Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

Time passed quickly. When Lin Nan woke up, he found the monk still outside the temple, chanting Buddhist scriptures and leisurely searching for the entrance. He rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself, "This monk is really persistent." Just as he was about to turn around and go back inside to grill some meat and continue his sweet dream, he suddenly stopped.

"A monk, and he doesn't seem to have much cultivation." Lin Nan thought to himself, "It's been more than ten years since the temple disbanded. I wonder what the outside world is like now..."

Thinking of this, Lin Nan finally frowned slightly and decided to leave the dojo to find out what was going on. He gently twisted his wrist, and suddenly a small golden light appeared in the sky. It then slowly slid down, drawing a dazzling golden line between heaven and earth.

This thin line almost split the heavens and the earth, dividing the sky and the ocean in two, cutting off the flowing clouds and the azure blue.

The sacred site appeared, a world of radiant light and crystal unfolding before their eyes. Lin Nan, dressed in a long robe that fluttered in the wind, stood calmly at the entrance of the world, speaking to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the distance: "Monk, this is it."

In the distance, Ksitigarbha, walking on the sea, slowly turned his head, gazing at the ancient rift in the far distance that seemed to split the heavens and earth apart, his eyes flashing with divine light. He murmured, "Amitabha, what you say is true, this place is indeed extraordinary."

As the golden thread slowly slid down, the entire temple gradually unfolded before Ksitigarbha's eyes. He was utterly shocked, never expecting that such a mysterious temple was hidden beneath this seemingly ordinary sea. He had passed through this area several times before, but had never discovered anything unusual.

"What exactly is this? I can't even detect it!" Ksitigarbha exclaimed inwardly.

He knew that although he spent many years purifying souls in the underworld, his strength had not diminished; on the contrary, it had improved. However, he was completely unaware of this place.

"Is this the power of the ancient great beings?" Ksitigarbha wondered to himself. He gazed at the radiant, crystal-clear world within the temple, his heart filled with awe and curiosity.

Just as Ksitigarbha was surveying his surroundings, Lin Nan, who was in the temple, frowned slightly. Seeing Ksitigarbha standing there in a daze, he made as if to turn around and go back to close the temple again. Upon seeing this, Ksitigarbha hurriedly called out, "Wait, wait!"

He strode up to Lin Nan, clasped his hands together, and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha, thank you, benefactor." Then, he slowly stepped into the temple space.

Upon entering the sacred space, Ksitigarbha was deeply awestruck by the sight before him. The spiritual energy was abundant, the magical power vast, and the rich vitality of heaven and earth practically filled the entire small space. Looking into the distance, he discovered that at the far end of this small space, endless streams of light bloomed, shrouded in celestial energy. Those dense crimson rays of light almost transformed into true dragons and phoenixes, perched in the sky.

Besides these, the dojo also contained numerous celestial pavilions, spiritual springs, and divine plants, with arrays spreading throughout the surrounding space. The mysteries contained within were beyond even the comprehension of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. He inwardly marveled, "Did you create all of this...?"

Lin Nan nodded and replied, "Otherwise what?" He did not recognize Ksitigarbha's identity and simply regarded him as an ordinary monk.

Ksitigarbha continued to ask, "Where did you find such a precious place, benefactor?" He was trying to deduce Lin Nan's true identity from his answer.

Lin Nan replied, "It's not what I'm looking for, it's what I built."

"You built it yourself, benefactor?!" Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock. He asked incredulously, "It seems it took half a month to build?"

Lin Nan nodded, making no attempt to hide anything: "More or less."

Ksitigarbha clasped his hands together, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart. He pointed to a magnificent building not far from the beach and asked, "Such a building was only constructed by you in half a month?"

The building wasn't large, but rather exquisite and ingenious. It exuded a mysterious aura, constantly absorbing and infusing the surrounding spiritual energy. Ksitigarbha knew that such a building was extremely rare, even on Mount Ling. Apart from the Great Thunderclap Temple, probably no other hall could compare to it.

"It's just a house," Lin Nan said casually, glancing at the building.

