Within the Three Realms Temple, a brilliant radiance suddenly burst before the youth's eyes. The entire hall was awash in flowing light. The luminosity had reached such thick intensity that it sluggishly drifted like real water.
The youth seemed immersed in an ocean of light. The impurities in his body were purged layer by layer, his flesh gradually turning crystalline and translucent while his innate talent and skeletal root simultaneously soared.
As his natural aptitude rose, the ocean of light before him shifted once more, transforming into immortal rays of various hues. Layers of immortal light gathered toward a single focal point, compressing ceaselessly. When it reached the absolute extreme, all the radiance abruptly vanished, leaving behind only an infinitesimally deep speck of darkness. That speck seemed so minute it contained nothing at all, yet it was heavy beyond measure. The youth even doubted whether he could ever lift this dust-like grain.
All at once, every illusion dispersed, returning to the humble hall. At this moment, a scripture scroll floated vividly within the youth's sea of consciousness, bearing the title *Nether Quietude Profound Method*.
This cultivation technique shared similarities with the path bestowed by the ancestor in his dream, yet it was far more nuanced and accessible. More astonishingly, it was complete—a world apart from the half-volume given in that dream!
A flash of divine inspiration struck him. The youth realized that the visions he had just witnessed were an exposition of the Dao, displaying its profound essence directly before his eyes. Recalling that infinitesimally small yet infinitely heavy speck, he felt as though a beam of heavenly illumination had shone into his sea of consciousness, lighting up his entire spirit terrace!
The cultivation bottlenecks that had troubled him for years were instantly swept clean. He roared inwardly in ecstasy, *So that’s how it is! That’s how it is! No wonder I could never manifest a dharma idol before—this is what a true dharma idol ought to be! Any superfluous detail is merely proof that the idol is not pure enough!*
Another realization struck him: his karmic opportunity was divided into two halves. First, the dying command and transmission from his ancestor; second, coming to the Three Realms Temple in Qingming to complete his Dao path.
With this epiphany, the youth fell to his knees once more. This time, he knocked his head to the floor three times in utter sincerity. Far away in the Sea of Bitterness, Wei Yuan’s figure bobbed upward thrice, rising three inches higher.
Such an uplifting force took even Wei Yuan by surprise. A bizarre thought suddenly drifted into his mind: *If only he were a girl...*
Amidst the Splendor of the Many Realms, a finger descended from the heavens and squashed the heavenly demon Jialuo dead into her seat.
Having witnessed the buoyant force provided by Tuoba Hong, Wei Yuan grasped two truths: Tuoba Hong was a child of karmic destiny; and whether one’s devotion was sincere created a gulf of a thousand or ten thousand times in the support offered to one’s divine status. Third, this youth was karmically tied to him.
The third point was hardly worth mentioning.
Wei Yuan first sifted through the extant records to see how the various past sects of the Pure Land duped—no, delivered—believers. After gaining some insights, he drew back his dharmic power.
The modest temple returned to normal. But when Tuoba Hong looked up at the divine statue this time, he noticed faint streams of brilliance swirling between its brows.
A voice sounded from beside him. “To receive the dharma transmission of the Battle Buddha, the benefactor truly possesses profound fortune.”
The youth turned around and saw a monk emerge from the rear hall, surrounded by a pure, untainted aura.
For some reason, the monk looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before. Offering a respectful bow, the youth asked, “May I inquire after the Grandmaster's dharma name?”
The monk returned the gesture. “This poor monk is Longyuan, currently the abbot of this temple.”
The youth was filled with deep reverence, thinking to himself that this master possessed an exceptionally domineering dharma name. Perhaps only such a monk was qualified to serve as abbot in a sanctuary dedicated to the Battle Buddha.
Longyuan said, “Just now, the benefactor made a grand vow, drawing the gaze of the Bodhisattva. This humble monk wishes to ask: is the vow you just swore truly from your heart?”
“So long as I obtain the power to take revenge, I will not shrink from ten thousand deaths! I am willing to offer this body and serve before the Buddha for the rest of my days!” the youth answered resolutely.
Longyuan nodded and pointed toward the Buddhist alcove. “Since the benefactor has such resolve, you shall have your seat.”
The youth looked up. Beside the central statue of the Victorious Battle Buddha, a smaller Arhat statue had appeared at some unknown moment, bearing a nine-tenths resemblance to his own countenance!
