Embers of Sword

Chapter 386 Mercy
I am a Zen master.

But the Zen master is not me.

Deng Baiyi and Chu Guo didn't understand this sentence either.

Even Chen Chong didn't quite understand.

"Pretend to be a ghost!"

Chen Chong snorted coldly, raised his hand and clenched it in the air.

Swish!
The next moment, thunder surged on the top of the hill, and the lightning spear was suddenly pulled out, bringing out a puff of golden blood. The spear rolled in the air and swept back into Chen Chong's palm.

The skinny monk's body swayed slightly.

The big hole on the shoulder healed at an extremely fast speed.

The power of the way of life, like a gentle rain, sprinkles on this world.

"Why should this battle involve others?"

The skinny monk was like a dead leaf, swaying back and forth in the wind, but he finally stood firm. With a compassionate look on his face, he pointed to the ceiling and said, "Chen Chong, you want to ascend to the Yang God through this battle... Killing other people will only increase your sins. It's better for you and I to ascend to heaven in a battle."

"Fake mercy."

Chen Chong sneered: "If you really wanted to save people, why didn't you show up when the Yuanzhou Iron Cavalry was destroying Buddhism?"

That being said.

But he did not attack others.

Although Chen Chong usually acts ruthlessly, he also has the idea of "restoring order".

He has always disdained killing innocent people.

"If a Buddhist temple is demolished, it can be rebuilt."

The skinny monk shook his head and said sincerely, "The word 'destroy Buddhism' is not as easy as you say..."

"makes sense."

Chen Chong said expressionlessly: "If I want to destroy Buddhism, I'd better destroy you first."

The skinny monk smiled lightly and said nothing.

He stretched out his hand and pointed to the ceiling, indicating that they should fight there.

"Boom!"

Amid the thunder, countless dark clouds spread out, a crack opened up, the dark lightning was pushed aside by the Avenue of Life, and the golden Buddha light descended to the world, turning into a ladder to heaven. The skinny monk looked at the "little monk" beside him with some reluctance, and finally he stretched out his palm, gently patted the little monk's head, and then floated away on the golden light.

On the other side, Chen Chong had a cold expression and was filled with murderous intent.

He held the spear, rose from the ground, turned into a green rainbow, and soared into the sky!

……

……

Once you enter the zenith.

Chen Chong could not wait to launch an offensive, and saw the towering blue dragon image of a hundred feet merge into the lightning spear, and the sound of the great enlightenment realm resounded throughout the sky.

Another spear was thrust towards the Zen master!

He had thought that the monk who had taken the initiative to invite Dengtian to a fight would display his magical powers, but he never expected that this fellow would not dodge or evade, but just took the second spear head-on.

But this spear was aimed at the heart!

"laugh!"

Chen Chong could even hear the sound of the heart exploding through the flesh and blood.

He looked at the skinny monk in front of him in disbelief.

No matter how powerful a practitioner is, he is still a mortal after all.

The heart is the source of life.

Beheading and piercing the heart are extremely severe injuries...

Even a top-level warrior who has achieved the divine power of martial arts cannot allow this spear to pierce his heart.

But the Zen master did just that.

"You won't hide?"

Chen Chong was slightly dazed, staring at the scene in a daze. He did not draw out his spear, and the two of them just stood in the flowing clouds at the sky.

The ordinary people on the ground looked up.

They could not see clearly what was happening in the sky, but they knew that this rain of vitality was gaining momentum, and more and more "golden rain" was falling.

"Why are you hiding?"

The big monk had a smile in his eyes. He stretched out his hand and grasped the spear. "The donor tried every possible means, including sending cavalry to trample the temple and using a compass to search for people... All he wanted was to force the Zen master to show up, kill him, and then attain Yang Shen. Now I take this spear and then die. Isn't this the best ending?"

Chen Chong was stunned.

Yes, that's what he thought.

The reason why he wanted to meet the Zen master was not because he was confused.

Many years have passed since he kept a low profile and cultivated to the peak of the Yin Shen realm.

Over the years, he gradually rose to a position above ten thousand people in the State of Li, was granted the title of Great Pillar of the State, and concurrently served as the leader of the Iron Cavalry of the Three States.

Even if it was Nalan Xuance's decision, he had the right to influence or even veto it.

Distance to the "top of the mountain".

Just one step away.

It’s this step right now.

To attain the status of Yang God, this step has stumped countless heroes. In order to ascend to the status of Yang God, Chu State's Youhai King did not hesitate to collude with the demon clan and launch the tide sacrifice technique, using the lives of all the creatures in Lichao City as the price in exchange for one person's ascension... Chen Chong controls three states, but he cannot do such a thing.

