Chapter 356
"Is this really the Elder Sister Wu Siyou who wanted to kill Su Xing on first sight?" Shi Yuan asked in shock from inside the Star Nest.
The Thief Star received a knowing laugh.
"No way, This Young Lady is falling farther and farther behind. Next time, This Young Lady definitely will eat Su Xing. Elder Sister Suwen, quickly help This Young Lady refine some pills."
"…"
On a faraway hill, two people appeared. One was a woman dressed as a Buddhist nun, but her clothes were unable to conceal her body's curves. Beside her was also a man, however, he concealed his face, covered his hair, but from his attire, he clearly was an Azure Dragon Territory Cultivator.
Their cultivations were unfathomable.
"The honestly exceptional Stupa of the Buddha Six Ancestors has unexpectedly been killed. This is the legendary Star General Wu Song. Formidable as expected." The bhiksuni1 softly exclaimed, again gazing at the man beside her.
The man's eyes were absolutely calm, appearing not too concerned. "How can a Star General be provoked, he has only himself to blame."
"She is truly brazen, unafraid of Buddhism's retaliation."
"Could it be that Abbess Water Moon will take revenge?" The man smiled.
The woman had a pious appearance of aloofness: "How could the Mirror Flower Nunnery participate in the affairs of the Stupa Saber Fast."
"True, we had better first go to the next floor. The Holy Monk's propagation of dharma appears to be very rowdy." The man faintly smiled.
"En."
…
Looking at the spectacularly gigantic Thousand Leaf Lotus Flower before him, Su Xing was stupefied. How was this a flower, clearly, it was a gigantic monster that had entrenched itself into the world.
"A world in a flower."
Su Xing mumbled.
The fifth floor of the Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda – A World In A Flower was this level's mystery, but now, it appeared far from being that simple. Looking at those lotus flowers emitting Buddhist light, opening and closing, if a monk walked in, that lotus flower would immediately shut tight.
At this time, Su Xing saw at least several hundred monks flying over from every direction. It seemed that after the fifth level, the Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda's worlds various celestial words already connected together. Monks arrived in succession and chatted around the Thousand Petal Lotus Flower, endlessly shocked at this gigantic Buddhist flower.
"Buddha Kingdom has three thousand Buddhist sects, yet this Thousand Petal Lotus Flower has millions of worlds. It seems this Sixth Floor will not be passed through luck." Qingci sighed.
Each of this Thousand Leaf Lotus Flower's petals should be the stepping stone to the next level, but among the countless paths, there were only three thousand exits that could lead to the Sixth Floor. Furthermore, the moment one monk entered, the entrance to that lotus flower would immediately shut. The second person need not think of entering, which also meant that the Stupa Pagoda's sixth floor only had three thousand people.
And to see through this lotus flower's passageways, a person absolutely could not get by on luck that brought them through the previous floors. They were required to rely comprehension talents that had already superbly pondered profound dharma cultivation. Also, they were to be pious to Buddha, for under Buddha's guidance could they enter the Sixth Floor.
What this trial tested was precisely piety and the meditative mind that had accumulated over a long period of time.
Difficult.
As far as people like Su Xing who had entered Buddhism in this fashion, they need not think of being lucky again.
"Wifey, can you see the passageway?" Su Xing asked.
Wu Siyou concentrated for a moment. In the end, she shook her head.
The Thousand Petal Lotus Flower Prajna World was Buddhism's supreme ability. THose lotus flowers successively opened and closed, and Wu Siyou could not discern any gaps.
"Chan Xin?"
Wu Siyou subconsciously gazed at the Heavenly Solitary Star.
As the Heavenly Solitary was the sole one among them that had comprehension of Buddhism, the Flower Monk was clearly the only one that could have a chance of success.
Chan Xin pondered for a moment, "I can sense several, but I cannot distinguish the real from fake."
"Big Brother, don't you have the Heart Like Mirror Soul Technique? You can try it." An Suwen reminded.
Su Xing suddenly understood. How could he have forgotten this.
"Let me try." Su Xing said.
"You can discern them?" Chan Xin was taken aback.
