Chapter 818: Grinding Stone into Buddha, Golden and Silver Children, Heart-Hell

"Since I can't figure it out, I might as well forget about divine abilities for now and treat myself as a mortal!"

Qian Chen thought to himself, since divine abilities are the biggest obstacle, then he should just put them down.

Anyway, he seemed to have been cultivating since he was born, and apart from the life given by the Supreme Illusory Dao Fruit, he didn't have much real experience of being a mortal.

The Buddha put down divine abilities for forty years, and until he entered nirvana, he never used divine abilities.

He reached true enlightenment with a mortal body and was honored as the Awakened One.

Qian Chen's realm of being a person was too far from his...

He did what he thought of. As a mortal Qian Chen, there was only one thought he could hold to repay the various ignorant kindnesses in this world, and that was—if you don't work, you don't eat!

For the first time, Qian Chen put down the wooden bowl, still wearing tattered clothes, lowered his head, and walked through the streets and alleys of the desolate market, coming straight to the back of the old woman's shack.

He stood in the darkness for a long time.

Until he heard the old woman coughing, dragging her heavy body into the house, picking up the child inside, and coaxing him in a low voice.

The child was picked up and cried, weak and breathless.

Qian Chen's Heavenly Eye Ability only moved with his heart. In the dimness of the setting sun, he saw through the darkness that was gradually enveloping the place.

Following the karma of cause and effect, he even saw the father, a garrison soldier, die accidentally due to the invasion of the Northern Border demon tribes, and the mother die in childbirth. The old woman used her experience to cut open the lower body and save the baby inside.

Then the baby was born with a deficiency, and his fate became even more miserable...

This was a very ordinary family, not even particularly bumpy.

Qian Chen passed through the crudely built shack and saw the corner full of thin firewood picked up by women and children.

In the cold days of the border, firewood was not a luxury for cooking, but a necessity for survival.

No wonder the old woman had deep love in her heart, but could only give alms to the monk to seek a blessing for the child in the next life.

Qian Chen didn't say a word, turned around and walked toward the edge of the city, only to see the four city walls like a prison, locking him inside; he turned around to go to the wood-gathering place in the city, only to see two strong men guarding this forest, which seemed to be a garden for some Han noble clans in the city to play in.

No logging was allowed!

Even dead wood was undertaken by some garrison soldiers with families, who guarded the forest on one side and cut down the dead trees to carry back home.

And there was a Woodcutter Gang in the city, all martial artists who polished their bodies, like ants at the bottom of the Liuzhen.

They made a living by logging in the surrounding mountains.

Giant wood and spiritual materials were supplied to the noble families in the city, while ordinary wood was sold to the garrison families to supply firewood for the winter.

Looking at the two strong men guarding this forest, deterring those who dared to covet this place, relying on Qian Chen's original personality, he could naturally kill them, but this time, responding to the Heart-to-Heart Connection, he saw that these two would intentionally or unintentionally let some women and children in to pick up dead grass and fallen leaves.

Only when they messed with the shrubs and flowers would they shout and stop them.

On one hand, it was to manage the garden; on the other hand, it was also the compassion in their hearts...

Qian Chen remained silent for a long time, turned and left. In the vast city, there was not even a piece of ownerless firewood, so he had to pick up a stone on the ground and grind it.

At this time, a garrison soldier was watching him from afar. His cultivation was only at the Qi Refinement stage, so he naturally couldn't hide from Qian Chen.

He had sent Qian Chen to this broken shack during the day, but he didn't leave. Instead, he had been observing in the dark. Although Tuoba Tao didn't order anything, the instinct of an elite soldier made him naturally pay attention to Qian Chen's whereabouts, ready to report to Tuoba Tao.

Seeing Qian Chen grinding a stone in the moonlight.

He was not in a hurry, squatting quietly in the darkness with his hands tucked in.

…………

Tuoba Tao held the golden cup and first ascended to the most towering and luxurious building in the city.

