Chapter 249: Red Skull

On the Golden Summit, silence reigned, broken only by the clicking of prayer beads. From time to time, the halo of light behind a monk's head would dissipate, and the monk would fall from the air.

The Old Buddha surveyed his surroundings, taking in the expressions of the Bodhisattvas, Venerables, and Arhats. Li Tianxing, the former cult master, had appeared before the monks in the guise of Si Youyou's beauty, unsettling their minds. Their Buddhist hearts were damaged, and distracting thoughts proliferated.

Even though he had just displayed powerful Buddhist magic, rousing the physical bodies of numerous Buddhas within the Pagoda of a Thousand Buddhas, it could only suppress the disturbance temporarily.

The dissipation of the Buddhist halo behind their heads and their subsequent fall from the air symbolized the breaking of their Buddhist hearts. Buddhism emphasizes spiritual cultivation; when a Buddhist heart is broken, tainted by karmic consequences, the mind collapses. Those who fell were no longer monks, but ordinary mortals.

Their descent from the air was a fall from an elevated realm, far from the mundane world, back into it. Some might have a change of heart and find their way back, while others would leave the Great Thunderclap Monastery to struggle in the mortal world, seeking liberation. It was feared that once worldly desires arose, liberation would be hard to achieve.

Si Youyou's beauty had caused many high-ranking monks of the Great Thunderclap Monastery to fall, resulting in severe losses.

However, Qin Mu and his companions were not to blame, as they had already given warnings. It was the Old Buddha who had insisted on seeing Granny Si's true form to test their Buddhist hearts.

Yet, a few individuals on the mountain remained unwavering in their Buddhist hearts. These revered monks were not human but had achieved enlightenment as other species. Although Granny Si was beautiful, belonging to a different race meant these monks perceived no beauty in her, only a repulsive physical shell.

"Your cultivation is still insufficient," he said. "You cling to superficial appearances and have not yet seen the true nature of reality."

The Old Buddha looked around and instructed the monks: "You are overwhelmed by her beauty, yet you don't realize that what you perceive as beautiful is merely what you *think* is beautiful, not true beauty. For example, Brother Haikong, do you find her beautiful?"

He was addressing an enlightened monk of a different species. The monk replied, "Since I am of a different race than her, I cannot perceive her beauty."

The Old Buddha smiled and said, "Beauty that cannot be perceived across different species is not true beauty; it is merely superficial. True beauty is profound truth, enlightenment, and great wisdom. Cult Master Li, this physical form you are obsessed with is not genuinely beautiful. Among all sentient beings, your beauty is limited to the human form. Do you not realize how narrow-minded that is?"

All the monks felt a sudden realization, and Qin Mu also thought his words made perfect sense. As expected of the Old Buddha, one who had achieved great enlightenment, he might truly be able to subdue Li Tianxing, this inner demon.

The reason Li Tianxing desired to become Granny Si was precisely because her overwhelming beauty had disrupted his Dao heart, causing evil and demonic thoughts to arise, making him wish to transform into her.

Granny Si chuckled, "Old Buddha, there are countless paths in the world; my Heavenly Saint Cult claims just one, the 'human' character. Your Buddhist sect claims all paths, but can you truly encompass them all? No more talk. What power do you possess to subdue me?"

The Old Buddha smiled faintly, took out a bronze mirror, and handed it to a Venerable standing nearby. "Give this mirror to him," he instructed.

The Venerable took the mirror, descended the high platform, and approached Granny Si. Upon seeing her appearance, his heart pounded wildly again, and he quickly closed his eyes, daring not to look further.

He presented the bronze mirror. Granny Si took it, gazing at her reflection with self-pity, and chuckled, "What a truly stunning beauty, even I am moved to pity by her."

Seeing her enchanting demeanor, some monks found it difficult to maintain their composure.

The Old Buddha smiled and said, "Now, turn the mirror over."

Granny Si flipped the mirror, revealing a skeleton within the reflection, vaguely resembling her appearance after death.

"What do you think, Cult Master Li?"

The Old Buddha smiled, "No matter if you are a peerless beauty, at the end of life, you are nothing but a pile of dry bones. Do you still find dry bones beautiful?"

