Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 203 Delusions Arise from the Body
The island is vast, roughly the size of several Shanyang counties.

It is high in the middle and low at the edges, like a great mountain rising from the water, with only part of it showing above the water.

Looking around, one sees Buddhist temples and monasteries surrounding and protecting the area, stretching out like mountains and forests.

With its golden roof, red walls, and glazed tiles, towering Buddha statues, Sanskrit inscriptions, and piles of incense in the censers, the grandeur of yesteryear is still faintly visible.

At the central peak, there is a giant platform, on which is placed a precious vase...

It was a hundred feet in size!

Around the giant platform, numerous figures were densely packed, yet shrouded in mist, making them indistinct.

This place, now deserted, is all the more tranquil.

"It's as if a powerful being forcibly seized space with great magic and moved me here..."

Liu Sheng looked him over and couldn't help but gasp.

Looking back on my journey to the island, I realize that these ancient temples were not even visible when I was at the Ruoshui River!
Perhaps some kind of illusion was used.

The large island beneath our feet looks more like the gate of a major sect, which has been moved here.

These Sanskrit characters before me are clearly different from the current written language, and their meaning is difficult to understand.

Fortunately, there was a great Buddhist master nearby.

"This humble nun doesn't recognize her either."

A look of confusion crossed Master Jingyue's face, and she shook her head:

"As time goes by and the world changes, these words become even more archaic, obscure and difficult to understand."

Although the words are different, the Buddhist meaning is the same. This humble nun cleared the way for the benefactor, in order to repay the debt of gratitude for saving her life.

As she spoke, she walked past Liu Sheng and headed towards the giant platform in the center of the island.

Previously, Liu Sheng had deliberately taken a long detour to avoid being noticed. This place was quiet and deserted, with only the sound of footsteps rustling.

Wandering among the temples and pavilions, one can clearly see the exquisite Buddhist sculptures and murals on the eaves, pillars, plaques, and walls, adorned with gold leaf, making them magnificent and luxurious.

Time seemed to stand still, and faintly, one could hear the old monk preaching and meditating, the novice monk chanting sutras and sweeping, and the sound of the wooden fish still lingering in the ears.

But in the end, they are just remnants left by time.

Master Jingyue looked solemn and paused from time to time. Although she couldn't understand the written language, she could still understand the carvings.

She slowly began to speak, softly recounting the story behind it.

Sacrificing oneself to feed a tiger, Mulian saving his mother, two demons fighting over a corpse, the Dragon Girl attaining Buddhahood...

It draws on classical texts and tells its story in a captivating and engaging manner.

Finally, she stood in front of an empty wall for a long time, muttering to herself, before finally coming to her senses.

Liu Sheng asked her what was so interesting about an empty wall.
She shook her head, saying only that the mural involved Buddhist secrets and might be useful in the future.

Seeing that she didn't want to say more, Liu Sheng didn't press her further.

They continued walking, stopping and starting.

Wandering through such a magnificent temple complex, he couldn't help but recite a couple of lines of poetry:
"Four hundred and eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties, how many pavilions and terraces are shrouded in mist and rain."

“Benefactor, there is no rain in the sky.”

Master Jingyue's face twitched; she tried to hold back, but ultimately couldn't.

"Ah... haha, don't worry about the details."

Liu Sheng blushed and became completely obedient, quickly changing the subject:

"It's getting late, we need to hurry up before someone else gets there first."

Master Jingyue's lips curled slightly, and she quickened her pace.

Before long, they passed through numerous temples and arrived at the center of the large island.

"Wow~"

Just then, a breeze blew by, making a rustling sound like leaves rustling.

The magnificent temples and pavilions behind them vanished in an instant, like bubbles.

Only ruins remain on the site, with mottled old stones and green rust on the bronze furnace, vaguely revealing the former glory.

"This……"

Liu Sheng turned his head and gasped, feeling a chill run down his spine.

They had stopped to admire the stone carvings and murals when they passed by, and even touched them with their own hands.

Rough and hard, they all thought it was a real object, and even marveled that it was a corner forgotten by time.

did not expect……

But if all those magnificent temples and pavilions were just illusions, then what about this island beneath our feet, this colossal platform before us, and the hundred-foot-tall treasure vase standing atop it…?

Is it true or false?

