Chapter 254: The Root of Disaster

Fuxin let out a deep breath. Back then, he too had continuously broken through the Four Heavens Realm, reaching the mental state of the Sun Palace Emperor. When he arrived at the Marici Heaven Pavilion, he couldn't master it, but even so, he was still considered a Buddha's disciple.

Didn't this imply that Qin Mu also possessed a Buddhist heart, comparable to his own?

If Qin Mu were to continue forward and break through the Marici Heaven mental state, wouldn't that suggest this demon's Buddhist heart and nature were even stronger than his?

How could a demon be more devout than someone who practiced Buddhism?

They arrived at the Marici Heaven Pavilion. As Qin Mu listened to the scriptures, a fiery glow soon emanated from him.

Fuxin's mind roared, leaving him disoriented. Qin Mu, a demon among demons, had astonishingly cultivated to the Fifth Heaven in one go, demonstrating the same aptitude and Buddhist heart as the Horse King God!

How was that possible?

He was a demon, a true great demon! Demons were incapable of mastering the Great Vehicle Sutra of Tathagata!

Fuxin, the Buddha's disciple, composed himself. He was already the monk with the highest aptitude, comprehension, and most profound Buddhist heart in Great Thunderclap Temple over the past century, yet he never expected to be surpassed by a demon.

When they reached the Hariti Heaven Pavilion, Qin Mu finally encountered difficulty and failed to master the Sixth Heaven of the Great Vehicle Sutra of Tathagata.

Fuxin was crestfallen. Qin Mu had cultivated the Five Heavens in one go, an aptitude truly befitting a Tathagata!

"If he were to convert to Buddhism, Master would most likely choose him as the next Tathagata..."

He was torn by conflicting emotions. Suddenly, a thought struck him: "I cannot let him become a disciple of Tathagata; the next Tathagata must be me!"

Once this thought emerged, it was unstoppable.

"Buddha's disciple," Qin Mu suddenly asked, "I heard that Imperial Preceptor Yankang visited here back then. How many Heavens did he master?"

Fuxin, the Buddha's disciple, composed himself and replied, "The Imperial Preceptor came here a century or two ago. I heard from the elders in the temple that the Tathagata accompanied him at the time, and Imperial Preceptor Yankang comprehended seven Heavens in a very short time."

Qin Mu was startled and shook his head, saying, "As expected of a once-in-five-hundred-years prodigy; I can't compare."

Old Ma was also surprised, exclaiming, "Imperial Preceptor Yankang actually comprehended seven Heavens in one go? Incredible! If he had entered Buddhism, he would have been a Tathagata; if he had entered Daoism, he would have been a Dao Master; and if he had entered your Heavenly Saint Cult, he would have been the Saint Cult Master! Such talent is truly rare in this age!"

The Blind man also praised him profusely, remarking, "It's no wonder the Cripple had his leg chopped off by him."

Old Ma and the Blind man led them to the top floor of the Twenty Heavens Pagoda. Unbeknownst to them, two or three days passed, during which Qin Mu listened to all twenty Heavenly Realms of the Great Vehicle Sutra of Tathagata. He couldn't help but marvel at its profundity, which was no less brilliant than the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scripture.

He had no intention of cultivating the Great Vehicle Sutra of Tathagata. However, drawing lessons from others' experiences, the Great Vehicle Sutra held significant reference value for him.

Fuxin looked at Qin Mu, his eyes glinting. "Cult Master Qin's aptitude is quite good," he said. "Cult Master, I have shown you the Great Vehicle Sutra of Tathagata from our Great Thunderclap Temple. Might this humble monk be allowed to consult the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scripture?"

Qin Mu took a ball of thread from his Taotie Pouch and said generously, "Why not? Anyone in my cult can learn the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scripture. There's no harm in it being passed on to outsiders either."

He pinched the end of the thread and gently pulled it. Instantly, countless characters swarmed out, rolling in the air.

Qin Mu did not conceal anything, directly displaying the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scripture before Fuxin.