"Just a try." Su Xing smiled. He concentrated completely on operating the Absolute Sincerity Soul Technique.
In Su Xing's eyes, the notion of that Thousand Petal Lotus Flower totally disappeared. In the void, each lotus was a world, each emitting a unique light. Some were deep, others shallow; some were dim, others bright. Buddha said: A world in a flower, a bliss in a trunk of wood, a paradise in a blade of grass, a tathagata in a leaf, an ecstasy in a grain of sand, a pure land in a place, a destiny in a smile, a tranquility in an idea.2
This incantation still reverberated in Su Xing's mind. Slowly, the Hearts Like Mirror already broke free of the "See Mountains Not As Mountains" Realm and returned to the true "See Mountains As Mountains" Realm.
The Thousand Leaf Lotus Flower began to manifest each of their own characteristics.
Finally, Su Xing found several Lotus Flower Worlds that led to the Sixth Floor.
"Found them." Su Xing breathed deeply, dispelling the Soul Technique.
"You truly found them?" Chan Xin was not too convinced.
"En, however, each of these Thousand Petal Lotus Flowers can only admit one person. I'll tell you the entrances, however, I can't be certain about their authenticity. If you believe me, then we can try. In short, I won't trick you." Su Xing said.
Wu Siyou naturally did not object.
Qingci hesitated, then nodded.
Chan Xin thought for a moment, "Chan Xin will first see, then decide."
Su Xing was not surprised the Heavenly Solitary Star would decide like this. He pointed out several Lotus Flower Entrances for them to see. When the Heavenly Solitary Star saw they were the same as she had thought, she no longer hesitated.
"Then I shall take the first step." Chan Xin put her hands together.
"En."
Chan Xin scuttled in. That Lotus Flower's Buddhist light expanded, sucking her in, and then it closed.
Wu Siyou nodded at Su Xing, and she also entered one of the flowers.
"Lord Su truly has continued to make Qingci pleasantly surprised. If Qingci may be so bold as to ask – from which sect does Lord Su hail?? Whether it is Buddhism or Daoism, Lord Su seems highly competent. Even your Flying Swords are rare in the world." Qingci smiled.
"I'll tell you when you become my wifey." Su Xing laughed.
Qingci perspired.
This man had already recognized her as his Little Sister, yet he unexpectedly still could get a leg up on her.
Qingci entered another flower, and seeing them leave, Su Xing also did not hesitate. The Buddhist light sucked him in, and immediately, the spirit of his whole body seemingly was suddenly enveloped in a Buddhist aura.
…
The noise of a hubbub transmitted up the avenue. The customers and cultivators inside the restaurant all successively rushed out, gazing in the direction of the Seven Floors Stupa Pagoda. Then, they looked at the countless monks successively appearing in a flash.
"Again, so many people have been eliminated.
"There can't be too many left inside, right."
"I hear the Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda honestly is a Celestial World on each floor, endlessly profound. What a pity I could not see it with my own eyes."
Several people discussed in succession.
"These trials are so formidable. If I could obtain the Holy Monk's Chan Technique, I could die without regret." A Buddhist said.
"You idiot, do not have such grand dreams. Could it be you did not know that even Buddha Kingdom's Six Ancestors have gone? How can these Chan Technique be comprehended by us." Another person chided.
"Exactly."
Just as this was said, suddenly a sort of Buddhist voice of bereavement sounded out. A sea of people became frantic, fearfully crying out.
Everyone was affected by this mournful sound.
"He has died, the Great Master has died."
There was a furious and sorrowful moan reverberating everywhere.
"What is happening?" Lin Yingmei sat on the floor above, furrowing her brow as she gazed at the chaotic crowd. This Buddhist voice truly was very loathsome, merely noise inside her ear. Lin Yingmei activated Star Magic to block it out.
Wu Xinjie used Wind From Empty Cave.
A moment later, she showed shock.
"Elder Sister, what has happened?"
Lin Yingmei curiously asked.
"It seems that the Buddha Kingdom's Six Ancestor Stupa of the Stupa Saber Fast has died inside the Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda."
