Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 521

Li Zhuiyuan never imagined that Sun Baishen would be interested in him.

Because from beginning to end, the boy never concealed his attitude toward Buddhism.

Both the monk Yayoi and the monk Kongji had broken down in their defenses in front of Li Zhuiyuan.

It wasn't that they couldn't accept the profound Buddhist teachings of the young man, but rather that the young man's wanton and playful attitude was tantamount to defiling the piety and sanctity they held dear in their hearts.

Therefore, the young man excluded himself from Sun Baishen's options early on.

Ironically, the things you take for granted are the things others are most eager to give you.

There are two kinds of people in this world that Li Zhuiyuan "hates".

One type is a fool like Yu Miaomiao, and the other is a pure soul like Sun Baishen.

Neither of these types of people can analyze the logic of their behavior using normal self-interest thinking.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up again, looking at the sky above.

The "sun" was already extremely hot, but this was far from the end, because at this time, in the vast Zhenjun Temple, there were still many powerful monks who had not yet passed away, and their Buddha-nature had not yet been extracted and gathered above.

In the end, the true victor will be infused with a vast amount of Buddha-nature, forming a golden body and radiating supreme Buddha-light, taking over the challenge already initiated by Sun Baishen, and vying for the position of Bodhisattva in the underworld.

"But this... I can't accept it."

Li Zhuiyuan had absolutely no interest in becoming a Buddha.

He had seen the true form of the Fengdu Emperor in mythology; combined with the fact that even dragon kings who came from Buddhist sects would cut off their own path to Buddhahood and only be monks in this world, it would be easy to deduce what kind of beings the so-called Bodhisattvas were.

Most importantly, there is a red line between Li Zhuiyuan and the Heavenly Dao, which is that he cannot practice martial arts.

Once you inherit this immense Buddha-nature, your golden body will inevitably be formed. Even if you haven't practiced martial arts, you've already practiced them, and you'll achieve it in one step, surpassing most traditional martial artists.

Admittedly, Li Zhuiyuan did not intend to adhere to the taboo and bury his head in the sand, and the young man had been preparing for a future confrontation with the Heavenly Dao, but this golden body was clearly not enough.

He had already mastered the theoretical knowledge of the Observing Dragon Technique, and with the crystal as his foundation, he had the potential to quickly hone his martial arts skills and physical strength in a short period of time.

In terms of survivability and endurance, the Qin family warriors are not much better than the one-shot deal golden body.

Furthermore, he also found the wrong path Wei Zhengdao took back then, which was the real reason why he was willing to give up everything to fight against the Heavenly Dao for the chance to overturn the table!
Therefore, he cannot accept this golden statue under any circumstances.

This is also why Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is so aggressively betting on himself. The Bodhisattva knows part of the relationship between himself and the Heavenly Realm. If others win the bet, it will pose a great threat to Him. Only if He wins will He be an exception.

They're true drinking buddies; they're so calculating with each other.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on A Li.

Another downside of being gilded is that one's physical image is frozen in time, as if it has been cast in a mold.

Even if no other negative factors exist, this one point alone is unacceptable to the boy.

If Lin Shuyou hadn't been removed from the True Lord system, Li Zhuiyuan would indeed have helped Ayou secure this opportunity. After all, Ayou is already an adult, and how wonderful it would be to stay young forever.

But who wants to stay young forever?
This means that as Ah Li grows older and taller, I will still look the same as I do now. A few years later, we will look like siblings when we stand together, and a few more years later, we will look like mother and son.

Even if you can use various magic tricks and illusions to deceive others, you can never deceive yourself.

The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha's blessing continues, for the Bodhisattva fears that the amount of Buddha-nature in the bottom pool is insufficient to give the boy an opportunity to take shortcuts.

The thoughts emanating from Sun Baishen above were still eagerly approaching the boy, hoping to sign a Buddhist oath with him and bring him into the game.

The flame was lit by Li Zhuiyuan. Now both sides are desperately adding fuel to the fire, but if you don't light this flame, you can't integrate into the rules of this Buddhist Gu competition.

The seven monks of Qinglong Temple were already formidable opponents, and this wave was extremely difficult. If he did not follow these rules, it would be like becoming deaf and blind, making things even more difficult.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, and the boy's mind raced through various possibilities, trying to find the optimal solution.

