Chapter 140: Creating Demonic Arts, Startling a Region

Zhi Dun was already a renowned monk at that time, able to discuss sutras and Dao with him, letting him gain insights and even producing a profound influence, showing that this great person's realm is profound.

Strangely, there is no record of such a figure at that time, and among contemporary masters none could match him, after all, few in Buddhist studies could surpass Zhi Dun.

There were a few who were on par with Zhi Dun, but their views differed, almost opposite, and they would not give Zhi Dun such insight and experience.

After all, to let Zhi Dun become so interested in metaphysics and apply it to Buddhist principles, he must also be a master of metaphysics.

Moreover, they split into two factions, one supporting Buddhist studies, the other supporting metaphysics, the two sides arguing incessantly, and even to this day there has been no clear resolution.

Some even doubt the authenticity of this manuscript, making it a historical mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

"This eminent person is truly formidable."

"To be able to advise Master Zhi Dun, he must certainly be extraordinary."

"What a pity, what a pity, history left no record of him, becoming a lingering regret."

The listeners who heard the old monk's story whispered to each other, discussing ancient and modern times, feeling regretful about this historical mystery.

……

However, the old monk's offhand words sent ripples through Ye Qin's heart in the shadows.

Who was it that discussed sutras and Dao with Zhi Dun? Even capable of changing and influencing his later life?

Ye Qin recalled that, in the fragments of mottled time, the questions Zhi Dun had asked him matched exactly what the old monk had just said.

Whether it was Zhuangzi's "Free and Easy Wandering" or later Prajna studies, similar phrases, he had also mentioned them to Zhi Dun before.

Zhi Dun's these views were more like continually extending and summarizing his words.

Initially, Ye Qin merely put forward a rough framework; after that, Zhi Dun continuously filled and improved it with Buddhist-metaphysical concepts, extracting the essence and discarding the dross, finally evolving into the viewpoint passed down by later generations.

"Could it be that I truly can influence history in the intangible? Or perhaps, while the overall trend remains unchanged, I have left a trace?"

Ye Qin was astonished and uncertain; at first he thought he was merely a 'spectator', but as he continually came into contact with the fragments of mottled time, he realized he might be a 'passerby'.

Thus history stirred up waves, the river of time thereby branched into many mysterious tributaries, and beneath the waves of ages, how many secrets remain hidden?

The old monk and the little monk gradually drifted away, Bai Yanfei was also preparing to leave, yet at that moment, out of the corner of her eye she saw a patch of green shadow.

"Huh?"

Bai Yanfei hurried forward, but beneath the wide banana leaves there was nothing; the green light she had just seen seemed to be her illusion.

"Could it be that I'm seeing things?"

Bai Yanfei searched everywhere, but found nothing at all.

"Feifei—"

From behind came her grandfather's call; Bai Yanfei turned her head, seeing the old man holding a yellow talisman, "You child, where did you go, making it hard for Grandfather to find you."

"I'm just strolling around nearby."

The old man placed the talisman around Bai Yanfei's neck, "This is what I prayed for you; remember to wear it at all times, it will keep you safe."

Bai Yanfei nodded, but her gaze kept wandering around, as if she were searching for something.

"Feifei, what are you looking at?"

Bai Yanfei's expression was somewhat dazed; facing her grandfather's question, she instinctively replied, "I just seemed to have seen a big snake."

The old man chuckled, "You kid, you must have mistaken; where would a big snake come from in a temple?"

Bai Yanfei thought about it and felt that was true.

"Since it's still early, let's wander around the vicinity; the vegetarian dishes here are quite good, and there are side rooms—perfect for us to experience staying here tonight; I've heard the abbot's Buddhist Dharma is profound."

"What?" Bai Yanfei instantly felt helpless, raising her voice involuntarily, "Grandfather, do you still intend to stay here tonight?"

Unable to resist her grandfather's request, Bai Yanfei had no choice but to agree.

As the grandfather and granddaughter left, the place became completely quiet.

A rustling sound arose from the southeast corner, like some reptile making a disturbance, then everything subsided into calm.

Dusk gradually fell, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on the sky; the original azure deepened with hints of darkness, layers of wash blending, appearing like a landscape ink painting.

The tiles on the temple also reflected a hint of ripples, like a layer of shimmering orange light; beneath the red walls, incense smoke curled, slowly merging into the sunset.

Compared to daytime, the number of visitors had greatly decreased; aside from those staying overnight here, most were monks wearing yellow robes.

"Ong—"

The deep, heavy bell rang; Xiguangsi had reached the time to close its gates, the evening drum and morning bell, and that round of setting sun finally sank into darkness.

