Chapter 128 |
"Difficult!"
"Far too difficult!"
Unlike when he had converted Qin Ruxue and Xiang Dahu, Fang Qing found forcing the conversion of Sangji an entirely different matter. Even after beating the man until he had no strength left to resist, the process felt extraordinarily arduous.
His divine sense transformed into the Demon-Subduing Vajra Pestle and hammered relentlessly into Sangji's sea of consciousness, carrying the force of a sudden awakening shout. "If you do not wish to die, open your mind at once and accept my conversion!"
"Still you refuse to submit!"
"Submit! Submit! Submit!"
Inside Sangji's sea of consciousness the great vajra pestle continued its assault, accompanied by Fang Qing's fierce roars.
"This Buddha would rather die. My true spirit can still return to the Great Snow Mountain and reincarnate. When that time comes, you heretical monk who have violated the Great Snow Mountain precepts, not even the Temple of the Supreme Origin will be able to protect you!"
Sangji stubbornly guarded his spiritual platform and occasionally replied with his own divine sense.
Only those who half-understood the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain techniques would think being converted was better than death.
"Stubborn fool!"
Fang Qing took out a second-rank superior spiritual talisman and pressed it onto Sangji's forehead.
This was a second-rank technique specifically targeting the sea of consciousness that he had deliberately collected beforehand.
Sangji let out a miserable cry. Cracks appeared across his spiritual platform, and Fang Qing seized the opening.
Boom!
A great sun descended, radiating an irresistible majesty. "Will you submit?!"
"I... I am willing to submit..."
Sangji's seven orifices bled profusely. Fresh blood poured from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, yet a trace of a smile appeared on his face. In that instant he opened his mind completely.
Fang Qing's divine sense and mana instantly reached the deepest part of the man's spiritual platform, where he saw a mysterious existence.
It manifested as the dual-venerable White-bone Dharma Image, wearing a crown of five skulls. Its three eyes glared wide, and its four arms held a bone staff, a bone bowl, a white conch, and a branch of the flower of no sorrow.
It was none other than the true form of the Lord of the Charnel Ground!
An overwhelming terrifying aura surged along the connection and shook Fang Qing's mind.
Inside his heart came Sangji's triumphant laughter. "You heretic who stole the esoteric teachings, you actually thought you could convert this Buddha? Do you not know that direct-line secret disciples of the Temple of the All-Beings Formless, even though they have never received the empowerment great precept, venerate an immediate Buddha as their sole secret original deity? This Buddha is protected by the Lord of the Charnel Ground, and you still dare try to convert me?"
"Bad!"
Fang Qing realized he had ultimately underestimated the secrets of the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain techniques and had not accounted for this layer.
After all, the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain was profoundly mysterious and placed great emphasis on speech secrecy. Many methods were never written down, making it difficult for outsiders to learn the inner details.
At this moment Sangji let out the laughter of a victor.
Compared to dying and reincarnating, he had finally seized the chance to turn defeat into victory.
From the fact that the other party had dared to attempt a forced conversion, it was clear this man was not a monk from the Great Sun Wheel-Turning Temple but a heretic who had stolen the esoteric teachings!
He had deliberately pretended to mistake the other for a direct-line disciple of the Great Sun Wheel Turning Temple, then suddenly opened his mind. Using the connection formed during the conversion attempt, he drew upon the mighty power of the Lord of the Charnel Grounds to counterattack and heavily wound this powerful enemy. That had been his plan all along!
Fang Qing's mind turned icy. He sensed the white-bone dharma image following the previous connection and invading his own sea of consciousness.
Its majesty was immeasurable. Even a Core Formation cultivator would be unable to withstand it.
"At this point, Dao-Genesis Pearl!"
He sighed inwardly and activated his final trump card.
Previously, when facing the slovenly Daoist, the Dao-Genesis Pearl had activated passively and granted him a positional boost, causing his divination arts to advance by leaps and bounds.
Fang Qing had speculated that if he ever suffered an attempt at conversion by a Dharma King or even a stronger existence, the Dao-Genesis Pearl might activate in retaliation as well.
But such a risk had been far too great, so he had never tested it.
Now the arrow was on the string and had to be released!
The Dao-Genesis Pearl spun rapidly. Clear and turbid qi gathered, steaming with clouds and rosy glows, resembling a millstone.
The Lord of the Charnel Grounds Dharma Image was instantly dissolved.
Not only that, with the pearl's positional authority Fang Qing felt his own mind rise without limit. It was as though he glimpsed the origin of heaven and earth and many great terrifying things.
Boom!
He steadied his heart and, drawing on the Dao-Genesis Pearl's authority, ruthlessly shattered the sole secret original deity at the deepest part of Sangji's spiritual platform.
Then a brand-new original deity image appeared.
It inherited from the Great Sun, its face serene, representing all manner of speech secrets and precepts. It was precisely the Tranquil Venerable Aspect of the Great Sun Tathagata!
