Chapter 1028: Inverted Heavenly Gang

Master Mingyu was stunned by the sight. This particular stage required monks to endure being whipped without uttering a single cry of pain to pass. The secret realm, however, wouldn't allow the overseers to whip them indefinitely; eventually, a stone would fall from the statue, striking and killing the overseer. The overseers were known for their numerous wicked acts, and the falling stone that killed them subtly embodied the Buddhist principle of karma: good begets good, and evil begets evil.

Master Mingyu had presided over the Western Heaven Secret Realm more than a thousand times, witnessing countless monks' choices within it. The greatest challenge of this particular stage was enduring pain. A staggering ninety percent of monks couldn't hold out until the overseer finally suffered retribution and cried out. Those who did manage to endure did so through sheer willpower, gritting their teeth. This is precisely why he had high hopes for Xinzhen, who had entered a state of self-forgetfulness. Buddhism encourages understanding pain through mindful contemplation, thereby achieving a state beyond suffering.

However, this was the first time he had witnessed someone like Xinding immediately resort to physical violence. Judging by the overseer's pained screams, Xinding had struck with exceptional force.

"Wait, why are you hitting him?" Master Mingyu couldn't help but materialize upon witnessing the scene. To some extent, he could control the Western Heaven Secret Realm, and Xinding would soon forget his appearance.

"He was going to hit me," Xinding replied calmly. In fact, his expression hadn't changed even while he was hitting the man. Within the Western Heaven Secret Realm, monks would always exhibit their most primal reactions, incapable of pretense or falsehood.

"Are you not aware that our Buddhist sect advocates facing pain without flinching and observing suffering?"

"I do know," Xinding stated righteously. "But if it were my mistake, I would accept the beating. However, these overseers forced us into excessive labor; I was so exhausted from carrying stones that they slipped. It's their fault, so why should I be beaten? Even an abbot should be reasonable."

"Then are you not aware that our Buddhist sect teaches that good begets good and evil begets evil, and that this overseer, for wantonly whipping others, would eventually face retribution?"

"Isn't him being beaten by me right now his retribution?"

"I..." Master Mingyu was left speechless for a long time, unable to find any words to counter.

This stage was a test of "endurance." Not crying out in pain was the criterion for passing, and Xinding hadn't uttered a single sound of pain throughout, successfully clearing the stage.

With the help of the immortal's divine consciousness, Lu Yang witnessed the performance of all the monks within the illusion, and Xinding's was by far the most remarkable.

"What a promising talent," Lu Yang exclaimed, praising Xinding immensely. With Xinding's performance, passing the Dao Sect's test would undoubtedly pose no challenge.

After observing the first stage, a question occurred to Lu Yang, and he asked one of the five founders of Buddhism with puzzlement, "Immortal, does Buddhism advocate accepting beatings?"

"Oh," replied the immortal, "I once coincidentally noticed that whenever Qilin Immortal was beaten by Xiaoling and Lianyi, he would always feign great suffering, but in reality, he was secretly chuckling. I asked him why, and he explained that it was a Buddhist cultivation method: to experience pain, comprehend pain, and ultimately transcend pain."

"At the time, I questioned why I couldn't recall such a principle in the Buddhist stories we had compiled. He simply replied, 'Now there is.'"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang quickly distanced himself, declaring, "Oh, oh, oh, I didn't hear a thing." He lamented his inability to control his curiosity, having now uncovered yet another ancient secret.

"You didn't hear? Then this immortal shall recount it once more..."

"No, no need!" Lu Yang quickly interjected. He wouldn't dare listen a second time, fearing that the Undying Immortal might connect it to other matters and reveal even more ancient secrets.

"By the way," Lu Yang quickly changed the subject, "is this illusion a fragment from a specific era during the Great Qian period?" All illusions must be grounded in reality, as cultivators cannot conjure images of things they have never seen. Therefore, this illusion was likely constructed by Buddhist cultivators from the Great Qian era.

The entire illusion depicted countless slaves laboring to carry stones upwards, building a statue. If any slave showed the slightest deficiency in their work, they would be mercilessly whipped by the overseers, living a life of extreme misery. The statue was nearly complete, and Lu Yang immediately recognized its form: it was of the two divine monarchs, Demon Subduer and Evil Exterminator, who had attacked the Moon Palace. In the early Great Qian Dynasty, there was extensive construction, with statues of various divine monarchs being erected to spread faith and gather incense.

"Most likely," the Undying Immortal analyzed. "The source of this Buddhist aura is a Buddhist cultivator from the Great Qian period. It's probable that many Buddhist cultivators were engaged in purifying or transmuting something, which accounts for the abundant Buddhist aura within this secret realm."

"How can I sense the aura of the Immortal of Response to Heaven and the Immortal of Time deep within this secret realm?" the Undying Immortal mused, her senses vague. "Could it be an immortal artifact they both refined together?" She felt it was a very familiar artifact, but couldn't quite place it.

As with all trials overseen by Master Mingyu, this one also saw ninety percent of the monks eliminated, with only ten percent successfully passing. The sole exception was Xinding's particularly unusual method of passing. The monks who were eliminated would, under the influence of the Buddhist aura, wander out of the Western Heaven Secret Realm in a daze, leaving the chaotic mist forbidden zone. Outside this zone, other monks were already arranged to receive them and manage their subsequent affairs.

The second trial was also an illusion. Before Xinchen, who had entered the Martial Monk Academy alongside Xinding, lay a wide river. Beside it stood two figures: his elderly monk master and a beautiful but timid woman. The woman was afraid to cross the river. The old monk stepped forward and carried the woman across the river on his back, with Xinchen following closely behind.

After they had crossed the river and parted ways with the woman, Xinchen frowned, utterly perplexed. He had held his doubts the entire way, but finally could not resist asking, "Master, wouldn't doing that violate the precept of lust?"

The old monk lovingly stroked Xinchen's head. "Xinchen," he said, "I have long since let go, but you have not."

Xinzhen, from the Discipline Academy, witnessed the entire event without uttering a word. The moment the old monk put the woman down, Xinzhen also let go of any thoughts, feeling no doubt in his heart. Xinchen failed, while Xinzhen passed.

Master Mingyu smiled. Xinzhen was indeed a promising talent, and he was thoroughly satisfied with his performance in both consecutive trials. The theme of this stage was "letting go." Buddhism asserts that female beauty is merely "rosy-cheeked skeletons," and true monks should view it as utterly meaningless. If one can achieve this detachment, they would have no questions to ask. Under the influence of the Buddhist aura, it was impossible to conceal the truth. Having witnessed the act of carrying the woman across the river, if a test-taker harbored any doubt in their heart, they would inevitably voice it. Voicing it, in turn, signified that they had not truly let go of the matter, resulting in failure of the trial.

"How did Xinding fare?" Master Mingyu wondered, recalling Xinding's unusual performance in the previous stage, which had sparked a certain curiosity in him. He entered Xinding's illusion, and Xinding's choice once again defied his expectations. Xinding, he observed, had rushed forward, proactively carrying the woman across the river before the old monk could. As Xinding was still underage and not tall enough, carrying her on his back would have soaked her shoes, so he simply picked her up instead, in a rather undignified posture.

In all the thousands of times this secret realm had been run, no one had ever done such a thing! Master Mingyu was utterly bewildered. After Xinding had crossed the river, he materialized once more, intent on getting a clear explanation.

"Xinding, why did you carry that woman across the river?"

Xinding was particularly surprised to see Master Mingyu materialize. "Abbot, why haven't you let go of this matter yet?"