Infinite Chimera Creation

The voice was ordinary, completely different from those alluring voices that could easily bewitch people, but it unexpectedly made people feel good about it.

Most people, even if illiterate, would unconsciously stammer a few words of broken classical Chinese when faced with this old monk who spoke in such a refined and ancient style. However, Yuan Yuan was clearly not an ordinary person. He completely ignored the old monk's question and focused on observing this old man whom ordinary people called Buddha.

Yuan Yuan did not answer, and the old monk Yixiu was not angry. He looked at Yuan Yuan with a calm gaze, letting him look him over.

Karim hadn't initially taken the old monk seriously. Although the old man's spiritual power was roughly equivalent to a worst-level Death God captain, Karim was still confident he could kill him within thirty seconds. However, seeing that Ikkyu remained unmoved under Yuan Yuan's gaze, which seemed to want to dissect him, Karim began to admire the old man a little.

No one knew better than Karim how terrifying Yuan Yuan's gaze could be when he was interested. If scorpions hadn't lacked tear glands, their memorable first meeting would likely have ended with Karim, the scorpion, bursting into tears and dying of dehydration. Even now, as a powerful overlord, Karim couldn't forget the terror he felt in his father's eyes less than a month after hatching.

Yuan Yuan carefully observed the old monk, his eyes even turning a shimmering blue due to the highly concentrated spiritual energy. Suddenly, Yuan Yuan's blue pupils contracted slightly, as if he had seen something incredible.

When Yuan Yuan first saw the old monk, he didn't notice anything unusual about him, only thinking that he was an ordinary human with strong spiritual power. However, after Yixiu spoke, Yuan Yuan vaguely sensed something amiss. In order to find the reason for this incongruity, Yuan Yuan observed the old monk almost meticulously, and finally, he found the reason in the old monk's eyes.

In those dark, wise eyes, Yuan Yuan found a wisp of golden spiritual energy. That wisp of golden spiritual energy wasn't powerful; compared not only to Yuan Yuan's vast spiritual energy, but even to Ikkyu's own, it seemed incredibly small, as if it might dissipate at any moment. However, it was this tiny wisp of spiritual energy that transformed Ikkyu in Yuan Yuan's eyes from a "human with naturally abundant spiritual energy" into "experimental material that he would obtain by any means necessary."

Because, within that wisp of spiritual energy, Yuan Yuan sensed a feeling similar to the black energy from hell he had obtained a few days ago.

If the black aura of hell gives the feeling of madness, making all living beings that come into contact with it aggressive and all matter that comes into contact with it unstable, then the golden spiritual power in Ikkyu's eyes gives the feeling of perseverance, making all living beings that come into contact with it have firm and unwavering beliefs, and making all matter that comes into contact with it difficult to change.

Although the emotions they contain and the effects they cause are different, they all share the same characteristic: they can act on both living things and matter.

If you open your senses, you'll find that everything in the temple, from the floor tiles to the wooden pillars, is more sturdy than normal.

With a look of inquiry in his eyes, Yuan Yuan suppressed his curiosity and continued to observe Ikkyu's body. When his gaze fell on Ikkyu's chest, he was surprised again. Staring at the frail and elderly Ikkyu, Yuan Yuan's tone was devoid of any doubt.

"You are already dead."

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Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Golden Chain

A sound soul resides in a sound body and a sound mind.

This statement describing the relationship between the body, soul, and spirit came from the mouth of Death from another world. Although Yuan Yuan's current experiments only involve the soul and body, and he is not yet able to study the spirit and its influence on the other two, he never doubts the role of the spirit.

What appeared before him now proved to him that what he had always believed was correct.

Every living human being has a causal chain at their chest, linking their body and soul. If this causal chain remains intact, the soul does not die even if it leaves the body. Conversely, if the causal chain breaks, the person can be considered dead, even if the soul remains within the body.

At this moment, the chain of cause and effect that bound Ikkyu to his chest had clearly been completely broken. However, Ikkyu, who should have died, was exactly the same as a living person in terms of heartbeat and body temperature.

The cause of this result was a small link formed by golden spiritual energy at the break in the causal chain. It was this golden link that reconnected the broken causal chain.