As Fuxin read the first sentence of the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scripture's opening, his expression changed drastically. He felt it conflicted with Buddhist principles. As he continued to read, encountering the Seven Chapters of Creation, he couldn't help but repeatedly frown. He exclaimed, "This truly is a demonic cult's technique! There isn't an ounce of kindness in it; it's entirely evil magic that teaches people to turn to wickedness! Cult Master, please put it away; this humble monk cannot bear to look at it!"

Qin Mu was surprised and put away the Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scripture, which returned to being a ball of thread.

Just then, a monk hastily approached and whispered something into Fuxin's ear. Fuxin was surprised but quickly composed himself. He bowed and said, "Sirs, it's getting late. Please return to your respective meditation rooms to rest."

The Blind man yawned and said, "We are guests; we should follow our host's arrangements. Mu'er, Old Ma, let's go back to our rooms to rest."

As the three walked down the tall pagoda, the Blind man suddenly said, "That monk just told Fuxin that the Crown Prince of Yankang has arrived and wishes to see the old Tathagata."

Qin Mu's heart stirred slightly. The Crown Prince of Yankang?

What was the Crown Prince of Yankang doing at Great Thunderclap Temple at this time?

What was he scheming by requesting to see the old Tathagata?

The Blind man's ears twitched. He said, "Fuxin had the monk escort the Crown Prince of Yankang to the Grand Hall of the Great Hero, while he himself went to the Thousand Buddha Pagoda to inform the Tathagata... Once he entered the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, I couldn't hear or see what was happening inside. The Tathagata then emerged and told the monks at the Thousand Buddha Pagoda to do their best to chant mantras and suppress Li Tianxing, who was inside the pagoda."

Old Ma's expression changed slightly, and he hastily exclaimed, "How could the Buddhist teachings of those monks suppress Li Tianxing? The Tathagata has been careless. The Thousand Buddhas in the pagoda are inanimate. Even if their Buddhist bodies are activated by the monks' mantras, they still won't be able to suppress Li Tianxing! Quickly, to the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, lest he escapes!"

The three immediately rushed towards the Golden Summit. Qin Mu's pace was considerably slower. Passing by his own room, he saw the Dragon Qilin still sprawled there, fast asleep, with the old monk beside him still chanting scriptures at it.

"Fatty Dragon!"

Qin Mu quickly shouted. The Dragon Qilin immediately woke up and galloped towards him, leaving the old monk behind. The old monk furiously shouted, "You beast, not an ounce of enlightenment!"

Qin Mu flipped onto the Dragon Qilin's back and said, "To the Golden Summit, as fast as you can!"

The Dragon Qilin replied, "Cult Master, you haven't been back for a few days, and you haven't given me food yet."

Qin Mu snapped, "Get to the Golden Summit as fast as possible, and I'll give you two measures!"

The Dragon Qilin's spirits lifted, and it charged wildly towards the Golden Summit.

At the Golden Summit's Thousand Buddha Pagoda, inside were the physical bodies of successive Tathagatas. Outside, monks sat on the pagoda eaves, the pagoda's peak, and near the windows and doors, using Buddhist mantras to activate the physical bodies of the Tathagatas inside.

From those physical bodies, Buddhist mantras transformed into tangible characters, like great dragons, weaving through the pagoda. They poured into Granny Si's glabella, suppressing and refining the heart demon, Li Tianxing.

In recent days, the old Tathagata had personally led the monks, using the Buddhist nature hidden within the physical bodies of successive Tathagatas to suppress and refine Li Tianxing. This had been quite effective; Li Tianxing's primordial spirit had been significantly worn down, and Granny Si was regaining consciousness more and more frequently.

That was why he felt confident enough to leave, entrusting the suppression to the monks. After all, so many physical bodies of successive Tathagatas were still guarding the pagoda.

However, at this moment, Granny Si's pupils suddenly turned incredibly dark. With a cackle, a seductive voice emanated from the pagoda. It was like a lover whispering in their ears, piercing into the ears of the monks outside the pagoda and then into their hearts. Instantly, the monks' Buddhist hearts were thrown into chaos, and heavenly demons began to grow within their Buddhist minds.

"Hold steady!"

An old monk sharply shouted, "Don't listen to her voice!"