The ten-thousand-year iron wood was taken only for its heart, which was accumulated over decades by a Penetrating Law cultivator who controlled the Woodcutter Gang and the Wood Gang, and then offered up.

And this kind of ten-thousand-year iron wood only existed in large patches in deep mountains and old forests, in places of spiritual creation.

And such places were always places where demon beasts appeared in the Northern Border, and there might even be demon tribes of the Northern Border demon tribes entrenched there, which was extremely dangerous. Who knows how many warriors' lives were spent to cut down the thousand-plus roots that built this building.

But iron wood was only enough to build the frame of the building; inside, there were various overseas fragrant woods, and jade tree spiritual roots of the Central Lands were cut down to pave floors, ceilings, flying eaves, and bucket arches.

Snow-white bear fur without a single impurity was laid all the way, making sure not to let any floor be exposed...

There were also various porcelains, playthings, beauties in jade, spirit-weaving maidens, and even ink carp swimming in the inkstone on the desk.

And this building as a whole was a magic treasure with fifty layers of Earthly Fiend seals, and it was also one of the most heavily guarded places in the city.

Tuoba Tao waited quietly outside the building with the golden cup. After a while, spiritual light fell, the door opened without anyone, and he walked in respectfully.

There was no one in the huge luxurious building.

But Tuoba Tao didn't mind; he knew that this True Person had a strange personality, liked to live in peace and enjoyment, but hated complicated people the most, and even his direct disciples were not allowed to live in the building.

Walking all the way to the top of the building, the Yang Spirit True Person was standing on the roof, overlooking the whole city.

Waiting for Tuoba Tao to bow respectfully, he turned his head.

He took the golden cup into his hand, rubbed it slowly with his thumb, felt the wisp of supreme yang burning, and the True Person shook his hand and said: "Not bad!"

"Sun Jin Jing comes from the distant past that can no longer be verified. In the Earth Immortal Realm, a great sun once fell and turned into this thing. Even if I rushed to the Flying Boat Immortal City myself, I would only get the bottom cargo of seven or eight jin."

Tuoba Tao was slightly startled. Sun Jin Jing was extremely heavy; seven or eight jin was just a small cup, not much bigger than his golden cup.

"The person who snatched this item first feared the chaos overseas and might have diverted it to the Central Lands for transport, and I only just figured this out, and you sent the thing to me!"

That Yang Spirit True Person said slowly: "For the sake of Empress Tuoba, it is indeed worthy of reward. Speak! What do you want?"

"The subordinate wants to seek the Method of Ascending the Building to Observe Qi!" Tuoba Tao said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

He was a noble seed of the Xianbei tribe. Now the world of the Great Wei was conquered by the Xianbei people helping the Cao family, and the Tuoba family and the Cao family shared the world.

One was the Empress clan, one was the Imperial clan.

Speaking of which, the number of Primordial Spirit Venerables in the court who favored the Tuoba was even higher than that of the Cao family.

Among the three National Masters, only one Venerable had some care for the Cao family, mostly because the Kirin son of the Cao family was under his sect.

But his Tuoba family had one noble woman and two noble seeds who worshipped under the other two National Masters.

Not to mention that the old Empress Dowager of his Tuoba family, who led the army to break the pass and killed the Sima royal family four times, was herself a Primordial Spirit!

"Method of Ascending the Building to Observe Qi?"

That Yang Spirit True Person laughed: "You want to seek this legacy method of the Louguan Dao..."

"Do you know that for Sun Jin Jing like the one you sent, hundreds of thousands of jin have been dug out of the Gui Xu secret realm! And after the Gui Xu, the world of Louguan is shocked! Cao Huangshu personally visited the Li family, because it is rumored that a missing child of the Li family worshipped under the Louguan sect and became the only true successor!"

"It is because Louguan walked out of a Primordial Spirit True Immortal in the Guangling cave, who speared the Primordial Spirit Dragon King, broke the Buddhist golden body, and personally opened the door to the Gui Xu secret realm!"