Granny Si tossed the bronze mirror onto the ground and casually crushed it with her foot. "This is just a trick to deceive mortals, a talk of 'painted skin over a skeleton'," she said. "Buddha, I understand the principle. Unlike you, I don't seek a glorious afterlife; a magnificent life in this world is enough for me. Seeking an afterlife is merely an act of cowardice. Your little trick can't subdue me. You say a single mirror can enlighten me? How about I take a stroll around your Great Thunderclap Monastery, and we see whether you enlighten me, or I enlighten all your monks, great and small. Shall we make a wager?"

The Old Buddha frowned slightly. "You lack wisdom roots," he said.

The Blind Man also thought, *This is not good*, and said, "Brother, talk of wisdom roots is nonsense. Why not just act directly and subdue him?"

The Old Buddha pondered for a moment. "Cult Master Li was, after all, a former demonic cult master," he said. "I will take her into the Pagoda of a Thousand Buddhas to subdue her. Monks, your resolve is weak and your cultivation insufficient, so remain outside the Pagoda and offer your blessings."

The monks assented, descending from the high platform and gathering around the Pagoda of a Thousand Buddhas. Some monks inside the pagoda also hastily exited, not daring to remain within.

The Old Buddha smiled. "Cult Master Qin, you are also a demonic cult master, with a deeply ingrained demonic nature. Since ancient times, Buddha and demon have been separate. However, as a guest who has come seeking help, I will not subdue you. Yet, while I am subduing Cult Master Li, I hope you will remain at the Great Thunderclap Monastery, listen to the Buddhist teachings, and dissolve the hostility in your heart, so that you may commit fewer acts of violence in the future."

Grandpa Ma and the Blind Man understood clearly: the Old Buddha intended to keep them at the Great Thunderclap Monastery. If he could enlighten them, that would be ideal; otherwise, he would ensure they could not leave.

Qin Mu was overjoyed and said with a smile, "Brother, what excellent foresight! Then we shall impose upon your hospitality. May you subdue the old demoness, Cult Master Li, soon. That would be a great merit indeed!"

The Old Buddha smiled faintly and instructed, "Allow these benefactors to stay at the monastery."

A Venerable hesitated. "Honored One," he said, "many places in the monastery are sacred sites of our sect. What if they wander in uninvited or cause trouble...?"

"Let them be," the Old Buddha replied. "There are no secrets or hidden places in the Great Thunderclap Monastery."

The Old Buddha continued, "When the Imperial Preceptor came, I even showed him the Mahayana Sutra of the Buddha. Could the Heavenly Devil Cult Master's wickedness surpass that of the Imperial Preceptor? Cult Master Qin is also a sentient being; there are no outsiders in the Great Thunderclap Monastery."

The Venerable assented and stepped forward to lead them.

Qin Mu smiled and asked, "Brother, does the monastery serve vegetarian meals? I've been eating a lot of rich food during the New Year and would like something light."

The Venerable glanced at him, twirled his prayer beads, suppressing the urge to subdue demons, and said, "If the Cult Master stays at the Great Thunderclap Monastery, you can have vegetarian meals for a lifetime."

Qin Mu burst into laughter and said to the Blind Man, "They're not afraid of us eating them out of house and home."

The Blind Man snorted coldly. "Grandpa Ma," he said, "do you think the Buddha can subdue Li Tianxing?"

Grandpa Ma hesitated. "A single Buddha wouldn't be enough," he replied, "but within the Pagoda of a Thousand Buddhas, there are a thousand Buddhas, all beings who have achieved peace of mind and seen true reality. Most likely, it can be done. However, they are all deceased, and Cult Master Li is also extraordinary... My concern now is that the Old Buddha might intentionally not subdue Cult Master Li, purposely trapping Granny Si in the pagoda. If Granny Si is trapped here, we will be trapped here too."

The Venerable led them to a side room and said, "Benefactors, please make yourselves at home. The bookshelves are filled with Buddhist scriptures; feel free to read them."

Qin Mu looked, noting the many Buddhist scriptures on the shelves. Grandpa Ma shook his head. "These Buddhist scriptures contain only texts, no divine abilities," he said. "They are barely worth looking at."

The Venerable said, "Divine abilities cannot overcome karma. Does the Horse King God not understand this?"