No sooner had he spoken than a beautiful face suddenly emerged from the pagoda and gave him a captivating smile. Heavenly demons began to grow in the old monk's Buddhist heart. The halo of Buddhist light behind his head, like a wheel, suddenly dimmed, and he then fell from the pagoda.

"Oh no!"

Another old monk chanted Buddhist names aloud. He raised his hand, extending two fingers to gouge out his own eyes, intending not to look at Granny Si's face. With fierce resolve, he gouged out his eyes. However, a soft chuckle reached his ears again, piercing into his Buddhist heart, scratching and tickling.

The old monk gritted his teeth. He thrust two fingers into his ears, piercing his eardrums so he wouldn't hear her voice.

The old monk's head and face were covered in blood. He loudly chanted Buddhist scriptures, stirring the physical bodies of the successive Tathagatas in the pagoda. He couldn't hear or see; he didn't see monks falling one by one from the pagoda, nor did he hear the sound of their bodies hitting the ground.

Suddenly, he felt a soft, delicate hand. It gently stroked his face and his bald head with a perfectly pleasant warmth.

The old monk's body trembled. The Buddhist light behind his head shattered with a crash, and he fell from the Thousand Buddha Pagoda.

Qin Mu urged the Dragon Qilin to charge to the Golden Summit. He saw the monks on the Thousand Buddha Pagoda falling scattered and strewn across the ground. Old Ma and the Blind man soared into the air, pursuing Granny Si, who had broken free from the Thousand Buddha Pagoda's suppression.

Their speed was incredibly fast; they vanished in a flash. Even the Dragon Qilin couldn't keep up.

Qin Mu was stunned. "You all..."

The Golden Summit was a mess. Old Ma and the Blind man were nowhere to be seen, leaving him alone on the Dragon Qilin's back.

The young man was stunned for a moment, then muttered resentfully, "I wonder if Great Thunderclap Temple will be willing to let me, the Heavenly Devil Cult Master, leave. Being alone in enemy territory really doesn't feel good without adults to back me up..."

The old Tathagata had just sat down in the Grand Hall of the Great Hero. Before he even had a chance to exchange pleasantries with the Crown Prince of Yankang, a monk rushed in to report, "Revered One, Li Tianxing has escaped!"

The old Tathagata was startled, then shook his head and said, "I underestimated him. I thought a dignified Devil Cult Master like him would disdain learning charm arts. I never expected he still had a trick up his sleeve. Since I haven't been able to suppress and refine him, let the Heavenly Devil Cult Master descend the mountain then."

The Crown Prince of Yankang asked in surprise, "The Heavenly Devil Cult Master is at Great Thunderclap Temple? Is that Qin Mu, the Grand Master of Remonstrance from my imperial court?"

The old Tathagata nodded and said, "It is he."

The Crown Prince of Yankang was overjoyed and said, "My Buddha, this person is the Heavenly Devil Cult Master, notorious for his evil deeds. He absolutely cannot be allowed to leave. It would be better to eliminate this root of evil for the world right here on the mountain!"

The old Tathagata shook his head and said, "He came up the mountain with a request for me, which is why I allowed him to stay. Now that I haven't been able to fulfill his request, I must allow him to descend the mountain without obstruction. Great Thunderclap Temple's actions must not resemble those of a demon."

The Crown Prince of Yankang was about to speak again, but Fuxin, the Buddha's disciple, hastily stood up and said, "Revered One, I will escort Cult Master Qin down the mountain."

The old Tathagata nodded, looked at the Crown Prince of Yankang, and said, "Crown Prince, this old monk knows why you have come and what you are planning. It is precisely because it concerns the common people of the world that this old monk hurried to meet you, which allowed Li Tianxing to take advantage. Scholar Qiong and the others must have already met you, haven't they?"

The Crown Prince of Yankang nodded and said, "They cannot do anything to my imperial father, so they earnestly requested that Your Holiness take action."

The old Tathagata smiled and said, "His Majesty's Nine Dragons Emperor Technique has been cultivated to its extreme. Indeed, there are not many people in the world who can stand against His Majesty; this old monk is one of them."

Meanwhile, at this moment, Fuxin, the Buddha's disciple, came to see Qin Mu, his eyes glinting. He said, "Cult Master Qin, the Revered One has ordered me to escort you down the mountain."