He didn't have much time to think. His current state was far too conspicuous and would be noticed by many high-ranking monks. There was no guarantee that several groups of high-ranking monks wouldn't join forces to try and eliminate him first.

Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes.

He came up with a solution that could smooth out the complex situation in the most reasonable way.

He can make this vow to Buddha, he can enter into these rules, and he can contend for this Buddha.

But he only wanted the opportunity to compete for the position, not the vast amount of Buddha-nature.

A vast amount of Buddhist nature can be transferred to others.

Even the eminent monks here, without the support of their attainment, would not be able to withstand this enormous amount of Buddha-nature. This is why the ultimate victor has to compete with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Success means becoming a Buddha, while failure means being annihilated and dissipated in this Buddha-nature.

But there was one exception: Yayoi.

Yayoi absorbed demonic energy in the Demon Suppression Tower to a critical point, causing her Buddhist side to be invaded, her balance to be shaken, and she to lose her composure.

This was also the request Yayoi made to herself when she came to Nantong.

Only Yayoi, without attaining Buddhahood, can be transferred into Buddhahood by himself, and he would be willing to cooperate in receiving it.

Because he will not be annihilated by his Buddha-nature, he can return to the Demon-Suppressing Tower and continue to absorb demonic energy.

He hasn't finished absorbing the last layer of the Demon Suppression Tower yet; there are still many more powerful "masters" above him to absorb.

Yayoi, you can add flour if there's too much water, and add water if there's too much flour.

When he first absorbed the Demon Suppression Tower, he had already embarked on a path of no return. Li Zhuiyuan could help him extend this path of no return, allowing this "monster" born from Qinglong Temple itself to continue to grow until... it overthrows and swallows up the entire Qinglong Temple.

On the other hand, without the support of a vast amount of Buddha-nature, it is equivalent to fighting bare-handed. Any eminent Buddhist monk who tries to compete with a Bodhisattva for a position will fail, and the loser will be easily eliminated by the Bodhisattva.

Li Zhuiyuan was an exception, because the Bodhisattva was suppressed in the underworld by the Great Emperor. He was the young lord of Fengdu. If the young man had the qualification to compete with the Bodhisattva for the position, he would not have needed to lift a finger. The Great Emperor, who had already placed a heavy bet here, would have kicked him hard!

The Emperor's power cannot be projected out of Fengdu now, but within the underworld, the Emperor is still the Emperor. Even if he were to engage in a deal with the tomb owner, he could still get the tomb owner's help to continue putting pressure on the Bodhisattva.

Li Zhuiyuan doesn't need a single soldier; he only needs to obtain a legitimate claim, and the "relatives of the empress" will help him take it back.

At that time, I can hang another Bodhisattva plaque at the entrance of my young master's residence.

A Bodhisattva who loses their attainment will not disappear, but will become an existence that is no longer surrounded by golden light.

As far as the Great Emperor is concerned, He is still suppressing the Bodhisattva, because the Bodhisattva is in the underworld, and the Bodhisattva's power is still there, only it has been divided into two: one that is nominal but not real, and one that is real but not nominal.

Li Zhuiyuan will obtain another empty identity, just like the identities of the Qin and Liu family heads.

However, this empty shell will be much more maneuverable. As long as there are enough resources, he can rebuild and modify the official general or true monarch system.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan stopped suppressing himself and began to actively gather more Buddhist light, which echoed Sun Baishen's will.

"Buzz!"

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan felt as if he were possessed by Sun Baishen.

In the True Lord Temple, Sun Baishen is the ruler. If this place is likened to a permanent array, then Sun Baishen's will is like a segmented array spirit.

Li Zhuiyuan sensed many things, such as the locations of the auras of other eminent monks. Of course, the other party could also sense his presence. This meant that the young man had finally stepped into this battlefield filled with Buddhist energy.

The "sunlight" that had enveloped the boy began to recede; this was the final step in fulfilling his Buddhist vow, leaving a scar.

The narrower the beam of light, the higher the temperature, and the clearer the mark left behind, giving the impression of being magnified.

As the last ray of light landed on the boy's head, Li Zhuiyuan raised his right hand, palm up, to block it.

"hiss……"

A sharp burning sensation came over me, and the Buddha's vow was fulfilled.