"Southern Jin has sent people to Guangling several times, wanting to reopen the Yuan Magnetic Earth Aperture, but the furthest they walked was to the end of the Yellow Springs Road..."

"A mere golden cup... also wants the Louguan legacy method?"

The Yang Spirit True Person threw the golden cup away, and it rolled to Tuoba Tao's feet.

"Precisely because of this, the subordinate wants to seek this method! News has come from the clan that this time, the Cao family will send six people, and the Tuoba and various tribes can send four people to go to the Li family of Longxi to ask them to open the Louguan opportunity and seek the chance to worship!"

"I was originally sent to the Liuzhen, and the opportunity is slim, but my grandmother has always been thinking of me. If I can seek the Louguan legacy method, with this opportunity, I will have a chance to compete!"

The Yang Spirit True Person thought for a while, his expression softened slightly, and he told him an interesting story.

"You know that Cao Huangshu drove the Ice Well Terrace and returned from the Gui Xu secret realm, winning countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures and creations. Among them were two golden and silver children, made of Sun Jin Jing and Taiyin Silver Soul, which he snatched back from a forbidden area."

"But a few days ago, these two golden and silver children actually came alive and caused a great mess in Chang'an. No one could subdue them!"

"Cao Huangshu tried every way to lure them back, but failed, but they were picked up by the Great Sun Tantric Sect!"

"Let the Snow Mountain Great Dharma Master suppress them to the bottom of the relic pagoda in the temple with his golden body... It is said that just after suppression, a picture of the true appearance of hell appeared on the walls of the temple overnight."

"Chang'an was shocked by this, and everyone scrambled to see it. They all said that the golden and silver children were two children beside the Great Sun Tathagata, who had an affinity with Buddhism, and were suppressed into hell because they violated the precepts."

"As a result, Cao Huangshu saved them from the Gui Xu, but accidentally lost them, which allowed them to run back to the Great Sun Tantric Sect!"

Tuoba Tao's expression moved slightly, and he lowered his head: "The subordinate was busy chasing those illegal merchants and didn't have time to go home, so this is the first time I've heard of it! But I think Cao Huangshu shouldn't be so careless that he didn't even know whether the two golden and silver children were dead or alive!"

"Hahaha... you don't know the mystery of the golden and silver children."

"There are countless spirits like the Yellow-White Scholar and the Golden and Silver Children in the world. But this pair, cultivated from Sun Jin Jing and Taiyin Silver Soul, is the only one. The Tantric Sect takes the Great Sun Tathagata as its original deity. If they see this thing, they must be like crazy?"

"I think the Snow Mountain Great Dharma Master wants to refine these two golden and silver children into Dharma protector incarnations, accompanying his Great Sun Tathagata original deity!"

"Why do you think the Snow Mountain Great Dharma Master dares to snatch the Cao family's things, while your Tuoba family's Empress has asked for spiritual objects several times, but was refused?"

That Yang Spirit True Person suddenly changed his style and interrogated him nakedly.

Tuoba Tao's expression changed, and it was a long time before he said solemnly: "The subordinate dare not ask!"

"Hahaha... what a 'dare not'. I'll say it straight! The Cao family has the spiritual treasure Ice Well Terrace and the name of righteousness. Your Tuoba family has only one Primordial Spirit old Empress Dowager. Although there is secret support from the Buddhist and demonic sects, you can't offend them!"

The Yang Spirit True Person suddenly said coldly: "Recently, there has been a lot of movement in the Zhang River. Is it your Tuoba family digging for the Bronze Bird Terrace left by the former Wei!"

Tuoba Tao's face changed drastically.