Nalan Xuance gave a good suggestion.

To be promoted to Yang God, an opportunity is needed.

The best opportunity is a life-and-death battle.

Ten years ago, Xie Xuanyi fought thousands of miles away and was buried in the North Sea. This incident was a sensation and everyone in the world knew about it... At that time, many great monks who were only one step away from the top of the mountain were paying close attention to this battle. They knew that if Xie Xuanyi successfully survived the battle in the North Sea, he would become a Yang God!
Therefore, between life and death, there is great fear and also great blessing. This is the reason.

So, there was a game like the one in Yuanzhou.

After much deliberation, Chen Chong decided to use the "Zen Master" as a stone to hone himself.

Be it the battle of Qixia Mountain or the Iron Cavalry's destruction of Buddhism, Chen Chong did not care about the purpose of Nalan Xuance's painstaking efforts. What he cared about was the battle to break through the realm of Yang God brought about by "destroying Buddhism"!
Now, everything is going well.

Everything went too smoothly.

Chen Chong looked at the Qingcan Thunder Spear stained with Buddha's blood and didn't know what to say for a moment.

He didn't understand why the Zen master was willing to die after he appeared?

But he knew.

The "Way of Life" of the skinny monk in front of him is real. This is the great way that can only be condensed in the Yang Shen realm. After the spear pierced his heart, an endless stream of the Way of Life flowed along the spear and into Chen Chong's body. Waves of warmth, like a spring, swept into Chen Chong's heart.

"..."

Chen Chong took a deep breath and looked at the skinny monk in front of him.

The other party was silent.

He just silently transmitted the force of life to the spear.

At the same time, he looked at himself with an extremely compassionate and forgiving gaze.

Chen Chong suddenly remembered a story he had heard many years ago. It is said that during his practice, the Buddha encountered a hungry eagle. In order to save the eagle's life, the Buddha decided to cut off his own flesh and feed the hungry eagle. Although the Buddha kept cutting his flesh, the eagle's hunger could not be satisfied. In the end, the Buddha gave up all his flesh and his entire life.

"What is this, alms?"

Chen Chong only felt irony at this moment.

What he expected was not a breakthrough.

It's a fair fight.

He practiced hard for countless nights and encouraged himself in countless moments of retreat. He knew that the Zen master was the longest-lived among the three founders of the three religions... But also because of this, he decided to make "this battle" a battle of promotion. For this battle, he drank a lot of Drunken Immortal Wine before setting off, raising his energy and spirit to the extreme.

He would rather die in this battle than receive such charity!

"Aren't you curious about why the 'Zen Master' didn't show up when the Yuanzhou cavalry trampled the Buddhist temple?"

The skinny monk said calmly: "Perhaps, you will understand the reason next."

"..."

Chen Chong frowned.

The skinny monk turned his wrist, slowly grabbed the spear, and pulled it away from his heart.

Golden blood lingers in the sky.

Countless water vapors condensed between the clouds.

The Way of Life was suppressed by an invisible force in the air and slowly condensed into a drop of water. This was a golden drop of water that contained endless vitality. Even if the heart was pierced by green lightning, it could still continue life. The skinny monk lowered his head and stared at the hole in his chest and slowly spoke.

"I am an abandoned child picked up by Yuanguang Temple. I was born weak and seriously ill. The abbot of the temple told me that this incurable disease cannot be cured in Yuanzhou. If I want to survive, I can only pray to Fanyin Temple for treatment."

“So I set out on my own.”

“No one would have thought that a child could travel through several states, find the Fanyin Temple, and even become a disciple of the temple.”

"An old monk who was responsible for sweeping the floor saw that I was all alone and helpless, so he took me into the temple and found a master. I was successfully cured of my illness."

"But due to my talent, I can't cultivate my energy, nor can I train my body..."

"The master originally wanted to keep me in the temple to ring the bell, chant sutras, and preach. But I insisted on leaving, so the master didn't want to keep me. Before I left, he gave me this thing."

Chen Chong stared at the golden drop of water.

Shock and disbelief appeared in his eyes.

The life force contained in this drop of water far exceeded his imagination.

"Master told me."

“Not practicing is also practicing.”

