Chapter 254: First Encounter with Meng Qi

Lotus Terrace Mountain, Shaolin Temple.

The sky had not yet fully brightened; the deep, sonorous morning bell rang, waking the many monks in the temple.

In the service courtyard, Meng Qi was also startled awake by the morning bell, beginning his day's work as a temple servant.

While washing up, Meng Qi saw reflected in the water a twelve- or thirteen-year-old little monk with eyes like ink dots, brows like distant mountains, and a delicately carved, jade‑like appearance, and he couldn't help thinking to himself, 'No wonder it's me—I'm quite handsome!'

Meng Qi felt this way because this was not his original body.

He had originally been a 'five‑good' youth of the big‑eating nation on Blue Star, stayed up late to watch a bit of the World Cup, and upon waking found himself transmigrated to this world.

This is a world reminiscent of ancient martial‑arts tales, and the identity of the body he occupied upon crossing over was far from ordinary—he seemed to be the son of a marquis, persecuted by some within the marquis's manor, and sent by that body's cheap‑marquis father to take refuge in Shaolin Temple.

Meng Qi did not inherit the predecessor's memories, nor was he clear on the exact circumstances.

But judging from his years of experience reading novels and watching TV dramas, it was nothing more than the sordid messes of a wealthy clan—stuff that could fill an entire long TV drama—and perhaps this body was even the protagonist of it.

But none of that matters to Meng Qi as he is now.

He fundamentally lacks the predecessor's memories and does not care about the grudges this body originally carried.

Meng Qi's sole aim now is to master martial arts within Shaolin Temple, this great martial sect, then leave Shaolin, roam the jianghu, settle grudges with satisfaction, and become a renowned hero of the jianghu.

Of course, after achieving mastery in martial arts, what he most wants is first to return to secular life.

In Meng Qi's mind, his future image should be that of a white‑clad figure surpassing snow, a long sword like light, riding a white horse, cloaked in moonlight—a carefree swordsman whose single sword flash chills the nine provinces.

That would suit his current appearance!

He certainly does not want to spend his whole life in Shaolin Temple, accompanied by an ancient Buddha and a green lamp, becoming a true monk.

An image flashed in his mind of himself treading water as if on level ground, felling a strong foe with a single sword; Meng Qi's spirit stirred, and a smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of his mouth.

After a good while, noticing the strange looks of those around him, Meng Qi gathered his wandering thoughts and returned to reality.

No matter how splendid the future he sketches for himself, he is still merely a lowly servant monk in Shaolin's service courtyard, and must strive harder.

After washing up and finishing the morning service, Meng Qi took his broom and headed toward the Chan Heart Court.

The Chan Heart Court is the place where Shaolin Temple receives guests, composed of multiple courtyards.

At that moment, a thin layer of snow covered it, and heaven and earth lay vast and desolate.

Meng Qi had no thought of admiring the snow; he rolled up his sleeves and swept away the residual snow in the courtyard with his broom.

Just as he was about to sweep a guest room, the door swung open on its own, and a gentle voice said, 'Little Daoist friend, could you please tidy up the room?'

What a strange form of address!

Meng Qi instinctively muttered a complaint, but said nothing more, and walked toward the guest room with his broom.

Upon reaching the door and looking inside, Meng Qi froze on the spot.

In his eyes appeared a smiling monk, his white monk's robe like snow, his feet in hemp sandals, giving an impression of utter purity and lofty transcendence, as if he ought not exist in this world.

At the first sight of this figure, Meng Qi's mind conjured the Buddha statue enshrined in the Mahavira Hall.

Though the two are clearly different, even in temperament, Meng Qi instinctively linked them together.

He gave a slight shake of his head to dispel the absurd notion rising in his mind, and a doubt arose in Meng Qi's heart.

When did Shaolin Temple start having white monk's robes?

After staying these days in Shaolin Temple, Meng Qi also figured out the details of the monks' attire there.

Gray monk's robes are for ordinary monks; functionaries of the various halls may wear yellow robes, while the abbot, the heads of the halls, and the elders add a red kasaya over their yellow robes.

Meng Qi had never yet seen anyone wearing a white monk's robe.

It seems he is not a monk of this temple.

This thought arose in his mind; looking at the white‑robed, snow‑like, transcendent figure before him, Meng Qi felt a strange emotion stir within.

If he cannot leave Shaolin Temple in the future, dressing in the manner of this wondrous monk while wandering the jianghu would also be viable—at least in handsomeness it would not fall short of the carefree swordsman with a sword like light.

Thinking this, a hint of joy rose in Meng Qi's heart.

As of now he does not know whether he will ever be able to leave Shaolin, but this at least counts as a fallback.

Should he truly be unable to become that carefree swordsman, earning the title of a wondrous monk would also be acceptable.