After dinner, Bai Yanfei and her grandfather listened a while to the monks' evening lesson, then returned to the side chambers to rest.

In the temple, the daily routine is very regular, and they also go to sleep relatively early.

As the sound of the wooden fish for chanting grew fainter and eventually disappeared, the whole temple fell into silence, without a glimmer of light.

Silver radiance quietly hung in the night sky; the surroundings of the temple seemed veiled in a barely-there gauze, faintly revealing a dim green light flickering endlessly.

Seeing that all the monks had already rested, Ye Qin wandered through the temple and finally arrived at the place where the scriptures were stored; although the gate was tightly shut, it naturally could not stop Ye Qin.

He slipped in silently.

Xiguangsi is an ancient temple, also established by the eminent monk Zhi Dun, leaving behind many scriptures and old texts, quite valuable for research, except that most of them here are hand-copied, not the originals.

The originals had been properly stored by the abbots in a safe, certainly not left out in the open.

It is rumored outside that Xiguangsi houses scriptures personally authored by Zhi Dun; for Ye Qin, whether they are the originals or later copies makes little difference.

Previously, Zhi Dun used metaphysics for Buddhism, forging a brand-new path; in that era, the Buddhist and metaphysical schools coexisted harmoniously, each with its own merits, giving later generations a profound influence,

Tracing back to the source, he also had many connections with Buddhism, even from the very beginning there was cause and effect.

White Bone Contemplation is one of the Buddhist cultivation methods, one of the five Chan gates of Buddhism; from this arose his Origin Contemplation Object "White Bone".

Thus, having come this far, Ye Qin also felt something; he ultimately decided that this time's contemplation object would be Buddhist scriptures!

The scriptures stored in Xiguangsi are many, such as the Diamond Sutra, the Śūraṅgama Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sutra, and so on, but these are not what Ye Qin wants.

Although this contemplation object is a Buddhist scripture, Ye Qin also does not want to just pick any; he hopes to find one that has affinity with him.

Just then, a book with a blue cover came into view; it was evident that it had been frequently flipped through, its edges all curled up, and a few large characters came into sight.

Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra

At the moment he saw it, Ye Qin's heart surged with an indescribable feeling.

Zhi Dun had also discussed 'prajna' with him, and even, based on Ye Qin's view, went on to establish the 'Immediate Color Sect', advocating the idea that 'form is emptiness'.

It greatly promoted the development of prajna studies in Daxia.

In the darkness, cause and effect already existed.

Ye Qin, facing Zhi Dun's guidance on 'prajna' in the mottled fragments of time, had a profound influence that has been passed down through the ages; now his object of contemplation happens to be the Heart Sutra.

Everything seemed to have formed a perfect closed loop, crossing the distance of time and space, and finally reached perfection at this moment!

Then it's you....

Ye Qin opened the book, and the first sentence deeply attracted him.

【When the Bodhisattva Guanzizai practices the profound Prajnaparamita, he perceives that the five aggregates are all empty, relieving all suffering.】

【Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form; feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness are likewise. Shariputra, all dharmas are thus empty: neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing.】

Prajna is a religious term meaning 'ultimate wisdom' or 'discerning wisdom', specifically referring to the wisdom that truly knows all things and the source of all things.

This wisdom of prajna includes six types, the so-called six prajnas: the first is the prajna of true reality, the second is the prajna of realm, the third is the prajna of words, the fourth is the prajna of expedient means, the fifth is the prajna of retinue, and the sixth is the prajna of contemplation.

The substance of these six is the Vajra Prajna.

And the Heart Sutra is, among the Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, the shortest in text yet the most profound and subtle in meaning.

In just two hundred and sixty characters, it condenses the essence of the six-hundred-volume Great Prajna Sutra; it encompasses the essence of the Buddha's twenty-two years of prajna teachings.

It elucidates the principles of 'universe, life, dependent origination, emptiness of nature'; at the same time it displays the essence and function of the wonderful truth of prajna emptiness; it is truly the core of prajna, the heart of the Buddhist Dharma.

As Ye Qin's study deepened, that mysterious feeling again welled up in his heart; the scripture before his eyes transformed into streaks of golden light, leaping in midair.

Ye Qin wanted to touch them, but he discovered that the characters seemed to have their own vitality, instantly scattering into a mass of golden light, like fireworks exploding.

But in reality, nothing changed at all; these were merely products of Ye Qin's contemplation, derived imaginations.

Dong, dong, dong...

Although the surroundings were completely silent, Ye Qin heard the faint, intermittent sound of the wooden fish accompanying the sutra chant, like the profound Mahayana Buddhist Dharma, full of endless mysteries, shocking the deaf and awakening the dull.

