From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 313 The Location of the Dao

It was a quiet, cold night.

The firelight drifted down from the night sky, like a helpless duckweed.

Meng Yuan stepped forward, his hand on his sword, and saw that the snow where Ding Chonglou had fallen had all melted into ice water.

Ding Chonglou's body was mangled, his face was covered in broken bones and rotten flesh; he was beyond dead.

Just now, Ding Chonglou pursued the matter after the screen was opened, and then Meng Yuan launched a surprise attack with Bodhi Extinction Dao, and Dugu Ying took the opportunity to make a move.

Unexpectedly, the three of them worked together again and achieved great success. Ding Chonglou didn't even have time to activate the Mayfly World before he died.

Dugu Ying stood not far away. She was still not wearing the red cloak; her petite figure was only dressed in black.

"Amitabha." Jie Kaiping staggered forward and knelt on one knee in front of Ding Chonglou.

Meng Yuan thought that after removing the screen, he was going to perform a ritual to help the soul find peace, but he didn't expect that the screen would directly touch Ding Chonglou's body.

"Why didn't you bring any money?" After several days of hard work, Jie Kaiping, seeing that he had gained nothing, completely lost his high-ranking monk demeanor and started cursing in the snowy night.

Seeing that the way the screen was being displayed was truly outrageous, Meng Yuan whispered, "Go find Juesheng!"

Ding Chonglou was overconfident this time, only bringing Juesheng and Ding Qianyun with him. Now that Ding Chonglou is dead, Ding Qianyun is not to be feared, but Juesheng should not be underestimated.

Just as she was about to get up after untying the screen, she suddenly froze, then turned her head to look north.

The snowy night was quiet and peaceful when suddenly a magnificent Buddha light surged from the direction of Wulou Mountain, north of Lanruo Temple.

The Buddha's light has the meaning of righteousness and brightness, seemingly able to shine in all directions and burn away the filth of the world.

The snow stopped, and the dark clouds dispersed. A bright moon appeared in the sky, yet it could not diminish the magnificent light emanating from the Buddha.

In an instant, Meng Yuan felt a warm sensation rising within his body. The exhilarating feeling of killing a formidable enemy vanished, but he felt a sense of liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, as if he were in a paradise.

Just as he was about to become engrossed in it, Meng Yuan was suddenly struck by a karmic fire burning within his body, which instantly brought him back to his senses.

The effects of my repeated body tempering are finally showing today.

After catching his breath, Meng Yuan saw that Jie Kaiping looked blank, so he kicked Jie Kaiping over.

"Amitabha." Jie Kaiping collapsed onto the snow, grabbed a handful of snow to rub his dirty face, and said blankly, "The Arhat Wusheng has emerged from seclusion."

Jie Kaiping was clearly not expected that the Arhat Wusheng would be so powerful. The distance between them and Lanruo Temple and Wulou Mountain was nearly a hundred miles, and he was so flustered by the sudden burst of Buddha's light that he lost his mind.

“I feel like the Arhat Wusheng…” Jie Kaiping said, but Meng Yuan ignored her completely and instead went forward to help Dugu Ying.

Dugu Ying's small hands were icy cold, and beads of sweat clung to her forehead. She had just unleashed a full-force attack, holding nothing back, and hadn't yet recovered.

"I'm fine." Dugu Ying withdrew her small hand, looked in the direction of Lanruo Temple, and said, "The Arhat Wusheng has such a big entourage. It seems that he has suppressed both of the patriarchs of Lanruo Temple by himself."

“Not bad.” Jie Kaiping, being a monk, looked at Meng Yuan and had something to say, “Benefactor Meng, what do you think of the Buddha’s light just now, compared to the one the Master had when he attained enlightenment in Songhe Prefecture?”

"Buddha's light is not as bright and dazzling as Qing Guangzi's, but in terms of power, it is probably superior to Qing Guangzi's," Meng Yuan said truthfully.

“That’s right.” Jie Kaiping also agreed, “Among the third-grade Arhats, Wusheng is probably the best in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.”

