Chapter 241: True Body Relics (1/9)

Chapter 241: Chapter 241: True Body Relics (1/9)

Beneath a Bodhi Tree in the Nun’s Zen Temple, Jikong’s bones were buried.

First came the burial of Jikong’s bones, and only then did the Bodhi Tree sprout. In sixty years, it had grown to less than ten feet tall.

Su Ci sat to the side, chanting a Dharma Scripture. Hui Ke used an Iron Rod to dig into the earth, unearthing a large ceramic urn from beneath the tree without harming a single one of its roots.

Lifting the lid of the urn revealed a desiccated corpse dressed in an earth-yellow kasaya.

This body had been buried here for sixty years, yet instead of the foul stench of decay, it emanated a rich sandalwood fragrance.

Hui Ke placed his hand on the rim of the urn. With a gentle exertion of force, the entire vessel turned to dust, leaving the mummified corpse sitting cross-legged on the ground, its eyes closed.

If not for how shriveled the body was, one might have mistaken it for an old monk deep in slumber.

Su Ci was now rapidly chanting the Ksitigarbha’s Original Vow Scripture while Leng Yingxue stood to the side, watching Hui Ke work.

"Your body is my body, yet my body is not yours. Every form enters the world; every life awakens to the Zen Mechanism. If Buddhas are as numberless as grains of sand, how can a single life be the end? The Buddha’s call opens the gates of reincarnation. Join with my reincarnated body, cultivate my reincarnated will, forge my reincarnated soul. To reincarnate or not, the Buddha’s wish is to deliver all sentient beings."

Hui Ke stood before the desiccated corpse, hands pressed together, muttering the incantation.

As his voice faded, the corpse dissolved into a stream of light that flowed into the crown of Hui Ke’s head and entered his body.

Hui Ke immediately sat down cross-legged, formed a hand seal, and closed his eyes.

Just then, Leng Yingxue heard a faint humming. Her gaze shifted toward the sound, and she saw the new, sprouting leaves on the Bodhi Tree growing at a visible rate, their color deepening from light green to emerald, then to a dark, inky green.

The nine Bodhi Flowers also vied for splendor before gradually withering. Their petals drifted away on the wind, and the pistils in their centers transformed into Bodhi Seeds.

The Bodhi Seeds also grew rapidly before her eyes, changing from green to brown, brown to black, and finally, to gold.

As the Bodhi Tree transformed, the changes happening to the monk Hui Ke, who sat cross-legged on the ground, were even more astonishing.

The Little Monk, whose Cultivation was originally only at Divine Separation Realm Tier One, felt his aura surge. His Cultivation rose a new tier with each passing moment.

Within a single hour, he had reached Divine Separation Realm Tier Nine.

And yet, his eyes remained closed. The ascent had clearly not stopped.

BOOM!

A golden light scattered down, bathing Hui Ke. His aura surged once more as his Cultivation broke through the bottleneck and entered the Integration Realm.

It finally stopped at Integration Realm Tier Three.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

Hui Ke and Su Ci chanted the name in unison, and both opened their eyes at the same time.

"Congratulations, Master, on fully awakening your past-life memories."

Hui Ke smiled. He reached out a hand, and the nine Bodhi Seeds on the tree detached themselves, formed a circle in mid-air, and floated slowly toward him.

With another wave of his left hand, the kasaya that Jikong’s body had been wearing flew into the air. It transformed into a silk cord, threaded the nine Bodhi Seeds into a string of prayer beads, and flew into Hui Ke’s hand.

"Nine Reincarnations, and now I have reclaimed the first. The road ahead is long... I just don’t know if there’s enough time," Hui Ke murmured softly.

Hearing this, Leng Yingxue was utterly shocked.

’Nine Reincarnations? Reclaiming the True Body Relics of a single lifetime let him cross an entire Great Realm. What would happen if he reclaimed the other eight? Wouldn’t his mortal body directly ascend to godhood?’

’This Buddhist Sect’s Secret Technique is truly incredible.’

"The relics have been retrieved, and the Array has broken on its own. Su Ci, you now have a deep understanding of the Zen Mechanism. You too can enter the world to continue your cultivation," Hui Ke said to Su Ci.

"This disciple has sat in meditation here for sixty years and has grown accustomed to it. Entering the world is no longer my wish."