Ye Qin's spirit felt light, as if floating in midair; an unseen attraction emerged, drawing him toward where the golden light surged.

A splendid palace appeared in his view, surrounded by supreme Buddha light, variegated colors, filled with an ineffable divine charm.

The chanting grew clearer, the golden light gathered more and more, gradually forming the shape of a lotus; upon the lotus, the Buddha faced all beings, his expression compassionate and sorrowful.

Clouds surged and mist rose; golden lotuses suddenly appeared; great compassionate bodhisattvas and arhats stood firm around him, heavenly gods and buddhas filling the sky, their radiance shining, accompanied by unceasing Sanskrit sounds, cleansing Ye Qin's spirit, sweeping away any worries.

"When the Bodhisattva Guanzizai practices the profound Prajnaparamita, he perceives that the five aggregates are all empty, relieving all suffering."

These gods and buddhas all opened their mouths, reciting nothing but the Heart Sutra; the sound was not noisy but rather ethereal beyond compare, faint yet present, making it hard to grasp.

Ye Qin also unconsciously joined in, chanting along, as if wanting to engrave it deeply into his body.

"Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form; feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness are likewise. Shariputra, all dharmas are thus empty: neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing."

The Heart Sutra can break form to reveal emptiness, develop wisdom, unveil the false phenomena of all dharmas, perceive the true nature of the emptiness of all dharmas, and is also a way to cross the sea of birth and death and reach the other shore.

As Ye Qin's contemplation gradually entered a fine state, various imaginations also became more extraordinary; but since the object of contemplation is a Buddhist sutra, these imaginations are all related to the Buddha.

Under the universal Buddha light, unconsciously, the original white bone materialized, emitting a lustrous white glow; his eyes seemed to have moonlight flowing, faintly revealing a thin crescent moon, shining in harmony with his body.

On his forehead's crystalline bone was a thunder mark; the Shangqing Observatory on his palm remained delicate and exquisite, only occasionally revealing the aura of the years; under the sutra's blessing, it also gained a hint of Buddhist profundity.

The hollow mouth of the white bone opened and closed, as if also studying the Buddhist sutras together with Ye Qin.

Hum!

On the imagined mental level, the golden specks, as if attracted by something, gathered toward the white bone like fireflies, swirling around.

If one looks closely, these are not golden specks at all, but tiny characters that seem to want to merge into the white bone, yet as if blocked by an invisible wall, they are all kept outside.

These characters are filled with supreme Buddhist Dharma and rich power; if they were fused with the white bone, they would surely produce unexpected effects.

Sensing their approach and intimacy, Ye Qin slowly opened his eyes; his serpent pupils were filled with an indescribable solemnity and dignity.

"You are excellent, but not what I want."

These scriptures are certainly not bad, condensing the essence of Buddhist learning, but they belong to others; Ye Qin walks a unique path, so his scriptures must likewise be unique.

Contemplating Buddhist sutras is merely a means of cultivation, not Ye Qin's method of cultivation!

His Dharma must be self-enlightened!

"No matter how good others are, it's still just theirs and not suited to my Dao and Dharma."

"Since I am the Demon Ancestor, I ought to create a method unique to me and unique to the demon race—the Demon Cultivation Method!"

Once this thought arises, it cannot be stopped.

The Buddha is for mysterious use; Ye Qin wants to combine the two, personally crafting a scripture for himself, so that it matches his Dao and Dharma.

Although the words are simple, how easy is it to say? From ancient times to the present, the formation of any scripture is not an overnight matter; let alone a unique cultivation method for the whole world.

Even if Ye Qin's comprehension is extraordinary, even if he is already a great demon with a demon core, he cannot achieve this.

Direct fusion would indeed be a shortcut, with no troubles, but the limit would be only so.

If he creates it himself, though it's a bit troublesome and uncertain of success, it nonetheless holds infinite possibilities.

Ye Qin already had a faint framework in his mind; after sensing his idea, the surrounding golden specks gradually dimmed and soon dissipated into the air.

He also did not feel it a pity, continued to ponder painstakingly, constantly delving deeper into study.

At the same time, the demon elixir within his body spontaneously began to operate rapidly, and a golden thread slowly spread out from within it.

With Ye Qin's deep meditation, in an instant the golden light blazed forth, accumulated depth erupting like fireworks bursting, splendid to the extreme.

These threads interconnected, constantly wandering over the White Bone, finally converging at the position of the sternum.

The golden thread, as if conscious, began to carve with a horizontal, a left-falling, and a right-falling stroke.

