Chapter 57: Your Calamity Is Not in This Life, But in the Previous One

Death draws ever closer to you.

Just then, another golden dragon swept across the sky and blocked all attacks.

"Great Power Tianlong, Daluo Fuzhou, Bore Zhufo, Bore Bama Hong!"

You lift your head and see a familiar figure.

Your Shifu, Fahai Heshang, has come.

High in the air, the monks shouted in anger, "Fa Tian, what are you trying to do? Are you and your disciple going to make enemies of the entire Fo Men?"

Yuanhai sighed, "Sinful disciple, step aside. Do not plunge yourself into Calamity."

Fa Tian smiled and said, "Shifu, you cannot bear to let this sinful disciple of yours die, so how could I bear to let this sinful disciple Jingchen die?"

"Shifu."

Moved within your heart, you bow to your Shifu Fahai Heshang and say bitterly, "This disciple thanks Shifu for his kindness here. Please, go."

Your Buddhist Dharma was imparted by Fahai Heshang.

He gave you a second life, and your life's philosophy was largely influenced by him.

Fa Tian never constrained you with various old-fashioned courtesies; he only hoped you could stay true to your original self and not commit unwarranted killing.

He told you that the original meaning of Buddha is to deliver all sentient beings.

How to carry out this ideal depended entirely on your own understanding. It was from that time on that a seed was planted in your heart.

To this day, this seed has taken root and sprouted.

Fa Tian turned his back to you and faced the monks, "Eminent monks, this disciple of mine does not deserve death. My Buddha is compassionate, so spare his life."

"Presumptuous!"

The Tianlong Temple Abbot said coldly, "Fa Tian, this poor monk advises you to conduct yourself well! Jingchen recklessly committed killing. Without delivering him, the anger in people's hearts cannot be pacified."

Fa Tian smiled, "The people of the world will not be angry. They all say a life for a life. This disciple of mine was a bit reckless, but he was not too far in the wrong."

The Tianlong Temple Abbot said, "Then Jingchen should pay with his life!"

"Let this life be repaid by this poor monk in his stead."

Fa Tian spoke a sentence that shocked the world, and you were deeply shaken as well.

This was a scene you had never imagined.

Yuanhai grew anxious and shouted, "Fa Tian, Karma and destiny are one's own. You cannot bear it for Jingchen. Step aside quickly!"

"As the saying goes, if a son is not taught, it is the father's fault; if a disciple is not taught, it is the Shifu's fault. Jingchen was brought into the sect by me, so the Karma should be borne by me."

Fa Tian said, "I am willing to dissolve all my Merit and reincarnate for the Buddha for another thousand years, in exchange for my disciple Jingchen to remain in this world!"

You regretted it and shed tears, "Shifu, you do not need to do this. All of this should be borne by this disciple!"

"Shut up."

Fahai Heshang cast a Secret Art and sealed your mouth.

Seeing this, Yuanhai sighed, "Everyone, this poor monk will discipline his disciple Fa Tian. The matter of delivering Jingchen, I leave to you all."

"Shifu, you are old." Fa Tian smiled, "There are some things for which you must accept your age."

As his words fell, your Shifu Fa Tian acted again. He pressed his palms together, and a massive Dharma Image manifested behind him.

Your Shifu's teachings echoed in your ears.

"I will teach you one last move. Watch closely, learn well."

"Thousand Hands! Pagoda!"

The Dharma Image behind Fa Tian sat with closed eyes, possessing over a thousand Buddhist hands. As Fa Tian thrust his palm forward, the Dharma Image's palm struck out accordingly.

At this moment, he withstood the power of the entire Fo Men of the Tianshui Huangchao all by himself.

"How is this possible?!"

The monks were shocked, wide-eyed and speechless.

"One whose Buddha Heart is not upright, why can they receive the Zhenfo's acknowledgment? Receive the power granted by the Zhenfo?"

In their view, a move like the Thousand Hands Pagoda should not be a Ren Jian Dharma at all.

"Amitabha!"

Fa Tian said, "This poor monk has said that everyone's Buddha Heart is different, and everyone's way of cultivating Buddhism is different as well."

"This poor monk is willing to dissolve all his Merit and reincarnate for the Buddha for another thousand years, in exchange for my disciple Jingchen to remain in this world."

"Eminent monks, can you still not see clearly? Jingchen's fate is not to end. He still has more important things to do!"

After speaking, Fa Tian's gaze fell toward the distance.

The Tianshui Emperor was approaching this way, surrounded by guards.

Fa Tian said, "Your Majesty, the Tianshui Huangchao has never been corrupted by evil spirits because it is protected by the Pure World Lotus. The old Pure World Lotus is withering and needs someone to go to the other shore to seek a new lotus."

"In this poor monk's view, it is most fitting for Jingchen to go. I wonder what Your Majesty thinks?"

This Shi Jie is extremely special.

The power of cultivators themselves is not considered strong; they care more about the incense and Merit of the people of the world. Many Mortals are protected by fortune and hold higher status than cultivators.

The Tianshui Emperor is a Mortal, yet he stands a head above many eminent Fo Men monks who can move mountains and fill seas.

Because the Tianshui Emperor is the ruler of a dynasty.

Many cultivators need to draw upon the Merit and Fortune of the Tianshui Huangchao for their cultivation and do not dare defy the Emperor.

You know all of this, and you also know that beyond the Tianshui Huangchao is a chaotic Shi Jie overrun by demons.

As for the other shore that your Shifu Fa Tian spoke of, you do not know much.

The Tianshui Emperor finally spoke, "I only want to know one thing. Did the Vice Minister of Justice kill the Imperial Son-in-Law back then?"

By relation, your mother is the Princess of the current dynasty, and the Tianshui Emperor is your maternal grandfather.

Many eminent monks looked at each other in dismay. Helpless, they used the method of Cause and Effect Divination before the Tianshui Emperor. The hexagram showed that the Vice Minister of Justice killed your father—this was an indisputable fact.

"Your Majesty, this matter..." the Fo Men monks still wanted to argue.

"Enough!"

The Tianshui Emperor waved his hand, "The Minister of Justice's past crime, according to our dynasty's law, should have warranted exterminating his entire clan, but Jingchen only did this for me."

"Just behead first, then submit the report; I grant permission."

Even the Tianshui Emperor spoke, pardoning your crime, and the Fo Men monks dared not defy him.

You received a pardon; this matter is now dropped.

At night, your Shifu Fa Tian found you.

He said, "Jingchen, are you willing to go to the Western Regions Biyan Shijie to obtain the Pure World Lotus for the countless beings of the Dong Tu?"

You said, "The Dong Tu Fo Men can no longer accommodate disciples; if Shifu sends a disciple, then the disciple will go."

Fa Tian Heshang laughed, "This trip is not only for the Dong Tu beings, but also for your own cultivation."

You didn't understand, "Shifu, what does this mean?"

Fa Tian Heshang said, "I have seen too many Calamities in you; you need the Pure World Lotus to help purify them."

You still didn't understand, "Kill the Minister of Justice's entire family—are the Calamities that great?"

"No!"

Fa Tian Heshang shook his head, "Your Calamities are not in this life, but in your Past Life."