Li Zhuiyuan withdrew his hand and placed it in front of him. A golden ring mark appeared on the palm of his right hand.

When he first merged with the blood porcelain, he pierced his right hand. The evil dragon also attached itself to his right hand. Li Zhuiyuan was used to using his right hand to deal with everything.

Ah Li walked over and looked at the newly burned scar on the boy's palm with great heartache. She reached out and gently stroked it with her soft fingertips.

Li Zhuiyuan:
"There's no other way. We can't just brand it on the top of your head, or you'll get alopecia areata."

Ah Li looked at the top of the boy's head, then at the palm of his hand, and nodded with a smile.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced around at his companions and said:

"Alright, now, please help me become a Bodhisattva."

Runsheng smiled.

He didn't know what it meant to strive to become a Bodhisattva, but he would get whatever Xiao Yuan wanted for her.

Tan Wenbin lit a cigarette, unsure whether to put it in his own mouth or to show it off to Brother Xiao Yuan.

Lin Shuyou scratched his head. He knew a little more than Runsheng, but a little less than Brother Bin. He only vaguely understood.

The boy's shrill cry echoed from the depths of Ayou's heart:
"Eeya ya ya ya ya ya!"

This time, Tongzi's "voice" was louder than ever before, so loud that even Lin Shuyou rolled his eyes.

There was no way the boy couldn't help but get excited.

When He switched from his old company to a new one, it took a lot of determination and he was very nervous. As the new company became more and more profitable, He felt more at ease. What made him even happier and more at ease was that he heard the news that his old boss had been imprisoned.

Now, the new leader sees an opportunity to completely replace the old leader, and He, the White Crane Boy, once again becomes the first Yin deity to follow the Bodhisattva!

Li Zhuiyuan: "The most important thing now is to reunite with Yayoi. Remember, this time we must ensure that Yayoi survives."

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, can you sense where Yayoi is?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "The array spirit wouldn't give such clear information, but Yayoi should give information; she should know that I've arrived."

As soon as the boy finished speaking, a strong commotion similar to that that occurred at Li Zhuiyuan's place in the distance appeared, with golden light rising from the ground and sunlight gathering above.

Although it cannot match Li Zhuiyuan in terms of strength, it is still impressive enough.

All the high monks in the Zhenjun Temple were startled once again:
Is this yet another highly virtuous monk?
Six eminent monks from Qinglong Temple stood apart, surrounding a group of monks who outnumbered them several times over. No matter how the monks in the encirclement tried to fight back, they were all suppressed.

The six monks of Qinglong Temple deployed their formations, cast spells, and fought with clear division of labor. Each of them was like a thick wall, bringing despair to the monks within the circle. As the six monks tightened their encirclement, they spoke in unison:

"Please let go of your attachments and pass away peacefully."

"Please let go of your attachments and pass away peacefully."

The six monks had already noticed the first fluctuation of the "sun" above their heads, but the Buddhist community is boundless, and it was not unusual for a high-ranking monk with little lifespan to enter the arena.

The most virtuous and eminent monks are valued for their "virtue." However, those with high virtue are not necessarily powerful. Buddhism is not only about compassion; one must also possess the power to subdue demons!
But when the second fluctuation occurred, the six monks, who were dealing with the current situation, had to start thinking again and communicate with each other telepathically.

Master Kongsheng pinched a lotus flower in his hand, reached out and grasped at his surroundings, and said:

"The cause and effect were already in disarray before, and now it's even more chaotic, with a sense of familiarity between them."

Master Kongcheng slapped the three monks who were trying to escape back with his staff, and said, "Similar cause and effect? ​​It's impossible that those two are in cahoots, making a Buddhist vow to kill each other?"

Among the six monks, the only one with a golden ordination scar on his head, and also the eldest, the Hollow-Hearted Monk, spoke while compressing the array in his hands:
"The more the better, it's all to strengthen my Buddhahood and help me attain Buddhahood!"

As soon as the seven monks entered the game, they were deliberately besieged by the other monks. This was not surprising, as Qinglong Temple was a top-tier lineage in the martial arts world and a mountain-like presence in Buddhism.

But soon, the seven monks discovered that perhaps their strength was too great this time, causing the spirit that the half-Bodhisattva had separated from the formation to consciously guide the formation, reducing the intensity in other areas and increasing the intensity here.

