waves of pure spiritual energy, three resident monks immediately flew out to investigate.
“Amitabha!”
“May we ask, Master, what brings you to our sacred domain?”
The young monk pressed his palms together in a pious gesture. “The Buddhist path is on the precipice of a grand calamity. This humble monk wishes to lend his meager strength to help our lineage weather this storm.”
At these words, a jolt of desperate hope electrified the three monks.
“Master, do you speak the truth?”
“Monks do not deal in falsehoods. This humble monk arrives bearing the very method of salvation.”
“Praise the Buddha! Master, please, enter swiftly.”
With utmost reverence, the three monks ushered Jueyuan through the glowing barriers of the Buddhist Kingdom.
“If we may be so bold, at which temple does the Master cultivate his Dao?”
“This humble monk cultivates at the Shaolin Temple. My Dharma name is Jueyuan.”
The three exchanged blank glances. They scoured their memories but found absolutely no record of a ‘Shaolin Temple.’
However, in these desperate times, the monks of the Buddhist Kingdom cared little for administrative origins.
Temples scattered beneath the heavens were as innumerable as grains of sand. Even the supreme Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom dared not claim omniscience over them all.
Regardless of where this Jueyuan hailed from, the pure, unadulterated Buddhist light radiating from his pores could not be faked. His unfathomable cultivation base was an absolute reality.
All Buddhist lineages beneath the heavens belonged to one family. His arrival, if nothing else, bolstered the failing foundation of their kingdom.
……
“Master Jueyuan, behold the source of our sect’s calamity.”
The senior monks guided Jueyuan toward the base of a towering, primordial tree.
A devastating long spear was brutally impaled into the ancient trunk. It was this exact weapon that acted as a parasitic vortex, continuously devouring the sacred tree’s immense vitality.
After sweeping his gaze over the decaying wood for a long moment, Jueyuan exhaled a solemn sigh. “The Desolate Heavenly Emperor’s methods are truly terrifying.”
“This spear has ruthlessly nailed down the very karmic lifeline of the Buddhist Kingdom. To extract it, we require a supreme Fated Chance.”
“What Fated Chance?”
“Heaven’s Mandate!”
The senior monks immediately furrowed their brows in deep consternation.
“The Heaven’s Mandate was fully integrated by the Desolate Heavenly Emperor. Furthermore, he has long since achieved Ascension. Where in the mortal realm could we possibly seek out the Heaven’s Mandate?”
“The Desolate Heavenly Emperor has indeed Ascended, but his Heaven’s Mandate was severed long ago.”
“Locate the new bearer of the Heaven’s Mandate, and the great calamity threatening our sect shall be dispelled.”
Hearing this chilling revelation, every monk present paled, their expressions twisting into masks of unnatural shock.
The Heaven’s Mandate had been severed! Such earth-shattering news would completely capsize the balance of the Five Continents!