"House, dwelling..." Ksitigarbha gasped upon hearing this. He decided to say no more, lest he lose his composure in front of Lin Nan.

Although the man before him spoke frivolously and appeared young, his cultivation was actually unfathomable. Ksitigarbha recalled his first encounter with Lin Nan at sea, when he had tried to gauge Lin Nan's strength at a glance. However, that single glance had not only failed to reveal his cultivation level, but had even left him feeling bewildered. Had he not quickly regained his composure, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Is this what existed in ancient times?" Ksitigarbha frowned, pondering to himself.

Just then, Lin Nan spoke up, "That's about enough. Come, sit down, I have some questions for you." At the same time, a faint fragrance wafted over, pulling Ksitigarbha back to reality.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was speechless upon seeing it clearly. A bonfire was burning on the beach, and golden-brown roasted meat was skewered in the sand, glistening with oil and aroma. Drops of sizzling fat dripped onto the fire, making a crackling sound. This was… a barbecue grill on the beach?

Ksitigarbha was speechless. Was this really the place where he, Ksitigarbha, discussed the Dao?

"Sit down, make yourself at home. No one's been to this place for over a decade." Lin Nan said, sitting down directly on the beach and enthusiastically tending the campfire. He muttered to himself, "That's right, the Celestial Hound really can't be considered human."

Ksitigarbha sighed helplessly. This ancient power seemed a bit too unconventional. Even in the most ancient times, he had never heard of such a powerful being.

“Benefactor, this humble monk would like to decline…” Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva attempted to refuse.

"Whatever," Lin Nan said casually. "Did someone send you here?"

Ksitigarbha nodded, without hiding anything, and said softly, "There is a rumor that there is a fairy island in the sea, inhabited by immortals who have been teaching and imparting knowledge since ancient times."

"The immortal island is true, but the ancient immortals were just bragging." Lin Nan curled his lip disdainfully, a cold smile creeping onto his face. He secretly wondered, "Which disciple let this slip? It's fine if it's just a little monk this time; he can chat with me for a while. But what if it's a powerful figure? I pray I don't expose him later, or I'll see how I deal with him..."

Meanwhile, in Xiniu Hezhou, far removed from the sacred sites of the heavens, Di Ting sneezed forcefully, rubbed his nose, and muttered to himself in confusion, "Hmm...who's thinking of me?" He shook his head, banishing these random thoughts, and gazed towards Dongsheng Shenzhou, happily muttering to himself, "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva should be arriving at Master's sacred site by now. I wonder how their discussion went..."

Leaving aside the Di Ting that Lin Nan had already set his sights on, Lin Nan was sitting by a campfire in the Heavenly Dojo, casually poking at the fire, sparks flying from time to time. He looked up at Ksitigarbha beside him and asked, "Monk, I ask you, what is the current situation in the Three Realms? What exactly has happened?"

Upon hearing the word "monk," Ksitigarbha frowned slightly, a fleeting, subtle movement. He couldn't recall how many years it had been since anyone had addressed him that way. But then he thought, the person before him was a mysterious figure from ancient times, and it was best not to act rashly. After all, if a fight broke out, the outcome was truly unpredictable.

Then, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva put his hands together in prayer and softly said, "Amitabha, to inform you, this humble monk truly does not know."

Ksitigarbha's words were not empty words. He resides in the underworld year-round, devoting himself to purifying the souls of the dead, and has always remained indifferent to the disturbances of the outside world. Not to mention the major and minor affairs of the Three Realms, he rarely even inquires about the many matters within the underworld itself.

Seeing Ksitigarbha's response, Lin Nan did not give up and continued to press, "You don't know? Are there any signs of chaos in the Three Realms? For example, has Buddhism taken any action, such as sending people to Mount Sumeru?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva looked puzzled and shook his head slightly, saying, "Amitabha, this humble monk is unaware. When has Buddhism ever taken such a step? Is this really that important?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Nan couldn't help but feel somewhat helpless. He secretly wondered where he had found such a monk who knew so little about Buddhism. Judging from his appearance, he was probably at the very bottom of the Buddhist community, not even knowing about such an important event as Tang Sanzang's journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

Lin Nan waved his hand and asked again, "So what's the situation in Heaven now? Has Sun Wukong been rescued from under the Five Fingers Mountain?"