It wasn't that this half-Bodhisattva was deliberately taking sides. From his perspective, he probably hoped that some of the seven monks would pass away so as to strengthen the Buddha's light above.

However, each of the eminent monks of the Kong generation is a treasure of Qinglong Temple. Especially now, with the revival of Qin and Liu and the impending upheaval in the martial world, these seven people no longer live simply for themselves and must cherish their lives.

However, after a series of bloody battles, Brother Kongfa was seriously injured. Fortunately, the current lamplighter of this temple also entered the area. He wisely refrained from making a Buddhist vow and instead entrusted Brother Kongfa to the lamplighter to find a corner to guard.

Master Kongxin raised his hand, preparing to deliver the final blow to this group of stubborn and narrow-minded monks, but suddenly felt a pang of fear and said:
"Oh no! Junior Brother Kongfa is facing a calamity!"

……

"Grandmaster Uncle, it's time to take your medicine."

Yayoi brought over her alms bowl, which contained herbs soaking in it, but the herbs were soaking in blood—the blood that Yayoi had just released.

Kongfa took the alms bowl, drank the "medicinal soup" inside, stuck out his tongue, licked the red residue at the corner of his mouth, and returned to his solemn expression.

"Thank you for your hard work, Yayoi. You're a good girl."

Kongfa returned the alms bowl and slowly gathered his energy, which allowed the decaying aura to stabilize somewhat.

As for Yayoi, because she kept releasing her blood essence to feed him, her face was pale and her lips were cracked, making her look more like a seriously injured person.

"Yayoi, there's something I've always wanted to ask you, Grandmaster Uncle."

"Grandmaster Uncle, please ask."

"The temple has assigned you to be a sweeper monk at the Demon-Suppressing Tower. Do you resent it?"

Hatred is one of the three poisons.

"Hehe, but cultivation is nothing more than cutting off these shackles. If you don't hate, the shackles have been removed, wouldn't you have already become a Buddha?"

“Yayoi doesn’t hate; Yayoi enjoys sweeping.”

"Only by seeing through illusion can one attain enlightenment. It's a pity that I misjudged you when you entered the temple. If only you hadn't gone astray."

If you were the one chosen by our temple to be the contemporary lamplighter, how wonderful that would be?
That way, you'll be free of hatred, and we old folks will have less to worry about.

Yayoi: "It's fine now too."

Kongfa: "Now, things are very bad."

The cruel treatment she received in the early stages, and Yayoi's act of killing the orthodox lamplighter to seize the weapon, are thorns that cannot be removed from the hearts of the temple's higher-ups. This is also the reason why the Qinglong Temple's higher-ups have such a complicated attitude towards Yayoi.

Kuho: "Yayoi, you shouldn't have come here."

Yayoi: "It was my grandmasters who told me about this place, and it was also my grandmasters who asked me whether my elders needed to sever their own karma and offer sacrifices to save me."

Kongfa: "But you actually came. You should know that if we help you without lighting the lamp a second time, we will suffer terrible karmic consequences."

"So, you truly hope that we'll do this, sacrificing your seven grandmaster uncles, to achieve your own success?"

Yayoi shook her head: "Yayoi has not yet made a Buddhist vow and has not yet entered the game."

Kongfa: "That's why I let you live until now."

Yayoi: "And what about the future?"

Kongfa: "There have always been differing opinions within the temple about your future. Some advocate recognizing you, while others believe that it would be better to lose this generation's competitive opportunity than to eliminate you and prevent future troubles."

Yayoi: "What about my grandmaster uncle?"

Emptiness: "I advocate recognizing you."

Yayoi: "Thank you, Grandmaster Uncle."

Kongfa: "But of the seven of us who came this time, four of them advocate getting rid of you. So, Yayoi, your future is here. Die here and integrate your Buddhist thoughts into the path to Buddhahood of your Grandmaster Kongxin. This is the best outcome for both you and the temple."

Yayoi's expression remained calm.

Kongfa stood up, and his previously listless aura quickly recovered, releasing a terrifying pressure.

"Actually, your grandmaster uncle was not injured. It was your grandmaster uncle Kongxin who noticed that you had also entered this place and deliberately made me 'injured' so as to lure you out."

"Look, Yayoi, how much we value you. Even in this situation, we've set aside a special person to address your concerns."

