168: Chapter 168 Green Snake Obtains Buddhist Teachings
Xu Qing hallucinated.
The smile of his past life's dean overlapped with this monk's smile.
Afterward, he was politely led on a tour of the entire Bodhi Temple.
It was full of polite small talk.
Then, he had a vegetarian meal at the Bodhi Temple.
Don't think monks don't know how to enjoy themselves; after all, this was a top-tier Sect in the Cultivation World.
The vegetarian meal was no less than a feast of meat and delicacies.
After the meal, they finally got down to business.
"demonic resentment Qi, could it be..."
The monk Dharma Affinity looked at Xu Qing.
A pair of eyes, squeezed nearly shut by aged wrinkles, flashed with sharp light.
Xu Qing suddenly felt as if his true form were being revealed.
Feeling carefully, his body still maintained its human form.
"amitabha, it is indeed so."
"This matter... the Bodhi Temple bears a great Karma."
"Presumably, this Green Snake benefactor has also encountered those monks?"
The sharp light in Dharma Affinity's eyes vanished, and he let out a long sigh.
"This matter dates back over a thousand years."
"On that day of that year, I felt a premonition, woke up early, and went to do my morning lessons."
"At that time, I was still just a young monk."
"The day before, because I had miscopied the scriptures, my master punished me by making me kneel until the middle of the night."
"As for why I miscopied the scripture, I must say that the one I was copying was truly obscure and difficult to understand."
"The author of the scripture was a master from a thousand years before that, named Yuguang."
"Master Yuguang..."
Xu Qing just felt it was ridiculous.
Looking at the monk Silent Severity, who was listening obediently with lowered eyes, Xu Qing finally understood.
It seemed this Bodhi Temple's lineage was passed down in a very specific way.
Got it. In the future, if he encountered a monk from the Bodhi Temple, he must take a detour and absolutely never engage in a long conversation.
Otherwise, the talk would last until Green Snake's grandson's generation.
Listening quietly, Dharma Affinity finally got to the point, and Xu Qing and the others learned the origins of those monks.
It was a scandal of the Bodhi Temple from over a thousand years ago.
It was quite well-known in the Cultivation World.
That was the collapse of the Bodhi Temple's demon suppressing pagoda.
The demon suppressing pagoda was a supreme Seal treasure of the Cultivation World, enjoying a high reputation throughout the realm.
It was hailed as the foremost of the world's Four Great Suppressing Treasures.
Although called the demon suppressing pagoda, it didn't just suppress demons; it suppressed and sealed all humans and demons with impure hearts.
It only suppressed and did not kill, focusing primarily on universal salvation.
That day, a monk was charmed by a female demon within the pagoda and toppled it, releasing countless demons.
Although the Bodhi Temple later put all its effort into remediation, it still caused great suffering to the people of the Bodhi Kingdom.
The severity was countless times worse than the recent chaos in the Xia Dynasty.
Powerful evil spirits were spawned.
With overwhelming Devilish Qi, a special kind of Devilish Qi was produced.
This Devilish Qi deluded people's hearts; even Buddhist cultivators with firm minds would be deluded.
A large number of Buddhist cultivators were deluded into entering the Demonic Path, using the guise of bringing world-ending ultimate bliss to all living beings to practice the way of slaughtering them.
And that special kind of Devilish Qi...
...was demonic resentment.
"This Green Snake benefactor, despite being afflicted by such dense demonic resentment, can actually maintain a clear mind."
"Truly rare."
Dharma Affinity looked at Xu Qing, clicking his tongue in wonder.
"...There are many Buddhist Dharmas in the Scripture Pavilion; the benefactor may choose any one of them."
"Buddhist Dharma does not distinguish between superior and inferior."
"Everything arises and is settled according to fate."
"Therefore, I will not give any hints. Whichever Buddhist Sutra the benefactor feels an affinity for, choose that one."
"Even the best Buddhist Sutra cannot compare to one that is fated for you."
As Dharma Affinity finished speaking, he waved his cassock.
The world around Xu Qing shifted, and by the time he reacted, he had appeared amidst pitch-black bookshelves.
Various Buddhist Cultivation Techniques were displayed there.
Taking a small step, bursts of Buddhist sounds echoed in this space.