Experiments using spiritual power to form links and repair the causal chains of the dead have already been tried in Soul Society. After all, the Shinigami who guard the human world inevitably have some human friends, and even Shinigami cannot remain indifferent when they die.

However, all of these experiments by the Grim Reaper failed without exception. The links formed by spiritual energy would shatter the moment they were embedded in the causal chain, and even links formed by spiritual energy of captain-level strength could not repair the broken causal chain.

Since something that shouldn't have succeeded did, there must be a reason, and the most likely reason is that golden spiritual energy, which is different from normal blue spiritual energy and is full of the emotion of [firmness].

“You have a good eye, benefactor. I should have passed away in this small temple thirty years ago, but I couldn’t bear to leave the people of this city, so I’m still living on.”

Although Yuan Yuan had seen through his secret, Ikkyu showed no anger or panic, and his gaze remained calm.

Yuan Yuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by Ikkyu's attitude. He had thought that the old monk, who relied on special means to avoid death and prolong his life, must be someone who was afraid of death. Now it seemed that he had misjudged him.

"But you won't last much longer, at most two more years, and you will still die."

Yuan Yuan was not lying. Although Yixiu forcibly reconnected the broken causal chain with his special golden spiritual power, making himself appear no different from a living person, he was still, after all, a dead person.

However, the chain of cause and effect is, after all, a thing of the living. Having clung to Ikkyu, who was already dead, for thirty years, every link of the chain was riddled with cracks. If nothing unexpected happens, this chain will completely collapse in at most two years. And the amount of golden spiritual energy in Ikkyu's body is scarce, clearly insufficient to construct a complete chain.

With a sigh, Ikkyu clasped his hands together and slowly bowed towards the west.

“Amitabha Buddha, this old monk defied the will of Heaven to prolong his life and guard this city for nearly a hundred years. Now it is time for me to go to the Western Paradise and serve under the Buddha. As for the people in this city, it is up to their own fate.”

Yuan Yuan strolled over and sat down opposite Ikkyu. He took the teapot from in front of Ikkyu, poured himself a cup of tea, took a small sip, and stared directly at Ikkyu, making no attempt to hide the malice in his tone.

"Master Ikkyu, do you really believe in Buddhism?"

If it were an ordinary Buddhist, being so directly questioned about their faith, they would probably slam their fist on the table and start cursing. If it were a martial monk, they might even resort to violence. But surprisingly, Ikkyu remained silent in the face of this question.

Looking at the silent Ikkyu, Yuan Yuan's lips curled into a smile, his eyes flashing with malice.

"Because of you, almost everyone in this city has become a Buddhist. But what happens to the souls of those who died while believing in Buddha? You, with your spiritual power, should be able to see that very clearly."

That's right. They either turned into twisted monsters that fed on human souls, or they were turned into black butterflies by people dressed like me and sent to a place called Soul Society.

Those who were received by the Buddha and transformed into golden light departed—not a single one.

Looking at Ikkyu's aged face, Yuan Yuan's smile grew even more unrestrained, relentlessly using the language that humanity created for mutual understanding to spew malice.

"Yes, you know very well that there is no Buddha in this world, no Western Paradise, and nothing recorded in the Buddhist scriptures exists. Just listen to how people outside address you, and you can easily guess what kind of being this legendary Buddha is, can't you?"

"The Buddha was merely a mortal like you, intelligent and eloquent, possessing and able to use spiritual power. He might even be less capable than you are now, since no one in the records has ever been able to prolong their life in this way."

After Yuan Yuan said, "Buddha is just a mortal who might not even be as good as you," Ikkyu's expression remained calm. He closed his eyes slightly, softly chanted "Amitabha," and then cast his gaze into the unknown distance.

“What you say is something I understood when I was young. But even if there is no Buddha in the world, as long as I still believe in Buddha in my heart, Buddha will naturally reside in my heart.”

Although Ikkyu's answer was surprising, Yuan Yuan was not surprised at all. Looking at the golden chain filled with determination, Yuan Yuan could guess that the old monk in front of him was not so easy to persuade.