But he saw the Yang Spirit True Person waving his sleeves: "I don't have any other intentions. The dignity of a spiritual treasure cannot be driven by anyone other than a Primordial Spirit True Immortal, otherwise there will be a great disaster. But the Bronze Bird Terrace is where the Cao Wei hoarded weapons and spiritual objects, and there are endless treasures inside. Your Tuoba family doesn't want to swallow it all in one bite, right!"

He lifted it lightly, and a piece of silk paper was lifted from the desk.

He flicked it, and it floated toward Tuoba Tao.

"Take this Method of Ascending the Building to Observe Qi! Go back and report to the old Empress Dowager, I, Zong Ai, will visit another day..."

Tuoba Tao could only kneel to receive it, then immediately retreated from the pavilion with a bow.

Zong Ai, the True Person, watched his departing back, stepped on the snow bear fur, ascended to the high platform, looked up at the heaven and earth, the movement of the stars, and said gloomily: "Bronze Bird Terrace! Louguan Dao! Interesting, interesting... Gui Xu secret realm, primeval Kunlun Ruins have all appeared in the world, great chaos is coming!"

"I don't know if we can use this to go up another level!"

"Go up another level... Ascend to the extreme to look far and embrace the stars, never see the death of Heng'e and never stop!"

…………

The sky gradually brightened. Qian Chen put down the stone from his hand, which had been ground away from its skin, exposing many inner gallbladders.

Against the moonlight that was gradually setting in the west, a Buddha twisting his fingers appeared from the stone.

This was Qian Chen using the Buddha nature in his heart to choose a stone, and then grinding away its outer skin to slowly reveal the Buddha nature in the stone.

It was also the Buddha nature in Qian Chen's heart, manifested externally as an appearance.

Taking advantage of the darkness, Qian Chen walked toward the desolate market. On the way, he placed the stone under the threshold of the old woman's door. Inside, the old woman and the baby were hugging each other, the baby's face was flushed by the old woman's hard covering, and only then did he get that wisp of warmth.

Qian Chen put down the stone and left straight away.

Returning to the shack, he continued to hold up the wooden bowl and meditate on a bowl of bitter water.

This place devoutly believes in Buddhism. Such a natural Buddha statue was enough to make their family live well, and with the spirit of the Buddha statue, ordinary people would not dare to harm them.

Qian Chen was truly moved by compassion and made the choice he thought did not abandon his original heart.

…………

The sky gradually brightened, and the garrison soldier at the door also turned and left.

In the residence, Tuoba Tao listened to his report, put down the conch in his hand, and nodded, saying: "Is that so? You did well..."

"I asked for a reward for the brothers from the Yang Spirit True Person. You go to the treasury in the mansion later to collect it. There is a good bow that I kept for you; don't let that kid Po-Liu-Han grab it first!"

He patted the overjoyed garrison soldier on the shoulder.

But thinking of Qian Chen, whose origin was unpredictable, Tuoba Tao shook his head secretly. Such behavior didn't look like a high monk, but rather like a small novice monk who had just started practicing Buddhism and whose cultivation was not deep?

Could it be that he really guessed wrong?

Was the silver cup in the conch really just a coincidence?

…………

After dawn, the old woman waited until the sun rose to disperse the morning chill before she felt relieved and covered the child with heat.

Entrusting the baby to the neighbor to hold, she hurriedly went out, preparing to pick up firewood early, and then go to a garrison soldier's house to wash and clean, hoping to get some reward. These were all old comrades of her son, and they would take care of them from time to time.

It's just that recently, the materials transported by the imperial court to the border pass have been less, and they themselves have been living hard, after all, they are just a group of martial artists.

Not the noble seeds of various tribes who practiced military inheritance in the Liuzhen, nor the children of Han noble clans...

Just as she stepped out of the door, she felt her feet solid, as if something was under her feet. Picking it up, it was a stone that didn't know how it came, leaning against her threshold.

The old woman flipped the stone with effort, thinking that the shape was just right, and could block the wind leaking in her house.

But she saw the sun shining down, and a circle of light actually manifested on the stone.