"Su Ci, you are being too attached. You have understood the Buddha’s Zen Mechanism and have now delivered yourself. You should know that guiding all living things and bringing fortune to the masses is the karmic duty of a Buddhist disciple."

"Thank you, Master, for your enlightenment. This disciple understands!" Su Ci bowed with her hands pressed together.

Hui Ke smiled, then nodded to Leng Yingxue. "Benefactor Leng, the karmic affinity between you and this humble monk is quite deep. Today, this humble monk shall naturally form a benevolent connection with you."

Leng Yingxue furrowed her brow. ’This monk is handsome, but he’s still a monk. And he’s the reincarnation of Jikong, no less. Could he be a monk whose six roots are not yet pure?’

"Benefactor Leng, you misunderstand. The karmic affinity this humble monk speaks of is not the kind you are thinking of. If Benefactor Leng trusts this humble monk, please withdraw your Protective True Qi."

Confused, Leng Yingxue glanced at Su Ci.

Su Ci nodded. Leng Yingxue immediately waved her hand, and her Protective True Qi dissipated.

Hui Ke walked forward and gently tapped a finger between Leng Yingxue’s brows.

He quickly withdrew his hand.

Leng Yingxue didn’t feel anything strange.

Hui Ke explained, "Benefactor Leng, although your blessings are long-lasting, you are fated to face a calamity. I hope this Spell can help you overcome it."

Of course, Leng Yingxue didn’t believe him. ’I’m in the Saint Realm. This Little Monk may have reclaimed one set of True Body Relics, but his Cultivation is only at the Integration Realm. How could a simple tap from him help me overcome a future, fated calamity?’

"Where will this calamity come from?"

"Benefactor, you are already in the Saint Realm. The calamity, therefore, will come from within your own heart," Hui Ke said faintly.

Leng Yingxue gave a noncommittal nod.

"In that case, this humble monk has other matters to attend to and will not stay long. As it happens, I have a friend in this city, so I’ll stop by to see him."

"This nun will see you off, Master!"

"There’s no need." Hui Ke smiled, then turned and strode away on empty air.

"That monk...?" Leng Yingxue asked with a frown, watching Hui Ke’s figure disappear over the horizon.

"Benefactor Leng, he is indeed the reincarnation of Master Jikong. This is also a sign of the great calamity I spoke of. Nine is the ultimate number. Master Jikong has gone through Nine Reincarnations, and his desire to reclaim the True Body Relics of his past lives in this one is likely in preparation for that calamity. Benefactor Leng, you should return to Piaoxue Palace at once and prepare."

"Very well," Leng Yingxue said with a nod.

Chu Fan had declined Wei Mian’s invitation to stay with the Zhu Family, opting instead to remain at the inn. The man and the fox were both contemplating the Dao of Cause and Effect.

A Buddhist chant pulled Chu Fan from his fruitless contemplation, and he immediately stood up.

Opening the door, he saw the Little Monk Hui Ke standing ramrod straight, a smile on his face and his hands pressed together.

"Hui Ke, what are you doing here in the Central Domain?"

"Benefactor Chu, we agreed to meet in Shuoyue City in half a month, but you broke your promise. This little monk naturally had to come and ask you about it," the Little Monk Hui Ke said with a smile.

Chu Fan knew he was joking, of course. He had been forced to come to the Central Domain immediately because of the Death Qi afflicting Yun Xi, but he had asked Jing’an to leave a message for the Little Monk, so it wasn’t really a broken promise.

"Come on in."

Hui Ke followed Chu Fan into the room. The first thing he saw was the White Fox lying by the bed.

The sight of the White Fox sent a jolt through Hui Ke’s heart. His brow furrowed, and he racked his brain but couldn’t understand the reason for that sudden palpitation.

Chu Fan just assumed Hui Ke was a little surprised to see the White Fox and didn’t think much of it.

However, neither Chu Fan nor Hui Ke noticed that the instant the White Fox saw Hui Ke, a crimson, flame-like sigil flashed upon its pristine white forehead for a fraction of a second before vanishing.

"Hui Ke, don’t tell me you came all the way to the Central Domain just to chase after me?"

Hui Ke smiled and shook his head. "The Central Domain is prosperous and has enjoyed a golden age for ten thousand years. It is also home to countless great monks of my Buddhist Sect who spread the Dharma. This little monk has long admired it from afar. I came to the Central Domain this time to see it for myself and to seek guidance and enlightenment from those Enlightened Monks."