The golden core as brush, the White Bone as paper, slowly carving out a faint outline, eventually a character slowly formed, lo and behold it was the 'Qi' character!

The golden characters contained an extraordinary charm, Startled Awakening Ye Qin, gazing at the 'Qi' character on the White Bone, he involuntarily fell into contemplation.

Qi is the foundation of the generation and transformation of all things in the universe and spacetime.

The Huangdi Neijing·Suwen says: 'Qi begins and there is generation and transformation; Qi disperses and there is form; Qi spreads and there is proliferation; Qi ends and there is change of appearance.'

The transformation, growth, reproduction, and demise of all things are due to Qi permeating their beginning to end; Qi is the foundation and basis of all things.

The Zhuangzi says: 'Human life is the gathering of Qi; when gathered, there is life; when dispersed, there is death.'

And Ye Qin, in his cultivation to this day, aside from visualization, has permeated 'Qi' throughout from beginning to end, whether it is innate Qi or acquired Qi.

Even his Golden Core was condensed and refined according to 'Qi'.

What appears to be a simple character is, to him, of immense weight—indeed, it can be said to be his foundation and basis.

Soon the golden light faded, and the golden character thus embedded itself in his bones, but Ye Qin sensed no special power within it.

Exactly what function it serves is still unknown, but the mere existence of this character is already extraordinary.

"But I suppose its recoil effect ought to be quite miraculous, like the Daoist temple and water channel before—it needs to be excavated."

After such a long incubation, only a single character appeared on the White Bone; Ye Qin felt a bit disappointed, but he soon let it go.

After all, this path is not easy, and it's impossible to create a whole scripture in a moment; ask which ancient or modern work that has been passed down through history wasn't forged through a thousand tempers.

Now, having inscribed only a single character in my cultivation scripture, it already counts as an excellent start!

In the future, I can keep trying to inscribe characters until I inscribe a true demonic cultivator's scripture!

Thinking of this, Ye Qin no longer dwelled on it; he continued to study the Heart Sutra, so absorbed that his body unconsciously began to sway.

It was as if an ancient scholar reading, shaking his head and swaying his body; the snake's tail wagged, and he took pleasure in it.

By now it was deep night; the temple was utterly silent, only a few insect chirps, even the wind seemed to have stilled.

Under the moonlight, a sneaky shadow appeared, like a bat in the dark night, blending into the long night and silently approaching the temple.

"I've heard that Xiguangsi has a hand-copied ancient scripture by a recluse; I don't know if it's true, but if it is, it could surely fetch a good price."

"Da Hei Liu says foreigners have recently been buying these antiques at high prices, especially those related to Daoist mysticism—it's ridiculous; if I steal one this time, I'll surely screw them over and bring glory to our nation."

The black figure had many thoughts on his mind, obviously not nervous at all.

He glanced at the tightly shut main gate, then leapt over the wall, landing without a sound; it was clear his movements were extremely agile, evidently a trained practitioner.

During the day Zhao Jianhua had already scouted the place; taking advantage of the now‑deep‑night quiet, it was the perfect moment to strike—he quickly arrived at the Cangjingge, where most of Xiguangsi's scriptures are stored.

Zhao Jianhua glanced at the shut gate, pulled a wire from his pocket, fiddled with the keyhole a few times, and the lock opened in moments.

No wonder he dared to sneak into Xiguangsi alone at midnight—he clearly has some skill; scaling walls or picking locks pose no problem.

With a creak, Zhao Jianhua gently pushed the door open, tip‑toed inside, looked around, and saw nothing but scriptures.

The Cangjingge is fairly large, divided into front and rear sections, with a bookshelf blocking the middle,

Zhao Jianhua walked in cautiously; he possesses abilities beyond ordinary folk, his night vision far surpassing that of normal people, and with the faint moonlight he could clearly see the interior—there were actually many scattered scriptures on the floor.

Logically, the monks in the temple should tidy up; it's impossible for them to leave things in such a mess.

"Could it be that fellow cultivators had already visited here before?"

Looking at the scriptures on the floor, Zhao Jianhua muttered to himself; he strained his gaze toward the innermost part, then suddenly froze, his face slightly changing.

In the faint moonlight, he caught a glimpse on the ground in the corner—it seemed to be a person's shadow?

Projected in the moonlight, it was vague and hazy.

This discovery startled him greatly; the foot he had just extended snapped back as if shocked by electricity.

Since there is a shadow, it means someone else is inside the Cangjingge!

Zhao Jianhua was doubtful, yet he did not leave immediately, for the shadow remained motionless, apparently unaware of his presence, so there was no need to panic.

