Chapter 130
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Chapter 130: A Demon Monk in the Small Heavenly Cave
Li Hui gazed at the dancing female cultivator, feeling as if he were peering into an infinite abyss; they incessantly absorbed the energy of every monk in the hall.
He was astonished: “How powerful! If I hadn’t accidentally restored the infatuation talisman, which is of high caliber, I would’ve already experienced a drunken stupor. Plus, with seven golden lotus Dharma clouds trembling as a warning beneath my feet, and since I’m not solely a Buddhist cultivator, I might have succumbed to this strange atmosphere.”
The old monk seated on the spiritual platform looked at Li Hui again, frowning as he said, “Kid, I just remembered; how could someone with your level of cultivation enter Guangxiao Temple? You haven’t even reached the Awakening Realm, and the least powerful in this temple would have broken delusions.”
Continuing his thought, the old monk negated himself: “No, wait. If you’ve broken delusions, why then delve into carnal pleasures? Why find it more satisfying than a little fellow like you in the realm of Dharma clouds? Even I, an old monk, am unable to break through!”
Li Hui cautiously maneuvered around the lustful monks and approached the foot of the spiritual platform to ask, “Master, could you share more details about this place? I mistakenly stumbled in and am completely confused.”
“Stumbled in?” The old monk watched the graceful dance while saying with kind eyes, “Do you know how many dangerous places you’ve bypassed by stumbling in? Interestingly, you seem to possess more than just Buddhist powers; you apparently simultaneously cultivate the Dao, thus benefiting from your presence here?”
“Master, your insight is brilliant!” Li Hui did not deny it and flatteringly praised him.
“Hahaha! Both Dao and Buddhism!” The old monk was not dismissive; instead, he chuckled and nodded, “Well, both paths lead to the same destination. Why must there be a distinction? The Hongmo Sect harbors sinister intents, regularly raiding cultivators, and they set up formations in this small heavenly cave to filter out practitioners. Even we Buddhist cultivators cannot escape calamity. My reluctance to detach from the current veils of ignorance stems from fearing what great terror lies beyond them.”
“Small heavenly cave? Great terror?” Li Hui felt horrified; this truly was a cave.
According to the records of the Jade Symbol Sect, only the most prestigious sects of the Wutu Continent possess caves, and they are all small heavenly caves. As for the far grander middle heavenly caves, those are mythical and described only in legends—the phrase "middle heavenly" is the only thing passed down.
“So, you mean the Hongmo Sect is comparable to the most elite sects of Wutu?” Li Hui said, dazed.
“Who knows? But in the vast oceans, indeed, the Dao might surpass, but the demons rise even higher. Our Buddhist sect has fallen to the bottom. There were once tales of a Buddhist nation, but suddenly, the news ceased.”
The old monk sighed, a bitter look creeping across his brow as he took off a rough string of prayer beads from around his neck and said, “Once, a gifted Buddhist cultivator came here, and I tried every means to protect him. I gave away all the Buddhist artifacts I could spare, leaving only this string of prayer beads, said to come from the Buddhist nation, which has calming and restorative effects. I see you have recently expended much energy; this won’t benefit your future cultivation, so I’d like to gift it to you!”
Li Hui felt grateful. Whether forming the Heavenly and Earthly Arrays or crafting treasure talismans, all are related to expending heart and spirit. But surely, this string of prayer beads cannot be a Buddhist artifact? They would not easily part with such things.
In a fleeting thought, he decided to refuse. Li Hui bowed and said, “Thank you, Master, for your kindness, but I cannot accept this string of prayer beads. Knowing you remain here to protect past Buddhist cultivators, I cannot bear to take this from you.”
The old monk’s expression changed; the kindness faded from his face, replaced by an imposing fierceness as he tried to suppress himself and said, “Child, I am destined to achieve nirvana here. It doesn’t matter whether it’s today or tomorrow. Take it! It has little significance to me but is incredibly important to you.”
Li Hui sighed internally: “What a good old monk! Selflessly putting others first, that is true Buddhist virtue! Compared to the bald monks in Guangxiao Temple, who are light-years behind in cultivation, it’s clear how skewed the upper beam is. Given the atmosphere in Guangxiao Temple, the Dalong Buddhist Sect must also be lacking! However, since the Master insists, I cannot accept the prayer beads. What if they are an ancient Buddhist artifact and get destroyed in the process of using the silver snake bracelet?”
“No, absolutely not! You need them more than I do.”
“You… how can you be so ungrateful?” The old monk’s anger flared up, but he quickly adjusted, taking on a steady tone to persuade, “Do you think this string of prayer beads is ordinary? Foolishness! Most of our Buddhist treasures appear this way; the more simple, the more powerful. Legend has it, they stirred up storms in the Buddhist nation. Perhaps this is your opportunity.”
Li Hui found something off; the old monk was too eager to gift the prayer beads. It wasn’t him measuring the mind of a petty person against a gentleman’s heart; it just felt unreasonable for someone to push a gift into his hands.
“Take it; I’ll provide you with a clearer path.” The old monk forcefully pushed the prayer beads toward Li Hui from his seated position, leaving him no chance to refuse; the beads had already landed in his hands.
The silver snake bracelet indeed reacted, slowly wrapping around his wrist. Unlike before, the golden hairpin embedded in the silver snake’s head rippled with delicate waves.
The old monk felt a sensation of relief, his gaze somewhat shrewd as he looked at the golden lotus Dharma clouds beneath Li Hui’s feet. Unable to suppress his longing, he licked his lips, eagerly anticipating his desired outcome.
“Crack, crack, crack…”
A series of gnawing sounds erupted from the prayer beads, as the silver snake opened its mouth and devoured the scattered light, achieving an unprecedented extraction amount.
“Master!” Li Hui felt a pang of guilt; this was a Buddhist treasure! Soon enough, there would only be scraps left, and he felt uneasy about it.
“What’s happening?” The old monk was astounded, his face contorting as he let out a wretched cry, “Ah! What are you doing? What is on your wrist? Why is it able to devour my essence?”
“Essence?” Li Hui was momentarily taken aback; this was indeed a horrified incident. Was the Buddhist artifact becoming sentient? He had never heard of such an extraordinary phenomenon.
At this moment, there was a soft crack as seventy-two prayer beads appeared cracks simultaneously, startling the old monk into begging for mercy: “I am too ignorant! Woe is me! I didn’t recognize the towering heights! Please forgive me, Master! I won’t stir up trouble again!”
Li Hui remained unaffected, sensing this place was treacherous and could not be viewed through common sense. Since he had grasped the opponent’s weakness, he could not relax his vigilance. Today was another lesson learned, all thanks to the silver snake bracelet for not falling prey here!
“Crack, crack, crack…” Seventy-two prayer beads were riddled with holes of varying depths.
The old monk seated on the spiritual platform began to sob profusely, visibly transforming before their eyes. First, he changed into a middle-aged man, then a young adult, and finally transitioned into a little child around three or four years old, blinking his large eyes pitifully as he promptly knelt before the spiritual platform.
The silver snake bracelet disdainfully expelled a flurry of golden light, and Li Hui felt a painful heat in his left arm as the golden bead manifested alongside the Dragon Claw pattern, eagerly consuming the golden light entirely.
“Ah? Was that the Guangfa Du’e Buddha bead? No, not right, was it the Universal Virtue Pearl? No, also not right. Could it be the Military Tea Benefaction King Pearl?”