Inside the circle of light, a Buddha with closed eyes revealed compassion, twisting a wisp of lamp fire in his hand.

The sunlight focused on the smooth concave part of this wisp of lamp fire, spreading a circle of halo.

The old woman knelt down respectfully and kowtowed.

This halo spread out, but was not discovered by anyone, and the old woman's actions did not disturb anyone.

She wanted to hold the child out, but didn't know what to do, so she could only lift the stone with effort, holding it like a treasure, stumbling, and walking toward the desolate market.

Qian Chen saw the old woman carrying the stone, returning the thing to its owner.

But he couldn't help but flash a trace of disappointment in his eyes...

The old woman carried the stone with effort to Qian Chen's shack and kowtowed to Qian Chen: "Little... Master, the Buddha has manifested!"

Qian Chen stood up slowly, bowed, and looked at the old woman's excited and dazed expression, saying calmly: "Donor, this is just a stone!"

The old woman was stunned.

His Heart-to-Heart Connection could perceive her confusion, doubt, and even suspicion—perhaps this little master is young, and looks poor, so he may not understand any Buddha Dharma.

Qian Chen said sincerely: "Since it has a Buddha shape by nature, perhaps it is a kind of affinity. Why not give it to a noble person and exchange it for food and clothing?"

The old woman was dazed, stumbling: "Buddha, how can Buddha be sold?"

"Then let the high monk invite it back. They have deep understanding and will surely be able to comprehend the Buddha nature from it, and will surely repay the donor!" Qian Chen changed his way of saying it.

The old woman nodded: "It should be offered, it should be offered!"

She just wanted to carry the stone out, but couldn't help but look back and say: "Then, if a patient touches it, will they get better?"

Qian Chen, relying on his original heart, said again: "If there is a patient, they should see a doctor. If they are weak and cold, this stone can block the wind. After the winter, everything will be fine."

The disappointment, doubt, and even questioning transmitted from the old woman's heart were even more.

Qian Chen didn't mind. In this vast Huaihuang Town, she was already the person with the purest kindness and the most harmonious Buddha nature. Don't look at this as a Buddhist city, Buddhism is flourishing, but the monks in the city have hearts far less clean than this old woman.

He was just sad...

Because he already knew what the old woman was asking of him.

Seeing the old woman carrying the stone with effort and preparing to leave, Qian Chen called her and said: "For the kindness of the donor's alms in the past, the little monk will repay the donor with a section of Buddha Dharma!"

The old woman respectfully put down the stone, only to hear Qian Chen say: "All the evil karma I have created in the past, all due to beginningless greed, anger, and ignorance, born from body, speech, and mind, all of which I now repent..."

Then he spoke of the retribution of cause and effect and the way of good and evil.

He spoke of her cultivating kindness. Even though she had boundless misery, she was still happy to give alms in such hardship, and she would surely have blessings in the next life.

Even the prematurely deceased child, the son who killed and created karma, and the daughter-in-law who died in childbirth could be reborn as humans because of her good deeds and enjoy peace and joy...

The old woman felt heartfelt joy in her heart, piously kowtowed to the stone, and kowtowed to Qian Chen: "I knew the little master was a high monk who had attained the Dao, and this Buddha is also the Buddha's compassion, sensing my family's loneliness and manifesting Dharma traces to save my granddaughter!"

Qian Chen nodded slightly.

But he already understood what the old woman was asking for.

If it is not saved by divine abilities, and if it is not distorted by various means, Buddha Dharma can only comfort her heart and alleviate her pain!

All conditioned things are impermanent, all Dharmas have no self!

Every heart has something to rely on, and every appearance comes from appearance. People are born ignorant. If they don't see others, how do they know 'I' am a person? So there is the appearance of people, which is the first appearance of cultivation.

But if the heart has nothing to rely on, if the heart has no appearance, it is emptiness!