"The Arhat Wusheng has saved all the evil spirits in hell and advanced to the next level, while Qingguangzi has slaughtered a city to attain enlightenment. Both of them have justified their Buddhahood in their own way. The difference in their strengths and weaknesses over the time doesn't matter." Dugu Ying sneered. "In my opinion, Qingguangzi will probably surpass the Arhat Wusheng by a point in the future."

“Alas, what Benefactor Dugu said could not be more true.” Jie Kaiping sighed and said, “I have been under the tutelage of my master for a long time and know that he has great ambitions and his Buddhist heart and nature are indeed heading towards the Great Way.”

"The road ahead is difficult, but we should rise to the challenge," Meng Yuan said, trying to comfort Kai Ping when he saw that she seemed discouraged.

Dugu Ying, however, was fearless and immediately mocked, "He was scared silly by Qing Guangzi."

“Benefactor Dugu sees neither high mountains nor vast seas.” Jie Kaiping surprisingly admitted that he was afraid of Qing Guangzi.

However, how many people in the world, especially those who practice Buddhism, are not wary of the newly ascended Holy King of Light?

Meng Yuan ignored the two of them and stepped forward to examine Ding Chonglou's corpse.

A wisp of flame appeared from his finger, and then the flames rose up, obscuring Ding Chonglou.

A gentle north wind blew, the distant Buddha's light faded, Ding Chonglou turned to ashes, and the world lost another fifth-grade master.

Meng Yuan carefully sensed it and felt the essence fire within his body slowly rising and growing stronger.

However, last time, even a fifth-rank martial monk was able to nurture the essence fire to perfection. This time, Ding Chonglou, a fifth-rank monk, burned it all, but it was far inferior to the last time.

Meng Yuan estimated that it would take about five more fifth-rank martial artists, plus a few sixth-rank ones, to fully nurture the essence fire once again.

"If this continues, when we undergo another body tempering, won't we need even more fifth-grade cultivators to nurture us? Or perhaps fifth-grade cultivators won't be enough, and we'll need fourth-grade cultivators to nurture us?"

"Going forward, will we still need Rank 3 experts to support us? But the world is not lacking in Rank 4 experts, but Rank 3 experts are few and far between!"

Meng Yuan's mind was in turmoil, feeling that there were truly no enemies left to kill.

Besides finding the trail, the three went to look for the monk Juesheng.

Meng Yuan and Jie Kaiping led the way, while Dugu Ying followed behind; the three had a clear division of labor.

“He was hiding here before. To others, it was like a candle in the night, hidden by thick snow and strong winds.” Jie Kaiping said confidently, “Actually, in my opinion, that Senior Brother Juesheng never intended to hide; he didn’t even conceal his aura.”

As they spoke, they arrived at Juesheng's hiding place, but there was no trace of Juesheng. Only one person was lying on the ground, which was Ding Qianyun.

Meng Yuan stepped forward and turned Ding Qianyun's body over, revealing his bearded face.

Ding Qianyun's eyes were wide open, and his face seemed to be in a daze, as if he didn't even know he was going to die before he died.

“This…” Jie Kaiping knelt on one knee, placed one hand on Ding Qianyun’s forehead, and said, “This is because Ding Qianyun was silently implanted with a thought by Juesheng.”

"So, Ding Qianyun was killed by Jue Sheng?" Dugu Ying stepped forward, holding her sword in her arms, and glanced at Ding Qianyun's corpse.

"Probably." Uncovering the screen, he carefully touched Ding Qianyun's body again, seemingly looking for evidence of Juesheng's murder, or perhaps feeling for the money bag.

“Absolutely.” Jie Kaiping tucked the money pouch into his sleeve and whispered, “Ding Qianyun was first influenced by my random thoughts, then he woke up, and then his thoughts were stirred again, and he was killed with a single palm strike, without even a chance to resist.”

Meng Yuan and Dugu Ying exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke.

Monk Juesheng has disappeared without a trace, but Ding Qianyun remains here.

Meng Yuan had previously discussed with Dugu Ying that Juesheng and Qingguangzi had a history of dealings, and that Juesheng's problems were not a secret; Wang Er and the high monks of Lanruo Temple also knew about it.

The reason why Juesheng has not been captured yet is because there is someone behind Juesheng, and Juesheng's past thoughts and experiences have long been erased, making him impossible to trace. This time, Wang Er allowed Ding Chonglou to bring Juesheng out, probably to see if the person behind Juesheng would make any unusual moves.