Its features faintly resembled Fang Qing's own.
But Fang Qing had no time to concern himself with such details.
A moment ago, at the brink of life and death, the Dao-Genesis Pearl had activated passively. His perspective had risen sharply, and he seemed to have seen many things, yet also seemed to have seen nothing at all.
Yet in his heart there now floated certain insights and attainments regarding [Nu Earth].
The sensation was somewhat similar to the time he had directly gazed upon the divinity of [Ji Earth], though far weaker.
Fang Qing recalled silently.
The Lord of the Charnel Grounds, also called the Protector of the Corpse Grove, or the Master of Graveyards, was a subordinate position within [Nu Earth].
"A subordinate position? Are there distinctions even among Dao Attainment Fruition?"
Moreover, it harbored extreme hostility toward the Yin Corpse Sect and shared a Dao dispute with them. It seemed the Yin Corpse Sect not only cultivated [Nu Earth] as well but also possessed an existence that had attained some unknown position within [Nu Earth].
The Lord of the Charnel Grounds was in extremely poor condition. Not only was it heavily injured, it had been slumbering for many years, to the point that it could barely issue any Buddhist decrees. If forcibly awakened, it would immediately fall.
‘How dangerous. If this existence had been in peak condition, it might truly have been drawn out, or if perhaps a wisp of Buddhist nature had been hidden inside Sangji's body, then I would have been in grave trouble.’
The Lord of the Charnel Grounds within Sangji's mind was merely the white-bone dharma image he had sensed from the Temple of the All-Beings Formless and contemplated day and night. It contained no true Buddhist nature.
Not only the Lord of the Charnel Grounds.
Recalling the perspective granted by the Dao-Genesis Pearl a moment ago, Fang Qing felt a surge of excitement. In this world, the great majority of Golden Core True Lords, and even some of the [Year Arbiters] positions, were in very poor condition and could hardly take action.
That was why, after the recent antiquity, True Lords had vanished. It was not that they refused to act, but that they truly could not.
What exactly had happened during the end of the recent antiquity, at the time when [Fang Sun] attained the Dao, that left nearly all existences above the Golden Rank in such a state?
It was even possible that several of the [Year Arbiters] positions had been left empty.
When Fang Qing came back to himself, he saw Sangji prostrating on the ground, kowtowing with the utmost reverence of the five limbs touching the earth. "Sangji pays respects to the Venerable One!"
"Oh? What did you see?"
Sensing that the man had already been converted by him and would obey his every command from now on, Fang Qing let out a long breath of relief in his heart and asked with curiosity.
"Sangji saw the Venerable One as he would see the Great Sun Tathagata."
Sangji's face was filled with devout piety. "This humble monk is willing to offer all his cultivation, wealth, and wisdom consorts to the Venerable One."
"Mm, there is no hurry for that. First tell me why you came to subdue me."
Fang Qing waved his hand.
“Yes, Venerable One. This must be the guidance of the Great Sun Tathagata!” Sangji said with utter sincerity. “This humble monk thought that subduing a heretic would allow me to gather enough destiny to assault the Dharma King realm. Never did I imagine it was because Venerable One lacked subordinates and required Sangji to come serve you. Had Venerable One spoken earlier, this humble monk would have knelt at your feet long ago.”
Sangji answered with a face full of devout fervor.
“Enough. From today onward, keep our true relationship secret. To the outside world, simply say that you have subdued me and taken me as your Bright Son.”
Fang Qing waved a hand. “By the way, is there still an empty seat among your Five Bright Ones?”
“There is still the position of Bright Son Miaohuo. That person has reincarnated as a pig or dog. This humble monk originally planned to retrieve him later.”
“Never mind. Let him remain a pig or dog. I will take the Miaohuo position for now.”
Fang Qing frowned slightly. “When dealing with outsiders in the future, you must never reveal any flaw.”
“I obey the dharma decree.”
Sangji kowtowed repeatedly.
“Also, think for yourself how to conceal this from the All-Beings Formless Temple.” Fang Qing felt his own knowledge of the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain was still too shallow, so he left the matter to Sangji.
Sangji pondered for a moment. “Venerable One wishes to borrow the temple’s resources for cultivation while keeping your identity hidden? In truth, once this humble monk publicly subdues Venerable One, I will qualify to advance without regression. The Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain will press me to break through. However, I can delay for a while by demanding Purple Mansion spiritual items and various resources from them to assist the breakthrough. That should buy us ten to eight years at least.”
“If the delay becomes impossible to maintain, this humble monk can enter closed-door seclusion in the Formless Temple to break through to Dharma King. Breaking through to Purple Mansion is no small matter. Success could take as little as ten years or as long as several decades. Dragging things out for forty or fifty years is this humble monk’s absolute limit.”
