Chapter 951: Shaving the Head

As if hearing the telepathic messages of Wei Wuji and Master Qiyin, Dharma Seal Vajra turned his head and looked at them with a smile. Wei Wuji's face twitched. He immediately stopped his telepathic message, picked up his tea, and drank it casually. Master Qiyin also kept his eyes downcast, focusing inwardly. In his heart, he echoed Wei Wuji's sentiment: "Is there really no one who can teach these overbearing bald monks a lesson? Even if it's just letting them suffer a major setback."

Several other invited guests from various sects were also present. Though they appeared as emotionless as Wei Wuji and Master Qiyin, they likely felt the same extreme frustration inwardly. Being summoned here only to be made an example of—how was this any different from being slapped in the face publicly?

"Since all benefactors have arrived," Dharma Seal Vajra said, "let the tonsure begin. Sky Demon Emperor, this monk asks you, are you willing to join my White Horse Temple of your own accord?" The Sky Demon Emperor pressed his palms together, his face serene: "This disciple has been enlightened by the Dharma. I deeply feel the gravity of my past sins and wish to bathe in the divine light of our Buddha to cleanse my past and turn over a new leaf."

This scene sent a chill through everyone present. The Sky Demon Emperor, a mighty ruler of a demon clan, had been completely converted just like that. If they could convert him, couldn't they do the same to anyone present? They felt as if they were sitting on pins and needles, their chairs seeming to have grown thorns, making them uneasy. Even Master Qiyin couldn't help but shiver inwardly. The White Horse Temple was not to be provoked!

Dharma Seal Vajra surveyed the crowd, his smiling eyes seemingly seeing through their innermost thoughts. Then, he spoke in a gentle, rich voice: "Since you sincerely wish to join our Buddhist order, this monk will personally perform your tonsure." He picked up a razor and meticulously shaved off the Sky Demon Emperor's long golden hair, strand by strand.

"One stroke severs the seven emotions, two strokes end all grudges, three strokes purify the mundane heart, four strokes remove all worldly desires…" The surrounding novices chanted Buddhist scriptures. As the last strand of golden hair fell to the ground, a kind-faced, bald, middle-aged monk in a blue robe knelt before the Buddha. Dharma Seal Vajra took out an incense stick and began to apply the ritual scars to his head, speaking as he did so:

"Now that you have entered our Buddhist order, your former name, identity, and past have all departed with your hair," Dharma Seal Vajra said. "This monk bestows upon you the Dharma name 'Shanming.' May you accumulate virtue, do good deeds, and guide the suffering people towards light." Shanming pressed his palms together: "Thank you, Master Dharma Seal." After the final scar was marked, from that moment on, there was no longer the Sky Demon Emperor, only Monk Shanming. "Shanming greets the friends from various great sects." Monk Shanming stood up, looked around, and bowed to each person, saying, "Shanming greets all benefactors."

Master Qiyin, Wei Wuji, and the others rose and returned the bows, their expressions complex. From then on, the Buddhist order gained another powerful Demon Emperor realm expert. Master Qiyin said, "Since the conversion is complete, I shall take my leave." He did not wish to linger for another moment; it was both humiliating and chilling. The other guests likewise clasped their hands in salute and departed, feeling a bitter taste in their mouths.

But just as they exited the Grand Hall, Master Qiyin suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed and somewhat frozen as he looked towards the horizon of the vast sea. Wei Wuji paused, asking, "Elder Qiyin, why aren't you leaving?" But when he followed Master Qiyin's gaze, his own expression froze on the spot.

A black streak, piercing the heavens, appeared on the horizon. It appeared as a mere line because it was too far away, looking as thin as a thread. "What is that?" someone whispered. "A black line connecting heaven and earth?" "Why do I feel like the black line… is getting thicker?" "Is it moving?"

The strong cultivators from various sects who had emerged were all astonished. Hearing the commotion, Dharma Seal Vajra also walked out with a smile. Upon seeing the black line piercing the heavens, he too felt a sense of bewilderment. With a faint smile, he brushed his fingers over his eyes. A faint Buddhist light immediately appeared in his eyes, allowing him to see the black line's true form. Upon seeing it, the smile on his face gradually vanished and slowly turned solemn. He recognized what it was, and saw clearly that it was heading directly for the White Horse Temple.

Soon, many eminent monks of the White Horse Temple sensed it and rose into the sky, emitting streaks of radiant golden Buddhist light. Their expressions successively grew solemn. Master Qiyin finally realized what it was and gasped, "The Sky-Connecting Black Pillar!" Wei Wuji exclaimed in shock, "Isn't the Sky-Connecting Black Pillar on the mainland? Why is it appearing in Taicang Great State?"

Hearing this, a sense of impending doom and panic swept through everyone present. It made the guests, and even more so the monks of the White Horse Temple, extremely uneasy. "Why is it moving?" "Could it be the Hellish Desolate Beast at work?" "It can only be the Hellish Desolate Beast. Besides it, who else in heaven and earth could influence such a thing?"

Dong, dong, dong! The White Horse Temple sounded short, urgent bell tolls. Eminent Buddhist monks, radiating powerful auras and faint golden Buddhist light, soared into the sky one after another. Ferocious exotic beast mounts also leaped into the high heavens.

An old monk was explaining a Buddhist scripture to a newly arrived young novice. "Originally there is nothing, so where does the dust settle?" he recited. "It means that we should not be influenced by external things and achieve inner peace." The young novice's eyes showed understanding. "This disciple comprehends," he said. "At any time, one must remain calm, unperturbed even if Mount Tai collapses before them." The old monk nodded in satisfaction. "Truly, a teachable child…"

Suddenly, the bell tolls rang out, startling the old monk. He immediately stood up and, with a grave expression, grabbed the young novice and ran outside. The young novice asked, "Master, why are we running? Didn't you say we should not be influenced by external things?" The old monk's face was filled with panic. "This is a warning that a great enemy is attacking our temple! The last time it sounded was ten years ago! Quickly, let's take refuge in Mount Dharma…"

As they ran out, they were immediately knocked to the ground by someone. He looked up and realized that the temple was already in utter chaos. Disciples scrambled towards the back mountain, bumping into each other in disarray. The Buddhist sacred ground, which had been so solemn and revered just moments before, had descended into great turmoil.

Meanwhile, the eminent monks and exotic beasts stood as if facing a formidable enemy. They gazed unblinkingly at the approaching Sky-Connecting Black Pillar. Wei Wuji swallowed hard. "Elder Qiyin," he said, "this Hellish Desolate Beast seems to be heading for the White Horse Temple! What should we do?"

Master Qiyin replied sternly, "Do you still want to get involved? Is the Hellish Desolate Beast something we can afford to provoke? Let the White Horse Temple deal with its own problems!"

At this moment, a thousand-zhang beam of Buddhist light rose from the depths of the White Horse Temple. A white-bearded old monk, clad in a red kasaya, surrounded by four ethereal Buddha images and with skin glowing with faint golden light, stepped out of thin air. "Abbot!" The monks and exotic beasts in the sky all bowed respectfully. This was the Abbot of White Horse Temple, Grandmaster Puguang, a supreme existence of the Third-Rank Vajra. The Buddhist Vajra ranks, from highest to lowest, ranged from First-Rank to Ninth-Rank. A First-Rank Vajra was an existence just one step away from becoming a Bodhisattva. Grandmaster Puguang was an eminent monk of the Third-Rank Vajra. He gazed at the Sky-Connecting Black Pillar, silent.

Beside him, a Fourth-Rank Vajra roared angrily, "Who provoked the Hellish Desolate Beast? And brought such immeasurable calamity upon our temple?"