Chu Li reached out and accepted the prayer beads instead and gave it to Xiao Shi. “It’s the Revered Sir’s token of appreciation. You should just accept it, lest he can’t extricate himself!”
“Haha, I’ve cut off destiny, broken away all resentment, eliminated the karmas, and now my virtuous achievements have come to a successful conclusion. It’s time for me to make a move!” Kong Hai laughed out loud.
Chu Li immediately said, “Master, you haven’t broken away all resentment, have you?”
Kong Hai looked at him and forced a smile.
Chu Li said, “I was killed by you too, Master.”
Back then, Chu Li could not wait to cut Kong Hai into pieces to release the hatred that was engraved in his heart. But when he looked at the present Kong Hai, his hatred scattered and dissipated. It was no longer as strong as before.
“Almsgiver Chu, aren’t you still alive?” Kong Hai replied.
Chu Li shook his head. “I’ve died once.”
Kong Hai smiled and said, “If that’s the case, I really can’t just leave like that. Almsgiver Chu, what do you want?”
“Your divine powers, Master. Can you pass it on to me?” Chu Li said.
Kong Hai looked at Chu Li and then smiled. “Almsgiver Chu, you’re a man of Buddhism too. Why can’t you look past this? Divine power is a devil!”
Chu Li said, “If I don’t practice divine power, how can I be disillusioned of it?”
“Let it be then. I’ll pass on the All-Seeing Divine Power to you then, Almsgiver Chu. If you understand it, it’ll be your fate with our temple. If you don’t understand it, we’ll never talk about this again.” Kong Hai sighed and said slowly.
Chu Li laughed and said, “Thank you, Revered Sir.”
“Nothing will leave these walls. Almsgiver Chu, please come closer,” said Kong Hai.
Chu Li looked at him warily.
Kong Hai smiled as he looked at him.
Chu Li inched closer to him slowly and put his ears close.
Kong Hai recited the Buddhist Scripture softly; his voice was like a fly or a mosquito but yet each word was clear to him.
Chu Li imprinted the words in his mind and smiled. “Thank you, Revered Sir.”
“The divine powers of Buddhism – A destined man will have it, a man with virtue will achieve it. If you can really cultivate the All-Seeing Divine Power, the Titanium Temple will definitely not see you as an enemy. You may come to the temple to cultivate the Ten Lifetimes of Dharma.” Kong Hai smiled and continued.
Chu Li chuckled and said, “I’m fated with Buddhism but I don’t want to be one.”
“Amitabha… Almsgiver Chu, no one knows what the future holds yet.” Revered Sir Kong Hai smiled.
“Master, you don’t have the Eye of the Sky’s Connection.” Chu Li laughed as he bowed with his palms closed. He backed off and returned to Xiao Shi’s side.
Kong Hai greeted them with his palms closed, then did the same towards all the monks. “All my elder brothers and younger brothers, I’m leaving now. I’ll make my move first and wait for you at the Outland!”
As he said that, Kong Hai closed his palms and remained still.
Chu Li pulled Xiao Shi out of the circle and looked at Kong Hai from afar.
All the monks bowed with their palms closed.
“Cut off my fake self and turn me into the real self. Show me the truth as I’m at the edge of a dream. Amitabha…” Kong Hai recited softly.
His voice eventually turned deeper and soon into a complete silence in the end.
“Amitabha…” all the monks chanted together as their resonant voices rang out.
A ray of light shone from Kong Hai’s body and it became brighter gradually.
Under the light, his body started to turn transparent and transformed into glass, which was similar to when he performed the Titanium Sarira Skill.
When the glass body shone, everyone was almost blinded. When their vision returned, a white light shot straight into the sky like there was a white column that stood between Heaven and Earth.
The light column stood straight up into the sky with the clouds pushed apart. A building was vaguely seen.
A palace and a pavilion were seen floating in the sky. The palace was covered in gold and was made of gold bricks and gold tiles. The railings were white, blue sand was spread on the floor, white lilies were everywhere as they fluttered with the wind and bloomed together.
A recital was vaguely heard from the sky above. It was mellow and soft, it was hard to tell if it came from a male or a female. It was melodious and sweet like flower petals falling on people.
Once Chu Li heard the voice, his body and mind became calm instantly.
