Chapter 138: Buddhist Five Realms

“Double Joy God?” This was the first time Li Huowang had heard the term.

“Is there a relationship between 'single joy' and 'double joy'?”

“How to put it... if you absolutely had to compare them, the Joy God is like a fingernail of the Double Joy God.”

The terrifying image of the Joy God appeared in Li Huowang's mind. He found it hard to imagine that such an existence could be reduced to merely a fingernail in front of another being.

“Wait, Reverend Mother, please wait. My mind is a bit muddled right now.”

The sudden revelation caught him off guard. “So, the Joy God isn't just a bigger evil spirit?”

“How could it be? How could the Joy God be an evil spirit? They're completely different.”

Li Huowang took a deep breath and then asked, “Then, Reverend Mother, whether it's the Joy God or the Double Joy God, what exactly are they?”

“What else could they be? They're gods.”

“Uh... gods of where?”

The Reverend Mother's plump face was full of surprise. “You don't even know that? How have you lived this long then? I thought you knew.”

Li Huowang continued to explain helplessly, “I've already told you, I'm not from this world. I truly transmigrated here, although I don't remember how I got here.”

“Sigh... here we go again.” Reverend Mother Jingxin looked at Li Huowang with a sympathetic expression.

“Reverend Mother, I really did transmigrate!” Seeing that she didn't believe him, Li Huowang's voice became a bit louder, and he felt a surge of anxiety.

“Alright, alright, I believe you. Let's continue. The Five Buddhist Realms, have you heard of them?”

“The Five Buddhist Realms?” Li Huowang recalled the temple in Zhengde Temple, where five large Buddha statues were enshrined.

“I've heard a little. The abbot of Zhengde Temple once mentioned that there are five different Buddhas in five different worlds.”

“The Vajra World in the center, the Fragrant Abode World in the East, the Joyful World in the South, the Sukhavati World in the West, and the Lotus World in the North.” Reverend Mother Jingxin repeated what the old monk had said previously.

“The Joy God and the Double Joy God are wandering spirits of the Southern Joyful World. Of course, there's more than just them there; there are also many Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats.”

Li Huowang's mind was a bit muddled; these were all concepts he was hearing for the first time.

He knew there were strange things in this world, but he truly hadn't expected this.

Above this world, there were actually five different worlds.

And within these five different worlds, even more terrifying things existed.

“So, the Immortal Realm you mentioned earlier, are those these five worlds?” He instinctively asked Danyangzi, who was on the wall.

“Hmph!! What nonsense are these Five Buddhist Realms? What do a bunch of foolish bald monks know!”

Danyangzi's six eyes were full of disdain. This was the first time Danyangzi's hallucination had reacted.

“These people know nothing at all! They just believe whatever is written in books! They haven't even seen the Southern Heavenly Gate, so what do they know?!”

Li Huowang ignored Danyangzi's ranting and continued to ask the Reverend Mother, “Could you tell me, where are these so-called Five Buddhist Realms?”

“If I knew, I'd be a Buddha already. Would I still be here?”

The Reverend Mother picked her nose somewhat boredly, pulled out a long booger, and wiped it on her fat.

“Become a Buddha? Is that the kind of Buddha Reverend Mother wants to become?”

“I'm too lazy to become one. Even though my son is crazy, he's still alive. What would happen to him if I really became a Buddha?”

After hearing this information, Li Huowang seemed to connect everything he had experienced before, as if he vaguely understood something.

“Then, which world does Ba Hui belong to?”

He recalled the strange place in the background when Ba Hui manifested before.

“I don't know. I'm not a Manichaean.”

“Whoosh!” Danyangzi's three terrifying heads directly emerged from the Reverend Mother's stomach.

“She's lying to you! She doesn't know anything at all!! Only when you truly see the Immortal Realm will you understand how wonderful it is!”

“As long as you catch a glimpse of the Immortal Realm, you'll feel that the mortal world is nothing!!”

Li Huowang looked at him, his lips twitching, and continued to ask Reverend Mother Jingxin, “Reverend Mother, regarding these so-called Five Buddhist Realms, do other sects have different interpretations?”

“Of course. Some cultivators say there aren't five realms at all, just one place they call Penglai. Others say the place doesn't exist and it's all made up.”

“Anyway, no one can convince anyone else, and I'm too lazy to argue with them.”

As Reverend Mother Jingxin spoke, she couldn't help but pull out a mung bean cake from her folds of flesh. Just as she was about to pop it into her mouth, she forcibly stopped herself and put it back.

“Alright, alright, these are not things of the mortal realm. I'm just telling you, and you're just listening. Whether it's true or not, it doesn't really concern you right now.”

“There's nothing else. Hurry up and go. It's already the Wei hour, and you've made me lose my sleep.”

“Remember, stay away from the Forgetful Dao. If you really encounter them and want to counter them, you need to understand their way of thinking and then do the exact opposite.”

After giving this final instruction, Reverend Mother Jingxin threw her head back and began to snore deafeningly.

With a complex expression, Li Huowang performed another Qingfeng Temple bow to the Reverend Mother, picked up the sword in his hand, and turned to leave.

This trip had yielded too much information. Li Huowang now needed to sort it all out.

Yang Xiaohai squatted on a rock, enviously watching Xiaoman practice sword dancing in the courtyard.

With a clang and a soft swish, the green sword in Chunxiao's hand was half-unsheathed.

The sword's edge reflected a cold gleam. A misty, invisible pressure immediately made Yang Xiaohai sit back a little further.

The sword danced like a swimming dragon, silver light continuously flashing, and robes fluttering in the wind.

Yang Xiaohai didn't understand it, but he felt that his Senior Sister Xiaoman was very skilled.

This was natural. For many days, whenever she had free time, she would practice sword fighting—morning and night. She even held her sword manual while eating.

“If I were that powerful, no one would bully me anymore,” Yang Xiaohai said, his eyes filled with longing.

“Hmph, that's nothing. Even this is useless. If you truly want to become powerful, you still need to learn from Senior Brother Li.”

Yang Xiaohai turned his head and saw Gouwa, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

Thinking of Senior Brother Li's unsettling appearance, he immediately felt a chill down the back of his neck.

“No, I won't learn that kind of divine power. It's too painful.”

Just then, Yang Xiaohai saw Xiaoman stop her sword dancing and walk outside.

“Senior Sister Xiaoman, where are you going?” He quickly followed her.

“I'm going to check out the escort agency in town. I've been practicing for so long, but it's just rote practice. I want to find someone to test my skills against.”

“Xiaoman, why do you need to find outsiders to test your skills? You can test them against me! Why go to all that trouble? I've practiced too.” Gouwa patted the hanging knife at his waist, making it clang.

“You call that practice? Practicing only one hacking move counts as practice?”