Unexpectedly, Juesheng actually killed someone.

"They're all from the Demon Suppression Division. Ding Qianyun was with that bald monk, didn't he have any reservations? He must also have some kind of calming method, and he's been constantly activating it." Meng Yuan guessed, judging others by his own experience.

Before Meng Yuan arrived at Lanruo Temple, he received advice from Lin Yan to always be wary of the bald monk.

Even without Lin Yan's guidance, Meng Yuan was still on guard. Whenever he was at Lanruo Temple and had the bald monk by his side, he would definitely activate the Burning Heart Circulation.

Now that his body has been tempered again and his mind is focused, he is no longer easily disturbed by outsiders, which is why Meng Yuan stopped constantly urging the Burning Heart for self-defense.

“Then Juesheng might be stronger than we think,” Jie Kaiping said.

"Regardless of how Ding Qianyun died, why did Ke Juesheng want to kill him?" Jie Kaiping scratched his head, picked out a louse, and casually flicked it at Meng Yuan.

Meng Yuan quickly dodged, saying, "Or do you want to help us?"

Upon hearing this, Dugu Ying looked at Meng Yuan and said, "Juesheng and the Second Miss Ying have long been friends. You are Miss Ying's person, so it's not impossible for him to help you."

"Sigh, so she's still a woman." Jie Kaiping sighed. "Senior Brother Juesheng still can't understand it."

“That doesn’t justify killing Ding Qianyun. At least let us interrogate him. And why did he kill him and then run away? Why didn’t he meet with you? Were you worried about being exposed when you returned to Lanruo Temple?” Dugu Ying asked.

Meng Yuan recalled Ding Qianyun and Juesheng strolling outside the city earlier that day and said, "Ding Qianyun once advised me to stay away from the Ying family. Could he have said something to Juesheng that made him so angry?"

At this point, Meng Yuan looked at Jie Kaiping and asked, "Brother Jie, a monk who is not swayed by love and affection, yet is trapped in the heart of one person, shows that greed, anger, and ignorance have already taken deep root in his heart. How can he attain enlightenment?"

"What's so special about this? Even a guru can slaughter an entire city to prove his enlightenment. If Brother Juesheng understands this, he can become a Buddha; if he doesn't, he'll become a demon. It's just a matter of a single thought." Jie Kaiping understood this best. "Whether he becomes a Buddha or a demon, whatever he says is what he is."

“That makes sense. If your mother could become a Buddha through a young man, why can’t Juesheng become a demon through obsession?” Dugu Ying’s words made perfect sense.

"It's a pity that Benefactor Meng couldn't grant my lay mother a moment of pleasure before she died. Alas, Benefactor Meng is clearly a person who can't let go of desires." Jie Kaiping had no concept of shame.

Dugu Ying glanced at Meng Yuan but said nothing.

The three chatted for a while but couldn't come up with anything, so they decided to call it a day.

"Brother Jie, where are you planning to go?" Meng Yuan burned Ding Qianyun's body again.

"Where else can I go?" Jie Kaiping put his hands in his sleeves. "With a grand event about to take place at Lanruo Temple, this humble monk naturally wants to go and broaden his horizons."

“Then be careful. You killed Zhihe and lured Ding Chonglou of the Demon Suppression Division to his death. They hate you to the bone, and once the Lanruo Temple matter is settled, they will definitely do everything in their power to capture you. At that time, the masters of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism will also come to assist you,” Meng Yuan said.

Jie Kaiping was stunned for a moment, then said, "You... Brother Meng, you're really not human!"

“That’s just how it is.” Meng Yuan’s words made perfect sense.

Jie Kaiping paused, stunned, and was so angry she wanted to speak but couldn't, so she turned and left.

"I will bring you a thank-you gift in five days," Meng Yuan said.

“Let’s go to the south gate again.” Jie Kaiping turned around and said seriously, “The people from Yunshan Temple are there, and they are all very friendly.”

After the screen was removed and he left, Dugu Ying said, "He is, after all, Qing Guangzi's man."

"It's alright, let the peacock suffer a little, I'll take the blame," Meng Yuan said.