Listening carefully, it seemed as if there were no sound at all.
"Fate?"
"Which one is fated?"
"How am I supposed to choose..."
Xu Qing had also done his homework before coming.
There were three Buddhist Dharmas recognized as the top ones in the Bodhi Temple.
They were the Bodhi Sutra, the Reincarnation Art, and the Arhat Golden Body Scripture.
He walked a few steps.
Xu Qing stopped and looked at an inconspicuous corner of a bookshelf.
"The Bodhi Sutra!"
It was actually placed in such an inconspicuous spot; it seemed they were afraid he would choose it.
Hmph, his Green Snake eyes were top-notch!
Trusting the public's evaluation, he pulled out the "Bodhi Sutra" without hesitation.
The moment he grasped the "Bodhi Sutra," the surrounding scenery shifted again, and Xu Qing returned to the original Buddhist hall.
"The 'Bodhi Sutra'?"
"Not bad either."
Dharma Affinity stroked his beard and said to Xu Qing with a smile.
"I thought you would choose one of the three great Buddhist Dharmas; I didn't expect you to choose this one."
"It seems the benefactor is also a snake who believes in the laws of fate."
"Hmm?"
Listening to the monk, Xu Qing felt there was more to his words than met the ear.
He looked closely at the Buddhist Dharma in his hand.
Only then did he discover it was the "Bodhi Sutra", not the "Bodhi Sutra".
A difference of a single character!
Isn't this consumer fraud!
Green Snake expresses strong condemnation! Strong condemnation!
"Silent Severity, fetch a Bodhi Fruit."
Dharma Affinity turned his head and spoke to the monk Silent Severity beside him.
Silent Severity was stunned for a moment, looked at Xu Qing, and then withdrew as ordered.
"Green Snake, you chose 'Puti' instead of 'Bodhi'."
"This is a form of fate. 'Bodhi' has nothing to do with your 'Puti', yet they are fated."
"Treat this Bodhi Sutra well."
Xu Qing nodded, half-understanding, vaguely feeling a sense of destiny.
In those words, 'Puti' referred to himself, while 'Bodhi' likely referred to the Bodhi Temple.
The Bodhi Temple had nothing to do with him, yet there was a fated connection.
Meaning, things should be as they were before; even if he practiced Buddhist Dharma, he wasn't a true Buddha.
There was no need to worry about the Bodhi Temple; it had nothing to do with him.
At this time, Silent Severity also entered, carrying the Bodhi Fruit on a tray.
"Green Snake, step forward."
Silent Severity held the Bodhi Fruit.
Xu Qing stepped forward.
"You are not 'Bodhi', so I will not give you a Dharma name."
"But remember, doing things without violating your original heart is what is righteous."
"The Buddha of the original heart is the true Buddha."
Dharma Affinity was bathed in Buddhist Light, with bursts of Buddhist sounds.
The flesh of the Bodhi Fruit burst with golden light, flowing like liquid and splashing onto Xu Qing.
The golden light reached the heavens, and a massive phantom of a Buddha statue enveloped the entire mountain peak.
The monks in the mountains stopped what they were doing, performed Buddhist salutations to the statue, and chanted scriptures.
The entire world was enveloped by the sound of scriptures.
The flesh of the Bodhi Fruit rapidly vanished, turning into golden light like golden rain that merged into Xu Qing's body.
[Ding! Proficiency has met the requirements.]
[Obtained skill: Buddhist Light Lv.5]
[Obtained skill: Buddha Aspect Lv.4]
[Obtained skill: Buddhist sound Lv.2]
The System's notification sounds rang out repeatedly in Xu Qing's ears.
[Achievement unlocked: This is a Buddhist Snake.]
[Obtained reward: Demon Suppressing Pagoda Fragment - Spire x1]
On his right shoulder, a golden ring pattern entwined along his skin, suppressing the pattern of the Blood Seal and stopping its spread.
"amitabha."
Dharma Affinity's body swayed, the Buddha statue manifestation covering the mountain peak vanished, and his face turned pale.
He seemed to have aged a few more years.
"Abbot!"
Silent Severity hurried forward to support him.
"It's no matter."
"The Bodhi Temple's Karma must be repaid, no matter what."
"It must all be repaid."