One must say, this old-timer is experienced, bold yet meticulous.

Zhao Jianhua held his breath and focused, staring into the darkness, but because of the angle he saw no person at all—only the shadow cast on the ground was clear.

All that could be seen was a very slender shadow; the waist and posture surely belonged to a woman, apparently seated on the ground with head lowered, as if reading.

What the hell!

Staying up most of the night, sneaking over here to read?

Never mind that, not even lighting a lamp—he's practically a thief himself!

Zhao Jianhua was genuinely speechless; if he weren't so careful, he would likely have been exposed by now.

Fortunately, that person seemed engrossed in reading; the ground shadow stayed still, unaware of the intruder's entry, letting him breathe a sigh of relief.

Looks like there's nothing to steal tonight!

To avoid startling the snake, Zhao Jianhua tip‑toed, preparing to retreat, just in case, occasionally glancing back; after walking a few steps he suddenly froze.

Because he noticed that the shadow that had just been on the ground in the corner had suddenly vanished?

He couldn't help rubbing his eyes, thinking he might be hallucinating; looking again, the corner was empty—nothing at all.

Not a sound or movement— that shadow simply disappeared, as if it had vanished into thin air.

"It was clearly just here a moment ago."

It's really too strange; Zhao Jianhua kept thinking and felt more and more that something was off.

If there were someone inside, why would the outer gate be tightly shut? Moreover, when he entered, the interior was dead silent, with no sound at all—eerily quiet.

But just now he had indeed seen that shadow on the ground!

"It can't possibly be a female ghost."

Zhao Jianhua gave a cold snort in his heart, with a bit of curiosity and inquiry, and cautiously walked inward.

He walked very lightly, almost without sound, his body tense like a bowstring; at the slightest sign of trouble he would immediately retreat.

However, when he approached the dim moonlight, he finally made out the scene inside the hall!

"Damn!"

Yet he couldn't help but blurt out a 'fuck' in his heart; Zhao Jianhua involuntarily widened his eyes, filled with endless regret.

Under the clear cold moonlight, one could clearly see a huge green snake coiled beneath the bookshelf, concealing its form; its body swayed slightly, as if drunk, intoxicated therein, and even its massive beast head kept swaying; the unfolded scriptures lay not far away, and beneath it—turns out it was shaking its head and swaying while reading the scriptures!

"A snake demon reading sutras—this damn thing is a monster?"

"The snake's forked tongue flicked out from time to time, its scarlet color stabbing deep into Zhao Jianhua's eyes; he could no longer move his legs, yet his whole body trembled, his face turned deathly pale from fright, his lips quivered, yet he couldn't utter a word."

"He suddenly recalled the shadow he had seen earlier—was it a person or a snake?"

"Or perhaps it was simply a giant snake that had transformed to confuse and lure him over?"

"The Cangjingge had only one exit—the very door he had just entered through; the shadow vanished suddenly, and in its place appeared a huge snake that seemed to be reading scriptures!"

"Just think—how would a normal person come here in the middle of the night to read without lighting a lamp? Moreover, the shadow's sudden disappearance already made things eerily ghostly."

"All of this was filled with an inexplicable eeriness; Zhao Jianhua's doubts and fears finally peaked at this moment, various emotions intertwining, making his hair stand on end and sending chills down his spine."

"\"Ah! \""

"Accompanied by a scream that tore through the night, everyone in the temple from their sleep Startled Awakening over, with a few crackling sounds, the lights instantly blazed like day."

"\"What's going on? It sounds like someone is screaming. \""

"\"The sound seems to be coming from the Cangjingge. \""

"\"Everyone's asleep in the middle of the night; there couldn't be anyone outside—could it be a thief? \""

"\"Oh no! The temple has been robbed! \""

"Many monks pulled on their robes and streamed out of their rooms; the formerly tranquil temple instantly became bustling, everyone whispering with sleepy eyes."

"A cold crescent moon hung in the azure sky, watching a good show unfold."

"As a criminal police officer, Bai Yanfei was alert to the slightest disturbance; naturally she heard the commotion, immediately put on her clothes and stepped out of her room, while the old gentleman also happened to open his door, peeking out to check the outside situation."

"\"Grandpa, stay in the room; I'll go see what's happening outside. \""

"Worried about danger outside, Bai Yanfei gave careful instructions."

"The old gentleman nodded, \"You be careful yourself. \""

"The temple was brightly lit; many monks ran toward the Cangjingge following the sound, Bai Yanfei among them. The group hurried, finally arriving, only to find the gate wide open!"

"(End of chapter)"