Chapter 247: Twenty Heavens

Qin Mu, Grandpa Ma, and the others picked up their pace, but Grandpa Ma found it increasingly challenging to keep Grandma Si's mind suppressed, causing their speed to gradually slow. As Cult Master Li's rapid growth and Grandma Si's strengthening cultivation meant Grandpa Ma dared not exert his full power, fearing he would damage Grandma Si's soul, this hesitation introduced many unpredictable variables to their journey.

Grandma Si's awakenings grew rarer, while Cult Master Li's became more frequent. Qin Mu was consumed by anxiety but felt utterly powerless.

This basin, once an ocean—likely the East Sea mentioned by the Heavenly King's statue—featured incredibly complex terrain. Deep ravines and chasms plunged nearly ten thousand feet, while sharp, towering mountains rose like blades. The former East Sea had transformed into land, its waters completely vanished. Yet, Qin Mu found this peculiar. Local villagers reported that at night, the ocean would levitate, its waters spreading far and wide, only to disappear completely during the day.

So where had the seawater gone?

The deeper they ventured, the more bizarre and powerful the creatures they encountered. Luminous jellyfish drifted across the sky, and as night fell, they would retreat into temples, resembling large, colorful lanterns. They also encountered living flood dragons, some dwelling in deep ravines and others in volcanoes, each reigning supreme over its territory. These flood dragons rarely emerged unless provoked. On a few occasions, Qin Mu observed them flying out of their lairs to snatch people from villages. Upon encountering Qin Mu and his group, the dragons, recognizing their formidable strength, refrained from acting recklessly and simply flew by.

Once they left the basin, Mount Sumeru was only two days away. For the past few days, Qin Mu and his companions hadn't dared to relax even during sleep, constantly ready to awaken and suppress Cult Master Li. It was utterly exhausting. Only the Dragon Qilin slept soundly and ate well, its fur and scales gleaming with health. Qin Mu and the others simply mounted the Dragon Qilin, allowing the massive creature to carry them towards Mount Sumeru.

Gradually, more villagers along the way embraced Buddhism. Households widely worshipped Buddha statues, some even placing them alongside the village's existing stone statues, honoring both deities and Buddhas. Upon inquiry, Qin Mu learned that monks had arrived to preach scriptures and heal the villagers, earning them considerable popularity.

“The Buddhist sect also has an interest in the Great Ruins.”

The blind man chuckled, “While Great Thunderclap Temple's efforts to heal the abandoned people of the Great Ruins do convey a sense of universal equality, it feels somewhat opportunistic, as if they're accruing merit by riding on the reputation of the stone statues.”

As they drew closer to Great Thunderclap Temple, more Buddhist temples appeared. Some, bustling with incense, housed Buddha statues of various forms. However, at night, the people and strange beasts of the Great Ruins still sought refuge near the stone and divine statues, rather than within these temples.

Qin Mu mused, “Tathagata's intentions are noble, but he still cannot contend with the deities of the Great Ruins. He can only cure illness, not save lives.”

The surrounding peaks grew more numerous, dotted with temples of all sizes. As evening fell and they passed several such establishments, Qin Mu and his group decided to seek lodging at one of them for the night. The temple was bustling with activity, home to several hundred monks who, even at night, showed no fear and continued to chant Buddhist scriptures.

“Do these monks possess great divine powers capable of resisting the Great Ruins' darkness?” Qin Mu wondered with surprise.

To his surprise, many Buddha statues emitted a faint, divine glow in the darkness, warding it off. As Qin Mu approached one for a closer look, his expression darkened. The monks in this temple had coated the Great Ruins' stone statues with a layer of clay, fired them into the likeness of Buddha statues, and then adorned them with gold leaf, making them appear as golden Buddhas. At night, the underlying stone statues provided protection, giving the illusion that the Buddha statues were radiating their power to safeguard all beings. Through his Heaven's Eye, Qin Mu saw that it was the gods protecting the Great Ruins who emitted immense divine light, not the Buddha statues.

The temple also housed exceptionally fierce strange beasts, which remained within its confines even during the day. The monks seemed entirely accustomed to them, allowing these untethered beasts to roam freely throughout the temple. Astonishingly, these man-eating beasts behaved quite docilely within the temple, appearing to be vegetarians who chanted Buddhist scriptures, a complete departure from their brutal nature. Some Great Ruins inhabitants lodging there attributed this to the power of Buddhist teachings.

However, Qin Mu observed the monks secretly feeding these creatures large chunks of raw meat, which carried the distinct scent of anesthetic. Qin Mu was taken aback, his brows furrowing.

“Mu'er, don't concern yourself too much with it.”

The blind man whispered, “Great Thunderclap Temple is very close. Destroying this temple would only tip them off, leading them to cause trouble for us, and they might not even help Grandma Si.”

“Hypocrisy!”

Grandma Si sneered, “This is the Buddhist sect's hypocrisy! They clearly lack great divine powers, yet they appropriate others' abilities, boasting it's the power of their teachings. Blind man, Grandpa Ma, you're just as hypocritical! You need something from old Tathagata, so you dare not expose these bald scoundrels' tricks!”

Qin Mu said, “Whether they possess great divine powers or not, Cult Master Li will know once we meet old Tathagata at Great Thunderclap Temple, won't he?”

Grandma Si cackled, “Cult Master Qin, you call yourself the Saint Cult Master of my Sacred Cult? You, the head of my Heavenly Sacred Cult, are seeking favors from old Tathagata of a rival sect, disgracing our name! You've utterly ruined the prestige of my Heavenly Sacred Cult! Once I've fully recovered, I'll return to the Sacred Cult, reorganize it, and show you what a true Saint Cult Master *should* do!”

