Chapter 963: Obsession

In the Azure Void, a guardian manifestation of Wei Yuan hurried to the front of the Merit Hall, glanced at the numbers displayed on the stone tablet at the entrance, plugged them into the known orbital formula, calculated the movement trajectory after a moment, then took a single step—his figure blurred briefly, and he appeared at the Merit Hall’s entrance, stepping inside.

At that moment, a shadow emerged from the void, glanced at the numbers on the stone tablet, puzzled, then looked closer and saw beneath a jumble of chaotic symbols, like a child’s scribbles.

The shadow knew there must be some mystery here; though he could not understand it, he had memorized all previous paths taken, including those through the void, and so he was unafraid—he stepped forward. A scream echoed, and the shadow vanished, gone without a trace.

Inside the Merit Hall, Wei Yuan’s manifestation warrior skillfully began searching, finally selecting the complete set of scriptures from the Great Precious Pure Land, then charged them with domain power and paid heavenly merit. Moments later, jade sheets fluttered down like snowflakes, piling thickly on the floor.

The sub-halls of the Merit Hall no longer require offerings—domain power alone suffices to activate them.

In the Tai Chu Palace’s Merit Hall, several elderly attendants wearily transported the scriptures, watched them vanish within the array, then exchanged glances—one said, “Who still exchanges for the complete Pure Land Buddhist canon?”

“Judging by the location, it came from the Azure Void.”

“Could another Buddha-child have been born?”

“That’s normal. Just now, the Qi of Great Tang waned, and chaos reigns. In chaotic times, Buddha-children are most likely to manifest.”

The elder spoke as if recounting events from another world, his tone utterly unrippled. They served as attendants in the Merit Hall, their payment being extended life. The oldest among them had lingered here over three hundred years, long accustomed to the rise and fall of mortal realms.

…

In a ruined little temple on a desolate plain, an old monk and a boy sat facing each other. The boy appeared no more than fifteen or sixteen, yet his eyes held an ancient maturity.

The boy’s face lit with astonishment. “I’m truly a Buddha-child?”

The old monk smiled. “You carry past-life wisdom, born in response to the Great Calamity, endowed with immense fortune and karmic ties. Now the Great Calamity has arrived—the Buddhist path is due to flourish, and it is time for you to rise. I have traveled the world, and fortune favored me—I found you.”

The boy, eager, asked: “Then… can I manifest a Dharma Body?”

The old monk laughed heartily. “Forget a Dharma Body—even controlling the Divine Shadow is but a step along the way! As a Buddha-child, you will one day ascend to Oneness and attain enlightenment.”

The path suddenly laid before him, the boy was so overjoyed he nearly fainted, momentarily unable to tell truth from illusion.

The old monk raised his wooden fish mallet and struck the boy’s head three times—bang, bang, bang. The boy’s hair fell away entirely, and he snapped back to clarity.

The old monk said: “Being a Buddha-child is no guarantee of supreme attainment. Without diligence, you may only achieve Arhatship in this life. I have calculated: the highest enlightenment still lies vacant. You were born to fill it—strain yourself, cultivate hard, and attain true fruit.”

The bald boy asked: “I’m a Buddha-child, and the highest fruit is vacant—shouldn’t it be mine?”

The old monk replied: “The Great Calamity approaches, and you are not the only Buddha-child. I have divined—there are already three or four Buddha-children born. They, too, will vie for that vacant supreme fruit.”

The boy thought of something and asked: “Why is the highest fruit vacant? Did some Buddha perish?”

The old monk sighed. “Perhaps he perished in the calamity, or perhaps he reincarnated—the veil is thick; even I cannot see clearly.”

The young monk added: “Master, with your profound cultivation, why don’t you reside in a great immortal sect, enjoying honor and reverence, instead of wandering remote, impoverished lands?”

The old monk said: “I was on the verge of attaining true enlightenment, but before taking the final step, I realized a clinging thought still lingered in my heart—so I came here, specifically for you.”

The young monk was moved, clasped his hands in reverence, and said: “Thank you, Master.”

The old monk said: “I endured countless trials, broke through layers of seals, pierced through the Immortals’ moves and the Great Ones’ schemes, to find you. Do not disappoint me.”

The young monk said: “Master, rest assured—I will strive with fierce determination!”

The old monk was deeply satisfied. “You were born in response to the calamity—your talent is not in question; diligence alone will suffice. Yet do you still harbor any clinging thoughts? If not, I shall first teach you the Sixfold Samsara Sutra—it is part of the Great Canon. Master this sutra, and you will understand whence you came and where you go.”

The young monk, however, fell into a brief daze, then asked: “Master, if I have such talent, why did my former teacher refuse to take me as a disciple?”

“To meet without recognizing is to have no karmic connection. The world is full of those blinded by fixed views—do not dwell on it.”

The young monk, still unsatisfied, pressed: “When I achieve cultivation, may I go find that former teacher? I only wish to ask him one question—to hear him say in his own voice why he rejected me.”

The old monk sighed. “Foolish child. Very well—when you manifest your Dharma Body and first receive the fruit’s response, go and see him.”