The human nature in the world is not without source, but originates from others. Seeing others' appearances gives rise to my appearance, seeing others' human nature gives rise to my nature, so there is the appearance of people.

The self also needs to rely on others. If there are no others, it falls into emptiness. If one cannot realize emptiness, one will have demands.

Human nature to some extent originates from the dependence on others; my heart relies on others' hearts.

So when people are alone, they can be calm, but when they are trapped in a small space with others, they can't help but demand from others to fill the emptiness in their hearts.

With the old woman coming, carrying a large stone, she didn't need Qian Chen to save her, but was asking Qian Chen for something.

What she was asking for was what Qian Chen told her.

Just now, even a kind person like the old woman had various doubts and delusions in her heart. The reason was the eight kinds of suffering of being human mentioned by the Buddhist sect—not getting what you want!

Not getting what you want is not a delusion of the heart, but the emptiness of the appearance of people itself.

The closer the relationship, the narrower the space, the more human nature will demand from others, whether it is trust, care, or understanding.

But often these are things that others cannot satisfy, so various greed, ignorance, and anger arise, which is... not getting what you want!

But the people closest to you are often the ones who shape your human nature.

The emptiness in human nature is originally something they cannot give, so everyone demands from the people closest to them the things they don't have, and pain comes from this!

Only then did Qian Chen understand why he had never contacted Yan Yan Shixiong Yan and the two junior sisters after receiving the Heart-to-Heart Connection.

Because his own human nature was also growing, also fulfilling, also demanding some things, and these things, what Yan Yan Shixiong Yan and the others could give had already been given. What was demanded again and not satisfied must be things they couldn't give.

So the Heart-to-Heart Connection brings infinite demonic obstacles.

Qian Chen used the excuse of not being able to infringe on the privacy of the three senior brothers and sisters, but in fact, he was afraid, afraid of some things they couldn't give him.

Even he had... not getting what he wanted!

"Eight sufferings of life, the other heart is hell!"

Qian Chen converted one person with Buddha Dharma, alleviating the pain of not getting what she wanted in her heart, making her satisfied and happy.

If it were a proper Buddhist disciple, he could also satisfy his Bodhi heart in this process.

Both sides mutually get what they want, which is great freedom and great joy.

A true Buddhist disciple can make anyone who demands from him get spiritual satisfaction.

But Qian Chen only had pain, because he was also demanding some things from the old woman, demanding higher human nature, wanting a sentient being to reveal something more noble in human nature, whether it is rationality, sincerity, or understanding, but this was his greed.

Once a thought arises, he suddenly realizes the suffering of all living beings. The wisp of karma that came with the old woman fell, but it was like a stormy sea. In the Six Divine Abilities, several rounds of Buddha light fell in turn, and one breath formed eight methods!

Qian Chen heard nothing of this...

"Infinite karma, six divine abilities, following karma, various greed and anger. All living beings ask of me? I ask of all living beings."

"The other heart is hell, trapping me in the Avici!"

Qian Chen chanted in a low voice. In his heart, the demonic nature unsheathed again. The Demonic Blade of Liberation turned, evolving a style—Demand!

As Qian Chen slashed away the Bodhi heart again.

The Demonic Blade of Demand unsheathed impressively.

A blade edge faintly revealed its sharpness...

The huge emptiness of Qian Chen's human nature turned into endless demand, faintly heading toward all living beings, demanding endlessly from all living beings to fill the emptiness, and even to ascend to something more noble.

Such demonic nature made the Twelve-Rank Jin Lian outside the heavens, which knew nothing, suddenly feel huge fear!

It opened its eyes, but saw a blade mark appearing on one of its golden lotus petals...

"What to do? Bodhi Tree!"

The Twelve-Rank Jin Lian said in horror: "What happened? Could it be that my second heart wasn't suppressed and is sprouting again?"

The Bodhi Tree looked at the Bodhi seed that had been slashed away and said bitterly: "Not getting what you want!" ===== CHAPTER 819 =====