Qin Mu remained impassive. “How should a Saint Cult Master act?” he asked.

“Rip off the hypocritical masks of these old bald scoundrels, smash these Buddha statues to expose the true divine statues hidden within!” Grandma Si stated leisurely, “Then, remove the anesthetic from these strange beasts, let them consume people and reveal their true nature, and blood-wash these bald scoundrels, devouring every last one in the temple! Let these ignorant commoners witness how worthless their so-called Buddhist teachings are—nothing but a facade! Heh heh, the 'righteous path' is mere excrement; let that excrement reveal its true form, without a layer of gold leaf stuck to a mud statue! This is the true and pure doctrine of my Heavenly Sacred Cult, the genuine interpretation of nature!”

Qin Mu found her words quite reasonable, though her proposed actions were extreme. He had initially considered removing the anesthetic from the beasts himself, but realizing they would consume people once awakened, he refrained.

Finally, Great Thunderclap Temple came into view. From a distance, a majestic mountain stood tall in the center of the Divine Severed Mountain Range. Other mountains had been carved by immense power into sheer, bird-defying cliffs and snowy peaks. Yet, this particular mountain remained vast and grand, with numerous peaks guarding and encircling its central summit. Curiously, the mountains here formed tiered levels. The lowest tier comprised three thousand peaks, forming a grand circle. The second tier had nine hundred and ninety-nine peaks, the next ninety-nine, and the one above that, nine peaks. Each tier rose higher than the last, guarding the central main peak. Temples of various sizes dotted the peaks, each housing colossal and majestic Buddha statues. Some mountain peaks were even carved directly into gigantic Buddhas, with temples built upon their palms or nestled within their chests.

“Truly, it's opulent and grand.”

The blind man commented, “Grandpa Ma, why do your Buddhist temples always adorn themselves with gold and silver? Such splendor and luxury—wouldn't it be better used for disaster relief and helping the world? Monks supposedly renounce all worldly attachments, yet their hands are certainly not empty.”

Grandpa Ma replied calmly, “If it weren't grand, who would come to worship Buddha and make offerings?”

Grandma Si sneered, “Hypocrisy…”

Qin Mu snapped, “Quiet! Old Tathagata will refine you to death later!”

“You impudent brat, daring to scold even me!” Grandma Si fumed.

Qin Mu, flustered, stammered, “Oh, it's Grandma. Please don't take it to heart, Grandma; I thought Cult Master Li had surfaced again.”

Grandma Si sneered, “These bald scoundrels are clearly hypocritical, Grandpa Ma—I'm not referring to you. Just look around: which temple isn't lavish and extravagant to the extreme? Which Buddha statue isn't adorned with gold and silver, fashioned into a grand golden body? Of all the temples, those belonging to these bald rogues are the most extravagant! These monks neither produce nor pay taxes, yet they endlessly complain if their interests are affected. They even raise monk armies, incite rebellion, and seek to manipulate the world's affairs.”

“Silence, demon!”

Suddenly, an enraged shout echoed from mid-air. Qin Mu looked up to see a monk, solemn and radiating Buddha light, who had evidently overheard Grandma Si's words while passing and now roared in indignation. Upon spotting Grandpa Ma, the monk was startled. He immediately turned and fled, shouting, “This is terrible, simply terrible! Horse King God has returned to the mountain!”

In the temples on the various peaks, the monks erupted in an uproar, bustling as they flew into the air and formed defensive arrays, as if confronting a formidable enemy.

Grandpa Ma said nonchalantly, “I caused a bit of a stir last time when I came to retrieve my arm. Let's go up the mountain.”

Fire clouds billowed from beneath the Dragon Qilin's hooves as it galloped towards the central main peak. The main peak, suspended high above the sea of clouds and bathed in golden sunlight, was known as the Golden Summit. Even for the Dragon Qilin, ascending it would take time. Along the path, thousands of temples and monasteries housed numerous highly cultivated and powerful monks. While they dared not directly obstruct the group, they were equally unwilling to let them barge straight to the Golden Summit of Mount Sumeru. An increasing number of monks soared forth, riding various strange beasts, forming dense, concentric layers around the Golden Summit, prepared for demon subjugation and exorcism.

Qin Mu couldn't help but admire Grandpa Ma, musing, “Last time Grandpa Ma came, he likely fought his way directly to the main peak.”

Grandpa Ma halted the Dragon Qilin. Before them, tens of thousands of monks had formed an impenetrable wall, guarding the Golden Summit. He announced, “I have come to see Tathagata; I have a request.”

His voice resonated, instantly causing a myriad of phenomena across the mountain: golden springs erupted from the ground, lotus flowers rained from the sky, and the ethereal forms of the Eight Legions of Heavenly Dragons, along with the phantoms of the twenty heavens and their gods, manifested in the high skies. Anomalies unfolded continuously, radiant light shone forth, and all chanted the Buddha's name in unison. This display of true words instantly subdued countless monks.

Just then, an aged voice from the Golden Summit chuckled, “Horse King God's cultivation surpasses even his former self. You must have already reached the Great Brahma Heaven realm among the twenty heavens of the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. One more step, and you will be a Tathagata. Monks, stand down and let him ascend. I have been waiting for him for a long time.”

“Twenty heavens?” Qin Mu paused, then looked towards Grandpa Ma.

The impenetrable human wall formed by the monks ahead dissolved. Grandpa Ma guided the Dragon Qilin up the mountain, explaining, “These are the twenty heavenly realms of the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. To cultivate all twenty is to become a Tathagata. When I left Great Thunderclap Temple, I had already reached the nineteenth level, the Heaven Emperor Shitian realm, making me one of the foremost experts in the world.”