"Has a Buddha Kingdom Six Ancestor died?" Lin Yingmei's face was unperturbed.
"En, the corpse has already emerged, and his death was wretched." Wu Xinjie covered her mouth, restraining a smile. "However, this Stupa was not very impressive in Buddha Kingdom. His cultivation was the inharmonious Stupa Saber Dharma. There are complaints everywhere, and it seems many are secretly cheering."
"That Buddhist voice just now?"
"That was transmitted by the Stupa Saber Fast's elder. It seems he is administering religious rites for Stupa."
Wu Xinjie's Wind From Empty Cave truly was convenient. In no more than the blink of an eye, she had become clear on the entire sequence of events.
At this time, Wu Xinjie's mind was full of the angry roar of "Who killed Stupa." After all, he was one of Buddha Kingdom's publicly recognized Six Ancestors. Any way it was put, his death was a very big blow to the Buddha Kingdom. The other sects that were on very good terms with the Stupa Saber Fast already began to join in a united front, but many sects took aim at the open Six Ancestor position left by Stupa's death.
The Buddha Six Ancestors originated in Buddha Kingdom's famous "Platform Sutra of Sixth Patriarch," selecting the Six Ancestors from the Buddha Kingdom's six strongest cultivators, representing the glory of Buddha Kingdom.
Now that one had died, naturally, that would make many Buddhist sects poke around. After all, sects that could become a Six Ancestor could ascend to the Heavens in a single bound within Buddha Kingdom.
"Would a Seven Floors Stupa Pagoda trial kill someone? Will something befall Young Master?" Lin Yingmei's tone was slightly worried, not at all out of doubt in Su Xing's ability but purely because she was concerned about the one she loved.
"Perhaps the originator of this is Young Lord himself." Wu Xinjie's eyes rolled, stealing a smile.
"Ah?" Lin Yingmei was stunned.
“Just now, I heard someone personally witness that the murderer who killed Stupa was a cultivator."
"An Azure Dragon Territory cultivator?"
Lin Yingmei whispered. Thinking of this, she realized that those from the Azure Dragon Territory that could participate in the Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda were not very many. Having gone on this long, many had been eliminated, and for those that had reached this step to also be able to kill a Buddha Kingdom Six Ancestor, Su Xing indeed was the greatest possibility.
"It seems Young Lord is more vigorous than we thought." Wu Xinjie was indifferent to Stupa's death.
"En." Lin Yingmei gazed at that disorderly crowd: "Your Servant wonders how Young Lord is. Since he has already battled with a Buddha Kingdom Six Ancestor, the situation inside must not be too hopeful."
"With Siyou, they do not need to worry." Wu Xinjie pondered: "However, we cannot sit idly in this place."
"En?"
"Heh, heh, let us seize this chance to help Young Lord settle this minor convenience of Stupa." Wu Xinjie looked at those monks seemingly about to devour Su Xing, inwardly laughing with disdain.
"How shall we settle?"
"Since Stupa has died, we had best go instigate the other sects, have them strive bloodily for this." Wu Xinjie said: "We will take advantage of the fact that the other Buddha Kingdom Six Ancestors have not returned. We will spread some rumors, make those sects have internal strife, doubt each other, and by the time the Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda finishes, the Stupa Saber Fast will become something impractical and inferior."
"Is this all that is needed?" Lin Yingmei still was slightly not too convinced.
Wu Xinjie waved her hand, facetiously smiling.
"Rumors always have a root cause. As the ancients say: Wind does not come from an empty cave without reason; Yingmei, the degree of belief people have for rumors will surpass your imagination, so that is why we have that saying – rumors will only be stopped by the wise."
Lin Yingmei nodded. So long as she could settle trouble for Young Master, be it rumor or violence, the Majestic Star would not hesitate in the slightest to do so.
Author’s Note:
Four chapters done, phew.
- Buddhist nun. ↩
- 一花一世界，一木一浮生，一草一天堂，一葉一如來，一砂一極樂，一方一淨土，一笑一塵緣，一念一清靜 There's an actual translation floating on the net somewhere, but I think I've got the meaning down. ↩