Kongfa spread his hands, and red blood surged beneath the skin of his palms. The exposed skin outside his monk's robe also showed this surging blood.

"Yayoi, thank you for your essence blood. Your grandmaster has only stored it in his body and hasn't been able to digest it. However, your grandmaster promises you that if he is ever injured in the future, he will make good use of your essence blood and will not let you down."

Kongfa shouted loudly, "Now, you are no longer called Yasheng. You have harmed your fellow disciples, betrayed the temple, and harbored evil intentions. You are a demon, a traitor, and a villain... This humble monk will cleanse the Qinglong Temple of its evil ways and, on behalf of Heaven, slay this fiend!"

Yayoi: "I actually knew that you, Grandmaster Uncle, were not injured."

Kongfa: "Hmm? How did you know?"

Yayoi: "Because my grandmaster uncle drank so much of my blood and didn't even notice..."

Empty Law: "What did you discover?"

Yayoi clasped her hands together and said, "I didn't find Yayoi's blood. There's something wrong."

A sense of foreboding arose in Kong Fa's heart. Just as he was about to draw the blood stored in his body, Yayoi raised her head, her left eye flashing with demonic light.

In an instant, the demonic blood boiled, and holes appeared all over Kong Fa's body. Black flames ignited on his body, and his expression was painful and ferocious.

He drank Yayoi's demonic blood willingly, wanting to drain Yayoi of all her value except for her Buddhist beliefs.

He was also somewhat wary of the peculiar methods that contemporary river travelers might possess. Despite having an absolute advantage in strength, he still wanted to weaken Yayoi's strength as much as possible to ensure stability.

In fact, to prevent Yayoi from realizing that he hadn't digested her essence and blood, he deliberately distributed the blood he drank evenly throughout his body.

This makes it impossible for him to compress and seal the demonic blood into one place to reduce losses when it erupts now; he can only face a full-scale backlash.

Yayoi did nothing but bleed herself every day, while her powerful grandmaster uncle drank poison every day and actively circulated the poison throughout his body.

"what!!!"

Kongfa's eyes were filled with resentment and fear.

He was unwilling to accept that he had died such a pathetic death, having all the skills he possessed but never having the chance to use them.

He was horrified...

"Yayoi...you've actually fallen into demonic possession!"

Looking at her grandmaster uncle who was constantly dissipating in the demonic flames, Yayoi asked with great reverence:
"Grandmaster Uncle, is Yayoi more like a demon, or are you all more like demons?"

Kongfa was stunned.

However, he had no chance to answer the question; his body rapidly disintegrated and finally turned into a pile of ashes.

Relics were found in the ashes.

But the light shining down from above completely drained the Buddhist thoughts within, and the relics turned into dust.

Yayoi took out a string of paper gold and silver ingots from her bag and scattered them on the ground among her grandmaster uncles.

The gold and silver ingots burst into flames upon landing, their sparkling light stretching outwards as they burned, creating a beautiful sight.

"No wonder these things from the old man's family sell so well."

Yayoi walked out of the damaged temple and came outside. Buddhist light gathered at her fingertips, and she actively responded to the consciousness descending from above.

The commotion he caused was enormous.

It should be noted that Li Zhuiyuan had the blessing of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, while Yayoi relied entirely on himself.

Everything suggests that he is a true Buddhist disciple of our time, yet this Buddhist disciple is being driven step by step into the abyss of evil by his own temple.

Just like now, they are all eminent Buddhist monks who are pursuing Buddhahood, yet they start killing each other in front of the Buddha.

Who ultimately ascends this staircase built of corpses and flesh—Buddha or demon?
The Buddhist oath was signed.

Yayoi faced the direction from which the previous ripples of calm had originated, clasped her hands together, and bowed in a distant greeting:

"Senior Li, this humble monk is here."

---

I spent some time today sorting out the plot of this volume, which delayed my writing time.

Just a quick update: I updated 322,000 words last month, over 31 days, making up for 12,000 words I was owed on top of the 10,000-word daily update. I still owe everyone 32,000 words.

Although the debt has not been fully repaid, the amount is gradually decreasing. The main purpose is to show everyone Xiaolong's attitude towards repayment. He bows deeply.

At last,
A long chapter of 2 words tomorrow!
(End of this chapter)