The upturned corners of his mouth softened, and Yuan Yuan's tone became gentle as he gazed at Ikkyu's profile, seemingly with a touch of melancholy.

"So, you are just clever, but you are still at the level of an ordinary person, far inferior to me. Because I, Yuan Yuan, will never be like you, blinded by my own involvement."

Although his words sounded somewhat boastful, Yuan Yuan showed no embarrassment, as if he were stating common sense that everyone agreed upon. Ikkyu, having practiced Zen for nearly a century, possessed a peaceful mind and lacked the tendency among most Japanese to make inappropriate remarks. Although his gaze towards Yuan Yuan was strange, he made no attempt to interrupt him.

"Since the Buddha does not exist in this world, why don't you become a Buddha on the spot?"

Looking at Yuan Yuan, who appeared both eerie and inexplicably solemn against the backdrop of Karim's massive body, Ikkyu felt as if he were seeing a Bodhisattva descending before him, just as the Bodhisattva in the legend guided the Tripitaka Master on his quest for scriptures, guiding him on the path to Buddhahood.

PS1, thanks to the Trust Foundation for the donation.

The poll for the Third World on PS2 has ended, and the results are as follows: Touhou 4, Inuyasha 19, Bloodlust 13, Soul Eater 8. Therefore, the Third World is set as Inuyasha. Some readers said that "Inuyasha doesn't have anything interesting besides the Shikon Jewel." We can only say that this is the difference between the writer's and the reader's imagination. Besides that glass bead of the Shikon Jewel, there are plenty of other things to explore. Just relax and enjoy reading; it definitely won't be boring.

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Chapter Thirty-Eight: Death

"What must I do to become a Buddha?"

His white beard trembled slightly. Ikkyu looked at Yuan Yuan, unconsciously tightening his grip on the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, and asked with some excitement.

Huh??

Yuan Yuan raised his eyebrows high, looking at Yixiu with a strange expression, his voice mocking.

"I'm starting to doubt whether you deserve the word 'intelligent'. If your friend advises you to get married, are you going to ask him for a girlfriend? I'm just pointing you in the right direction. How you get there and which direction you go is up to you."

Ikkyu's expression froze for a moment, then he sighed deeply and clasped his hands together.

“Amitabha Buddha, I originally thought that after a hundred years of meditation, no temptation could shake my heart. But now it seems that my practice is still insufficient. I am ashamed, I am ashamed.”

Then, Ikkyu put on a faint smile and looked at Yuan Yuan, speaking softly.

“What you say is true, Ikkyu does need to walk the road himself, but it’s always good to avoid taking detours. So, I wonder if you could give Ikkyu some advice?”

Ikkyu understood that no one helps others without expecting something in return. Yuan Yuan was spending time with him and guiding him, so he must want something from him. Since Yuan Yuan wanted something from him, he must have a general idea of ​​the direction he hoped I would take.

Although Ikkyu couldn't sense Yuan Yuan's strength, he could feel the danger posed by Karim. For Yuan Yuan to have such a powerful figure as Karim as his follower, his own strength was clearly considerable. In his current situation, where he had no power to resist Yuan Yuan's forced decision, it was better to let Yuan Yuan state his thoughts directly, saving time. As long as Yuan Yuan's suggestion wasn't detrimental to him, Ikkyu decided not to object, considering Yuan Yuan had pointed him in the right direction.

"You are very intelligent."

Yuan Yuan raised an eyebrow, not surprised by Ikkyu's reaction. He took a sip of tea and spoke softly.

"Although I don't know what path you have chosen, Buddhist teachings, whether Mahayana or Hinayana, are ultimately about saving all sentient beings, so your path should also be inseparable from this."

But you'll die in two years at most. By then, aside from a small number of people with spiritual powers, most people won't be able to see you. In that state, talking about saving all living beings is undoubtedly a joke.

Seeing Ikkyu's still indifferent expression, Yuan Yuan raised an eyebrow and continued speaking.

"Since we cannot save the living, let us save the dead. There are many Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Buddhas in Buddhism who specialize in saving the souls of the dead, the most famous being Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. So, future Buddha, are you willing to set aside these living beings and go to the land of the dead to teach and guide the souls of the dead?"