“Sun Wukong? Five Finger Mountain?” Ksitigarbha looked blank; these two names seemed like unfamiliar words from another world to him.

In fact, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was not pretending not to know; he was truly unaware of these matters. Ever since he made the great vow, "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty," he had been diligently staying in the underworld, devoting himself wholeheartedly to purifying and saving the souls of the dead, and had no time to pay attention to the various things happening in the outside world.

Seeing Ksitigarbha's expression, Lin Nan narrowed his eyes, gradually sensing something amiss. He continued, "You don't know about Sun Wukong, but you must know something about the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, right?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva shook his head blankly again, and answered simply, "I don't know."

Upon hearing this answer, Lin Nan's expression gradually became strange. He wondered to himself, what exactly does this monk know?
Lin Nan then asked several more questions, but no matter what he asked, Ksitigarbha's answer was always "I don't know." This left Lin Nan speechless.

"Then... what exactly do you know?" Lin Nan couldn't help but ask.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva clasped his hands together, a hint of embarrassment on his face, and replied, "This humble monk only knows how to purify the wronged souls and spirits of the dead."

Upon hearing this, Lin Nan couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness. Was this monk an idiot? How could he not know anything?
Seeing Lin Nan's expression, Ksitigarbha felt slightly embarrassed. Although he was a Buddhist bodhisattva, he was not a fool. At this moment, he could clearly see the "what do you think you know?" look on Lin Nan's face.

To ease the awkward atmosphere, Ksitigarbha asked softly, "May I ask, benefactor, what is Buddha?"

Lin Nan was slightly taken aback, then quickly replied, "Without roots or stems, without leaves or flourishing, all things are born, all things are completed, this is called Buddha."

Ksitigarbha frowned slightly upon hearing this answer, but did not say anything more.

Immediately afterwards, Ksitigarbha asked, "May I ask, benefactor, what is the Way?"

Lin Nan spoke without hesitation: "It existed before heaven and earth, silent and still, independent and unchanging, ever-present and inexhaustible. It can be regarded as the mother of all things, and can be called the Way."

Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha frowned even more deeply, and his expression became increasingly solemn.

"May I ask you, benefactor, is the Buddhist concept of reincarnation credible?" Ksitigarbha asked again.

Lin Nan sneered and replied without hesitation, "I don't like reincarnation. I only believe in this life. There is no such thing as reincarnation. The so-called suffering in this life and enjoying happiness in the next life in your Buddhist tradition is nothing but a deception."

“But reincarnation does indeed exist in the underworld,” Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva said softly.

"Reincarnation? Is that really reincarnation? It's just erasing memories and entering a new body. Awakening memories of the previous life? That's just a clumsy trick." Lin Nan looked up at the sky, his eyes seemingly swirling with light, as if the entire world was born within them.

"The reincarnation I'm referring to is the kind that occurs after the soul has been scattered, not this hastily constructed underworld, the so-called reincarnation created by humans. I only believe in this life, not the next. Suffering in this life, blessings in the next? That's absurd and laughable! How do you know that your blessings are on yourself and not on someone else, and haven't been taken away? So-called merit is nothing but a clumsy trick of this world."

A gentle breeze stirred, and light shimmered around Lin Nan. He spoke casually, his words revealing his nonchalance and unbridled spirit. He didn't take the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's questioning to heart at all.

In his view, this was just a young monk who knew very little about Buddhism, so what was wrong with him bragging? Besides, what he said was the truth.

On the other hand, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was quite shocked by Lin Nan's theory. It should be noted that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva originated from the primordial world and received orthodox Buddhist teachings from childhood, believing in reincarnation and the afterlife. Where had he ever heard such "rebellious" words from Lin Nan?

Let alone reincarnation, the person before him didn't even care about merit, which truly shocked Ksitigarbha.

"What's wrong? You don't even have this much magnanimity, yet you dare to dream of reaching the pinnacle?" Lin Nan seemed to see through Ksitigarbha's shock and said calmly. (End of Chapter)