"I mean, should we silence them?" Dugu Ying asked, holding her longsword with one hand on the hilt.

She wasn't wearing the red cloak, but rather a black dress, with her sword held in her arms, displaying a remarkable left-right stance.

“No need.” Meng Yuan withdrew his gaze. “We had a grudge against him before, but it was all Qing Guangzi’s doing. The root of the problem lies with Qing Guangzi. Jie Kaiping is not a bad person at heart; on the contrary, he has a bit of a foolish and compassionate heart. Besides, it would be unbecoming of a hero to kill him to silence him after asking him for help.”

Seeing that Meng Yuan had said this, Dugu Ying did not insist any further.

The two immediately returned to the city, and upon arriving home, they did not light any lamps, but instead discussed the day's gains and losses in the dark.

In this battle, Dugu Ying was the main attacker, while Meng Yuan did not contribute much. By the time they returned, Meng Yuan's body was already full of fluids.

"Did you gain anything?" Dugu Ying asked.

Meng Yuan understood what Dugu Ying meant: that there was no way to verify one's own knowledge through Ding Chonglou's fire magic.

Ding Chonglou was skilled in fire magic, which was called "Burning City with Raging Fire." He used his own fire to ignite the fire outside, making it extremely fierce and intense. The entire area around him was engulfed in flames, causing him to suffer the torment of being burned both physically and mentally.

The leaping flames were actually a transformation into fire, similar to Meng Yuan's "Rainbow in the Mist," and were called "Floating Dark Fire."

"Rain and Clouds" transforms the user into a rainbow, suddenly thrusting towards the enemy. "Floating Dark Fire" transforms the user into a raging fire, and is an even faster thrusting technique.

But this time Ding Chonglou was too overconfident, Meng Yuan's Bodhi Extinction Dao was fierce and unparalleled, Dugu Ying's Comet Strikes the Moon with a desperate attack, and Jie Kaiping's divine mind disturbed his mind, which is why they were able to kill Ding Chonglou in one fell swoop.

Of course, even if Ding Chonglou were more cautious, he would probably only live a little longer. After all, his opponent was a bald monk at the fifth rank, a martial artist at the fifth rank, and a sixth-rank martial artist comparable to a fifth-rank martial artist.

Moreover, Ding Chonglou seemed to be somewhat inferior to Zhihe, and he also failed to stir up the mayfly world.

“It’s different.” Meng Yuan had just faced Ding Chonglou when he accepted the challenge and personally experienced the fiery intent.

The flames touched his body, and although they burned him, for Meng Yuan, who had tempered his body with fire several times, it was not a gentle breeze, but it was not a big problem either.

Meng Yuan realized that he was probably the best at countering fire magic.

Moreover, Ding Chonglou's method was too domineering, which was completely different from Meng Yuan's gentle fire, an endless and inextinguishable fire.

Simply put, Ding Chonglou's fire is like pine branches burning, which seems big but only lasts for a short time and doesn't burn for long. Once only a few sparks remain, it's really just a spark and can't burn any longer. Meng Yuan's fire, on the other hand, is like jujube wood, which not only burns fiercely but also burns for a long time. Even if only a wisp of spark remains, it can be reignited by a gust of wind.

Meng Yuan recounted his feelings in detail, which Dugu Ying listened to with great interest.

"No need to rush, the Third Miss's letter should arrive soon." Dugu Ying obviously couldn't help either, but offered a suggestion, "Talk to Wang Er more, she's actually quite knowledgeable."

Perhaps because of their two previous experiences together, Dugu Ying's tone was much gentler than usual.

“You’re going to fight Jin Hai this time, so wearing a Taoist robe is inappropriate.” Dugu Ying took out a new set of clothes.

"Thank you so much, Miss Ying, your cooking is really good!" Meng Yuan was about to change into the new clothes when Dugu Ying stopped him.

“Mingyue had someone do it for you.” Dugu Ying smiled and said, “Mingyue knew you were going to fight against the Golden Sea of ​​the Buddhist Kingdom, so she had you kill that Golden Sea monk!”

"How dare I disobey!" Meng Yuan had already agreed to Wang Er's request, so agreeing again now was nothing.

(End of this chapter)