For a moment, Liu Sheng was in a state of great confusion, feeling that everything before him was a mix of reality and illusion, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

They even started to doubt themselves!
Did I... really time travel?
Are the incarnations of the Sky-Splitting Sparrow, the Yin Water Dragon, and the Blood Leopard real? Or is this just... a beautiful dream I had?
His mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts, and his face twitched, splitting into two halves with completely different expressions, with his nose as the midline.

Half of his expression was calm, while the other half was distorted.

It's as if an extra consciousness has appeared inside my body, vying and clashing.

"What's wrong with me? These delusions..."

Wake up, face reality, this is the real you!

"Impossible, how could I..."

"What is real, what is fake? Can you tell the difference between truth and falsehood?"

……

It is the body giving rise to delusional thoughts, and the two minds fighting each other!

Liu Sheng froze, his left eye suddenly wide open, his right eye contorted in a ferocious rage, his left side of his body remained calm, while the muscles on his right side bulged and rippled.

The person seems to be divided into two, each with its own opinions.

But I haven't even fully refined my bone marrow or had my blood transfused yet, so why would I have delusions beforehand?

This is trouble!
He originally possessed the talent of "Blade Heart," which allowed him to sever all distracting thoughts.

But this current delusion is of the same origin and is one with his divine thought, like two sides of the same coin. Killing the delusion is equivalent to killing oneself.

Not feasible!
Now, with two minds locked in a stalemate, their delusions and true intentions are evenly matched, making it difficult to separate them, and an external force is needed to balance them.

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should they be viewed."

Just then, a chanting sound came from beside him, as loud as a great bell, resounding in his ears.

In a hazy vision, it seemed to transform into a giant Buddha's hand, descending from the sky to punish evil and promote good.

Liu Shengfu had a sudden inspiration, and several of his divine soul-related talents were triggered one after another, finally suppressing the delusions within his body.

However, this is temporary and has not been eradicated.

"Thank you."

He broke out in a cold sweat and thanked Abbess Jingyue.

If it weren't for her earlier help, he wouldn't know how he would have gotten through this ordeal.

It happened so suddenly, and...

“Your previous situation was quite similar to that of a True Form Martial Master of my human race during their training.”

Master Jingyue looked at him suspiciously, then shook her head.

The arising of delusions and the struggle between two minds are unique stages in martial arts training.

This thing in front of me is a monster!
However, this demon can transform into an eagle and a dragon, possessing two forms, which may have triggered a hidden danger.

Of course, the key is that this place is eerie, as if some bewitching and seductive force is lurking there.

Liu Sheng closed his eyes slightly, remained silent, and looked ahead.

The giant platform was just two or three miles away, with a hundred-foot-tall treasure bottle standing on it, supported by a black severed hand.

"On this island, if there's anywhere else that can store mango sago nectar, it must be that precious bottle!"

Liu Sheng took a deep breath and made a judgment.

He looked around and saw that the ground surrounding the giant platform had sunk in a large area, forming a deep pit.

This place should have been a huge pool, but it has now completely dried up, revealing large stone carvings at the bottom.

The scene before him gave Liu Sheng a strong sense of déjà vu.

It looks exactly like the Terracotta Army in the Mausoleum of the First Emperor that I visited in my previous life.

It's just even more magnificent and grand.

The stone figures in the pit were all four or five zhang tall.

Some are tall, some are short, some are fat, some are thin; some are playful and frivolous, some are serious and earnest; each has a different expression and is lifelike.

They carried a monk's staff, a shovel, a long stick, and other items, all dressed as martial monks.

At the end of the stone crowd, closest to the giant platform, stand four colossal statues, each fifty or sixty feet tall, guarding the four directions.

The statue to the east is entirely blue, with a dragon's head and a human body, holding a vase.

To the west is a strange bird, adorned with jewels, its wings displaying a thousand eyes, and a huge vajra bell hanging around its neck.

The stone carving on the south side has four faces and eight arms. The front face is benevolent, the left side is a roaring lion, the right side is silent, and the back face is angry. It holds a sutra scroll, a pipa, a sword, a mirror, and other items.

The stone sculpture on the north side is fierce and menacing, resembling a demon. It is clad in black armor, has three eyes and six arms, stands on ghost fire, and holds a bronze infant in its hands. Its ferocity is tempered with compassion.

Four guardian figures stand guard over the giant platform, providing a formidable defense.

"This is……"

After examining the four stone sculptures, Abbess Jingyue seemed to recognize them, and cold sweat poured down her face.

(End of this chapter)