Though his thoughts were in chaotic disarray, Meng Qi's expression remained calm; he placed his palms together in a salute, picked up his broom, and began cleaning the room's sanitation.

On the other side, the white‑clad monk—namely, Feng Yi, who had obtained the title and status of the Shakyamuni of the Shrouding‑Heavens Universe and the Buddha of the Manghuang Ji World—merged into the spacetime origin of these heavens and, from that, manifested a special incarnation at the present temporal node, named Shakyamuni.

The Buddha of these heavens had taken a wrong path, achieving the half‑step Dao Fruit realm with the aid of the Jianmu fruit, only to be stuck at the threshold of transcendence—neither able to truly transcend nor to freely interfere with all heavens and myriad worlds, and unable to pursue the Great Dao any further.

For Him as He is now, what is most needed is a variable that could free Him from His present state.

In the original work, this Buddha made a deal with the Three Pure Ones, helping them transcend, and in the process letting them kick Him down while they were at it, so He could start over.

Now that Feng Yi's incarnation has encountered no other mishaps, it shows that the Buddha of these heavens is pleased to see this, and he has set his mind at ease.

After all, these incarnations merely serve to draw the gaze of the many shore‑reached beings, scatter their attention, so that his true self does not appear overly special.

The Dao Venerable's wool has already been sheared clean; adding one more Buddha is nothing.

His thoughts turning, Feng Yi's Shakyamuni incarnation gazed at the little monk sweeping before him; Buddhist light flowed in his eyes, and his gaze grew deep.

This little monk's identity is no simple matter either: he is a special other‑self hidden by the Demon Buddha to escape his seal, a candidate chosen by the Three Pure Ones for their reduction‑to‑emptiness undertaking, and the future Second Generation Yuanshi Tianzun.

Recalling how, in the original work, that Mang Jingang went from an ordinary mortal to the Other‑Shore Heavenly Will of the transcendental spacetime river in just a few hundred years, Feng Yi could not help but feel a sense of wonder.

For ordinary cultivators in these heavens, this path of reduction‑to‑emptiness leading to the Dao Fruit truly is a one‑step‑to‑heaven supreme opportunity.

After all, in any other heaven, how could anyone attain such a realm in so short a time!

Were it not for Feng Yi's own unusually special background, hiding a great secret, he would have wanted to directly inherit the legacy of a shore‑reached heavenly will.

His thoughts turning, seeing the little monk before him sweep the floor clean, Feng Yi smiled and said, 'Many thanks, little Daoist friend—but may I ask how you style yourself?'

Meng Qi placed his palms together, intoned a Buddhist name, and said, 'I am the little monk Zhen Ding.'

'Zhen Ding.'

Feng Yi smiled, extended a finger, and a beam of Buddhist light poured directly into Meng Qi's brow.

Hum

Meng Qi stood dumbfounded on the spot, as if a Buddhist resonance like a great bell and grand lü sounded in his mind, containing boundless Buddhist principles.

He only felt that in his mind and spirit appeared an immeasurable great Buddha that could not be described in words, filling him with endless Buddhist charm.

Merely seeing this great Buddha, Meng Qi felt a sudden enlightenment like being anointed with sweet dew, as if he had understood something.

This is like encountering a hidden world expert akin to the sweeping monk described in novels.

I really am the protagonist!

Meng Qi's train of thought instantly went off track, and his eyes showed an expression of extreme surprise and joy.

Before he could come to his senses, a gentle voice sounded: "Zhending, this inheritance shall be your reward."

"Huh?"

A hint of doubt appeared in Meng Qi's eyes; merely having cleaned the room's hygiene, this reward is too generous, right?

Although he complained endlessly in his heart, the voice seemed to contain some strange power that made Meng Qi's body instinctively bow and walk out of the room.

Before leaving, Meng Qi curiously asked: "May I know how to address you, Master Chan?"

"You may call me Shakyamuni!"

Boom

The moment the four words "Shakyamuni" sounded, like a huge hammer, they directly struck Meng Qi's soul, causing him to completely lose consciousness and unconsciously walk outward.

When Meng Qi came to, he found that he had actually left the Chan Heart Courtyard and returned to the quarters of the Menial Workers' Courtyard.

"Shakyamuni. Shakyamuni"

Meng Qi kept repeating that name in his mouth, his mind and spirit violently shaken, feeling as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

On the other side, inside the room, after Meng Qi left, Feng Yi stretched out a hand, and a Buddha-light like a small jade Buddha appeared in his palm, containing a special power.

This is the special item he obtained from Meng Qi's body, and also the reason he gave Meng Qi his reward.

"Demonic Buddha. Samsara Space"

A low whisper sounded, and a faint smile appeared in Feng Yi's eyes.

In the following days, Meng Qi often went to the Chan Heart Courtyard to clean, yet he never saw again the white-clad monk named Shakyamuni; even when he secretly asked the temple's monks, no one had heard that name, as if everything he had experienced initially was merely his own illusion.

