Wei Yuan naturally had his reasons for returning immediately. No matter what, he would never fail to recognize his own Dao Foundation, nor did he understand why stepping out of the Pure Land's portal would lead into the Jade Mountain.
An ordinary cultivator might have felt an urge to explore, but Wei Yuan was, after all, a student shaped by centralized instruction; his way of thinking was far more rigorous than that of someone trained under the traditional master-disciple system.
If he entered his own Dao Foundation and then stepped back out of his sea of consciousness, wouldn't he still be in the Pure Land? It was an infinite loop.
Returning to the Pure Land, many mighty warriors had not expected Wei Yuan to emerge again. Those in front braked sharply while those behind crashed right into them, leaving the flock of warriors darting about frantically like headless flies.
Wei Yuan tossed out an immortal sword toward the swarm of mighty warriors. The moment they noticed it, all the warriors fixed their eyes upon the blade in full vigilance. Then a flash burst before their eyes—they witnessed the pure white sword intent, and everything went dark.
Taking advantage of the moment, Wei Yuan dragged Consort Yuan at full speed toward the third wooden door, plunging through the doorway just before the vajra's demon-subduing pestle could smash down upon their heads.
The scenery before his eyes shifted, delivering him into a somewhat gloomy world. It seemed to be within the interior of some mountain range, where several openings in the cavern vault let down celestial light. The light was bright yet devoid of warmth, nothing like sunlight.
Moss carpeted the immense cavern, interspersed with some vegetation and even more climbing vines. The surroundings were eerily quiet—Wei Yuan could even hear his own blood flowing and the beating of his heart.
Around a bend ahead, there was a faint glow, though what lay there was unknown.
Wei Yuan set Consort Yuan down and asked, "What is this place? Do you recognize it?"
"Ah, what? I can't see." Consort Yuan's eyes were vacant; she had clearly been affected by the pure white sword intent as well. Wei Yuan had no choice but to bestow a minor Dao art upon her to calm the mind and clear the eyes, thereby restoring her sight.
She looked all around, then extended a hand. An obscure glyph lit up on the back of her hand as she said, "This is it. The Arhat true blood is just ahead."
Wei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Let me set up some defenses first."
A pair of beehives appeared in his hands as he prepared to lay down a suppression net of fire at the wooden door. But when he turned around, he froze—the wooden door they had entered through was gone.
"This place is a world of its own. Entering here is equivalent to our deaths in the original Pure Land. Without us, that Pure Land has already shattered, so naturally the door we came through has vanished. Follow me."
Consort Yuan took the lead, and Wei Yuan followed behind her.
Perhaps because no one else was around, her figure subtly changed. She grew considerably taller, and her curves were no longer as exaggerated as those of the rustic village girl, though they remained well beyond what ordinary men could bear. Seen from behind, her swaying silhouette seemed to make lotuses bloom with every step.
Although such beauty filled Wei Yuan's gaze, his heart remained lucid and undefiled by worldly dust. He paid close attention to their surroundings, and as he followed Consort Yuan around the corner, an immense subterranean chamber opened before them.
A gigantic Buddha statue several hundred zhang tall stood before Wei Yuan. The statue looked quite young, with features delicate as a painting and an almost unreasonable handsomeness. His posture was also peculiar: sitting cross-legged, one hand formed a seal before his knee, while the other braced against the cavern roof as though propping up the earth. His torso curved slightly, appearing under immense strain.
Consort Yuan pointed at the statue. "That is the Arhat true blood."
Wei Yuan was stunned. "This is the Arhat true blood?"
"What else? What did you think it would be—a single bead of blood?"
Wei Yuan felt a bit sheepish. He truly had thought it would be a drop of blood, or at most something that condensed true intent into a gemstone; never had he imagined it would be a statue hundreds of zhang tall.
"Let's go over."
Wei Yuan followed Consort Yuan to the front of the statue, where there stood an offering table, a prayer mat, and a few simple worship implements. Consort Yuan cleared away the dust on the table, picked up incense sticks resting at its side, lit them, placed them into the incense burner, and began her prostrations. After the final bow, she remained motionless for a long time, as if praying for something.
As a disciple of the Palace of Grand Beginning, an institution overseen by an Immortal Monarch, Wei Yuan naturally could not kowtow. He simply stood to one side, examining the statue carefully.
Drawing on his limited knowledge of Buddhism, the figure before him did not appear to be a Buddha or Bodhisattva, but looked more like an Arhat. Yet Arhats were rarely this gigantic. Even in the Four Quarters Arhat Dharma Altar world of the Great Treasure Radiance Pure Land, an Arhat's golden body was only about ten zhang tall.
Around this Arhat statue were three small lotus pedestals, though all were bare and empty.
As for the guardian vajra back in the Pure Land, he clearly possessed some innate supernatural power akin to Phenomenal Heaven and Earth; his true golden body wouldn't be very tall, perhaps two or three zhang at most.