“Should Sangji succeed and rise to Dharma King, authority will rest in my hands. Protecting Venerable One’s cultivation will then be as easy as turning my palm.”
“Should the breakthrough fail, I can still maintain the situation for several decades. As long as Venerable One does not order the seclusion chamber opened…”
“What are your chances of success in closed-door breakthrough?” Fang Qing asked with a frown.
He had finally gained genuine entry into the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury system and a warm, powerful backing. He had no desire to let any flaw show and lose that support.
In Ancient Shu, lacking the backing of a force above the Golden Rank made every step difficult.
He knew that if Sangji had truly converted him, the chances of succeeding in closed-door Purple Mansion breakthrough would be quite high.
But that was not the case here.
Therefore, the actual probability should be quite low.
“Less than thirty percent.”
Sangji pressed his palms together and answered with a gentle smile. “Yet for Venerable One, this humble monk is willing to use this worthless body to buy time.”
“Very well. We will do as you say.”
Fang Qing let out a soft sigh.
Gaining several decades was already excellent.
After all, he had reached late Foundation Establishment in his sixties. By the time he was around a hundred he could attempt Core Formation.
With the addition of the Tide Birth Pearl, he might barely match a mid Core Formation cultivator.
That would finally give him the strength to cross the Blissful Union Sect and reach the orthodox territory of the Supreme Unity Mysterious Gate.
Wusheng Temple.
Wisdom Consort Miaoshui felt a sudden stir in her heart. She looked up at the sky and saw two streaks of escape light descending.
Guru Sangji walked ahead, his face beaming with satisfaction.
“Greetings, Guru!”
Wisdom Consort Miaoshui hurriedly paid her respects. Only then did she notice Fang Qing behind Sangji.
Sangji spoke. “Miaoshui, I have already subdued this heretic and intend to establish him as a Bright Son to inherit the Miaohuo position.”
“Yes, I obey the dharma decree.”
Though this differed from what had been said before, sensing that the person before her held her very life in his hands, Miaoshui dared not raise the slightest objection.
“Since your master has subdued the heretic, summon back Qingjing, Miaofeng, and Miaoshan. It is never good to remain entangled with demons and fiends.”
Sangji gave another order. “This monk will enter closed-door seclusion to bestow the great empowerment method upon the new Bright Son.”
“Yes. Congratulations, Guru.”
The joy on Miaoshui’s face was genuine.
“The Guru’s destiny has reached completion—he is about to break through to the Dharma King. In the future… I too shall become a Consecrated Consort.”
Rumble!
The grand doors slammed shut. After the mandala protective ritual was activated, Sangji’s expression changed instantly. He put on a flattering smile. “Venerable One, is this place to your satisfaction? Do you require Wisdom Consort Miaoshui or Qingjing to attend you with the blissful dharma of our path?”
“No need.”
Fang Qing’s tastes were not that heavy. He had no desire to inherit another man’s wisdom consorts. “By the way, tell me everything you have learned.”
“Yes! This humble monk primarily cultivates The Scripture of Nu Earth as Expounded by the Lord of Charnel Grounds. Its Dao Foundation is the White Bone Contemplation, which requires ingesting the fragrant qi of bone seeds. This qi must be gathered from a white-bone land on every new and full moon using a secret method. It takes three years to form.”
“There is also the Time Wheel Scripture and the Abhidharma Sutra…”
“As well as the Reception Method, the Reincarnation Method, and so on…”
The more Fang Qing listened, the brighter his eyes grew.
This was the complete foundation of a true-line disciple from a power on the level of Cloud Grazing Cliff or the Yin Corpse Sect.
“Reincarnation Method? This technique requires passing through the Great Snow Mountain. Once the true spirit departs, all secrets are lost. It is indeed unsuitable for me, but I can simply run a private server.”
“Counting The Scripture of Nu Earth as Expounded by Lord of the Charnel Grounds, I now possess three Purple Mansion cultivation methods.”
At that moment Sangji continued. “Venerable One, to create the outward illusion that you have received my empowerment, you will need [Nu Earth] Dao Foundation mana. Otherwise there will still be flaws.”
According to the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury empowerment method, one could only accept the master’s own cultivation mana.
For example, when Fang Qing empowered others he always used the mana of the Great Sun Empowerment Secret Art.
Yet Sangji primarily cultivated [Nu Earth]!
Therefore, to convincingly pose as a Bright Son, Fang Qing would need a full set of [Nu Earth] mana approaching the Dao Foundation level.
For anyone else this would be nearly impossible, yet for Fang Qing it was merely the work of an instant.
“What difficulty is there in that? Do you have any Bone Seed Fragrant Qi on hand?”
Fang Qing laughed heartily and asked.
“I do. This qi ranks as seventh-rank superior and is exceptionally rare.”
Sangji produced a lotus flower. At its center rested a single strand of dark, richly fragrant true qi.