Ikkyu clasped his hands together and nodded slightly.

“This old monk is naturally willing. All beings are equal, and the salvation of all beings should not distinguish between life and death.”

Yuan Yuan nodded in satisfaction, spread his hands, and extended his right hand in front of Ikkyu.

"Now it's time to choose your destination. There are two realms of the dead: Soul Society and Hueco Mundo."

The Soul Society is the headquarters of those people you see, like me, wearing black kimonos. It's where you can choose to become a Shinigami. Becoming a Shinigami grants you a Zanpakuto, and you can learn various offensive, defensive, and binding spells. Aside from the slower increase in strength, it's practically all benefits.

Unfortunately, all the Grim Reapers worship a being called the "Spirit King," so it won't be easy for you to save all living beings there.

Then, Yuan Yuan extended his left hand in front of Ikkyu as well.

"And Hueco Mundo is the habitat of those soul-devouring monsters you see. In human terms, it's a place teeming with evil spirits and littered with corpses. There, the only solution to all conflicts is to use absolute power to defeat and kill the other party. Moreover, upon becoming a Hollow, one inevitably loses a certain emotion, and until that emotion is regained, a Hollow can only immerse itself in endless emptiness."

However, there is one advantage there: all the people there have no faith. If you want to spread your teachings and save all living beings, although it is dangerous, it is undoubtedly a very suitable place.

"It seems that you wish for me to go to Hueco Mundo. In that case, I might as well return the favor and go to Hueco Mundo as you wish."

Although Yuan Yuan knew that Ikkyu's decision to go to Hueco Mundo was probably not out of gratitude, but rather due to Ikkyu's strength, he didn't point it out. He nodded, and Yuan Yuan's voice turned cold again.

“Since Master has already decided on the destination, I will not say anything more. However, before sending Master to Hueco Mundo, Yuan Yuan has a favor to ask, and hopes that Master Ikkyu can agree to it.”

Upon hearing this, Ikkyu's heart tightened. Though his expression remained unchanged, he was inwardly on high alert, fearing that Yuan Yuan might make some unreasonable demands. Despite his nervousness, Ikkyu showed no sign of it in his words; his voice remained calm and composed.

"Please speak freely, benefactor. As long as it is within my power, I will certainly not refuse."

Ignoring Ikkyu's smooth talk, Yuan Yuan pointed to the other man's crude language.

“I am very interested in the golden spiritual power that forms this chain, and I hope that you can provide me with this spiritual power every now and then.”

That's right, that's Yuan Yuan's real purpose. He doesn't care whether there's a Buddha in the world; he just wants this golden spiritual power. If it were ordinary experimental material, Yuan Yuan would have just crippled it and thrown it into the lab. The problem is that this golden spiritual power is obviously related to emotions and spirit. If he rashly imprisoned Ikkyu, causing changes in his mental state and making him unable to generate this spiritual power anymore, Yuan Yuan would suffer a huge loss.

Sustainable development is the only way forward.

Ikkyu looked at Yuan Yuan in surprise, seemingly unable to believe his ears. He had been prepared to argue with Yuan Yuan for all sorts of unreasonable terms, but the conditions Yuan Yuan proposed were surprisingly simple.

That golden spiritual energy, aside from being scarce, was no different from ordinary spiritual energy to Ikkyu. Even if it was completely depleted, he could easily recover it in just a few days. In fact, the golden chain on his chest was constantly consuming that golden spiritual energy, but the rate of recovery was the same as the rate of consumption, so it was not noticeable.

Although he didn't know why Yuan Yuan made such a simple request, Ikkyu agreed without hesitation.

"Today is the day of my passing."

Sitting cross-legged in the courtyard, Ikkyu seemed to fall asleep, slowly closing his eyes. The instant his eyes completely closed, the small golden chain on his chest transformed into a tiny flame.

As the golden chain disappeared, the already crumbling chain of cause and effect finally succumbed, shattering into fragments. Like a chain reaction, when the last fragment of the chain vanished into thin air, Ikkyu's body also began to collapse.

As if the weathering of rocks had been accelerated a million times, Ikkyu's body turned to ashes in the comforting breeze, scattering across the entire courtyard.