His body suddenly became much lighter as if he was in a trance and wanted to fly. An inexplicable joy rose inside him and his worries were all scattered and disappeared. Chu Li felt carefree and his heart fell into an extremely calm, happy and joyful moment. He could not wait to become a Buddhist and escape from all worries.
In front of the golden palace, Kong Hai’s figure slowly appeared. A white lily drifted to him which held him at his legs then flew inside the palace.
The light column suddenly disappeared, the sound of the recital went away with it too.
Everything turned back to how it was. There were six Sariras on the cattail hassock.
Xiao Shi said softly, “That was his sixth lifetime.”
Chu Li raised his brow. “The number of Sarira represents how many lifetimes?”
Xiao Shi bowed and said gently, “It’s estimated that after hundreds of years, he’ll reincarnate and return but when that happens, he won’t recognize us.”
“Indeed fascinating. The Outland really exists!” Chu Li exclaimed.
“What’s there to doubt? You actually don’t believe in the existence of the Outland?” Xiao Shi looked at him with surprise.
Chu Li said, “Why would it exist?”
“Why wouldn’t it exist? People beyond people, heavens beyond heavens, there’s no limit to the universe. Haven’t you heard of this before?” Xiao Shi said.
Chu Li could not help but laugh.
This world was really different from his original world. It was even more mysterious.
——
All the monks rose and left. An old monk walked slowly towards the cattail hassock and kept the six Sariras then stopped before the three of them.
“Revered Sir, I’d like to cultivate for a period of time in your temple,” Chu Li said.
The old monk’s movement seemed to be full of hesitation and difficulty as if he was going to fall to the ground anytime.
Gu Yue recognized that he was the old monk who opened the temple door for the first time.
The old monk frowned and looked at Chu Li. “You’re fated with the Younger Brother Kong Hai. But if you cultivate in his house, there’s only one house. Almsgiver Xiao…”
“I’ll stay here too. I’ll be fine staying with him,” Xiao Shi said.
“If that’s the case, you may as well,” the old monk said slowly.
Gu Yue opened his eyes widely and looked at Chu Li then looked at Xiao Shi.
Xiao Shi asked coldly, “What are you looking at?”
Gu Yue was stunned for a while then mustered up his courage and asked, “Princess, isn’t that very inappropriate?”
“Why is that so? Unless you think he’ll be up to no good?” Xiao Shi said snappily.
“That will be really bad for your reputation, Princess. I’m just worried that if His Highness finds out, Chief Chu…” Gu Yue looked at Chu Li.
Although Chu Li was a Scribe, he was a man after all and a young man too. Xiao Shi must not let her guard down. If they were that close, His Highness King An would not allow it no matter how generous he was, he would certainly kill Chu Li.
If gender status and social status were so effective, it would be unnecessary for the palace to have eunuchs.
Chu Li said, “The lady will stay in the house and I’ll stay outside the house as long as we’re in the temple.”
Since the Titanium Temple was shrouded over by golden light, Chu Li guessed that the golden light would be very beneficial towards his self-cultivation of the divine powers. He wanted to give it a try to comprehend the powers for some time. If he could actually understand the All-Seeing Divine Powers, it would be the best.
Gu Yue quickly said, “Then I’ll stay in the temple too, may I?”
The old monk looked at Gu Yue and then shook his head. “Almsgiver, you’re not destined with our temple. You better leave.”
Gu Yue’s face turned sour and said in a hoarse voice, “I had a past with Revered Sir Kong Hai. How am I not destined?”
The old monk waved his ruined sleeves gently.
Instantly, Gu Yue flew up like a dandelion that had been stirred away by the wind. He flew up to the sky in a blink of an eye and flew out of the temple walls. There was no sign of him anymore.
Chu Li stared at the senile old monk who looked like he might die anytime.
Since he could not use the Omniscient Mirror, Chu Li could not see the old monk’s background.
Gu Yue was one of the top Grandmasters but before the old monk, he had no power of resistance. Nonetheless, the old monk seemed to have just normal power, no different from himself.
“Go, go. You only have ten days. It is the second house after a left turn,” the old monk mumbled then turned around and left leisurely.
Chu Li and Xiao Shi arrived at Kong Hai’s house.
Xiao Shi entered and looked. She did not say much.
On the other hand, Chu Li treasured this time. He immediately sat on the bed, crossed his legs and remained still. He started to comprehend the All-Seeing Divine Powers.