At that moment, the cavern suddenly shuddered. Rubble and dust rained down ceaselessly. A faint golden glow emerged from the Arhat statue, and several patches on its surface turned gold. Yet on such an enormous statue, the golden portions were pitifully sparse—merely a few palm-sized patches, looking like tiny specks against the monumental effigy.
A faint Buddhist light rose around Consort Yuan. Solemn and stately, she carried an air of boundless sanctity. Green lotuses bloomed and withered beneath her feet, and the ground for a zhang around her transformed from dirt into a clear pond, leaving her standing upon the water.
The Arhat statue also took on vitality and presence, limpid cold light circulating over it to reveal numerous wonders.
Faint figures manifested upon the three small lotus pedestals, vaguely discernible as a human, a demon, and a small beast. A monastic robe materialized over the Arhat; it looked plain and ordinary, yet conveyed a sense of pure serenity.
In the hand resting upon his knee, a golden alms bowl appeared, and a string of Buddhist prayer beads encircled his wrist. The seven beads differed in color, each corresponding to a different true intent.
Beneath the Arhat, a lotus throne faintly surfaced, though most of it remained buried in the earth, revealing only a few lotus petals.
Each item that manifested made Wei Yuan's heart stir. He was exceptionally sensitive to the aura of treasures, and with his unique Ten Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, he possessed a keen intuition for any treasure aura characterized by words like grand, vast, and timeless. As it happened, everything on the Arhat was just that.
Take the monastic robe: seemingly plain, it calmed one's mind and purified the primordial soul. That was an indisputable boost to aptitude, equivalent to elevating one's Dao Foundation by a grade. Although Wei Yuan had no room left to advance in grade, there was theoretically still room for enhancement. Moreover, this robe would endure tribulations without ruin; wearing it, one could probably stand still and let a True Monarch strike at them.
The function of the golden alms bowl was unclear, but its grade was high—in other words, while he didn't know what it did, it looked exceptionally valuable.
The seven prayer beads were clearly consumable, thunderous trump cards. Though one would be lost with each use, as long as a single bead remained in hand, any dharma idol would have to steer well clear.
And these were merely the minor items.
Wei Yuan looked at the phantom figures on the lotus pedestals, feeling tempted. Could one choose among those three as well? Perhaps obtaining one meant gaining a guardian beast, similar to the snake and cat possessed by Perfected Chuhe. Yet the three figures on the pedestals had attained karmic attainments.
Finally, Wei Yuan glanced at the lotus throne beneath the Arhat...
The Arhat statue tilted its head slightly, appearing to scrutinize Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan felt a vast, gentle gaze penetrate his entire being, laying bare every single secret.
Consort Yuan said, "This is the Arhat of Vast Wisdom and Supreme Universal Deliverance. Chant his dharma title, and you may receive your fortune. I have already shouldered the karma for you."
Suppressing the excitement in his chest, Wei Yuan bowed once toward the Arhat and silently recited the dharma title.
A gentle warmth instantly welled within Wei Yuan's heart, as if all vexations could be forgotten and pure joy born.
Yet immediately afterward, Wei Yuan watched as the monastic robe, treasure alms bowl, and prayer beads faded away one by one. The phantoms on the three small lotus pedestals dissolved, and finally, the lotus throne beneath the Arhat slowly vanished as well. In that moment, the Zen realm in his heart shattered.
Are none of these opportunities fated for me? Then why show them to me in the first place?! Wei Yuan felt an urge to rage from embarrassment. At this instant, he knew beyond doubt that he was still a creature of the mortal world.
Thud! Something fell from above and smacked Wei Yuan right on the head.
Consort Yuan snickered beside him, her solemn demeanor utterly ruined as she reverted to that vixen capable of toppling kingdoms.
Wei Yuan picked it up and examined it. It was a fist-sized fruit, dark red throughout and shaped like a withered lotus. Heavy as stone and hard as jade, it had hurt terribly when it struck his head.
"What is this?" Lacking knowledge of Buddhist treasures, Wei Yuan humbly consulted Consort Yuan.
Consort Yuan rolled her eyes. "The Arhat is right in front of you. Why ask me instead of him?"
Wei Yuan thus cautiously recited the dharma title. This time, reciting it felt even stranger. Given what he knew of Buddhism, a title like this was beyond the reach of most Bodhisattvas; it was practically impossible for an Arhat's karmic attainment to achieve, let alone bearing three such designations.
Upon completing the recitation, a wealth of knowledge suddenly surged into Wei Yuan's mind.
Part of it concerned this fruit: named the Red Lotus Bodhi, it was a mutant variety of the Bodhi tree. It had originally been an ordinary Bodhi tree growing beside the Arhat's seat until the Arhat entered parinirvana. Having absorbed vast amounts of karma alongside his passing, it withered and produced this Red Lotus Bodhi seed. A thread of life still remained within it; should it meet someone fated and fall upon fertile ground fated to receive it, rebirth was possible.