The skinny monk spoke softly, "From that day on, I began to practice 'silent meditation'. I returned to my hometown, renovated the 'Yuanguang Temple', saved people, begged for alms, begged... I knew nothing about the magical powers of Buddhism, but after practicing for a long time, I gradually began to understand. It turns out that the master kept me here for a reason. Seven years ago, as an ordinary person, I comprehended the 'divine foot power', which allowed me to fly a hundred feet away with one step. Three years ago, I comprehended the 'divine eye power', which allowed me to see several miles around me even when I was asleep."

"Today, I have realized the third magical power, destiny, after my silent meditation was broken."

He spoke slowly: "I seem to understand everything that happened back then and its relationship to today's 'fate'."

Fa Cheng asked softly, "Do you believe that there is a 'magic object' in this world that can cure all diseases?"

"..."

Chen Chong stared at the water droplet.

Before today, he didn't believe it.

The battle of drinking poison that year was simply absurd in his opinion. He did not believe in the existence of such a thing as the Fountain of Immortality! As long as he got a drop of the Fountain of Immortality, he could get a second life?

Ridiculous! So ridiculous!

But the truth is far more absurd than this... because Chen Chong was sure that the legendary Fountain of Immortality appeared right before his eyes.

This drop of water is extremely full of vitality!
"Everything that happens in this world has its source."

"There is a cause before there is an effect."

Facheng stretched out his hand and slowly drew a circle.

"This drop of water that my master gave me is the beginning and the end of this fate."

He smiled gently.

He is both unfortunate and lucky.

God did not give him a fair birth. He survived but was plagued by serious illness and died soon.

But his master gave him a complete life. This drop of water saved his life and allowed him to cultivate the three magical powers of Buddhism while still being a mortal.

After comprehending the destiny.

He looked back and saw another possibility in the torrent of history—

If there was no water drop.

Then he is dead.

Perhaps this is why the master wanted to keep him in the temple to ring the bell. If he didn't leave, then the master could take good care of him. In the rolling torrent, Facheng saw a shadow of the "master". He saw that after the "master" gave the water drop, his figure began to dim.

How many drops of such a magical object can exist?
In the long river of destiny, Facheng saw more than one drop... The master gave the fountain of immortality to more than one person.

As these people left.

The master also began to "leave". He became extremely dim and eventually turned into nothing, leaving only a ball of floating light.

He became a part of the Master and lived on.

Live to this day.

When you reach the stage of "knowing one's destiny", you will be able to see the truth, comprehend everything, and see the beginning and the end.

【“Master.”】

Facheng closed his eyes, and the water droplet began to spread, and countless bubbles began to condense.

Fateful vision spans the long river of history.

A gentle shout called out to the old figure at the end of the long river.

The "Zen Master's" back suddenly paused.

He looked back at the "monk" on the other side of the river of fate. Although it was a strange voice, he successfully made the crossing through this magical power.

next moment.

Bubbles flutter, gather, and descend.

……

……

"You...are not a Zen master!"

Chen Chong stared at the skinny monk in front of him. The wavering thought in his mind could finally be confirmed at this moment.

The skinny monk in front of me.

Definitely not a Zen master.

There is a saying circulating in Buddhism that if one cultivates the three magical powers, one can be comparable to the Yang God!

Although this skinny monk possesses the "life force" comparable to that of Yangshen Dao, he has no idea how to fight. This "life force" that is so huge that it is about to overflow cannot be used for anything else except curing diseases and saving lives!

“A Zen master is never just one person.”

Facheng shook his head. He said in a calm tone, "To comprehend the Buddha's teachings, one can save all sentient beings. Everyone can become a 'Zen Master'."

"absurd!"

Chen Chong said coldly: "Since everyone is a Zen master, why is it that no one stood up when the Iron Cavalry destroyed Buddhism?"

"The words 'birth' and 'death' are the ultimate truths of the world."

Facheng shook his head again and said, "Even the sea will dry up, and the mountains will rot. How much more so will people? How much more so will the temple? Since the cavalry wants to tear down the temple...then just tear it down. Before the Yuanzhou cavalry arrived here, I took the initiative to push down the 'Yuanguang Temple'."

"Everything in this world has its own laws of birth and death. I can protect one person, but how can I protect the world?"

Fa Cheng said with a gratified tone, "If you want to kill me today, you can do it now. Your achievement of the Yang God Realm is a good thing for Dali and the world."

Then he stretched out his hand and handed the water drop to her.

Chen Chong stared at the water drop with an incomprehensible look, feeling extremely complicated.

"Take it."

Fa Cheng smiled and said, "Kill me, take it, and you can be promoted to the realm of Yang Shen."

……

……

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(End of this chapter)