Grandpa Ma calmly retorted, "Without divine abilities, how can one resist karma? Are you a disciple of the Buddha? Then you are also my junior brother. Your cultivation is too low; withdraw. You don't need to display your shallow understanding in front of me."

The Venerable, feeling ashamed and embarrassed, turned and left.

The Blind Man, unperturbed, said, "Grandpa Ma and I are old bones; staying here is fine. But Mu'er, you are the Cult Master of the Heavenly Devil Cult. To be trapped here for a lifetime, wouldn't you grow old and die here? I'll find an opportunity to send you down the mountain."

Qin Mu shook his head. "Let's wait until Granny is well," he said. "Grandpa Blind, Grandpa Ma, it's rare to visit the Great Thunderclap Monastery. Let's look around."

Grandpa Ma smiled. "Didn't you want to see the Hundred Dragons Diagram for a long time? I'll take you to the Celestial Dragon Carvings."

Qin Mu was delighted.

The three walked out of the side room and saw an old monk sitting outside the door, chanting sutras to the Dragon Qilin. The Dragon Qilin was fast asleep, snoring loudly.

"He wants to enlighten even Fatty Dragon?"

Qin Mu was torn between laughter and tears. He said to the old monk, "Zen Master, this brute eats half a *dou* of Crimson Fire Elixirs every day. If you enlighten him, can you afford to feed him?"

The old monk stopped chanting, glanced at him, and said, "I can afford it."

Qin Mu clicked his tongue in surprise. "Truly wealthy," he muttered. "Please continue, Zen Master."

Grandpa Ma led the way, descending through the clouds to the mountainside. He pointed ahead and said, "That is the Hundred Dragons Diagram."

Qin Mu looked and saw colossal pillars standing tall, each adorned with celestial dragon carvings. Beneath the pillars, hundreds of monks were observing these carvings, comprehending Daoist principles and divine abilities from them.

Many monks were testing their divine abilities, their vital qi transforming into dragons that flew across the sky, accompanied by brilliant Buddhist light, a truly extraordinary sight.

Some monks were also engaging in sparring matches, verifying what they had learned and understood.

Several old monks, seeing their arrival, hastily greeted Grandpa Ma. "Brother has come," they said.

Grandpa Ma returned the greeting without delay.

One old monk said joyfully, "Brother caused quite a stir here back then. We still remember your heroic demeanor from those days."

Qin Mu stepped forward, standing before a dragon pillar, examining it closely. His heart was filled with admiration; the stone carvings on the pillar depicted the myriad postures of celestial dragons with exquisite detail.

Grandpa Ma was skilled at carving, creating lifelike sculptures from wood, so he must have practiced carving here before.

The Hundred Dragons Diagram was indeed crucial for cultivating the Eight Forms of Thunderclap, but the true key lay in the Mahayana Sutra of the Buddha. Without it, it would be difficult to master the Eight Forms of Thunderclap to their fullest extent.

However, Qin Mu had already comprehended the Great Unification technique, and his proficiency in the Eight Forms of Thunderclap was no weaker than someone who had cultivated the Mahayana Sutra of the Buddha.

Just then, a voice suddenly called out, "Hey, cowherd!"

Qin Mu turned to see a white-robed monk staring at him in surprise. The monk looked somewhat familiar. Qin Mu suddenly realized who it was and joyfully exclaimed, "So it's Little Monk Mingxin! We met at Granny Temple in the Great Ruins!"

The young monk was named Mingxin. Old Monk Jingming had brought him to find Grandpa Ma, and they had gambled with the Spirit Abandoner against Grandpa Ma. Mingxin was defeated by Qin Mu, and the Spirit Abandoner fell into Qin Mu's hands, who then gifted it to the Demon Ape.

Monk Mingxin walked over quickly. He had grown considerably taller and was now slightly taller than Qin Mu.

Qin Mu had only begun his growth spurt in the past six months, and his height had also increased rapidly.

Monk Mingxin looked at him, eager to test him. "It's been many years since I last saw you," he said. "I wonder if your skills have improved?"

Qin Mu remarked, "They have indeed. Since I defeated you, I've made incredible strides, far surpassing my former self."