However, the golden great Buddha standing in his mind and spirit, together with his recent understanding of Buddhist scriptures and the great increase in his cultivation speed, made Meng Qi realize that all this was not an illusion.

A doubt inevitably arose in his heart.

Is the world I have traversed truly just a martial arts world?

In the blink of an eye, several months passed; the Shaolin Temple invited many young disciples from the major martial clans of Southern Jin to come and discuss martial arts, and Meng Qi thus got to see the outstanding talents of the younger generation from various sects, his longing for true martial arts growing ever stronger.

At night, the bright moon hung high, moonlight like water shone upon Meng Qi's body, as if draping him in a layer of silver gauze.

Suddenly, the small jade Buddha on his chest glowed with a bluish-green hue, appearing extraordinarily demonic.

In another courtyard of the Shaolin Temple, Feng Yi's eyes glimmered slightly as he looked at the Buddha-light in his hand that resembled a small jade Buddha.

"Samsara Space. I have come."

A light chuckle sounded, and Buddha-light flickered in Feng Yi's eyes, reflecting special karma-star lines that rose from the Buddha-light in his hand and extended into the void.

Following a particular karma-star line, the void before Feng Yi became hazy; he took a step forward and vanished directly.

Meng Qi suddenly awoke from sleep, opened his eyes again, and found himself actually standing on a plaza paved with white jade, surrounded by various divine beast statues.

Moreover, on this plaza, Meng Qi also saw many young disciples from the major martial sects who had come to the Shaolin Temple to discuss martial arts, such as Jiang Zhiwei of the Sword Washing Pavilion, Zhang Yuanshan of the True Martial Sect, Qingjing of the Profound Heaven Sect, and so on.

As time passed, with the grand voice's introduction echoing in this space, Meng Qi's expression became dazed, feeling that his worldview had been refreshed once again.

This is the Samsara Space, where they undergo the infinite-flow world missions they had once seen in novels.

But.

Is the world I have traversed not a martial arts world, or rather a xianxia world?

The art style changed too fast, didn't it!

No matter how Meng Qi's emotions surged, as a dazzling light flared up, their group disappeared into this plaza and entered the mission world.

After Meng Qi and the others disappeared for a moment, the center of this white jade plaza suddenly became hazy, and then a monk in white like snow stepped out of the void, appearing in this plaza.

Hum

It was clearly felt that the entire plaza trembled slightly, as if it had suffered a tremendous fright in an instant.

Feng Yi could even feel that streams of terrified thoughts vanished quickly without a trace.

He paid no heed to those thoughts, but strode to the very center of the plaza and chuckled lightly, saying: "Shouldn't there be a redemption light screen here?"

He seemed to be talking to himself, yet also as if speaking to some presence.

Hum

As his words fell, a light curtain suddenly descended from the high white jade dome above, with the words "Supreme Divine Skill Catalog" written at the top.

And on the first line of this light curtain it clearly reads:

"《Complete Tathagata Divine Palm》, redemption price, one million merit."

Below also listed were the 《Sever Heaven Seven Swords》, 《Eight Nine Mysterious Skill》, 《Human Emperor Golden Book》, 《Demon Emperor Canon》, 《Heavenly Emperor Jade Tome》, 《Phoenix Bathing Fire Method》, and other transcendent peerless divine arts, as well as the Samsara Seal, Demon Emperor's Claw, and Bodhi Wondrous Tree, and other transcendent peerless divine weapons.

Gazing at the divine weapons and supreme arts recorded above, Feng Yi's eyes showed a hint of interest as he continually flipped through the light curtain.

At the same time, a feeling inevitably arose in his heart: perhaps only in a world like that of the One Lifetime Sovereign, where many transcendent beings pursue the path of the Dao fruit and their own cultivation methods are merely byproducts of exploring the transcendent path, not overly valued, could so many transcendent peerless divine arts be gathered.

In other heavenly realms, how could such a supreme inheritance comparable to the Celestial Emperor's Scripture possibly be so easily obtained by others?

As thoughts turned in his mind, Feng Yi finally fixed his gaze upon the 《Complete Tathagata Divine Palm》.

This avatar of his, openly related to the Buddha, naturally must cultivate the 《Tathagata Divine Palm》 to condense a true Tathagata golden body.

Hum

Just as Feng Yi was browsing the light curtain, strands of white light appeared, condensing into figures—namely Meng Qi and the others.

A milky-white light showered down, and the injuries Meng Qi had sustained in the mission world quickly healed, causing him to involuntarily let out a sigh of relief.

Indeed, it was exactly the infinite-flow mission situation he had seen in novels.

After moving his fully recovered body a little, Meng Qi was about to speak when he suddenly saw the familiar white-clad figure standing before the light curtain at the center of the square, and he froze on the spot.

(End of chapter)