Longyuan said, “Congratulations, benefactor. Having sworn a great vow, you have attained the fruition of the Great Majestically Virtuous Wisdom-Blazing Arhat, taking your seat this day.”
The youth stood dumbfounded. Just like that, he had become an Arhat? Had that *Nether Quietude Profound Method* not been floating in his sea of consciousness, he would have suspected he had run into a charlatan.
Longyuan reached out, and a bracelet materialized in his hand. “This is a dharma vessel exclusive to an Arhat; today it is bestowed upon you. By holding this vessel, you will naturally maintain a constant resonance with the Battle Buddha. A strand of the Arhat’s divine thought also rests within. If you encounter a formidable foe, activating it will grant you the power of a single strike from the Arhat, slaying your enemy without fail.”
The youth's heart stirred violently. He asked cautiously, “May I ask how potent this strike is?”
Longyuan smiled faintly. “It is an external object after all, unable to exert even a hundredth of an Arhat’s full might. Even so, it will slay an ordinary dharma idol in a single blow. Against an early-stage Scenery Command cultivator, it will inflict grave injury upon contact.”
Overwhelmed with excitement, the youth extended both hands to receive the bracelet, feeling as though he were in a dream.
“Very well. You may take your leave, benefactor. As one blessed with immense karmic luck, your journey will surely lead you to your enemies, fulfilling your heart's desire.”
The youth bowed in gratitude, strode out of the temple, and sped away as if on wings.
After the boy departed, the monk smiled faintly and dissolved into light. A young novice monk stepped out from the rear hall and began sweeping the floor.
In the Sea of Bitterness, Wei Yuan opened his eyes, deeply satisfied.
Tuoba Dafeng had possessed the youth across the void to leave his final command, but his lamp had already run out of oil. The Bodhisattvas of the Pure Land carried immense karmic weight; Tuoba Dafeng’s remnant thought could not even utter their names, leaving the youth with only an image of a bald head. It was out of Wei Yuan's kindness that he had etched the character for 'Pure' onto that shaved crown.
The youth was setting out to seek vengeance against bald heads purely by luck. Early on, all should go smoothly. If occasional misfortune arose and his own karmic luck failed to suppress it, the bracelet on his wrist was Qingming’s newest product, containing the combined strike of a hundred template Dao Foundations—truly enough to slay an early-stage dharma idol.
Yet given the nature of the Pure Land, Tuoba Hong would soon strike a steel plate. That would be Wei Yuan’s cue to intervene.
When Wei Yuan had established the Three Realms Temple, he had intended to let nature take its course and develop things steadily, waiting until he ascended to immortality before contesting the Pure Land for believers. But through serendipity, he had stumbled into the Pure Land, caught sight of the Sea of Bitterness, and witnessed the monumental wonder of the mountain of light. Devotees of the Three Realms Temple were the key to hoisting his divine status.
Under these circumstances, the expansion of the Three Realms Temple had to be accelerated.
Wei Yuan’s gaze fell upon the Battle Buddha statue. Judging by his current cultivation, he still had plenty of reserves after consecrating one Arhat. With a thought, he expended karmic luck, causing two more Arhat statues to appear beside the Great Majestically Virtuous Wisdom-Blazing Arhat.
Three Arhats looked somewhat awkward together, so Wei Yuan willed a fourth Arhat into existence. This fourth seat exceeded his current capacity, but Wei Yuan remained unbothered. He promptly tossed this Arhat seat over to Feng Tingyu, letting her take Wen Guantian and the others to wrangle with it. With their talents, they could certainly conjure an Arhat seat out of thin air.
As for the two Arhat seats within his power, Wei Yuan already had a plan.
Attaining the Dao in the Pure Land prioritized karmic affinity above all else. But the Dao of Qingming lay in gathering the multitude, in uniting ten thousand wills as one, and in fairness and justice.
Soon after, Wei Yuan handed down a dharmic decree, opening a selection of Arhat candidates to all template Dao Foundations and Golden Pellet dharma idols across Qingming. One Arhat seat would await the chosen candidate from the template Dao Foundations, and another from the Golden Pellets.
The entire process was divided into three stages: open qualifiers, semifinals, and the final selection. Ultimately, a hundred candidates would be chosen from the template Dao Foundations, and ten from the Golden Pellets. All Arhat candidates would be granted cultivation techniques equitably, followed by an extended period of worldly practice. Whoever obtained a resonance from the fruition status would become the next Arhat.
The moment this news broke, it turned two pools of stagnant water into a frenzy of leaping fish.
Chapter 1254