Reaching this point, Wei Yuan's spirits lifted. This was a Bodhi from before the Buddha! In terms of standing, it was likely superior even to the immortal laurel branch—who knew what wild woods that branch had originally grown in? Such a wild immortal relic naturally could not compare to a treasured item cultivated before the Buddha.
For the Red Lotus Bodhi to grow into a tree, it needed to absorb copious amounts of karma, primarily leaning toward slaughter, rivers of blood, and ruin. As for what kind of tree it would ultimately become, that depended on the nature of the karma absorbed.
Reading this brought Wei Yuan even greater delight. Whether he could cultivate it was not an issue at all—he could nurse even a withered branch back to life, to say nothing of a seed that still held vitality.
In addition, Wei Yuan received a scripture titled the Red Lotus Universal Deliverance True Words. It was an incantation of true words capable of summoning red lotus karmic fire to subdue demons and vanquish fiends, its might dependent on the caster's Buddhist nature and the growth stage of the Red Lotus Bodhi tree.
Wei Yuan harbored no expectations regarding his own Buddhist nature, but he had tremendous confidence in the growth rate of the Red Lotus Bodhi tree. With the two balancing each other out, the ultimate power should not be lacking. It might fall short of the Golden Light Water Blade Art, but it would surely far surpass Wei Yuan's other Dao arts.
With this, the journey could be considered a complete success.
Wei Yuan hailed from the Daoist sects; no Buddhist treasure in his hands could unleash its full power, and the more potent a Buddhist treasure was, the more it demanded Buddhist nature and karmic affinity. Thus, certain renowned Buddhist treasures from ancient times might prove less useful to an ordinary cultivator than a top-grade immortal sword.
Obtaining a Bodhi seed from before the Buddha suited Wei Yuan's wishes perfectly. Once this Bodhi tree matured, Wei Yuan felt that his Dao Foundation would be essentially stabilized.
By now, the cavern shook continuously as larger and larger rocks plunged down. Consort Yuan came over, took Wei Yuan's hand, and said, "We should go."
Wei Yuan nodded. The scenery before him shifted, his consciousness blanking out before clearing once more. When he opened his eyes, he was already back in the small temple. Eldest Senior Sister and Master were still seated in the pavilion, calm and serene. The Marquis of Xiang, however, was pacing anxiously back and forth, entirely unable to compose himself.
Seeing Wei Yuan and Consort Yuan finally appear, the Marquis was overjoyed and hurried over. Zhang Sheng, as composed as ever, merely cast a glance in their direction before continuing to read.
Consort Yuan had once again resumed the guise of the maidservant. Curtsying to the Marquis of Xiang, she said, "Some unforeseen events occurred inside, but by good fortune, all went relatively smoothly."
The Marquis exhaled a long breath. "As long as you are safe! As long as you are safe!"
The maidservant suddenly said, "I have a few words to convey to him."
A strange look flashed across the Marquis's face, but he said nothing, merely replying, "Then I shall wait in the pavilion."
Had this been before, Wei Yuan would certainly have found it strange, but now that he knew the maidservant's true identity, everything made sense. Clearly, Consort Yuan saw no need to hide anything from him either.
Left alone with her in the small temple, Wei Yuan suddenly felt intensely guilty. The temple door wasn't even closed—wait, this temple had no door!
From that angle, Zhang Sheng would see everything just by shifting slightly!
Facing Wei Yuan, the maidservant's unremarkable face dissolved like water, once more revealing that peerless, naturally stunning countenance. With a half-smile, she said, "Haven't you always wanted to see what the imperial in-laws could offer you? Are you satisfied with what you've been given now?"
Wei Yuan opened his mouth, truly at a loss for words.
"Evidently, you share an affinity with the Arhat; he gave you the very Bodhi tree that accompanied him to the end. To the Arhat, this tree was equivalent to the blue lamp before the Buddha on Spirit Mountain."
So she was referring to this kind of gift, not what he had imagined. Wei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, his guilt lessening a bit.
Consort Yuan suddenly pulled open her collar and yanked her clothing down a stretch, exposing snow-white fullness. The motion sent Wei Yuan's heart straight into his throat!
Wei Yuan took only a single look before his mind went completely blank. Upon her exposed skin were several distinct bite marks! Without even needing to compare, Wei Yuan knew: those were his own bite marks!
How could there be bite marks?
An utterly terrifying thought arose in Wei Yuan's mind: Had it not been a journey of the primordial soul?!
The corners of Consort Yuan's mouth curled slightly upward. "Don't be afraid. In truth, I have already borne the greatest karma; you are tied to only a tiny sliver of it. As for that karma..."
She gently stroked her lower abdomen and said, "It is right here."
Chapter 271